Richt addresses tailbacks, nose guards at fan gathering
Some quick hits from across the Bulldog Nation …
Mark Richt laughed off Florida coach Will Muschamp’s guarantee of a win over Georgia this year when asked about it Tuesday night at a fan gathering, the Albany Herald reports. “I thought that was a good thing coming from him,” Richt said at the Doublegate Country Club. “I heard about it right away, but I also know how those things happen. That’s why I don’t answer some questions.”
Richt did answer other questions, though, including addressing the status of running back Caleb King: “We expect Caleb to be here in the fall.” And as for walk-on Brandon Harton, who was a surprising third on the tailback depth chart released this week, Richt said, “Our best runner in the spring was Harton. Is he ready for the SEC? We’ll see. But we expect him to compete for a job.”
The key to success for the 2011 Dogs, Richt said: “We have to stay healthy. That, and we need some of our upperclassmen like [Orson] Charles, [Christian] Robinson and [Ben] Jones to really step up and show our younger guys what to do.”
Meanwhile, Dawgs 247 reports that prior to the Albany appearance Richt talked a bit about how big John Jenkins and an improved Kwame Geathers might both play on the defensive line at the same time. Richt noted that last year in passing situations Georgia usually pulled its nose guard and went with two defensive ends and the outside linebackers applying pressure “because we didn’t really have that nose guard.” But if the nose guard is “worthy of staying in the game and rushing the passer, you might have those two big o’l boys in there” as the interior linemen in the nickel package, he said, referring to Jenkins and Geathers.
DREW READY TO PUSH
We talked yesterday about which of Georgia’s incoming freshmen might push for early playing time. The Athens Banner-Herald talked with one of them, the Rev. Ray Drew, who noted, “just because I’m a freshman doesn’t mean I’m going to come in and sit back. Every football player, if you ask them, they’d rather be on the football field than on the sideline any day. That’s really what I want to go in and do.” As for starting outside linebacker Cornelius Washington, Drew said: “I want to at least push him for it a little bit. Let him work for it.”
GOOD SECOND-PLACE FINISHES
Sometimes coming in second isn’t so bad. Considering what an off year the marquee football team had, it’s noteworthy that UGA still managed to take second place in the SEC all-sports competition sponsored by the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group, finishing behind only Florida. The Dogs were second in overall men’s competition and third in women’s and were helped by SEC championships in men’s tennis and women’s swimming and diving. Georgia last won the All-Sports Trophy in 2005-2006. … Meanwhile, the UGA football team tied Florida for second place behind Vanderbilt in the NCAA Academic Progress Rate listings released Tuesday. Eight UGA teams were among the top three in the conference in the APR scores, which measure eligibility, retention and graduation of student-athletes competing on every Division I sports team. All of Georgia’s teams were well above the cut-off that triggers penalties.
GO HINES!
I don’t watch talent competition shows on TV and only ever caught one of Hines Ward’s performances on “Dancing With the Stars” when I was at someone else’s house, but I’m very happy Ward won the competition Tuesday. And I’m also pleased that after he did so he gave a shout out to the Bulldog Nation as well as to Pittsburgh Steelers fans. Classy move, Hines.
Got a question for the Junkyard Blawg? Send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.
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155 comments Add your comment
D Bag Trolls!
May 25th, 2011
4:26 pm
Biggy: don’t get to upset. The trolling on hear is a form of ENVY. They have always wanted to be a DAWG but were never accepted to become a DAWG!
The Alternate Juvinile Constipation is a Joke! Try ugasport.com if you really want the skinny. Paid site but worth the money.
Bob
May 25th, 2011
5:19 pm
Best of class:
Best running back=H Walker
Best all around athlete=Jake Scott
Most versatile athlete with biggest heart= Hines Ward
Thanks Hines for representing all of us so well.
DawgFan!
May 25th, 2011
5:33 pm
I’m a true Dawg fan, but I have got to be realistic. We went 6-7 with basically the same team we have this year and we lost AJ. I hate to say this, but we are in real trouble again. Maybe we might win 8 at best.
BlingDawg
May 25th, 2011
5:52 pm
UGA athletes must think that ankle monitoring bracelets are bling, they see so many of them in their locker room.
