Live from G-Day: Stafford, Moreno return! (But only to coach)
Athens – I apologize in advance. There’s every chance I will, during the course of today’s live blog, refer to Joe Cox as Bobby Cox. Due to the two-hour rain delay Friday night and Mike Gonzalez’s extremely odd blown save early Saturday morning, I didn’t get home from Turner Field until 2:07 a.m. EDT. I left for the Classic City at 9:07. Full disclosure: I took a half-hour nap in the car, though not while driving.
So here I am. I just spent 40 minutes fooling around down on the field taking pictures and shooting video, some of which will be posted here as the afternoon proceeds. I talked to Garrison Hearst, who was playing in the alumni flag football game, and he said Knowshon Moreno was a better collegiate back than he ever was. (I don’t know about that. Hearst was really good himself.)
Speaking of whom … Moreno is “coaching” one side in the spring game today, and his partner-in-yardage Matthew Stafford is “coaching” the other. Moreno showed up wearing a visor, just like Spurrier. Stafford showed up wearing shorts, though not jean shorts, which makes him not quite like a hated Gator.
Follow along as the day progresses and I’ll keep you apprised of any other fashion developments. And I’ll try to get around to football at some point.
Halftime update: It’s 3-all at the break, and I’d have to say this isn’t even the worst spring game I’ve seen in the past year. (Nothing will ever top, if that’s the right word, Georgia Tech’s wretched display of April 2008. And let the record reflect that the team seemed to do quite well once the real football began.)
I’d have to say Logan Gray looked a little better than Joe Cox that half, which probably doesn’t mean much. And I’d have to say Willie Martinez’s defense didn’t give up a touchdown, which is a heck of a lot better than it did when last Georgia played on this field. (I believe Tech was involved in that game, too.)
And I just saw Mark Richt leaving the WSB radio booth and I told him that was the best-coached half of Georgia football I’d seen since Jim Donnan left. “That’s because I was up here,” Richt said. We both laughed. (For the record, I was kidding. I’m a kidder.)
Second-half update: The legendary Vince Dooley is sitting behind me, and I asked him to name the greatest spring-game performance he ever saw. He couldn’t think of even one. I asked him if Herschel Walker ever played in a spring game.
Said Vince: “I don’t even remember.” He turned to the legendary Dan Magill and said, “Dan would remember.”
Magill, who knows everything about every Bulldog ever, said Herschel did not participate in any G-Day festivities. He was always off running track or signing with the USFL.
Final recap: Andrew Jensen kicked a 48-yard field goal to put the Red team ahead with 5:47 left, and Carlton Thomas ran 20 yards for a touchdown on the game’s final play to seal it. Red 13, Black 3. Not the best spring game ever played, but not the worst, either.
Writing a column now. (With more Bradley video to come!) I’ll keep checking back here periodically to see if fisticuffs have broken out. And thanks for hanging with me so far.
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101 comments Add your comment
CHARLOTTE DAWG
April 11th, 2009
2:49 pm
This is embarrasing.
The only positives are no injuries so far, J. Houston and Logan Gray looked good, Commings is impressive.
Mark Bradley
April 11th, 2009
2:49 pm
Andrew Jensen from 48 yards to break the tie. And the kick is … goooooooodddd!!!
Sugar is falling from the sky!
Gator Nation
April 11th, 2009
2:54 pm
Wow, what a suck fest! UGA at its best. lol!
slyness43
April 11th, 2009
2:55 pm
Did Stewart Cink and Willie Martinez get separated at birth?
Mark Bradley
April 11th, 2009
2:57 pm
And that’s about it. Logan Gray can’t drive the Black team. The Red takes over with 1:08 left. Black has no timeouts.
Georgia wins! (But Georgia also loses!) I’m headed downstairs for interviews and suchlike. Y’all decide who it is you want to get fired and I’ll come back and let you know if anyone actually has gotten canned.
MT
April 11th, 2009
2:58 pm
Carlton Thomas FTW!
Mark Bradley
April 11th, 2009
2:59 pm
Not so fast, my friend. Carlton Thomas breaks a run and scores on the final play of the game. Red wins 13-3, and that seals it. Willie Martinez has got to go!
CHARLOTTE DAWG
April 11th, 2009
3:00 pm
At least they didn’t charge admission.
brewdawg
April 11th, 2009
3:01 pm
It wouldn’t be a UGA blog without a Gator fan talking trash. Kudos Gator Nation!
