Crowell had issues but replacing him not easy for Georgia
Isaiah Crowell was a headache, but he was an impact player on field. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
ATHENS – Notwithstanding all of the words that have been spewed or written about Isaiah Crowell – some factual, some imagined by the ScreaminDawg39s on message boards — since he was summarily dismissed from Georgia, one thing is undeniable:
He was good. Really good.
It’s easy to forget that. Many would rather talk about Crowell’s perceived lack of dedication, or his immaturity, or that he was soft. (It’s rare that even Vince Dooley calls you out.) Let’s assume all that were true. What does it say that Crowell still ran for 850 yards and five touchdowns in little more than 10 full games and was named the SEC’s freshman of the year?
It follows that when Georgia opened practice Thursday, there should’ve been no reason to celebrate Crowell’s absence. He left a void. If the Bulldogs don’t lack talent at running back, they at least lack certainty at the position and they may lack greatness.
Georgia is favored to win the SEC East Division largely because of its defense and quarterback Aaron Murray. But its chances of winning the conference championship and competing for a national title hinge on two things: 1) The offensive line, which was an issue even before Thursday’s news that projected starting right tackle Kolton Houston remains ineligible after testing positive for a banned substance from 2010; 2) A running back finding room to run even when there’s little or no room there.
Great running backs can hide the deficiencies of an offensive line, just as a great line can make a running back look better than he really is.
The Dogs were average up front last year. They have only two starters back. Nobody is getting ready to scream, “Hogs!”
“One of our biggest challenges this camp is to put together our starting five,” coach Mark Richt said Thursday.
Freshman Keith Marshall is probably Georgia's best hope for an impact running back this season. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
Those generally aren’t comforting words four weeks before a season opener.
Nor should anybody feel good about the term “running back by committee.” Yes, as Richt pointed out, it worked for LSU last season. But LSU linemen look like transfers from nearby meat freezers.
Crowell was dismissed after a felony gun arrest and transferred to Alabama State. Last year’s No. 2 tailback Carlton Thomas (suspended three times) left the program with an intent to transfer.
The year before, troubled starting back Washaun Ealey was granted his release (Richt then: “We both have come to the conclusion that a transfer to another institution would be in his best interest.”) and Caleb King (multiple suspensions) was ruled academically ineligible and left.
So this makes two consecutive years that Georgia has lost its two most productive tailbacks from the season before for reasons other than the NFL, or graduating with honors.
Richt hopes freshmen Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley can have an impact early. Maybe senior Richard Samuel and sophomore Ken Malcome also can contribute. But understand: Running back by committee shouldn’t be celebrated, any more than platooning quarterbacks. If one guy was considered exceptional, he would start.
Samuel, who may wind up at fullback, acknowledged: “Isaiah is a real talent. It’s difficult not having somebody of that ability on the field. But Keith and Todd bring something different as far as a running style. … It’s a slight concern. But we have faith in those young guys.”
Richt said he is counting on not only the line coming together but his quarterback checking into and out of the right play and formation. As for Crowell, the coach is doing his best to minimize the perception that the player’s loss will have a significant impact.
“You know what? These guys are pretty talented, too,” he said. “And there’s a lot of talented running backs. Just look across America.”
Georgia just needs one to become a difference maker. But even with Crowell’s baggage, understand that he was better than most.
By Jeff Schultz
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
313 comments Add your comment
5150 UOAD
August 2nd, 2012
8:41 pm
1990>1980
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
August 2nd, 2012
8:47 pm
1990
Shared with Colorado
Tech played #17 Nebraska in the Citris Bowl for their so called joke national title game
LOL
#17 Nebraska for their championship game
SEC Observer
August 2nd, 2012
8:48 pm
Georgia is in serious trouble on offense. A great back can make something out of nothing with an average line. The Dawgs have an average line at best. Georgia has no back close to Crowell at this point.
Schultz is right to point this out.
Georgia will quickly fall out of the top 25. They will get by Missouri but will lose to SC, UT and Fl.
Dawg fans need to wake up. You will have a solid defense but a lack of offense will be your downfall.
JB
August 2nd, 2012
8:48 pm
Maybe… Maybe now.