AlphaDawg80
May 25th, 2011
6:22 pm
Troll on haters…you all (except gators) finally have some ammunition to shoot at the dawgs after we’ve been whooping you for years. So get it out now before you have to face us on the field again and be reminded that you may own a dog, but the DAWGS OWN YOU!
Bullgator
May 25th, 2011
6:37 pm
All of this means nothing! Richt can not win the big one. No Nat champ in over 30 years, SEC champ only every 10 years. The SEC top tier all have recent Nat Champ but no UGA. UGA, Richt is going to take you all of the way down to the bottom!
Bullgator
May 25th, 2011
6:41 pm
UGA is delusional! What teams have every gone from 6 – 7 to 10 – 2 much less 13 – 0? I’ll give it until the 4th game before all of you UGA creeps start talking about next year’s “Dream Team”.
BiggdawgK
May 25th, 2011
7:37 pm
No true DawgFan gets on a message board and bashs the Bulldogs. It’s one thing to complain to your buddies while hanging out or on the phone or whatever, but I think real fans show a unified front while when the enemy is around. The enemy being any fan of any program UGA ever plays.
If you slam UGA in an open forum you are not a real fan you are either a bandwagon guy or you are a hater masquerading. Don’t hand me that realist crap either. You are either with us or you are against us.
LogicalUS
May 25th, 2011
11:14 pm
Wait…so now the team, UGA which was run over like a possum by Ga Tech and its cornerback changed to QB and was whipped by Central Florida is going to become the nightmares of college football?
Their defense was awful and their offense couldn’t score against Central freaking Florida and they lost all of their only SEC calibre talent, but they are now going to bring a college football dominating team off the bench???
One question…why did Richt hide all these supermen on the bench last season while UGA was going an embarrassing 6-7???
Reality that UGA is going to struggle hughly on offense with no RBs, no WR, average OL and despite the hype a QB who as 0-6 against winning teams.
If the players shown at the Spring game are what is going to hit the field in September, UGA is in deep trouble, small LBs and slow CB may cut it against the 5-6 160lb running backs which UGA was running but not against real SEC calibre talent. The kid at SC outweighs UGA LBs and is two step faster also???
Just don’t starting cursing your players and coaches this fall because they can’t match your delusiional expectations.
Ted Striker
May 26th, 2011
12:23 am
Bill King — Nice column. Thanks for your efforts, sir.
As for Brandon Harton, everything I hear about him is good. Excellent student in college, honor grad from high school. Isn’t on scholarship so everything he contributes to UGA is by the sweat of his own brow. Also, is Washaun Ealey’s cousin. Just goes to show what can happen when a guy applies himself even if he doesn’t have quite the same level of talent.
LoganvilleDAWG
May 26th, 2011
12:26 am
Hey Jim, you are a dipstick. Do you know the in’s & out’s of this program, I didn’t think so! What do you know about college football as a whole, I didn’t think so! You must be one of the so-called fans that want to complain about Coach Richt. You never see the positive in someone & don’t know how to support our coaches & players. Like I say all the time its people like you that DO NOT help the program. I assure you there is no one standing in line wanting to come to Athens, Coach Richt would get hired in a heartbeat if he wasn’t at UGA. So if you could go to a game & make the stadium a tough place to play like it used to be in the 70’s & 80’s, then do it. Otherwise it will continue to be one of the softer places to play in the SEC due to fans like you & all the other negative people on this blog. I DO SUPPORT Coach Richt & DO SUPPORT our players. I know what Jim stands for, Just Inmature Moron, JIM. So have a great night & go back to what ever you do.
LoganvilleDAWG
May 26th, 2011
12:32 am
Bullgator, the DAWGS had a very poor season in 1979 & went 11-0 in 1980. So learn a little about college football. I would love to see them have a great season, but I can’t predict the future & I know you can’t predict it either.
UGA FRIEND
May 26th, 2011
3:58 am
UGA will go 10-2 in the regular season. Lose to SC and Mississippi State. Win the rest.
It Ain't Rocket Science
May 26th, 2011
4:24 am
For those of you old enough to remember the advertisement from Wendys, where the elderly lady ask, “Where’s the Beef”. It is on Georgia’s defense this year and a lot of teams are going to find it out. Man, that is a lot of athletic big guys on the defense.