North Gator
April 11th, 2009
3:07 pm
wow I am not impresses with the pups. Logan Gray blows along with entire offense. The defense will give up big yards, but may be the bend but not break type of defense. Looks like another SEC Championship for the Gators this year. How many was in attendance for the scrimmage today?
m
April 11th, 2009
3:09 pm
Apparently the dawgs are gonna suck this year even more than last year…if that is actually possible.
BugKiller
April 11th, 2009
3:09 pm
Mark, you can be as sarcastic about it as you want.
But it’s interesting that instead of actually talking about and going over the facts that revolve around Willie Martinez’s mediocre performance as Georgia’s DC over four years, you instead trade in sarcasm.
Who cares about a Spring Game? It means nothing.
I’m talking about his tenure as defensive coordinator for four years. How in EVERY year, the defense has gotten worse in yards allowed and points allowed, the two most important stats.
I’m talking about how the defense has been largely undisciplined, unfocused, and lacking in fundamentals as Van Gorder’s guys have moved out of the team through graduation and more of Willie’s guys have taken over.
I’m talking about actual facts pointing to the fact that Willie Martinez might possibly be the worst defensive coordinator in the history of the program.
No defensive coordinator has had defenses give up as many 30 or more point games as Martinez has.
No defensive coordinator has had a defense give up 3 40 point games in one season.
No defensive coordinator had their defense give up 45 points after a bye week.
No defensive coordinator had decline in the way Martinez’s defenses have declined, EVERY year.
It’s not coincidence, it’s not one year of injuries. It’s every year, for four years this defense has gotten worse.
That’s called a TREND, Mark.
And you can be sarcastic all you want, but you, like Mark Richt, are just ignoring the problem… the lone variable that has never changed:
Willie Martinez should not be the defensive coordinator of the Georgia Bulldogs.
Just like Jeff Bowden should never have been FSU’s offensive coordinator.
The proof is in the stats, Mark.
But keep on ignoring them if you want.
MT
April 11th, 2009
3:10 pm
Gray hardly sucks… he put a lot of passes right on the money to the backup WRs, only to be dropped. I wouldn’t judge the entire team just by this one spring game. They still have big-time players like Green, Curran, Houston and Jones and I’m sure a lot of guys will step up before the season starts.
dawgystyle
April 11th, 2009
3:17 pm
all of you guys sound like gator fans.(win loose or tie i’m a bulldawg fan till the day I die) you guys are way to negative and shouldn’t be bulldawg fans. (fredo never take sides with anyone against the family again.
beanuga
April 11th, 2009
3:24 pm
I do not think uga has a QB to get it to AJ Green and the other recievers can not catch. I think Florida coaches would make their recievers do 1000 push ups. UGA will tell the players to work on catching the ball.
Ted Striker
April 11th, 2009
3:26 pm
Bugkiller: Ever heard of Kevin Ramsey?
p.s. Eat more fiber. While it may not make you any less disagreeable in your online rants, it may at least make you less irritable around your family. God be with them.
P.I.T.
April 11th, 2009
3:31 pm
Boy, you can sure tell who has never watched a spring game before.
Ridiculous comments in this thread
beanuga
April 11th, 2009
3:31 pm
I was born a dog and will die a dog fan. it is hard to not be negative when these players are not being coached to their potential. the coaches get raises all of the time. Our program is not up to par with the gators or alabama
Mark Bradley
April 11th, 2009
3:32 pm
Back from the locker room where, astonishingly enough, no firings were announced. The players seemed in good spirits, as they should. (After all, spring practice is finished!)
Writing a column now, and while I don’t want to spoil the suspense, I can tell you that I’m not nearly as down on the Dogs as some of y’all seem to be. I think they’re going to be OK.
dawgystyle
April 11th, 2009
3:44 pm
thank you mark what these idiots don’t realize that we have 20 plyers out and it is a freakin spring game. Beanuga alabama lost their last 2 games with good compitition so stop jocking. Yall fake uga fans make me freakin sick. As soon as uga start winning you will change your tone , but I am going to remember all of you and call you out this season.
m
April 11th, 2009
3:44 pm
ugag is beginning to look like they are coached by gomer gailey.
Mark Bradley
April 11th, 2009
3:48 pm
To answer Chuck’s question from a while ago: According to Claude Felton, Georgia’s Hall of Fame publicist, the Bulldog letterman who was hurt on the final play of the flag-football game and carted off the field was Jeff Thomas. Apparently he had a knee injury. Don’t know the severity.
