Questions surround UGA receivers, NCAA rules
Mark Richt has made it clear that he expects Joe Cox to be throwing the ball for the Dogs this season, but the outlook at receiver, with MoMass gone and Kris Durham hurt, is a lot murkier. The Dogs are thin in the receiving corps and last year’s breakout star, A.J. Green, is going to see a lot of double coverage. Who can take the pressure off him?
Michael Moore looked great in the bowl game, but can he do it consistently? It’s likely that at least one, if not more, of the incoming freshmen is going to have to come up big for Georgia’s passing game to take off.
A lot of preseason anticipation is building up around Marlon Brown, who seems capable of an A.J.-like debut. But can lightning like that strike two seasons in a row? And highly touted tight end Orson Charles, a high school teammate of QB Aaron Murray, is expected to be more of a receiver than a blocker. Is he the answer?
I have a sneaking suspicion the key to great things out of the receiving corps could be Georgia’s plan to use talented cornerback Branden Smith as a Champ Bailey-style two-way player.
Richt summed up the situation in an interview with Matt Hayes of the Sporting News:
“Of course we’re really comfortable with A.J., and we feel like Michael Moore is going to do an outstanding job. The rest of the guys have got some things to prove, and there aren’t many left. We’ve got Tavarres King and Israel Troupe and two true freshmen [Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten]. Orson Charles is more of a hybrid TE/WR, but he has great receiving skills. We also might use Branden Smith, a corner who is also a kick and punt returner, and a guy we think we can incorporate into the offense.”
So who do you see becoming Georgia’s next great receiver?
Meanwhile, the Birmingham News takes a look at the proliferation of “secondary violations” of NCAA rules and the perception that many coaches think they’re worth incurring.
At least one football-related secondary violation gets reported to the SEC every week. UGA’s most recent ones were pretty trifling inadvertent stuff, but with Lane Kiffin throwing around secondary violations like confetti and Auburn apparently crossing the line as its Big Cat recruiting tactics get more gonzo, the question arises: Should the NCAA crack down on these “isolated” violations that “provide only a minimal recruiting, competitive or other advantage”?
And what constitutes too many secondary violations? The News couldn’t get a clear answer from the SEC or the NCAA. Somewhere down the road, though, this situation is going to have to be resolved.
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262 comments Add your comment
J Smurf
June 5th, 2009
4:38 pm
“UGA has had so little exposure to football outside of the immediate southeast that you’re largely ignorant of the fact that football is played in other areas of the country.”
Yes, beleive it or not, this is a statement made by a Bama fan.
Reality Check...
June 5th, 2009
4:41 pm
No, winningest, dude it’s UTAH…I can’t understaind why you act like UTAH is ome great powerhouse of a fooball program..If we would have lost to Hawaii you guys would still be talking about it…One more question, when CBS airs the games do they go regional with UGA games and national with UA games? iff so then you are right. What about ESPN 8:00 PM games? Just wondering…
Reality Check...
June 5th, 2009
4:44 pm
But no where near your foolish comments….And winninest I watched that game…I believe we fell into the same trap that UA did… Just speaking from reality here…
Winningest team of the last 100 years 754 wins
June 5th, 2009
4:44 pm
If UGA had more of a prestigious history then perhaps you would understand that football is played in other parts of the country. I grew up and watched Bama play the following teams in out of conference home and homes outside of the immediate southeast: USC, UCLA, WASHINGTON when it was a national power under Don James, BYU, Notre Dame, Boston College with Doug Flutie, Penn State, Texas A&M, Nebraska when they were a power, Oklahoma in the 2000s, Miami, and one game regular season contests in games like the kickoff classic against Ohio State, Florida State, etc.
Part of what makes Georgia a decent regional program instead of a national brand name like Alabama is that in the past 50 years you have not played any bcs conference opponent outside of the immediate southeast in a home and home. UCLA came in 1985 but when UGA was supposed to make the return trip to Cali the next year you backed out. What was that all about?
