Isaiah Crowell: Once again, he’s the ‘missing man’ for UGA
Isaiah Crowell is about to be hugged after scoring against Tennessee. (AP photo)
Georgia wanted Isaiah Crowell so much it committed a secondary violation to get him. It had 10 incumbent Bulldogs array themselves, in uniform, in an offensive set, and it had Crowell, who was on a recruiting visit, take his place in the backfield. This, Georgia was saying, is where you can be next season. (It was also a breach of byzantine NCAA rules.)
And, at least for part of the time, that’s where Crowell has been this season — ensconced as Georgia’s No. 1 tailback. He leads the team in rushing and has had three 100-yard games. He has also gone missing during games so often we’ve all taken to wondering what’s really going on. Is he taking himself out of the game because he’s tired? Does he get injured that often? Are the coaches holding him back? If so, why?
After Crowell didn’t play in the first quarter against Vanderbilt, Mark Richt told a halftime interviewer the freshman had been withheld “because we love him.” (”Undisclosed disciplinary reasons” were the real explanation, apparently.) On Tuesday, after Richt’s regular media briefing had concluded, Georgia announced that Crowell was one of three tailbacks — third-stringer Carlton Thomas and Ken Malcome are the other two — who have been suspended for Saturday’s game against New Mexico State. No specific reason was given.
Thus will the Bulldogs be minus four tailbacks Saturday: Richard Samuel was hurt against Florida and has undergone ankle surgery that will sideline him for the rest of the regular season. But the greater issue is Crowell, of whom so much was expected. To be fair, he has come close to justifying the massive hype that preceded him, but the stop-and-start nature of his season — now you see him; now you don’t — has led some to wonder if he’ll be a Bulldog long.
Some cast Isaiah Crowell as the recruit who was going to save Richt’s job, and clearly the freshman has done his part to lift the Bulldogs to 6-2 and second place in the SEC East. But there have been warning signs over those eight games that make us ask: Will the “missing man” turn out to be more trouble than he’s worth?
By Mark Bradley
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479 comments Add your comment
Brent
November 1st, 2011
8:59 pm
Go thUGA.
Tampa Gator
November 1st, 2011
9:00 pm
You guys win for the fourth time in 22 years……..and all is right with the world. Keep on dreaming. But reality……if you are so unluckly…..will slam you in the face real soon in Atlanta….when you play one of those high school teams Florida has played…..that would be LSU and Bama….two very good high school teams.
BIG MIKE
November 1st, 2011
9:01 pm
One more thing FLORIDA FANS……The debacle that is taking place on your football teams this year has given UGA, SOUTHCAROLINA, TENNESSEE and CLEMSON a major recruiting advantage for prospects in your state that are on the bubble. I would have mention GA TECH, but you’ve gotta be smart to go there. That kinda’ leaves your prospects out for that team.
POOPDAWG
November 1st, 2011
9:02 pm
Janoris Jenkins was suspended for Pot in January then again in April .
Tampa Gator
November 1st, 2011
9:02 pm
GaTruth….
Yep….he was looking for a reason to get rid of a preseason All-American corner and one of the top recruits in the country. Yep….wanted to get rid of them real badly. Didn’t need Jenkins on either of those 4th down TDs on Saturday. Didn’t need Jenkins at all.
Tampa Gator
November 1st, 2011
9:03 pm
PoopDawg….
He was first suspended for pot possession…..not use (tested negative).
He was then kicked off the team for use (tested positive the same day he was kicked off the team).
GT is a 4th rate High School Team
November 1st, 2011
9:03 pm
Tamp Gator you are just a Tebow lover as usual, just like any UF fans. As long as Muschomp is your coach you will be jockeying with Vandy and Kentucky for the bottom of SEC East.
Dawg Tired
November 1st, 2011
9:04 pm
And many folks don’t think we have major problems. What in the hell are they smoking? We are a team in disarray.
Rob
November 1st, 2011
9:04 pm
Drug tests often require a second confirmation test before being used for disciplinary purposes. Maybe that’s the reason for the delay. (Or, maybe it’s because they were playing Florida).