Ted Striker
April 11th, 2009
3:54 pm
DawgStyle, I’m with you. Loved the line about Fredo, btw. (I’ve also noticed that the guy bringing news of a Barzini meeting turns out to be the traitor)
Mark: I appreciate the privilege of enjoying the dawg games — additional chapters in rich football tradition. When I was in college, I had several conversations with Magill about the Bulldogs and I wasn’t mature enough to appreciate his wealth of knowledge. I’m not all that mature now, but man I wish I’d taken notes. To me, Magill is more Bulldog than Vince Dooley. I mean that.
Jim Donnan
April 11th, 2009
4:03 pm
Well the St. John’.s River still flows North because everyione knows that GEORGIA SUCKS! What a pitiful spring game. Bet ESPN was glad they went there
G Davis
April 11th, 2009
4:06 pm
Bug Killer when you said “I’m talking about actual facts pointing to the fact that Willie Martinez might possibly be the worst defensive coordinator in the history of the program.” What were you smoking? Maybe you should go back and look at the talent on the team when Gary Gibbs, and Kevin Ramsey held that same position. Seriously dude, you seem to be a miserable person. Most people know a lot more football than you do, including everyone in the UGA program. Go try to find something to make you happy because you are not much of a UGA fan.
Jethro Tull
April 11th, 2009
4:10 pm
Wow, I know it’s just a spring game but georgie looked pathetic. Your OL is supposed to be better and are healthy and they could not stop a DL that’s not even 1st string. Mulitple sacks, fumbles, at least 10 dropped passes. Cox’s arm strength is about 3/8 of Fatford’s.
Caleb King looks like a 2* recruit. Good luck winning 8 games.
Why do y’all always crap the bed when ESPN is around?
Billy Barou
April 11th, 2009
4:13 pm
It never ceases to amaze me that people still seem to think they can tell how good or bad a team will be in the fall based on the spring game, where there are walkons and 3rd stringers sprinkled in as early as the first quarter, and almost no defensive starters still in the game in the fourth quarter, along with 20 or so guys who are out with injuries… and of course we had 7 drops (at least one by a walkon, two by a tight end, and one by a runningback) so obviously our entire receiving corps is TERRIBLE. And of course there were only 9 points scored heading into the last play of the game but of course our entire defense is TERRIBLE.
Somebody wake me up on September 4th
Georgia still sucks
April 11th, 2009
4:14 pm
HA HA Mutts it’s only a spring game but when the season starts,UGAY will be just as bad as todays game.3 or 4 loss for the mutts in 09. Bet on it leghumpers!
UGA AIN'T SCARIN NOBODY
April 11th, 2009
4:15 pm
NO QUARTERBACK, NO DEFENSE. SAME OLE UGA.
What will UGAY excusses be for this season
April 11th, 2009
4:18 pm
Go ahead dawgs fans start making them now.
Where were all the Georgia Band Wagon Fans at?
April 11th, 2009
4:23 pm
empty stadium, plenty Georgia rednecks running their mouths about how die hard fans they are. don’t use the excuse masters were in town or this was a spring game. if you are a fan, you would be in the stands.
Mark Bradley
April 11th, 2009
4:26 pm
Mr. Magill is a very nice and very wise man, Mr. Ted. (And Mr. Vince is as well.)
Me, I’m not so nice. Or so wise.
RedandBlack
April 11th, 2009
4:33 pm
Hello Dog Nation,
You all need to lighten up a little bit. Today was G-Day, but again it was another great day to be a Georgia Bulldog!! Logan Gray and Murray looked very good at QB. Aron White stepped up with some clutch catches. The defense actually looled like they were putting some nice pressure on the offense, especially Houston.
That first play looked like the defender coming up the middle untouched toward Joe Cox would have thwarted that flea flicker. ESPN did not replay or comment on that first play. Cox may have problems hitting the out patterns. He may be facing some fierce competition come this summer from Gray and Murray.
The Defense looks like we will have some good new guys banging heads this year. They look improved despite the loss of all the injured players on both sides.
No one looked like they got hurt and the game ended on a high note. September can not come soon enough. Plenty of time to sharpen everyone up. Another great day… Go Dogs!!
SEC fan
April 11th, 2009
4:33 pm
Mark, don’t pay a lot of attention to the whiners on this blog. I doubt any of them have ever touched a football. To them, if the offense does good then the defense is bad and vise versa. The purpose of the last and final Spring scrimmage is to learn and see what needs work. The only losers are the whiners that think they know what they are looking at and enjoy bitching about everything.
