UGA signing Keith Marshall can only help Isaiah Crowell
Isaiah Crowell disappointed many fans and yet still was SEC freshman of the year. (Associated Press)
The shift in UGA fan support away from Isaiah Crowell and toward Keith Marshall has been swift and decisive, at least online.
But I really don’t understand some folks’ penchant for viewing Georgia’s tailback situation next year as an either-or proposition where Marshall, the new golden boy, supplants Crowell, the disappointing former favorite.
Let’s keep some perspective here. Yes, the injury-prone Crowell rubbed many the wrong way to start with this season by frequently taking himself out of games after a couple of runs. Then there was the immaturity that manifested itself in a couple of suspensions.
And there definitely seems to be a bit of an attitude problem, evident when we saw Crowell turn his back on his head coach in the middle of a dressing down for drawing a penalty with his mouthing off during the SEC championship game. That’s something even the ever-patient Mark Richt shouldn’t tolerate.
But Crowell still ran well enough this season to be the SEC’s freshman of the year and the Dogs would not have 10 wins without him.
Keith Marshall says he'll enroll at UGA in January. (Associated Press)
More importantly, Georgia will need to utilize the talents of both Crowell and Marshall next season and probably Richard Samuel, Boo Malcome and any other running back who is still on the roster.
LSU and its four-headed running attack is a prime example of what a successful SEC offense needs these days. Tailbacks get hurt; it’s just part of the game. If the talent gap between your starter and the backups is as stark as it was at Georgia this year, it puts you at a severe disadvantage (unless you’re playing Georgia Tech).
I believe Marshall competing with Crowell for playing time could be the best thing that has happened to Isaiah at UGA. But whichever one ends up the starter (and my money would be on a healthy Crowell), there’ll be plenty of carries for the other one. And if they’re both living up to their potential, well, Alabama didn’t do so badly splitting time between Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson.
Georgia signing the nation’s most wanted tailback two years in a row will be quite an accomplishment, but it shouldn’t be a rarity. You can never have too many good tailbacks in the SEC and Richt and his staff should be signing a five-star running back every season.
Go Dogs!
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433 comments Add your comment
Smokey Crowell
December 7th, 2011
10:51 am
Smokey & Marshall will make a great rb tandem at UGA.
bitter dawgs fan
December 7th, 2011
10:52 am
look it wont matter if our QB leader (turnover murry—aka—pad my stats against weak teams)
does not transfer——-richt will never admitte that he made a poor move bringing in murry
—–NEWS FLASH————HUDSON MASON HAS TWICE THE ARM——–
—————–it will be the same story if richt will not lissen to coach bobo
———————–my sources say that bobo wonts mason over murry—-but richt will have none of it
ProudDawg
December 7th, 2011
10:53 am
…The dreadlocks seem to tell me he is a pothead for life…
Really? That statement speaks volumes.
Summit Dawg
December 7th, 2011
10:55 am
I question you saying we “wouldn’t have had ten wins without him.” What gave us tne wins was the defense keeping us in the games….not “Limpy!”
Link Man
December 7th, 2011
10:56 am
Link to Keith Marshall announcing signing with UGA :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEJqa1fdXQ0
Your welcome…
southgadawg
December 7th, 2011
10:56 am
IC has great potential and I would hate to have him carrying the ball for another team. Everyone then would feel different about him. Yes he has had problems this year, most well documented, some probably not. IC is young and in an unusual circumstance for him. He has always been the “star player” on his team. He gets to college (in the SEC no less) and now he is no longer the best player on the team. Yes he may be as he grows and developes, but as of today he is not “THE MAN”. All that said it is hard for an 18y/o to digest the new college freedom and atmosphere. Give the kid a chance to mature and understand that his team looks to him to lead them. He will be that player in years to come, but not as a freshmen! Next year he will feel more like a leader. H
faithfuldawg86
December 7th, 2011
10:57 am
@Need for Dawgs: SERIOUSLY??? Because he has dreadlocks he is a “stoner”?? Wow, that’s racist and offensive in SOOO many ways!