I don’t think it’s to hard to imagine at least one of the two Fr being as good.
The OL is a far bigger concern.
HBTD!!!
Paddy
August 2nd, 2012
8:49 pm
If you think Crowell wil be missed, you have not been paying attention the last 30 years to similar situations in sports. Dawgs will not miss a beat.
JB
August 2nd, 2012
8:51 pm
Lose to UT? You powers of observation need some work.
Frankly, if we do have an OL, and that’s up in the air at the moment, but if we do, I think we win all three of those games.
HBTD!!!
Tide Rising
August 2nd, 2012
8:54 pm
Dawgs are better off without this guy. He had 850 yds but against who? I didn’t see an impressive performance by him against anyone of note. He was nowhere to be found against Boise and LSU and racked up his yards against the really bad teams on the schedule. This guy just didn’t have the right stuff against the big boys. Then again you can say that about the entire dawg football program.
5150 UOAD
August 2nd, 2012
8:56 pm
Paddy…………..please tell me about a similar situation. Knowshow goes to the NFL leaving King & Ealey they go away leaving a T Freshman Crowell and now again he is gone.
What school has EVER had this situation and done anything good?
Tide Rising
August 2nd, 2012
8:57 pm
UT could be a surprise this year. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they did beat the dawgs. We’re talking about beating the dawgs folks. We aint talkin LSU or Alabama.
Red Stick
August 2nd, 2012
9:03 pm
@SEC Observer I don’t see any way that UGA will lose to SC, Tenn and Florida. I do think that the Vols will be much improved and will be better than many think. Their offense with Bray, Rogers and Hunter will be very difficult to stop.
Tenn could very well beat any team in the East so they should not be overlooked.
Cmdawg99
August 2nd, 2012
9:04 pm
Booooooooooooooooooooooooo!!
Go Dawgs!!!!
Cmdawg99
August 2nd, 2012
9:09 pm
Why can’t we suspend people the way spurrier does ? Suspends for the off season and then brings them back before the season starts. ? LOL
Mobile Dawg
August 2nd, 2012
9:12 pm
Isiah Who?
Macon Mike
August 2nd, 2012
9:12 pm
why not trying to beat Spurrier first…
Red Stick
August 2nd, 2012
9:13 pm
@Cmdawg99 whether you agree or not it seems the East side of the SEC has alot more problems with players getting in trouble than the West side.
Geaux Tigers
Go SEC
Statues R' Us
August 2nd, 2012
9:16 pm
the evil genius
5150 UOAD
August 2nd, 2012
9:19 pm
Crowell missing New Mexico St over Auburn Cmdwag99?
bubba4dawgs
August 2nd, 2012
9:24 pm
Crowell is gone and we wish him well! That doesn’t mean that we should be singing his praises of the good things he did. Sure, he ran for 850 yards his freshman year. No one could have guaranteed that at the beginning of the season. It is time for Keith and Todd along with Ken and Richard to take over. The talent is there! It’s downright shameful that the OL is not what we need but they may even get around that with their talent. I’d much rather have them than IC with all his baggage and I believe the DAWGS will have a very good season! Both Keith and Todd are capable of taking it to the house and IC never did do that beyond approximately 40 yards on one occasion! GO DAWGS!!
The Truth
August 2nd, 2012
9:24 pm
Jeff.. you are wrong… Georgia is favored to win the East NOT because of defense and QB….but their SCHEDULE…. have you looked at the schedule? Grayson would make it to the Dome with that schedule.
The Professor
August 2nd, 2012
9:26 pm
Here’s your UGA Math Problem of the Week
f(x,y,z) = 10x + 5y•π + √4z²
Solve for f(x, y, z), given:
X = the probability that the UGA will make it through a season without another player being arrested and locked up in jail
Y = the number of legitimate college courses that UGA football players have passed
Z = on a sleaze scale of 0-10, with 0 being the sleaziest and 10 being morally and ethically upstanding, where is Mark Richt?
Congratulations if you came up with the correct answer, which is ZERO
Pago Pago DAWG
August 2nd, 2012
9:33 pm
It appears that some of you people have very little confidence in the coaching staff.
