Is A.J. Green returning punts worth the risk?
Is the upside of A.J. Green returning punts worth the risk of injury to the offense's biggest weapon? (Brant Sanderlin / AJC)
One thing G-Day never sheds much light on is the kicking game. As is the custom with most college programs, Georgia’s coaches decided not to have kickoffs in the spring intrasquad game, and while there were punts, they weren’t rushed or returned. The reason most teams forgo kickoff and punt returns in the spring games is chiefly because the risk of injury is greater on those plays.
Which is what popped into my mind when I saw David Hale’s update on the punt return situation over at Bulldogs Blog. John Lilly, who’s now special teams coordinator, said he spent the spring rotating various players as punt returner and isn’t even close to making a decision about who’ll get the job. The candidates appear to be Rantavious Wooten, Carlton Thomas, Brandon Boykin, Branden Smith and Bacarri Rambo.
Oh, and star receiver A.J. Green’s still a possibility at punt returner, it seems.
“He’s caught them his whole career here in practice,” Lilly said. “He has the ability. Everyone knows the kind of hands he’s got and he can judge the ball and do those kinds of things. … He’s certainly one of the guys that’s in the mix.”
Now, as I wrote a few weeks ago, I’m not a fan of using Green for punt returns because he’s just too valuable as the Dogs’ top wide receiver and that’s a pretty thin position this year. Yes, he’s a supremely talented player and can make a lot of people miss, so the chances are pretty good that Green could break a long return. But to me the risk of injury is too great — remember, they choose not to do punt returns in the spring game because of that very reason.
Lilly acknowledged those concerns to Hale. “Some people would like to see it, some people wouldn’t want to see it,” he said. But he sounds sorely tempted. “I think in any position on the field and in any area of the kicking game, if somebody can help you win a football game and has that ability, you would use him there,” Lilly said.
What do you think? Worth the gamble or not?
OTHER THOUGHTS ON G-DAY
While Todd Grantham didn’t show us much of his defensive playbook, one thing stood out about Georgia’s defense: The Dogs really look like they’re going to excel at pressuring quarterbacks. I have a feeling Justin Houston might wind up leading the conference in sacks. … Yes, as has been pointed out frequently, Zach Mettenberger racked up his impressive stats playing against the Dogs’ second-string defense. But keep in mind: He was playing behind an offensive line that was a mix of second- and third-stringers and still played smart in the pocket and completed big passes. Just sayin’. … If, God forbid, anything were to happen to Drew Butler, Georgia’s best option at punter probably would be placekicker Blair Walsh. He nailed some impressive punts during warm-ups last Saturday. … Carlton Thomas again had some impressive runs. And again fumbled. I still think his best use is not taking hand-offs but catching the ball out in the flat. … I don’t know how strictly the officials were calling the game — they didn’t blow the whistle on what should have been several sacks — but having just one penalty in the game was really encouraging. … Orson Charles had a really impressive one-handed catch where the ball was badly thrown behind him. He also later dropped a sure catch, but I think we can expect big things from him this season. … The alumni flag football game makes it well worth getting to Sanford Stadium a couple of hours early on G-Day. The Black team coached by my old Athens classmate Andy Johnson beat Larry Rakestraw’s Red team 34-27 in an entertaining match that featured, I think, only one running play all day. I lost track of how many touchdown catches LaBrone Mitchell made, and it was good to see Fred Gibson go up high to pull down a ball. Of course, he then high-stepped it into the end zone — good thing the new NCAA “taunting” rule wasn’t in effect!
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107 comments Add your comment
yeah whatever!
April 18th, 2010
6:06 pm
“mettenbereger”
BuLLdawg
April 18th, 2010
6:51 pm
Dawg39,
What do you mean young ?
We have 14 seniors we lose after this season and 5 juniors. All Starters. That is what we have this year.
And, coaches in place to win it all ?
Good Lord, son.
We have a great running back, coaching wide receivers.
We have the son of 1 of the greatest ever at UGA who are arrested as a player here for drugs, and he was a wide receiver only for us. He is coaching the running backs.
We have a Quarterback coaching the Tight Ends.
We have an Offensive Coordinator who we stole from Jacksonville State. He was the Jacksonville State Quarterbacks’ coach.
So, Coach Richt announced last week in public that he was TAKING OVER THE ENTIRE OFFENSE.
The TE Coach starts a guy who caught all of 3 passes his entire freshman year. In 14-game seasons nowadays, it takes until our game 12 of our 13-game season to figure out to start instead Orson Charles. Orson Charles caught 23 passes his freshman year, not 3.
The RB coach rips the redshirt off Washaun Ealey a Top 10 Running Back in the United States of America, in the 3rd quarter of the 5th game. Washaun goes on to lead the team in Rushing. He starts 2 games. And, not the last 2.
The WR coach is given credit for making AJ Green great. But, he cannot make Marlon Brown great, and in fact only throws Marlon Brown 2 passes all season long. He also throws Branden Smith only 2 passes all season long. The whole entire recruiting class for UGA last year was Marlon Brown and Branden Smith and our nimrod wide receiver coach has 2 passes thrown to both in our 13-game season.
Mike Bobo is booed by every fan in Sanford Stadium. It is 3rd and long, because we cannot line up and run a play because in practice we don’t practice our best players together on the # 1 offense and they are always in a hole with a Penalty. Mike Bobo calls a run. A run. For a team who has proven that it cannot run the ball.
Coach Richt does know an offense.
So, Coach Richt says enough.
I will coach the offense.
Never mind his job is to figure out how to have the Team not :
1-3 vols
1-3 Florida
2-2 Kentucky
3-1 Vandie
3-1 South Carolina the last 4 years.