GaTruth
November 1st, 2011
9:04 pm
@Tampa Gator – why go back 22 years when this year is the only one that matters? If you are going to go back decades, go back all the way. Even with the recent UF trend, we are still ahead by 8 games. Just goes to show the true history of UF football is L-O-U-S-Y!
guy
November 1st, 2011
9:05 pm
Never put your trust in drug users. Clean out the slate after the season and send them packing.If the coaches knew about this before the UF game,then the man in charge has to go.If you continue to turn your back on this problem,then you become the enabler.They don’t care about the team or the coaches All they care about is the next high and themselves.Sorry to the bone!
PowerDawg
November 1st, 2011
9:05 pm
You speculators need to keep your ridiculous innuendo to yourselves. None of you, not one single, rumour spreading, knuckleheaded one of you knows anything resembling a fact about this situation. None of you are privy to any inside information, none of you have a friend who works for someone who is on the inside…we’ve heard them all.
The haters will be spreading downright lies. Outrageous, off the wall stories of this or that…
How about everyone just for once give these kids the benefit of the doubt and see how they respond after their suspensions are over.
No one is perfect. No school holds the monopoly on perfect behaviour by their students, athletes or otherwise. Espn knows nothing the university doesn’t release to them and to report otherwise is illegal. HIPPA laws and the NCAA privacy act prohibit them from having access to personal student information, the 1st amendment notwithstanding.
Get a life and mind your own snoots for a change.
Tampa Gator
November 1st, 2011
9:07 pm
ES…….I don’t hit the beach for sun during the day (I am Irish)……early morning walks and late afternoon walks down to Caladesi Island and back are my thing. I leave the sun thing to my wife and family members when they visit. It is a tough life…..but someone has to do it. Maybe you guys will make it to the Outback this year and you can drop down the beach for a cookout……NOT.
Dawggonegaboy
November 1st, 2011
9:08 pm
This is how a drug screen works…pee in the cup and sample is divided in two containers and sealed (chain of custody)…the sample is transported to the lab and tested along with hundred of others …a positive result goes to the medical director for evaluation and the back up sample is unsealed and tested with the results sent to the MD medical director….ONLY after MD has reviewed and the back up test verified for identical results is the test reported…I do 100s on my employees every year (AND I am a Pharmacist)…so a positive test is almost always at least 4days out before a final reort is sent to employer/school etc..the medical director also must speak to the tested person to check legal medications they might be on which would cause positive tests…so get your facts right..if the players were tested the week before the FL game GAs athletic dept almost surely would not have had positive reports until this week!
I SAY it hurts HEAH'
November 1st, 2011
9:08 pm
I’m so baked I can’t even figure out East from West.
GaTruth
November 1st, 2011
9:09 pm
@TampaGator – so you think the disciplinary policy is that different at UF, where a single offense gets a super-star kicked off the team? These schools all recruit the same players with the same dispositions and problems (UF has had 8 arrested and two more leave the team in the last week). Don’t kid yourself that Muschamp booted him because he’s a straight and narrow coach. He had an opportunity to solve a problem.
POOPDAWG
November 1st, 2011
9:09 pm
So he was carrying around pot and not using it? WOW! What a friend.
I SAY it hurts HEAH'
November 1st, 2011
9:11 pm
I’ve got a boo boo. Worse, it killed my buzz. I need to go to the locker room.
Tampa Gator
November 1st, 2011
9:11 pm
GaTruth…..
I think your people were talking recent history….(the last game)……so I thought I would as well. But you made my point…..exactly……one game does not set a trend….Georgia leads the series. I have always recognized that (minus one game). But one win does not turn around a current trend….which is 18 out of 22. But from my reading…..Saturdays game has sent Florida off the deep end. Well….keep on dreaming.