Now, if we can get our RB’s to work at it some more, and our “O” line to stay healthy, we might just surprise some folks this year.
GO DAWGS
Dawg4ever
May 26th, 2011
8:30 am
Kool-aid drinkers are getting drunk off the Richt juice again. Best front 7 in the SEC? Try 3rd best in SEC East behind Fl, and S.C. Robinson hasn’t made a big play in 2 years, and the same can be said for Washington. J.J. only made plays on the scout team last year, along with Samuel. Geathers dominating Ben Jones is no big deal, every noseguard in the SEC did that last year. Jenkins want contribute until next year, same as Mt.Cody, and Fairley did at Bama and Auburn. Tyson hasn’t done anything in 3 years, and Abry Jones only showed up in Tech game where he made 16 tackles, because they ran the ball 80 plays. Don’t think that is the best front 7 in the SEC. Nobody on that front 7 scares any Offensive Coordinator. Houston was the only playmaker, and he is gone. Sorry, but it’s time for Richt and his staff to show me and the rest of UGA fans something on the field, or it’s time for him to sell his house in Athens as well.
dwaginLax
May 26th, 2011
8:49 am
Buh bye, Richt.
It Ain't Rocket Science
May 26th, 2011
10:45 am
DAWG4Ever,
You don’t think that that big front line of UGA has anybody concerned. Man, If I am drinking koolaid then I would think you need to lay off of the ripple or thunderbird you been over indulging in. You are killing too many brain cells.
RabidDawgFan
May 26th, 2011
11:03 am
John Jenkins and Kwame Geathers don’t scare you on that D-line? Are you freakin crazyyyy?! I tell you what, you get out there and block them and see how long you last.
Buckshot
May 26th, 2011
12:42 pm
Bill,
Richt said in your article here
“Our best runner in the spring was Harton”.
Then why is Harton No. 3 on the depth thing?
I guess it’s Richt playing favorites again.
Ealey never got the reps he earned either, even though he outscored King 5 to 1 last season.
DawginLex
May 26th, 2011
12:48 pm
Murray getting lots of love from writers across the south along with Tyler Wilson from Arkansas. Look for them to be 1 and 2 for preseason ALL SEC.
Anybody that doesn’t think our defense won’t be better isn’t paying attention. The question is can the offense score just enough and avoid turnovers.
I’d rather punts 8 or 9 times and have no turnovers and only score 17 points and win versus 3 or 4 turnovers allowing easy scores that no defense can stop and lose.
DawginLex
May 26th, 2011
12:53 pm
Look for Ealey to land at Valdosta state where he can play all he wants to play and be the man in front of 700 fans.
All the cancers are gone from the past.
Mett
Gray
Ealey
Houston
All about me players who whined about playing time, their teammates, the coaches etc. Mett got booted. Gray was never SEC QB material. Ealey feuded with Coach Joe T. Houston took plays off and his draft stock dropped because of it.
Murray is a team guy and a leader. Respected. Goes to class. Does not get into trouble.
He and Lemay will make for a great duo for the next 3 years.
Buckshot
May 26th, 2011
1:17 pm
Murray, a leader? Funny. Can’t get his team to follow him, Murray is O & 6 vs. winning teams.
Team never lost a game when Ealey got 20 carries. Ealey’s a 1000x better leader than Murray will ever be.
DawginLex
May 26th, 2011
1:20 pm
Murray=Leader. 4.0 GPA. Never arrested
Ealey=Quit after run ins with people in authority. Police, coaches, administrators.
Murray 24 TD’s 3,000 yards. Unlimited potential
Ealey-Fumbled away games versus SC and MSU. Never lived up to potential.
Murray=Team guy
Ealey=All about me guy. Cancer.
Murray will be All Sec and play before 90,000 plus every week.
Ealey will be at Valdosta state playing before 700
Richt has never won less than 10 games with a returning starting QB.
Look for that trend to continue.
Buckshot
May 26th, 2011
1:35 pm
Murray = Team guy (injured while playing soccer)
Forgot to mention that one, eh?
Delbert D.
May 26th, 2011
1:39 pm
Since somebody asked for better defenses in the SEC, South Carolina may be better. They return 8 starters on D.