If you travel around the country people know Alabama football because they’ve seen Bama teams come through their region in big time home and homes over the years. Not so with UGA except for finally going to ASU last year. Oh, and we pick up with Va Tech this year in a year when they will open up in the top 10 or top 5 and when they are talking national championship. And we open next year against Penn State which won the big 10 this past year. And who do you play? Mediocre ASU and then I think Colorado, a cellar dweller lately in the big 12 next year. What a freaking joke!
Reality Check...
June 5th, 2009
4:48 pm
Winningest we open at OSU…They are projected to be in the top 10 as well…Also, the WLOCP prevents us from scheduling a home and home with another BCS team…. still in the reality here..
University of Alabama = Irrelevant
June 5th, 2009
4:49 pm
Mr. Alabama,
UGA hasn’t played UCF during Coach Richt’s era, so I’m not sure what game you think the dawg’s cheated in to win.
And to your earlier comment, what kind of cheating was Alabama engaging in that caused it to get 7 years of punishment while, as you put it “the real cheaters aka UGA and Auburn”) have lots more major infractions and haven’t seemed to have had any problems winning. Only hicks from Alabama would be dumb enough to get caught cheating by the doughnut monster himself, Fat Phil Fulmer.
J Smurf
June 5th, 2009
4:50 pm
WVU beat us fair and square. An 11th ranked BCS school beat a Georgia team ranked 8th with Pat White, Steve Slaton, and a fake punt. That game means nothing to me. It would really sting if they were a Mountain West team receiving too much hype.
Winningest team of the last 100 years 754 wins
June 5th, 2009
4:50 pm
J Smurf,
Now I’m beginning to think you’re just plain dumb. UGA had not traveled to play outside of the immediate southeast except for bowl games in the last 50 years. The ASU game was the first. That’s why UGA has always been confined into a little box as a good regional program but not a national program. I’m sorry but once again I’ve whooped you with FACTS! Do you know what an irrefutable FACT is? All the teams that I just rattled off are teams that Bama played in the regular season going back 30 years.. You can look them up. We’ve had several great home and home series with Nebraska, Penn State, USC, Notre Dame, just to name a few and several other big time programs that I just mentioned. Who exactly has Georgia played out of conference in home and homes in the past 30 years or so. I;m sorry dude but I’m just going to have to pound it into your head over and over and over FACTS IS FACTS IS FACTS IS FACTS! Don’t give me your opinion. Just present me with FACTS.
Fools Gold
June 5th, 2009
4:54 pm
Hey Reality check….. I remember the last time the gamehens visited Athens their defense stuffed the mighty duo Stafford and Moreno. Kinda embarrassing isnt it?
Reality Check...
June 5th, 2009
4:54 pm
FACT- UGA cannot schedule a home and home because of the WLOCP, period…look it up….now who sounds dumb…man I love to the living in reality right now…
Reality Check...
June 5th, 2009
4:58 pm
No not really, we play them every year.. the game was close… just like I am not embarrassed about the tech loss…play’em every year and the game was close…you are still making me laugh…keep trying to make yourself out not to look foolish..I have faith in you…
Fools Gold
June 5th, 2009
5:00 pm
Reality Check……I believe UGA was an overwhelming favorite in the bowl game against West Virginia from the weak Big East. UGa was out coached , outplayed and outsmarted!
Obama, please beg the Saudis for lower gas prices....
June 5th, 2009
5:01 pm
facts facts facts facts facts facts facts facts facts facts facts facts facts…now I sound like a loser, like winningest.
University of Alabama = Irrelevant
June 5th, 2009
5:02 pm
And one last fact for Mr. Facts
The record books show that Coach Stallings is only credited with 62 wins NOT 70. And why you might ask, Alabama CHEATED and had to forfeit its wins for the 1993 season!
J Smurf
June 5th, 2009
5:03 pm
Here is a FACT. I don’t care if we play a team West of the Mississippi. When we do, we win. When you do, you lose. That’s a FACT! And for the record, The Collegiate Licensing Company reports each year what college brad has been the most popular, throughout the country, in retail sales. Bama ranks behind Georgia. This means that today, Georgia is more popular and well known nationally, than Alabama. That is another FACT.
Winningest team of the last 100 years 754 wins
June 5th, 2009
5:03 pm
Reality check, well. Looks like you are actually starting to step it up a little bit.
