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
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313 comments Add your comment
GoingToClassToday?
August 5th, 2012
9:37 am
Yep, he could run the ball and make things happen. No doubt about that. The reality is he can’t be counted on to show up when his team mates need him most.
DawgNole
August 5th, 2012
9:59 am
51 arrests in four years
August 5th, 2012
7:51 am
I’ve never understood how anyone – even an alumnus – could support and take pride in UGA’s football team. When you look at their history for the past forty years, how can anyone ignore Jan Kemp and the “remedial studies” scam, the Jim Harrick fiasco, the DUIs in the athletic office, the DUIs and other arrests of players, the #1 party school tag (i.e., the most drunk students), the suspensions and outright dismissals, the Fulmer Cup, and on and on?
______________________
And now can you tell us exactly what “the Jim Harrick fiasco” had to do with “UGA’s football team”?
Didn’t think so.
1 game against the Five (5) SEC teams ranked in the Coaches’ Poll Top 10 with 67 Scholarship Recruits plus 1 transfer-in
August 5th, 2012
11:12 am
tell me again
1st brags that he doesn’t even go to the games
then admonishes all of us as not being as good a fan as he is
tell me again ?
urban redneck
August 5th, 2012
7:12 pm
replacing him shouldn’t be that hard. lots of folks can smoke weed and scratch the serial number of a piece.
hatfieldgeoff
August 6th, 2012
9:27 am
Jeff, everything you say is true. Obviously he was a great talent. But what is you point. If UGA had kept him you would have written 5 columns raking Richt and UGA over the coals. The kid had to go. No matter how talented a player is you have to have rules and discipline to get the most from you team. And some players are so talented you have to take chances on their personal life. I think the real problem here is at the high school level. The competition to win at that level is bigger than at the college level. Coaches wanted to win 30-40 years ago but though I know several great athletes that were thrown off of my high school team. Carve needs to find out why they produced such a premidonna who admitedly didn’t go to class if he didn’t want to (which makes his passing grades questionable) and seems to have held his talent over everyone at the school. This is not just happening at Carver I am sure it is happening all across the state. But pricipals and more importantly school superintendents need to get control of things. But I know they are risking their jobs because “sports” parents will organize to vote them out of office. But someone has to toe-the-line to make things change.
Brainiac(Dawg For Life) / (CMR fan for life)
August 6th, 2012
11:35 am
@ tell me again:
Your 8:24 am post should be required reading for every UGA blogger(trolls too) because it is written in nice, slow and easy to read language.You are sooooooo right about those who see or hear something and take it as gospel with zero research or knowledge to arrive at conclusions that are somewhat factual.
Problem is that apparently many of those can’t read and it wouldn’t make a dent in their craniums if they could.
So many of the fools you speak of will never understand the damage they have done to Dawg Nation although some likely did so on purpose!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
tell me again = DGD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brainiac(Dawg For Life) / (CMR fan for life)
August 6th, 2012
11:45 am
1 game against the 5 SEC……….. = Thomas Brown!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I 100% guarantee this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How do I know???
Even his Blog handle is 3 pages long and his only subject is UGA has ______? wins against____________ teams winning an average of more than ONE NC on the 5th Tuesday Night
in February each Leapyear ?
T. B. = King of the Single Digit IQ Sect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dunwoody Tailgater
August 6th, 2012
5:00 pm
Okay, I’ll take the opposeing side of the argument that Crowell will be hard to replace. Let’s set aside his skills of checking himself out of the game and getting suspended so that he missed two regular season games and just look at that big 850 rushing number for a second.
Running against teams still RANKED in the Top 25 at the end of 2011 season (Boise ST, SC, LSU, Michigan ST=4 total) – 196 yards (49 yards per game average)
Running against UNRANKED teams (8 total) – 654 yards (82 yards per game)
In his last 3 games: 3 yards against Michigan State, 15 yards against LSU and 11 yards against Kentucky TOTAL
Conclusion: Crowell = NOT THAT SPECIAL
1 game against the Five (5) SEC teams ranked in the Coaches’ Poll Top 10 with 67 Scholarship Recruits plus 1 transfer-in
August 7th, 2012
2:37 am
5 Days Jeff Schultz
We’re practicing in full pads, those whom we have to practice. And, you wonder why the medical staff is releasing a report daily now to us of injured players ?
Jeff Schultz, 5 days would seem to be laz on your part with nothing to report on UGA Football, sir, the biggest sport around here.
Mark Richt has announced through the freedom of information act that he has 72 football players 2012 on scholarship, but he declined to name them for you.
Allow me :
Kolton Houston, who has not been cleared according to anyone is on list.
4 walk-ons who play on our # 80 special teams are on the list, too :
Faloughi *
Frix*
Harton*
Sailors*
That is 72 minus 5 = 67 scholarship recruits of the 107 Mark Richt signed to play 2012 plus one transfer-in.
