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
bleed gold and black
November 1st, 2011
9:52 pm
How great it is the be a JACKET. Let the thugs in Athens continue to ruin the
great state of GA
Truth
November 1st, 2011
9:53 pm
@Tampa gator, no revision needed. At UF, they have many more issues they discover prior to reporting a “first offense”.
TheAntiMe
November 1st, 2011
9:53 pm
That’s OK, Bobo was planning to pass every down this game anyway. Don’t you just love those imaginative play-action passes on third and long? Sure fooled me.
bleed gold and black
November 1st, 2011
9:54 pm
LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS LMAO How great it is to be a JACKET
MBDawg
November 1st, 2011
9:56 pm
They’re just studying to be weed scientists.
I'm just saying
November 1st, 2011
9:56 pm
Hey “Jealous is thy name” at 5:59…to borrow a line from Sheriff Buford T. Justice there is no way GT students could have come from your loins…you are simply too stupid…do you simply assume that all GT fans are perpetually students? As extremely hard as it is to do…some of us have graduated and we do love to bust on your simpleton school…how else do you explain how such an utter moron as IC could qualify to go to college. Face it dude if in fact your kids go to GT…you may want to have a talk with Mrs. Jealous.
Pewter
November 1st, 2011
9:58 pm
Who cares about Georgia… they’ve been irrelevant for decades now. If the overrated SEC was a pay for performance conference, Georgia’s take would be about 10k per year! Talk about stealing money! You bring NOTHING to the football-world table! Get over youselves! The only ones that care about you, is you!!!
Mobile Dawg
November 1st, 2011
10:03 pm
Tampa Gator, I could care less what goes on inside UF football. What I care about is reading what knowledgeable UGA followers with a balanced perspective have to say, maybe add my thoughts, or carry on a conversation. I like to hear what the fans of our rivals have to say when they can keep the conversation civil and above board. You banter like a couple of six or seven year olds throwing a temper tantrum, tossing insults. Grow up and let the childish behavior go and act like an adult.
Truth
November 1st, 2011
10:05 pm
@ Just saying
Nice athletic graduation rates….not
ES
November 1st, 2011
10:08 pm
Tampa Gator… With Brantley playing the whole first half of the Bama game,you were loosing 24-10.You couldn’t run a lick and couldn’t stop them from dominating both lines of scrimmage.Brantley was sacked his last two plays.Matter of fact after the first lucky bomb you were out scored 24 to 3.And I haven’t been crowing about nothing until we get rid of Bo Bo we’re going to do nothing.You have two coaches that will probably do good.They just need time to get their players in there.But your problem is not just Brantley.Your x coach told guys like Zebrie Sanders that you didn’t have a scholarship left for him when you had 8 left and only 3 verbals from OL men.Then the best of the 3 decommited so you went and got robey from kentucky a low rated 3 star.Sanders went on to start at FSU as a freshmen.Your problem is your lines of scrimmage.
Sniffin'
November 1st, 2011
10:10 pm
I brought this up a couple of weeks ago about Isaiah “dating Mary Jane” and trolling mini marts in Athens looking for Doritos around 11:30 on weekday nights… ’bout time for his sake it was caught now… he needs to make the right choice if football and school is more important to him.
all the haters are hypocrits
November 1st, 2011
10:12 pm
Yeah, blast this 18 yr old kid while all of you get liquored up before, during and after games. Why she we expect better of them when society is trash?
Delbert D.
November 1st, 2011
10:17 pm
Blair Walsh is tied for the longest FG of the season so far at 56 yards. The other guy is Bobby Zalud of Arkansas St., who is 5 of 8 on FGs; 4/5 from 40-49 and 1/3 from 50+.
The leader for the award looks to be Randy Bullock of TA&M, 16 out of 17, and 7/8 from 40-49 yards.
Info from ESPN stats pages.
not shocked
November 1st, 2011
10:19 pm
Once a thug, always a thug……
Dawg48
November 1st, 2011
10:20 pm
BIG MIKE
I’m with you and agree totally!
All fans from other schools try in any way to break down another team and act like their team are a bunch of angels!
JoeDawg
November 1st, 2011
10:23 pm
Mark Bradley: Once again, he’s the ‘missing man’ for AJC
There was a story to write and once again the AJC turned to the guy who one had 100 hits on his blog. Yet he just regurgitated old news and gave kudos to the first responder to his lack of wit and reporting.