University of Alabama = Irrelevant,
How convenient that you only want to talk about the Mark Richt era. But that’s okay. We can talk about the last 4 years 2006-2009. I never called UGA the “real cheaters”. I simply stated a FACT that UGA has had far more major infractions cases brought against it then Bama. That’s all. Also, Bama got nailed hard because 2 rogue boosters were trying to buy a player by bribing his high school coach to steer him to Bama. This happens but in this case was on a really egregious scale. As a matter of fact UGA just reported a violation yesterday because a UGA booster illegally called a recruit. It happens and apparently uga rednecks are just as stupid as Alabama rednecks.
You comment that we got caught by the doughnut monster himself is pretty funny and has me LMAO. It was a sordid situation. Fulmer was a “secret” witness and most of the info he provided later turned out to be bogus according to documents that the NCAA was forced to release years after the probation had already been handed down. He also was sued by a former player at UT that he pressured into making bogus allegations about Bama’s recruitment of him. The kid later recanted, left UT, and said that Fulmer had pressured him into saying things about Bama’s recruitment that simply weren’t true. The whole thing is actually more interesting than fiction. Let’s you know just how politicized and corrupt the NCAA really is.
But I am still cracking up that we got nabbed by the “doughnut monster”
J Smurf
June 5th, 2009
5:05 pm
college brand…sorry
Fools Gold
June 5th, 2009
5:06 pm
So then Reality Check then you would agree then that UGA is just a notch above the Gamehens!There ya go I knew you would finally come around and see clearly now !
J Smurf
June 5th, 2009
5:06 pm
I’m done. Have a good weekend everyone. Bama sucks!
Winningest team of the last 100 years 754 wins
June 5th, 2009
5:10 pm
J Smurf,
I’m disappointed you really are dumb. There are twice as many people in Georgia as in Bama and UGA is a bigger school than UA. That’s why they sell more apparel you nitwit. Nice try though. And I guess that means you are now 1 for 1 when playing west of the Mississippi over the last 50 years. Good lord you have been reduced to bragging about apparel sales. Oh my God.
University of Alabama = Irrelevant
Antonio langham, Our star cornerback, had signed with an agent one or 2 games into the 93 season. Nobody knew though and when it was found out after the season we had to report it and hence we had to forfeit 8 wins from that season because he was ineligible. But we stil won the games on the filed of play. This was the other time in Bama’s history that we got in trouble with the ncaa cops. Both times happened in the 90s.
Winningest team of the last 100 years 754 wins
June 5th, 2009
5:12 pm
Looks like a ran that girl on out of here. Have a good weekend Jennifer Smurf.
shane#1
June 5th, 2009
5:15 pm
Nothing against Bama here, or their Ferret faced dyspeptic coach. As to today’s topic, if Richt is worried about which four star is going to play second fiddle to AJ, that is a good problem to have. UGA has more pressing issues, like who will line up at tailback in a TB oriented offense. I guess once a quarterback, always a quarterback. I would suggest that Smith concentrate on learning the defensive schemes first, he could be a real game changer on that side of the ball and on special teams. I think learning those roles should keep a freshman pretty busy.
FL DAWG
June 5th, 2009
5:17 pm
Winningest team of the last 100 years 754 wins :
You have posted on here all day, do you have a job? Maybe Obama can help you out if needed. At least you got a key board. I’ll give you credit dude, some funny stuff, with some truth mixed in but come on, all day!!!! I guess that ‘bama degree helped you out.
The Truth Hurts
June 5th, 2009
5:24 pm
Fact: Georgia fans will be serving an assorted cheese tray to the Bama and Tech fans this year to compliment all the whine(ing) they will do after their teams lose at least 4-5 games each this year. Both teams are so over rated its not even funny.Saban coached teams always underacheive…just look at the past records of the teams he’s coached!Tech will lose because they way overacheived last year running a gimmic offense. Teams won’t look past them this year. Georgia will beat them down this year….count on it!…Also I’ll bet the house that Bama has had more major infactions brought against its program in the past ten years than Georgia has….you need to get your facts straight…also Georgia reported a minor infraction yesterday when a coach called a recruit the day after he was called by another coach on the staff…it had nothing to do with a booster….Bama fans always quoting facts that are not true….trying to make themselves look good…..where have you guys been the past ten years?…Looks like you ought to bring back Shula…cause Ole Miss and LSU are going to beat you to a pulp this year…get used to it!