GTBob
November 1st, 2011
9:14 pm
Dawggonegaboy, do you really think UGA just sent their players down to the local lab that does screenings for employers?
bamaguy
November 1st, 2011
9:15 pm
All top tier programs have kids in them (and they are kids) that play on the edge of the rules. Many have gotten preferential treatment since they were in the seventh grade due to their athletic ability. There is no NCAA in high school. Now all of a sudden they are supposed to become model citizens. Add to that media attention to stroke their egos and there you go.
All the college coach can do it hold them accountable for their actions and hope they grow up and not throw away a future in the NFL. But you have to be willing a cut a kid lose if he doesn’t conform to the college game.
Tampa Gator
November 1st, 2011
9:16 pm
Ga Truth…..
Here is some “truth” for you. Everyone at Florida….including Meyer and Muschamp…..were surprised by Jenkins going off the deep end. He had always been a LEADER at Florida….and highly respected by the players and coaches up until his first offense….and then his second. He had never been a “problem” at Florida….in fact….he had been the exact opposite. He had been one of Tebow’s closest friends and had lived a respected lifetyle up to that point. From all indicates, he has returned to this type at life at North Bama. Just the truth…..but you can think wha you want.
Now…..Chris Martin has developed into a problem because he was not going to classes and getting into drugs……
ES
November 1st, 2011
9:16 pm
Tampa Gator… I wasn’t talking about LSU……etc.Let me spell it out a little clearer for you.After beating Fl Atl. and UAB you were on here talking so much smack,I even admitted I had watched every snap for you guys and asked you if you thought the NFL might let you join up.I guess now I’d have to say NOT!
Baby Ruth
November 1st, 2011
9:18 pm
Richt is such a loser! Smells like a dead fish! Wonder if he knew before the Florida game??? Just saying.
BIG MIKE
November 1st, 2011
9:20 pm
@GA TRUTH———-What part of what I said, gave you the impression I didn’t think Special Teams was important? I just happen to believe it is essential if you are going to rely on Great Defense to win ballgames. And that’s what UGA is doing. Two years ago (and before), they were trying outscore opponents on a 100 yard racetrack. That’s the ACC way that Richt brought with him. He has been converted..finally… to the SEC way of playing defense, minimizing mistakes and taking advantage of the other teams mistakes by playing sound, hardnosed offense with the occasional big play thrown in. If you have Special Teams that play the way they did against Carolina and Florida, then it’s counterproductive. But that’s not that hard to fix when you have the quality of athletes that UGA has. Last week’s showing was so glaring, it can’t be ignored or procrastinated any longer. They will have it fixed by the time they play Auburn. Mark my words.
and
November 1st, 2011
9:21 pm
What did he know? and when did he know it?
Dawggonegaboy
November 1st, 2011
9:24 pm
GT bob..would hope not as then your tests would have been faster..my guess is they bring the medical team into the locker room and random test…the samples usually go to lab by messenger ..as I pointed out a negative test is usually back in 2 Days..positive tests take 4 or 5 days
Mel
November 1st, 2011
9:25 pm
Discipline comes from the top. And UGA is not a disciplined team. UGA Football: DUI? No problem! Arrested? You’re welcome here! Failed a drug test? We’ll just slap you on the hand!
Jeff
November 1st, 2011
9:31 pm
everyone just needs to chill out. Wait.
BobDawg
November 1st, 2011
9:32 pm
I’m not so sure this isn’t a more humiliating week/time/game to suspend the 3 as it is Homecoming and all the parents are treated like Royalty with picnics at Butts-Mehr, etc… Now they have to face the music with the parents… Anyway Kudos to Richard Samuel for running hard and winning the 4th quarter for us against the hated Gators.
230gr Full Metal Jacket
November 1st, 2011
9:34 pm
As a die-hard Tech fan (as painful as that can be some years) I don’t generally go on UGA blogs, but this one really caught my attention. Afew things:
First: Congratulations to the Dawgs on their win Saturday. The ignorant can spout off all they want, but that was a lights-out performance by your defense. I am VERY impressed with the job Grantham has done (Not at all impressed with him as a person – he’s a world-class sleazeball, but kudos for his accomplishments with the defense).