Not Disappointed
April 11th, 2009
4:42 pm
True Jacket fan to here. Just watch the replay on DVR and hmmmmmmmmmm????????????????????????? Ramblin Wreck!
Not Disappointed
April 11th, 2009
4:44 pm
Logan is going to be a decent qb.
Pago Flyer
April 11th, 2009
4:44 pm
Tell me there were at least 60,000 at Sanford Stadium.
Mark Bradley
April 11th, 2009
4:53 pm
Georgia announced the gathering as 42,000. Which seemed about right.
Judge Smales
April 11th, 2009
4:54 pm
Mark, did Richt lead the team in a tickle pile? You know, with ESPN showing it on national TV, he had to get his mug on TV.
Judge Smales
April 11th, 2009
4:56 pm
13-3. wow. were any of the “42,000″ still in the stands after the 3rd quarter? zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Lee Dawg
April 11th, 2009
5:09 pm
I know it’s just a spring game, but the dropped passes concern me. This has been a pattern for a few years and has cost us a few games. I hope they get it straight! GO DAWGS WOOF WOOF SIC EM!
Hearst On Moreno At 2009 G-Day Game | GeorgiaBulldog.com - Georgia Bulldogs News, Discussion, Schedules & More
April 11th, 2009
5:10 pm
[...] A fun clip from Mark Bradley’s G-Day blog. [...]
Lee Dawg
April 11th, 2009
5:12 pm
I would also like to say that I thought Logan Gray looked real good. Joe might start looking over his shoulder. The kid is a gamer!
PTC Jacket
April 11th, 2009
5:14 pm
To all Jacket fans that are already claiming that we’re going to win this year, hold your horses. From what I remember from last year’s spring game, we didn’t look good at all, but we ended up as a decent team. Just saying…
dan
April 11th, 2009
5:30 pm
It’s hard to gauge a spring game because it typically takes the offense longer to gel. I thought Joe Cox’s arm looked great today. He has the arm strength to make the throws. Cox doesn’t quite have Stafford’s ability to lace a ball between two defenders, but other than that he I felt he looked solid. His receivers will need some work in the summer but TE Aaron White looked pretty good catching the ball. Joe will need to be the leader with this group of receivers and set the example by encouraging them to work out with him in the summer to get their reps in. Carlton Thomas looked good as well. He doesn’t have Knowshon’s burst when he gets to that next level, but he certainly deserves a spot in the RB rotation. I was pretty dissapointed with Caleb King today especially with him dropping some passes. I feel he can be a real threat in the passing game, but he’s got some work to do if he wants to be the 1# RB. On defense, Justin Houston and Marcus Washington looked good. They will need to work at getting off blocks. But if they can do that, UGA will be much improved at the DE position this season. Overall, I agreed with Kurt Herbstreet’s assessment of the team when he said that UGA isn’t going to be dominant program like Florida clearly will be, but they have enough of a nucleus that if they can put it all together for a game or two, they will beat some teams they shouldn’t beat or at the very least be a tough out. I thinking 9-4 or 8-5 for the season.
UGA GUY
April 11th, 2009
5:44 pm
Did not get to see the game, but judging by the comments and score, must not have been much O. So how about the punting…..who won the punting battle….Butler, Ditmer, or do we have an SEC punter?
Mark Bradley
April 11th, 2009
7:33 pm
About spring games: I once saw the Kentucky Blue-White game end 0-0. (And that was in basketball. Hey, it’s another joke.)
Seriously, UK’s spring game ended nil-nil, and the team went 10-1 the next season. Those were the Wildcats who whipped Georgia 33-0 between the hedges with James Brown and Prince Charles on hand.
dawgJones
April 11th, 2009
8:16 pm
Nice day in Athens…felt like fall with the field goals…most impressive was the basketball coach knowing what to do with Krypton in between quarters…wow..this guy just might work out for us.
tony
April 11th, 2009
8:31 pm
it is a shame that mr richt has already anointed cox the starting job because arron murray is a better qb. that doesn’t supprise me because moreno was a better rb than thomas brown but mr richt red shirted him. mr richt will never win a championship until he learn to put the best players on the football field. he’s too loyal to his seniors.
Hal Vernon
April 11th, 2009
9:40 pm
Nice shots at Tech, Mark. Totally unrelated to the UGa Spring Game. Pathetic at best.