But, instead since he does not Offense, he has to TAKE THE ENTIRE OFFENSE away from the Offensive Coaching Staff.
And, you come running in here that we are now going to beat Alabama with their coach having won 2 National Championships, LSU who has 2 National Championships under 2 different coaches, and Florida whom we are 2-7 against and we are 1-5 against Urban Meyer who by the way also has 2 National Championships.
This while we cannot get out of our own Division.
Let alone our Conference.
And, have not even played for the Conference Championship since 2005.
This is 2010.
We had no QB ready 2006, 2009 and now 2010.
3 Frosh QB and one 4th year QB who has completed 5 passes 0 TD & 2 interceptions
And, he criticizes our offensive coaching staff for not letting him try to be the QB last year.
Marlon Brown runs to the papers too and criticizes the offensive coaching staff in the papers for not getting him a pass thrown his way except for twice in our 13-game season.
We have dimwit fans DISNEYdawg.com run in here and tell us that Chris Low said many years ago that Coach Richt was great. He then extrapolates that to now and says Chris Low still says so. I have read Chris Low. He does NOT.
We could not convince any state of Georgia All-Stars on Offense to come let this horrid offensive coaching staff, coach them this year. 2010 recruiting class FAILS to get offensive players in this state to believe.
So, you run in here and proclaim we have the greatest coaching staff in college football. And, then point out with 14 seniors and 5 juniors leaving after this season, that THIS YEAR right now, we are YOUNG.
Dawg39, you might want to find another hobby.
You have made a fool of yourself in public, talking about that which you obviously have no knowledge of.
We are in Decline and have been since 2005 after DJ Shockley graduated with Honors.
BuLLdawg
April 18th, 2010
6:59 pm
Let the EXCUSES begin for 2010
BuLLdawg
April 18th, 2010
11:47 pm
QUOTE to
“impatient dawg…..No you dont get it. During his last 4 years he finished higher (number 2 in 2007) than any team in Georgia history over last 30 years. He also finished number 10 in 2008 with 19 scholly players out to season ending injury by game 3 and he still finished top 10, with ten wins and a bowl victory. NOW THAT IS SOME COACHING!. Now GET OFF THIS AND EVERY OTHER UGA BLOG AND STAY OFF.”
2008, Coach Richt started the season ranked # 1. He ended the season ranked # 13 in the Final AP Poll. Had we started at # 13, we would have finished the season, unranked.
We were losing 31 to NOTHING at half against Bama 2008, giving up 31 consecutive points and LOST. We then went out and gave up 42 consecutive points to Florida and LOST. Then, to top all that off, we go out and give up 29 consecutive points to Georgia tek and LOST.
That was a great year ?
2006 we LOST to Vandie and to Kentucky 2 very sorry football teams with a combined record of 12-13 in 2006. NEITHER of the 2 teams was ranked in the Top 25 of the Final AP Poll 2006.
2007, we completed the trifecta, having already LOST to Vandie and Kentucky, we LOST to all the rest of The SEC East in a Row, LOSING to 6-6 South Carolina who was not even in a bowl game, not ranked in the Top 25 of the Final AP Poll, and then got taken to the cleaners by Tennessee vols. A sorry Tennessee vols team who lost 4 games, but not to UGA. Before the season 2007 even got started we already were OUT of The SEC Championship Game with these 2 losses. Our Reward ? The Sugar Bowl gave up it’s SEC Champion to play and win the National Championship. 2nd fiddle within our own DIVISION of our own conference, we got to play # 19 Final AP Poll Hawaii.
Oh, yeah. That was a great year too.
LOST to 5 SEC East teams NOT RANKED Top 25 Final AP Poll last 4 yrs
.
.
1-LOST 2009 to vols UNRANKED 7-6 team who otherwise does not have winning record.
2-LOST 2009 to Kentucky UNRANKED 7-6 team otherwise not winning record either
3-LOST 2007 to South Carolina UNRANKED 6-6 not even in bowl game.
4-LOST 2006 to Vandie UNRANKED a 4-8 team for God’s sake. B.S.
5-LOST 2006 to 8-5 Kentucky UNRANKED none good teams.
Quit with this # 10 USA Today Coaches’ Poll rank for 2008.
2008 was the season we had 19 player arrests / suspensions, starting with the CELEBRATION in the barroom brawl the very weekend we were ranked # 1.
4 years.
1-3 vs Florida
1-3 vs the vols
2-2 vs Kentucky
3-1 vs Vandie
3-1 vs South Carolina.
It does not matter where a team WAS ranked when we played them.
What matters is where they ENDED UP in the Final AP Poll.
Coach Richt’s sorry coaching staff has LOST 5 games since 2006 against SEC East Opponents who were NOT RANKED in the Top 25 of the Final AP Poll.
IT RUINED EVERY SEASON.
But, yours.
AceDawg
April 19th, 2010
11:15 am
Don’t have AJ return points when UGA is up big in a game, but if he is clearly more electric on returns than his competition, don’t let a Rocket Ismail or Dez Bryant type guy be underutilized. One great kick return can be more energizing for a team than several great catches.
Will Dawg
April 19th, 2010
3:54 pm
No on the punt returns. BuLLdog is Urban Meyer’s retarded brother Turban………..
Or is it the other way around??????????????????????????
BigGAdawg
April 19th, 2010
8:31 pm
NO NO NO!!!! WHAT IS MORE NO THAN NO? HECK NO, SHUCKS NO, NO DANG IT, NO DOGGONE WAY, OR THE ONLY ANSWER THAT IS NOT STUPID IS NO!!!!!
We are too thin at the position to be risking him AND we have plenty of other qualified talent to take care of that job.