Until such time as anyone can show anyone saying that Kolton Houston is allowed to play 2012, he cannot play. It’s pretty simple.
Fully expect there to be a huge announcement, as there was 2011 last season about then 9 walk-ons provided full scholarship, 4 of whom are multi-year scholarships.
Atkins#
Floyd#
Any lists which list either of these 2 who are not on campus and not enrolled even at UGA, when both are transfers-out on a list of 29 transfers-out, is further bogus information.
Any lists which list 75 including Atkins# Floyd# Houston@ Faloughi * Frix* Harton* Sailors* Jones+, is a list of scholarship players today who were not recruited to UGA by Mark Richt as scholarship recruits, and is intended only to obscure the obvious that we face 2012 with but 67 scholarship recruits Mark Richt signed to play 2012 of the 107 he signed to play 2012 plus one transfer-in.
68 is 17 under the 85-man limit, and any article stating we signed 17 to the 2012 class 8 under such article states, is further bogus article, as there are only 14 who were signed to the 2012 class for the 2012 class who are on the roster. Why we signed only 14 to count toward the 2012 class when we are 17-under the 85-man limit, is the real problem.
We have our best chance 2012 playing only 1 game against The 5 SEC teams in the Coaches’ Poll Top 10, and do so facing this 14-game schedule with 67 scholarship recruits plus one transfer-in, 17-under the 85-man limit.
Roster Mis-Management.
Self-Imposed NCAA Probation of 17 Lost scholarship recruits 2012.
Damage done to the Dawg Nation
August 7th, 2012
2:53 am
Damage done to the Dawg Nation is done by a group of liars who wish that no one would ever admit where we are short as a football program, and wish to hide where we need to improve. You are the problem. Any post stating the tell me again is a great Bulldogs’ Football Fan would have to explain why he brags then all the time in here that he does not even go to the football games.
I did not make the fact that we’re 17 under the 85-man limit today of scholarship recruits on our roster, only 67 then for our best chance 2011 – that would be our football coach who brings you that fact instead. I do make the point, don’t I ? And, what do you offer us ? That 3.88 GPA is single-digit IQ, and nothing on the
Roster Mis-Management.
Why is that ?
It damages us to admit it ? Really ? Me thinks it damages us to not admit it. 1st we have to admit where we are short, and 2nd we must work to fix it.
When, yes, I know this is hard for you to understand, we have not beat a single team who made the Top 10 since 2006, there is an issue and when you have self-imposed 17 Lost Scholarship Recruits of our 85-man limit, you’re going to have to report daily injury reports.
Damage done to the Dawg Nation
August 7th, 2012
6:59 am
Louis Young Georgie tek player selling game tickets to the UGA game for a profit, what’s wrong with that ? Everyone at Georgie tek sells their tickets to the UGA game – even Georgie tek itself.
BUI now that is wrong Daniel Drummond, pleading guilty – another suspended Georgie tek player. You play VT on national TV in game 1, is that right ?
Who else is Paul Johnson covering up for who is also suspended ? The AJ-C actually reported this ? Amazing stuff.
http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia-tech-sports/2012/08/04/tech-player-facing-suspension-for-selling-tickets/
Why not state Georgie tek is on NCAA PROBATION in FOOTBALL 2012, back-to-back repeat violators.
stoptheinsanity
August 7th, 2012
10:26 am
On the other hand, one year ago today – we had one POTENTIAL “feature back”, fresh out of high school, with only one veteran who had EVER toted the rock in a real D1 game. Today, we have two POTENTIAL “feature backs” fresh out of high school and the same veteran, along with one other vet who had significant carry time last year. Year over year, I’d rather be where we are NOW. Just sayin’.
Damage done to the Dawg Nation
August 7th, 2012
9:57 pm
Amen to that. I never liked the preferential treatment afforded to Isaiah Crowell, from the missing man, to the what was 3 Suspensions – the last of which was him being kicked-off approved for transfer-out, and EVERYTHING in-between such as turning his back in front of me at the Georgia Dome when Mark Richt was trying to for the 1st time in his life even attempt to discipline Isaiah Crowell after he took the devastating penalty for his personal foul, and every single run of his every single snap, every single game jumping-up and jawing at the lousy opponents after he got 5 yards vs a sorry opponent; and, all of his yanking himself out of the line-up and being afforded his FLUNKED-OUT sidekick Cootie Harrow whom NO OTHER COACH IN AMERICA would offer a scholarship to, just Mark Richt as his running mate. As it turns out Cootie Harrow had ALREADY flunked-out when the 5 underage Bulldogs ALL 5 went to a BAR where they say the WRECKING of drugs in their car came from.
Where did Cootie transfer to play football, Mark Richt ?