Second: Many posters want to play the “IC is only 18, you have to overlook stuff” game. He IS being paid, via a scholarship and percs, better than the majority of working-class people in this state. He isn’t just another student. He has been given the privilage of playing in Div-I at a premier football school. He SHOULD be held to a higher standard than other students (who have to pay their own way most of the time). Failing a drug test is UNACCEPTABLE for ANY scholarship athlete. If I fail a random drug test I will lose my job the very first time. No exceptions. The same should apply here. The 3 RB’s failed drug tests? Then there SHOULD be 3 additional open scholarships for future recruits who can play by the rules.
Lastly, While ALL major schools have their issues, UGA’s football program does seem to have a disproportionate number of “problem children”. It almost seems that CMR views the team as some sort of social program, whereby he can attempt to “rescue” kids who are already going down the wrong path. Not saying that IS the case, but at times it sure does appear that way from the outside. Discipline will always be a problem with ANY group of 17-22 year olds — but you would have NEVER seen this kind of stuff under Dooley, and definitely not under Erk Russell (had ya’ll done the smart thing and made him head coach. But then again, if ya’ll HAD done that CPJ wouldn’t have been able to learn from Erk like he did at GSU, so for us (Tech) it worked out better!)!!!
Anyway, hat’s off to UGA on an excellent win. And best of luck to ya’ll. I’m REALLY hoping that November 26th will bring us a game with the SEC East champions against the ACC Coastal champions. And that is a VERY realistic wish, for once. 9-2 vs 9-2 and BOTH headed to their respective conference championship games and hopefully BOTH headed from there to BCS games. Now THAT would help keep our in-state talent in-state!!!!!!!
See ya’ll on the 26th!! And good luck until then!!
Tampa Gator
November 1st, 2011
9:35 pm
ES……
Go pull up that smack I supposedly posted. All summer I posted that Florida’s season depended squarely on the play of one, John Brantley. John Brantley played well in the first 4 games and was playing very well in the Bama game……then he got injured…..and Florida went down with him….just as I posted all summer and during the first 4 games. My prediction this summer for the Gators was 9-3 if Brantley played well all year (with predicted losses to Bama, LSU, and Georgia…and an upset over FSU). I also predicted 7-5 or 6-6 if Brantley did not play well. The second senario seems like the reality….but not because Brantley did not play well….but because he got hurt….and played hurt against Georgia. That is the smack I talked all summer and early in the fall.
Now….the Dawg smack was that you guys were going to beat Boise easily, beat Spurrier and SC, and beat the Gators….winning the East and beating Bama for the SEC title and then win the NC. That was the Dawg smack all summer……well…Boise is the one really good team you guys played this year……..and Bama and LSU would dominae them……and they dominated you. And that is smack.
Mudcatjoe
November 1st, 2011
9:35 pm
If they failed the test before the Florida game, they won with ineligible players. I think the outcome will be a forfeit of the Florida win. Of course, you know they knew this before the game, just another example of the classlessness of the UGA program! That record is now 5 and 3!! Hahahahahaha!
BG
November 1st, 2011
9:37 pm
UGA AND UK ARE THE ONLY SCHOOLS IN THE SEC WHO SUSPEND FOR FIRST TIME FAILED DRUG TESTS.
BG
November 1st, 2011
9:38 pm
Mudcatjoe you are an idiot!
Spaceman Spiff
November 1st, 2011
9:39 pm
@ George
You know what the funny thing is? We own your pathetic little technerd arse…go back to your nerd blog
BG
November 1st, 2011
9:39 pm
Tampa Gator- SORE LOSER
Spaceman Spiff
November 1st, 2011
9:40 pm
@ Mudcatjoe
You have just qualified for today’s “Do you just say stupid sh!t?” award. What an idiot.
tenndawg
November 1st, 2011
9:41 pm
Look, to all you folks that are saying “all he did was smoke a little pot, and he’s only 18″… listen folks, I don’t think there anything wrong with weed, but its wrong if smoking it would get me kicked of the UGA FB team… I’d give anything to strap on that helment and be a Dawg! He should love UGA enough to know what this action could mean…he doesn’t deserve to be a dawg.