Dr. Phil
August 2nd, 2012
9:41 pm
Crowell believed the missing man hype. He believed it even before Richt’s silly soap opera. Crowell had some talent, but not nearly as much as he thought he had and that Richt led him to believe he had. He clearly demonstrated that he was not the #1 prospect in the country.
Brainiac(Dawg For Life) / (CMR fan for life)
August 2nd, 2012
9:43 pm
@ BenB:
Will you just please put a sock in it???
Where do you get all your “EXPERTISE” on how to run a D-1 College Football program???
Currently CMR is the 3rd best active coach in the nation when it comes to won/loss records. Better than Saban and Miles. He has won 6 SEC East Championships and 2 SEC Championships in his 11 years. as HC.
You know less about more than most anyone on here but you, like a bunch of others on here, just have to run your mouth/keyboard. True UGA fans are fed up with your and your ilk’s drivel. Fortunately you and your ilk have exactly ZERO to do with anything Dawg Nation. Your Single Digit IQ shows pn every post from you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jeff Schultz
August 2nd, 2012
9:44 pm
ScreaminDawg39
Submitted on 2012/08/02 at 4:43pm
“I take offense to this”
<<< Haha. Awesome. Thanks for giving me a chuckle.
Jeff Schultz
August 2nd, 2012
9:46 pm
Bob — “Schultz…I know you had to take the devil’s advocates side in order to justify your six figure salary …”
<<< Oh, is that my agenda? Thanks for clarifying.
Macon Mike
August 2nd, 2012
9:50 pm
Currently CMR has won as many national championships at UGA as I have.
MountainDawg
August 2nd, 2012
9:50 pm
The OL will make or break UGA’s season. If they’re like swiss cheese, that will negate the passing and running game. If the Dawgs cannot control the clock, it’ll pull all the burden on the defense…who’ll eventually gas out. On the upside, they’ve got some talent at WR…Michael Bennett has great potential and should get more reps.
Jeff Schultz
August 2nd, 2012
9:52 pm
KC Dawg — I’m not sure what you THINK I think but I’m not criticizing Mark Richt or Georgia in the decision to let Isaiah Crowell go. It was the absolute right decision. And for what it’s worth, I’ve never advocated anybody who sneezed the wrong way being thrown off the team. … Are you having a bad day or are you always this way?
chazzo
August 2nd, 2012
9:52 pm
1) Yep! It definitely would have been nice to have a healthy sophomore who was the NCAA freshman of the year. I for one feel bad for the kid. He had the world by the tail. He will be missed.
2) He’s gone. Not coming back. There are a couple of guys who have looked good on occasion but hit the holes pretty quick (something that Crowell didn’t always appear to do well). We also have a couple of freshmen that could do well. Have you seen tape of Marshall? the guy is quick.
3) I think the phrase, RB by committee, was coined to describe the Dawgs back in the Cooper/Brown/Ware/Lumpkin days. While no one back had spectacular numbers, add them up and the Dawgs had big rushing yards. It can be deceptive.
Jeff Schultz
August 2nd, 2012
9:53 pm
Dog catcher — That’s correct on the potential issues with pass protection. That’s one reason you’ll see Richard Samuel in their a lot, and you’ll also see tight ends held back for blocking to help out.
WestOfAthens
August 2nd, 2012
9:54 pm
ZZZZZ…
Waiting for the season to begin, actions always speak louder than words.
HBTD
Jeff Schultz
August 2nd, 2012
9:54 pm
Poopdawg — Haha. Don’t worry. You’ll hate me again before long.
5150 UOAD
August 2nd, 2012
9:56 pm
chazzo
August 2nd, 2012
9:52 pm
1) Yep! It definitely would have been nice to have a healthy sophomore who was the NCAA freshman of the year. I for one feel bad for the kid. He had the world by the tail. He will be missed.
=========================================================
Crowell was the SEC VOTED BY THE MEDIA Freshman of the Year.
Clowney was the SEC Freshman of the Year from the Coaches.