Pi$$onaDAWG
June 5th, 2009
5:25 pm
Sanford Drive the best thing to come out of Athens is a Bald gay guy fronting a band of GEEKS (as youo like to call tech people) called REM. They made more than all your football players.
Michael Foster
June 5th, 2009
5:28 pm
I dont know why people are worried about UGA at receiver. Yes we lost Kris Durham, but Durham was not as productive as Michael Moore was last season.
In fact, Michael Moore proved time in time again during the regular season (not just the bowl game) that he can be a very reliable receiver. He made a handful of traffic catches last year that really impressed me, and I actually look forward to him.
Dont forget Tavares King, and Marlon Brown doesnt have to be the next AJ esque lightning strike for the offense to work.
For the second day in a row I am rolling my eyes reading the ajc. Lets worry about the tailback position and the defense.
Pi$$onaDAWG
June 5th, 2009
5:35 pm
You do know ZEPPLIN was a BUST and it BLEW-UP killing everyone on the Airship. Logan is like Mike Vick, fast and sling it if he gets scared. A. Murry is UGA’s best chance at running the O like Mark wants. Murry is what Kelly was and Richt wasn’t at Miami. BOBO and Willie are not going to the SHIP in the SEC or the BCS.
Voice of Reason
June 5th, 2009
5:40 pm
At least winningest is man enough to admit which team he roots for in order to have smack talked back towards his team. I don’t believe Fools Gold has ever confirmed of which team he is a fan. How come Fools Gold? Are you that ashamed of your team?
Winningest team of the last 100 years 754 wins
June 5th, 2009
5:45 pm
Fl dawg,
Actually I do have a job but today I’m working from home. In between doing some work I’ve just been having fun blasting and getting blasted by the dawg fans. The funny thing is I don’t even hate the dawgs. I’ve seen some funny stuff like when Shane #1 calls Saban ferret faced I just had to laugh.
The truth hurts,
I actually do have my facts straight and a UGA booster calling a recruit is indeed one of the violations that happened a day or couple of days ago. Its secondary and was probably harmless so I’m not flaming on that. It was just one of several minor violations.
In the last 10 years I would certainly bet Bama has had more major infractions against us.But the fact is that UGA has had 6 major infractions cases brought against it by the NCAA while bama has had 2, both in the 90s. What’s your point? Are you just picking a specific point in time like the last 10 years to make your argument?
Ole Miss and LSU going to beat us to a pulp this year? Man, that is funny? They both could possibly upset us but beat us to a pulp? Are you serious? You so funny.
We just won 12 games and you’re spouting some nonsense about we should bring back Shula. Then you ask where we’ve been the last 10 years when Shula was coaching. What??? Seems a little contradictory. Are we gonna live in the past as in the last 10 years or stick to the present and future. Isn’t that what you dawg fans used to always say to us up until this year? Didn’t you guys used to say quit living in the past? I’m getting addicted to this. You guys are too much fun.
Sanford Drive
June 5th, 2009
5:45 pm
don’t forget WSP
follow the money trail
June 5th, 2009
5:46 pm
MAN WE NEED TO LIMIT COMMENTS TO MAXIMUM OF 5! Do you think anyone wants to read the same inane drivel over and over? Go to therapy!!
Sanford Drive
June 5th, 2009
5:47 pm
Wouldn’t be great if there was a blog where everyone could post thoughtful, relevant information?
Voice of Reason
June 5th, 2009
5:47 pm
winningest- i believe he was referring to your comment “Georgia a decent regional program instead of a national brand name like Alabama” when referencing apparel sales btw
Winningest team of the last 100 years 754 wins
June 5th, 2009
5:48 pm
Voice of reason,
I also have a sense of humor even when you guys are flaming my beloved Tide. I’m still just cracking up after Shane #1 called Saban that ferret faced coach of ours. Man that was just too funny even if it was at our expense.