Buckshot
May 26th, 2011
1:40 pm
Murray’s more into individual stats than winning games.
Murray defines greatness by x td’s, x yards.
Wrong measuring stick.
By the team measuring stick, he’s 6-7, never beat a winning team, ever.
Buckshot
May 26th, 2011
1:42 pm
Murray’s GPA is an individual stat, not a team thing.
DawginLex
May 26th, 2011
1:43 pm
Murray twisted his ankle playing soccer for fun.
Ealey wrecked a car in the parking deck, left the scene of the accident and ended up in jail.
Yeah, Ealey is some leader.
What is your next name going to be buckshot? Yesterday it was Jim and sexmoses. That makes 89.
Your arguments are worthless. But I will keep abusing you for as long as you like.
Basher
May 26th, 2011
1:44 pm
Buckshot who did Murray play last year? I think UGA played last year but I didn’t know of any games just Murray played….its a team sport…troll look it up.
Buckshot
May 26th, 2011
1:45 pm
Tech and Tenn both had losing records.
Murray has never, and will never, lead his team to a victory against a team with a winning record.
DawginLex
May 26th, 2011
1:45 pm
Murray does not play running back. Ealey fumbled and lost games.
Murray does not play defense. Defense couldn’t stop people on 3rd down and get the ball back to Murray so we could score more.
Murray beat Tech and Kentucky who were both winning teams at the time the games were played.
Murray will beat Boise. What will your excuse be then?
Can’t wait.
Buckshot
May 26th, 2011
1:52 pm
Murray has never led his team to a come form behind victory.
Murray is 0 & 7 when the other team scores first.
Under adversity, Murray can’t lead his team to victory.
DawginLex
May 26th, 2011
1:54 pm
On who will be the conference’s next first round NFL quarterback?
LSU’s Jordan Jefferson. C’mon Tiger fans, you gotta laugh or you’ll cry.
Given what is clearly a down year (again) for the conference at the position (in terms of breadth), some would consider this a difficult question. Outside of Chris Relf at MSU and Stephen “throw me a party” Garcia at SC, there’s very little experience – very little in the form of an extended track record to support such a claim for any quarterback. With perhaps the lone exception of UGA’s talented redshirt sophomore Aaron Murray.
Yes, it was just a single year – but what a year. Murray set a freshman record by passing for more than 3,000 yards, while posting a stellar quarterback rating of 167. He may have started slowly and put up some of his gaudiest numbers against his weaker opponents, but who doesn’t? Besides, outside of the Beltway, numbers don’t lie…
Murray ended the season as the most prolific frosh in Georgia school history (3,216 total offensive yards) – which was good enough for second best in SEC lore. He also tied a Bulldog record for the most TD passes ever thrown in one season (24), and ran for four more. Which rhymes with lore.
For these reasons, and the fact that he’s eligible following this year, we’ll take Mr,. Murray
***********************************************************
From russ Mitchell of collegefootballnews.com
Dawg Gone
May 26th, 2011
1:55 pm
DawginLex time to remember your wrestling with a pig story…this one like it.
DawginLex
May 26th, 2011
1:57 pm
Barrett Sallee: On which team has the most riding on the QB position?
It has to be the Georgia Bulldogs. Aaron Murray enters his sophomore season not only as the SEC’s top quarterback, but the quarterback in the conference with the most pressure on his shoulder pads. The natives are restless in Athens, and if Murray suffers a (redshirt) sophomore slump, not only will the fan base be unhappy, but head coach Mark Richt may be looking for a job in January.
There’s no denying how good Murray was during his freshman season. His freshman numbers – 209-of-304 for 3,049 yards, 24 touchdowns and only eight interceptions – eclipsed those of Georgia legend David Greene. Not bad company to be in, to say the least. It sounds crazy, but a repeat performance from Murray almost seems expected at this point, despite the loss of leading receiver A.J. Green and leading rusher Washaun Ealey.
Murray is in a very unique position: not only does Richt’s employment hinge on his ability to lead an offense that’s chock-full of question marks, but the Dawgs also have a schedule that’s soft enough to make the SEC East championship a legitimate possibility. The division is wide open, and if Murray can lead his team to a victory over South Carolina in Week 2, it should be “Atlanta Or Bust” for the Bulldogs.