Truth
November 1st, 2011
9:43 pm
Really? Here is a fact: “IF” it was a failed drug test, of all the schools in the SEC, only Kentucky and UGA suspend for the first offense. At UF, Bama, LSU, Auburn, SC, Ark, etc…….this is not mentioned or a headline.
Tampa Gator
November 1st, 2011
9:44 pm
E.S……
Here is some more smack I posted. The week before the Georgia-Florida game….I predicted that Georgia would win by 3 points if Brantley played 100 percent healthy…….and Georgia by 14 if he didn’t play at all. I was wrong….Brantley played about 80 percent healthy (in the first half) and about 50 percent healthy (in the second half)….and Georgia won by a whopping 4 points. Brantley couldn’t even take a snap under center and turn on his ankle to hand off the ball……effectively eliminating about 70 percent of the play calls available to Charlie Weiss….and you guys still only won by 4 points. Well……I think Brissett or Driskell will be game ready next year….and one of them will be able to hand off from under center.
ES
November 1st, 2011
9:47 pm
Tampa Gator…. I don’t come on here that often,so I don’t know about all those predictions maybe you did.What I do know is you was on here after beating the 2 bad teams crowing like a rooster!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was sickening at the time!Enough for me to joke about the NFL!
Tampa Gator
November 1st, 2011
9:47 pm
Truth……
Really……I guess you haven’t checked recent history.
Chris Martin……the #3 recruit in the country…..was kicked off Florida for his first positive drug test.
Janoris Jenkins….ditto….
Want to revise.
Spaceman Spiff
November 1st, 2011
9:49 pm
@ Truth
Now why do you think it wasn’t mentioned in the article? Since AJC is so biased, wouldn’t it be in their best interest to slam UGA any chance they can? Technerd trolls live!
bleed gold and black
November 1st, 2011
9:50 pm
Sorry pathetic loser,this back if nothing but another one of UGA’S imaginary
solution that has doomed the program since dooley left. Star high school player with no sense
of the real world. Another one of UGA’s back yard trash pickups and again making the great state of GA
look like the red headed step child. LOL
Common Sense
November 1st, 2011
9:50 pm
Everyone wanted him, now you have him. Live with it!
Tampa Gator
November 1st, 2011
9:51 pm
And I remember most Dawg fans crowing before losing to Boise and SC…….enough to make an fan of any other SEC team want to crow about beating Charleston Southern….or whoever you beat on the road to beating a bunch of 1-15 teams. Now…..you guys are crowing again about beating a undermaned, beat up Florida team. But, as I said, maybe all the crowing will get you guys to Atlanta……and the crowing will end…..and the moaning will start all over again….as usual…..until summer…..when national title crowing comes alive once again.
DoctorC
November 1st, 2011
9:51 pm
First, all the UGA haters and UGA fans who have never sinned – please continue with your self-righteous condemnation of college football players who make bad choices since you never made one. If you never drank, smoked, or chased women in college then you probably went to Tech and we don’t care what you think anyway. Second, I was in Jacksonville and for the first time in a long time the UGA players ceased with their trash talking and simply played the game and celebrated appropriately – this was a major improvement and I think Coach Richt finally got the players to understand this is the best way to play and represent your school – this was probably a result of the aftermath of the Vandy game. Third, I too think Crowell lacks maturity and he will struggle to stay in school and make it unless he grows up quickly. Fourth, our defense is stout and our offense is getting better and we have a chance to mold into a decent team this year and next year. Lastly, I’m mighty proud to be a Bulldog!
Tampa Gator
November 1st, 2011
9:52 pm
Now….my crowing ends for the night. But I certainly enjoyed the crowing tonight. See ya.
Scott Anderson
November 1st, 2011
9:52 pm
Still have some concerns for Crowell as he continutes to talk in games to the point other teamates have to pull him away. Its going to cost Georgia a game eventually.
Attitude problem >?
wonder how he is in the locker room with his peers as a frosh