Sanford Drive
June 5th, 2009
5:48 pm
The only people douchey enough to frequent UGA blogs on a daily basis are Tech fans. That being said, Fool’s Gold is absolutely a Tech fan.
Winningest team of the last 100 years 754 wins
June 5th, 2009
5:53 pm
Follow the money trail,
You’re probably right. I just got on a tear today. But the flaming going back and forth has been anything but inane, its been different. Little did I know that someone would be calling Saban ferret faced. It was worth posting all day just to read that.
Voice of Reason
June 5th, 2009
5:54 pm
winningest-
“Are we gonna live in the past as in the last 10 years or stick to the present and future.” Yor name is “Winningest team of the last 100 years 754 wins” and you said earlier “Who exactly has Georgia played out of conference in home and homes in the past 30 years or so.” To quote you again “What??? Seems a little contradictory.”
Voice of Reason
June 5th, 2009
5:56 pm
all great qualities- unlike Ramble On!! Saint Simons and other pests on this blog, you actually smack talk coherently for the most part. The ferret faced reference is funny in that “funny cause its true” kind of way.
Winningest team of the last 100 years 754 wins
June 5th, 2009
5:59 pm
Voice of reason,
Hey. If people keep bringing up the past as in the last 10 years to suit their argument then we might as well bring up the complete past as I was doing. Personally, I would much rather talk about the future and not live in the past. Now can we please talk about Trent Richardson or DJ Fluker. Will Trent run for 6,000 yards as a freshman? Will the mammoth Fluker start as a freshman as Andre Smith did? Will he start as a guard or tackle since we already found a great replacement at tackle in james carpenter a juco all american?
Dorsey Hill
June 5th, 2009
6:01 pm
Why am I not surprised that only the Bama fan took the bait? Yes, Bama fan we know how good you think you are. That’s why it was funny. You can’t help but tell us how your football program is the greatest gift to the world of football. I live in Birmingham and have since I graduated from Georgia 16 years ago. When the latest NCAA investigation occurred over the textbook “scandal,” I had an Alabama fan, a fellow lawyer no less, tell me that Bama should just threaten to leave the NCAA, because Bama means more to the NCAA, than the NCAA means to Bama. That is no lie. He honestly believed that Bama, by threanteing to pick up their ball and go home that either the NCAA would leave them be or, if they went through with it and left, that we’d all just follow along, because they are Bama. That is a true story. These people are effin’ insane!!!!! It is no overstatement that they are completely and totally out of their minds when it comes to football. Hell the last time we played them in T-town, I said that the 2007 verison of Georgia would beat the 2007 Bama team 7 of 10 times. I thought I was being nice. Damn college student wanted to fight over it. And he was serious. You’d think that Dubose and Shula and Fran and Mike Price and the probation and the 10 years plus of mediocrity would have just made them grateful that they are back in the game with Saban, but no. They think they ARE college football and that God has ordained that they should win the NC every year. I actually pulled for Bama except when Georgia played them until I moved here. Now my favorite team is whoever is playing Bama because watching a delusional Bama fan hating life is a whole lot more fun than listening to them gloat.
FL DAWG
June 5th, 2009
6:03 pm
Winningest team of the last 100 years 754 wins :
Glad to know Obama won’t have to help you out. ferret faced is good.
On original topic: UGA doesn’t need one guy to step up, they need about four of them to step up and start catching some of the balls thrown their way. Troupe, Moore, King have to improve their consistency. Hopefully, A.J. has taught them something about catching the ball and hopefully he learned something about hanging onto the ball after he catches it. The defense is where UGA needs to improve and hopefully they will with the Sr leadership they have in Jeff Owens.
Winningest team of the last 100 years 754 wins
June 5th, 2009
6:03 pm
Voice of reason,
Yup.Saban does look kinda ferret faced. Its true and and is funny because its true. I guess that’s why I just can’t stop laughing about it. I can never look at the guy again without laughing about that.