Is it unfair to say that Murray need win a division championship to save his coach’s job? Probably. But that’s the position that the sophomore from Tampa finds himself in – mostly
***************************************************************
another one. Barrett Sallee of collegefootballnews.com
Tara
May 26th, 2011
1:59 pm
Florida 42, Georgia 13.
The usual humiliating beatdown!
DawginLex
May 26th, 2011
1:59 pm
Can’t wait for the season to start.
Class dismissed buckshot.
You can now resume your normal TROLL activities and change your blog handle.
I’m out.
Hochwald
May 26th, 2011
2:02 pm
“…but head coach Mark Richt may be looking for a job in January.”
We can only hope. Richt represents mediocrity. Saban and Miles and other coaches represent excellence and championships. Richt simply isn’t in their class, nor will he ever be. Richt would have to be incredibly lucky to win the division, and the odds against him winning the SEC championship would be at least 100:1.
Those are the simple facts, and there’s no amount of enthusiasm or cheerleading or Top 5 recruiting classes that can get around it.
X marks the spot
May 26th, 2011
2:51 pm
It must be pretty depessing to be a dawg fan these last few years. Sorry, third-rate coaching, and players with no character or heart.
And the whole program has become completely irrelevant.
Too bad, so sad.
Dawg Gone
May 26th, 2011
2:51 pm
Hochwald really then explain to me how the Gators lost 5 games last year and Bama was 4th in the West? I’m waiting..
D Bag Trolls!
May 26th, 2011
3:43 pm
The games will be played and you all will be eating JJ poo pucks.
Murray: he was a frosh; give the kid a break. Sorry that your team does not have a leader like this kid moving forward, but the simple fact that you critize a teenager this way is down right juvinile.
See you in DOME, LSU!
Asperger
May 26th, 2011
4:25 pm
Boise State 45, UGA 17.
A serious beatdown to start what will be a loooooooong season.
It Ain't Rocket Science
May 26th, 2011
9:20 pm
X marks the spot,
It sure does, it marks the spot of another worthless comment from you. Go finish your homework now.
Ed (The Original)
May 26th, 2011
11:11 pm
X marks the spot
“It must be pretty depessing to be a dawg fan these last few years. Sorry, third-rate coaching, and players with no character or heart.
And the whole program has become completely irrelevant.
Too bad, so sad.”
This is the part where I, as a Georgia fan, might normally be tempted to take you on for being such a snotty little jerk. The only problem is that everything you said was 100% accurate. I hate what UGA football has become under Richt. Miami (The “U”) North, only without the success.
Otis My Man
May 27th, 2011
1:13 am
Ed (The Original) you must be a long suffering GT fan! You are clueless and we will win the SEC East in 2011 and Play against AL or LSU for the SEC Championship this year! We have definately underachieved for the past 3-4 years (we became passive as a staff and team) 2011 will mark a change with the possibility of UGA being the 5th different SEC team to win the BCS in the last 6 years! AL, LSU, FL(2), AU… UGA in 2011
SLCdawg
May 27th, 2011
2:34 am
oh well guess i am banned
SLCdawg
May 27th, 2011
2:38 am
tried to make a couple of comments defending Dawginlex but they keep getting censored!
SLCdawg
May 27th, 2011
2:39 am
Derelique my balls capitan
It Ain't Rocket Science
May 27th, 2011
5:59 am
If CMR does leave or is let go after this year, exactly what will UGA get for a new coach. Maybe all you negative people would like a Lane Kiffin, Charlie Weiss or someone along those lines. Complain about CMR all you want, and add fuel to the already over abundance of negative comments about UGA and CMR, but who do you have in mind? Do you want a win at all cost coach? How about a coach that will lie at the drop of a hat? How about a coach that will tell you all what you want to hear? There are plenty of those out there, in fact, quite a few of those in the SEC. If it is win at all cost, and watch your university be put on probation, once a decade, there are plenty of those out there also.
PMC
May 27th, 2011
8:41 am
It should make anyone nervous that 2 and 3 on the depth chart are roughly between 160 and 175lbs.
Boo Malcolm should be busting his butt in pass pro.