evil empire
December 7th, 2011
10:57 am
looking for my “2012 UGA Pre-season National Champions” gear…not on the net yet, but you can be sure it’s coming soon…has for over 30+ years now…what a joke of a program…
kerryb
December 7th, 2011
10:58 am
All of this negative talk about IC needs to ease up. It’s just plain stupid and it is mostly from idiotic trollers. IC, REAL Dawgs fans appreciate what you did this year. Just please lay off the weed. It’s bad for you. The kid missed 3 games and parts of others and still rushed for 847 yards. If he didn’t miss those game he would have had 1200 yards. He had a great season for an 18 year kid that just left home 6 months ago and trying to play in a conference like the SEC. A year in the S&C program and a year to grow as a college student will help him. Now he has another good RB to compete with and share carries so they both won’t get beaten up like he did this year. I can’t wait to see both of them next year. This will soon be the best RB tandem in the country.
Need For Dawgs
December 7th, 2011
10:59 am
I can think of 2 players with dreadlocks Crowell & R. Williams and both smoked weed. 2 for 2 is enough fer me.
and Richt said to Isaiah
December 7th, 2011
10:59 am
If you wanna get high….. get high on Jesus!
kerryb
December 7th, 2011
11:00 am
Evil empire, I believe you are a UF fan is that right?
Pensacola Dawg
December 7th, 2011
11:00 am
Unfortunatly IC will not be at UGA next year. He will not do the work required to be succesful at the academic rigors of UGA. Probably transfers to LSU or Florida A&M.
Link Manb
December 7th, 2011
11:00 am
Bill, you can borry my link and puit it in your photo of Marshall.
evil empire
December 7th, 2011
11:02 am
@faithfuldawg86 …”Because he has dreadlocks he is a “stoner”?? Wow, that’s racist and offensive in SOOO many ways!”
now calling someone a “stoner” is racist?…what a dumb axx…
OoltewahDawg
December 7th, 2011
11:02 am
Marshall will be in Athens in January, probably not before. He has a semester to finish, and high school kids usually don’t break for Christmas holiday until around the week before. He will more likely be spending the time with his family.
Ricky Tibbs
December 7th, 2011
11:03 am
Thanks for that link Link Man. Get a life Need For Dawgs & Summit Dawg !
OoltewahDawg
December 7th, 2011
11:04 am
That was to DawgInTN if anyone is confused.
Character Matters
December 7th, 2011
11:05 am
Crowell needs to cut his nappy head and get an attitude adjustment.
E Zeier
December 7th, 2011
11:05 am
Glad to have you at UGA Keith Marshall !!! I’ll be calling out your name a lot next year !
evil empire
December 7th, 2011
11:05 am
if Marshall is so concerned with getting a quality education, why on earth would his family allow him to sign with georgia?…should have signed with Vandy or Notre Dame if education was important…welcome to mediocrity Keith…
Snake Doc
December 7th, 2011
11:06 am
Boneheads have their little red panties in a wad over this. LOL
Problem is you still have the man orange tan CEO running the show along with his staff of inept clown coaches. I’d be more excited if the Tan Orange CEO man hired a Special Teams coach.
Snake Doc
December 7th, 2011
11:07 am
{{{{42-10}}}} BWA HA HA HA HA HA!
evil empire
December 7th, 2011
11:07 am
not sure I would have written that zeier…
DawginTN
December 7th, 2011
11:08 am
Thanks OoltewahDawg. Is that the Ooltewah in TN?
A person SMART enough to know......
December 7th, 2011
11:08 am
Keith will get to wear #34
reality
December 7th, 2011
11:09 am
Need For Dawgs
December 7th, 2011
10:59 am
I can think of 2 players with dreadlocks Crowell & R. Williams and both smoked weed. 2 for 2 is enough fer me.
What about Jarvis Jones and Trent Richardson?
T'TownDawg
December 7th, 2011
11:10 am
Great Points Bill, I am in total agreement. I remember my first semester in college was a wake up call as well. I hope we can stop the turnover at RB, so that we can have depth, and maybe even allow future recruits to red shirt, or not be relied on so much, so they can adjust in their first year. Love Crowell production and potential. I will even give him the benefit of doubt on injuries. But what goes on between his ears has most everyone concerned. And it may not just be the attitude and the weed, it maybe his grades as well. Hopefully he will be a part of the full offseason program will fix that!! Nothing like some good Strengh and Conditioning motivation!!