Brainiac(Dawg For Life) / (CMR fan for life)
August 2nd, 2012
9:57 pm
@ Redd Stik:
Seems you may have overlooked some suspensions in your place. Not to worry though. Just like Spurrier, Miles had them back on the field before the National Anthem was finished. That QB deal possibly cost LSU the NC game.
athensdawg
August 2nd, 2012
10:02 pm
another year of mark richt.
another group of crucial players get dismissed or suspended.
another preseason spent wondering who is going to play on the offensive line
anyone notice a pattern here????
Brainiac(Dawg For Life) / (CMR fan for life)
August 2nd, 2012
10:06 pm
@ Macon Mike:
You are sooooooooo funny and otherwise entertaining ,,,,,,,,,,,,not!!!!!!!!!!!
Don’t you have something better to do like brushing all 4 of your teeth or painting your Singlewide???
I love your stupid a$$ anyway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brainiac(Dawg For Life) / (CMR fan for life)
August 2nd, 2012
10:07 pm
@ AthensdawgL
Delta is ready when you are Big Dummy!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brainiac(Dawg For Life) / (CMR fan for life)
August 2nd, 2012
10:09 pm
@ 5150(9:56pm post)
And your point is???????????????????????????????????????????????
mgdawg
August 2nd, 2012
10:11 pm
I agree that crowell had some definite talent, but truthfully I only saw that talent in a few games. He was a freshman and I understand that, but some people act like the guy looked better then moreno, he didn’t and it wasn’t close. While losing a talented player isn’t a good thing, I’d rather have a little less talent and someone I can trust. You never knew with crowell, is he going to do something stupid this week and get suspended, is he finally going to be healed from an ankle injury that he was game time decision for multiple weeks, if he does play how quickly will he pull himself out (under/over was two carries). I think that kind of a player hurts the team more then it helps.
Malcolme began gaining confidence at the end of the season and Samuel was a big part of UGA beating florida. Samuel is a beast by the way, he played the tech game with a seperated shoulder. For those of you who don’t know, that is one of the most painful injuries you can possibly have in sports. Marshall from what I’ve heard seems to be a class act and was one of the top ranked rb recruits. Gurley I’ve heard might actually be better then marshall.
sandiego
August 2nd, 2012
10:12 pm
you idiots who criticized IC have never taken the slams these kids take. He was and is a physical talent. His decision making is certainly questionable but he woulda/coulda helped the Dawgs. Marshall and Gurley will prove to be good on the field and off. Here’s hoping the O Line gels..
5150 UOAD
August 2nd, 2012
10:13 pm
And the HITS just keep coming.
Chase Vasser, a junior outside linebacker from Gainesville, was arrested for driving under the influence back in May in Atlanta, Georgia officials confirmed on Thursday. The 21-year-old projected starter has been suspended for the first two games of the season as per UGA’s student-athlete conduct code, team spokesman Claude Felton confirmed late Thursday evening.
Gamecock in Georgia
August 2nd, 2012
10:14 pm
YADA
YADA
YADA
Brainiac(Dawg For Life) / (CMR fan for life)
August 2nd, 2012
10:15 pm
@ The Professor:
Here’s how many people in Dawg Nation give a fat rat’s a$$ about your juvenile math crap. If you guessed ZERO you are CORRECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Professor my a$$. You couldn’t find your a$$ with both hands in your hip pockets!!!!!!!!!!!
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AtlGamecock
August 2nd, 2012
10:16 pm
The Plain Truth.
UGA Football Sux!!!
Dawghater
August 2nd, 2012
10:18 pm
The Plain Truth
UGA football sux…
Dawghater
August 2nd, 2012
10:19 pm
They will never win anything.
Hopefully they can filed a team on opening day as them boys just keep getting in trouble.
Dawghater
August 2nd, 2012
10:19 pm
They did not beat a good team last year and it’s been years since they have had a good win.
Dawghater
August 2nd, 2012
10:21 pm
They got dominated by all 4 good teams that they played last year.
If their defense is so good, why did Bosie State drop 42, SC 45, LSU 42, and the slow Big Ten Mich State 33!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dawghater
August 2nd, 2012
10:23 pm
Brainiac u are an idiot who have no footbal knowledge and we know that because u are a Dawg fan for one
Bly
August 2nd, 2012
10:25 pm
Herschel would have scored.