Winningest team of the last 100 years 754 wins
June 5th, 2009
6:12 pm
Dorsey, How long did it take you to realize that we are that arrogant and that we do think we are the center of the college football universe? We do have some reasoning capability though. I actually would have given the 2007 UGA team the nod 7 or 8 times over the 2007 Bama team before the game was played. The 2007 Alabama team’s sophomore class was the first full recruiting class since the probation years. The junior and senior classes of the 2007 and 2008 teams were woefully low on numbers and talent. This year 2009 will actually be the first series of top heavy upper classmen since 2002. Hence the optimism even if there is that little crimson craziness. My personal prediction is that we are going to be so good that we’re going to win the super bowl. How’s that for loony. Our ferret face Rules!
Winningest team of the last 100 years 754 wins
June 5th, 2009
6:22 pm
Allright dawg fans,
Take your blog back. You’ve roasted me all day and I’ve got in a couple of shots of my own. Its been fun but I don’t think I could take this much time every again blogging and debating football.
For the record I’ve got nothing against the dawgs anyway.Its just been fun trading barbs all day with some actual football debate and numbers thrown in. Auburn and UT and LSU to a lesser degree are our biggest rivals. Georgia is just another SEC team that we play every once in awhile and I seriously doubt that the dawg fans look at us as being a real rival.
And yes. I actually do have a lot of respect for Coach Richt and his accomplishments while at UGA.
Good luck with your season and if we are both lucky then maybe we can bring our ferret faced coach over to the ATL again to play the dogs in the seccg. Signing off to actually do some freaking work before I go hell raising.
Anonymous
June 5th, 2009
6:28 pm
Georgia denied Dozier on SAT worries
By Mark Schlabach
ESPN.com
ATHENS, Ga. — Former University of Memphis forward Robert Dozier’s initial SAT score was invalidated by the company that scores the exam, and when he took the test a second time, he scored 540 fewer points, ESPN.com has learned through an open records request.
In addition, a person claiming to be a faculty member at his high school in suburban Atlanta wrote an anonymous letter to the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse questioning his score on the admissions test, records obtained from the University of Georgia show.
That prompted Georgia to deny Dozier admission. He ended up at Memphis, where he helped lead the Tigers to the 2008 NCAA Final Four.
[+] EnlargeRobert Dozier
Marvin Gentry/US PresswireFormer Memphis Tiger Robert Dozier talks with John Calipari in a 2009 game.
This is the second time in recent weeks that a former Memphis basketball player has had his SAT scores questioned.
On Saturday, Memphis officials will appear before the NCAA Committee on Infractions in Indianapolis, where they will answer charges that Derrick Rose, who played only the 2007-08 season at Memphis before becoming the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls, cheated on his SAT while attending Chicago’s Simeon Career Academy.
Former Memphis coach John Calipari, now at Kentucky, is expected to participate in the hearing by phone from China, where is is on a previously scheduled trip.
Earlier this week, Memphis officials released the findings of an internal investigation, which turned up no proof that Rose had a stand-in take his SAT. The Tigers also are accused of providing improper travel-related benefits to Rose’s older brother, Reggie.
Dozier’s academic credentials before enrolling at Memphis will not be included in Saturday’s hearing in Indianapolis. By NCAA procedures, anything not included in the original letter of inquiry cannot be included in the hearing with the Committee on Infractions. The NCAA could investigate the issue separately and give Memphis officials time to respond.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4233718
Anonymous
June 5th, 2009
6:29 pm
Calipari may not be long at Kentucky. The problems at Memphis may catch up with him in Lexington.
LifelongDawg
June 5th, 2009
7:04 pm
Personally,I think it’d be cool to run the triple-option every few series. Seriously…
The Truth
June 5th, 2009
7:38 pm
This is something we all know for certain. GA Tech Lies and Cheats and Everyone knows it. Tech fans are scum wads for wanting a program like this. GA Tech is also known as “Steroid U” by high school coaches. What a joke of a program Tech has? They must have total idiots for a fan base! Morons too!
DawginLex
June 5th, 2009
8:17 pm
All the UK haters keep blaming Calapari while he has a letter from the NCAA stating he is not being blamed at all. Anonymous went to the Pat Forde school of journalism-throw the coach of the team you hate under the bus regardless of the facts.
Anna Nicole
June 5th, 2009
9:45 pm
Would someone pass me another donut?
Buck fama.