Snake Doc
December 7th, 2011
11:10 am
Nickname for running back tandem. Smokey and The Marshall…. LOL
Need For Dawgs
December 7th, 2011
11:16 am
Have those two been tested yet ? Still if so, 2 for 4 is .500
Need For Dawgs
December 7th, 2011
11:17 am
Nice Snake Doc !
Need For Dawgs
December 7th, 2011
11:18 am
I can see Schultz borrowing that Snake Doc !
Major Well Factor
December 7th, 2011
11:18 am
The tandem tails should do well at UGA… Ewe Expedia Guy!
gomdawg
December 7th, 2011
11:20 am
I think the season will open with Samuel, Crowell, Marshall and Malcome,. 1234
gbal
December 7th, 2011
11:20 am
I think it is overblown by media that UGA fans have turned on Crowell. The majority understand that he was thrown into the fire as a freshman out of necessity. Yes there are some adjustments that have to be made from HS to D1 football and IC has not had that time to make the adjustments.
Majority of people on this blog are supportive. IC did have quite a freshman season and I am thankful for it.
Lets focus on getting well, stronger, and doing the right things and hope that we are running a full dose of IC and KM among others next wear at LSU in the dome. Not a prediction… just hopeing and we NEED IC to be there. The few hater comments need to stop. Get behind this guy.
george
December 7th, 2011
11:22 am
“he is the next herschal and we are a year a two away” the two favorite sayings from delusional dawg fans for the last 30 years.
astrouga
December 7th, 2011
11:22 am
Bill, you and Schultz need to back off Crowell. Your columns make outright claims that many UGA fans are disappointed with Crowell — this is just not the case. I stay in contact with 20-something UGA fans and not one feels this way. Please stop taking column ideas from the comment sections of your blogs/articles. You should know by now that a good number of people that comment here do so to stir up trouble. Plus, how can you report on anything posted in the comments when there is no validation process? Anyone can post anything. It is really disappointing and far from anything a paper like the AJC should allow.
Cadillac Brown
December 7th, 2011
11:23 am
Surprised no one as mentioned the tandem of Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown yet.
gbal
December 7th, 2011
11:23 am
And why do UGA fans want to make comments about grades when knowone knows what his grades are? Lay off.
Character Matters
December 7th, 2011
11:23 am
Richt needs to kick more thugs off the team. We know who they are.
dbc
December 7th, 2011
11:24 am
I’ve heard that IC doesn’t even have the grades to be eligible for the bowl game. How this impacts him for next year is a mystery. I hope he can pull it together, but it looks like a long shot.
gomdawg
December 7th, 2011
11:25 am
You know some times i think BOBO call the wrong plays to make Murray look bad
kerryb
December 7th, 2011
11:25 am
Evil empire, mediocre is what UF with the stoked out coach and Charlie “no scheme” Weiss will be the next several years. Players are already jumping ship there and now their #1 recruit at RB backed out on them. UF is on the decline where UGA is on the rise.
kerryb
December 7th, 2011
11:27 am
dbc, it’s funny how stupid rumors start up with no proof. Just because an idiot says it on a blog then it must be true.
NC Dawg
December 7th, 2011
11:30 am
Marshall leads Crowell in the maturity depth chart by a large margin.
evil empire
December 7th, 2011
11:31 am
kerryb, why should I care what goes on at florida…not a florida fan or gt fan…certainly not a uga fan…but do enjoy ticking off ugatards…
JDawg1785
December 7th, 2011
11:33 am
A healthy Crowell should be the expected starter in 2012. But Marshall will be a huge boost to the running game next season. We all saw against LSU how important depth is. Crowell, Malcome, Samuel and Marshall make quite a stable. Go Dawgs!
dbc
December 7th, 2011
11:33 am
kerryb. You all said the same thing when I reported that IC had failed a drug test the day before the Florida game. In fact, I was lambasted for “slander” on this very blog. Believe what you want to believe. I certainly take no joy in it. I would rather IC get his act together because he obviously has many gifts.
george
December 7th, 2011
11:34 am
kerrryb what you are too idiotic to realize is a bad year for florida is a good year for uga as the sorry puppies will never get over the hump and win the necessary big games. This year was an exception for the gators.
Athens= God's Country
December 7th, 2011
11:35 am
Bill,
You must have been reading Schultz’s garbage. Those aren’t UGA fans.