Crowell is not the savior of CMR, nor the UGA prgram. He is a young man who has made mistakes and may be gone next year or this. UGA will still be there. CMR may or may not be but UGA will still be there.
CMR disciplined becasue “he loved him”… the AJC keeps you why?
ES
November 1st, 2011
10:23 pm
Mobile Dawg.. I don’t come on here much and should stay to relavent subjects.You are right,sorry for messing up what the blog is for and should be.
MarineDog
November 1st, 2011
10:25 pm
Why would the university do its own testing of samples? Wouldn’t that be somewhat of a conflict of interest? That’s probably why they don’t come back as soon as some of you seems to believe. Being in the military, we get random drug tests on a regular basis and the samples are not tested by the medical facilities located on the base because it stands the chance of someone tampering with samples in order to protect one of their buddies. The samples are sent off to labs with only SSNs so that they have no idea of who they belong to. The chain of custody stands a chance of being compromised if they are done by military personnel aboard the base.
These tests are not back in 24 hours or even 48 hours. Being going through this for the last 27 years and it has been the same since day 1.
JoeDawg
November 1st, 2011
10:27 pm
ES you are an apologetic pansy.. HAve an opinion and defend it … or be Saint Simons or some other troll
Return to Glory
November 1st, 2011
10:28 pm
Bring them in and treat them like kings. Kick their butts and make them walk the line.
Crowell is a WUSS and could not carry Hershels jock strap.
JoeDawg
November 1st, 2011
10:29 pm
And Return I am sure you could… but carry straps seems to be your thing
MarineDog
November 1st, 2011
10:29 pm
No Tampa Gator, he was not kicked off the team for pot possession on the first occasion. He was kicked off the team for the second possession in less than a month.
Willie CC
November 1st, 2011
10:31 pm
Richt can’t control his players. Best running back in Nation in trouble. Fire Richt NOW !
Top Recruit
November 1st, 2011
10:33 pm
I’d dare say this is the last season for Malcome and McClendon. Thomas probably played his last down in the Florida game.
There will be serious discussions about Crowell’ future at UGA now. No doubt a top talent player. Had the opportunity to easily eclipse the statute of Walker, Davis, Edwards, and etc. This kids has serious issues about maturity, decision making, and self-esteem. Only the season ending injury keeps Thomas and Malcome on the team for awhile, otherwise “they’d be gone” [as the White Sox announcer says].
A note from the AD…the football program and CMR’s leadership has come under further review. For damn sure alums and supporters are growing weary of these issues. CMR’s weakness is leadership…none of those kids fear him…may respect him, but do not fear him. He is learning to stop “banking” players and starting to cut them when they start trouble.
A great coach at a great program let his players and his team know where they stood with a sign over the dressing roo…”Be good, or be gone”. Most knew that being good was on and off the field.
globeflyer
November 1st, 2011
10:39 pm
Sorry UGA….same song, different verse. I was very impressed with Samuel; he acted like he wanted some playing time!
Dr. Phil
November 1st, 2011
10:42 pm
Richt signed Crowell’s buddy as a pre condition. Then he held the “missing man” drama that violated NCAA rules and sent the message to every other team member that Crowell was special and would be treated differently. Then Crowell’s crew from Carver burgled the locker room. Crowell has some talent, but he refuses to block, injures easily, and takes himself out of games at will. If he doesn’t flunk out of school, he will get busted for some drug or alcohol charge. He is a distraction that neither the football team nor the Unversity of Georgia needs.
DawgVoiceofReason
November 1st, 2011
10:43 pm
Tampa Gator,
That was a tough loss for your team this week. Not that I feel sorry for you in any way. I hate to break it to you, though, that no one here cares about what you think about Georgia and our players and coaches. We certainly don’t care about the “facts” you present about Florida players kicked off the team. Personally, I think it’s bizarre that you know so much about the “facts” of what time of day a player took a drug test, when he met with the coach and how many previous violations that player had. Get lost, loser. Georgia owns Florida in this series, and don’t you forget that fact!
Go Dawgs!!!
I SAY it hurts HEAH'
November 1st, 2011
10:48 pm
Y’all just shut up and pass that thang.
Rdawg
November 1st, 2011
10:55 pm
Wow, I love all the negative comments on here. Do yall remember when you where stupid teenagers and young adults? What mistakes did you make? I mean really get off your soap Boxes and high horses. Nobody is perfect and everybody makes mistakes. You people act like these guys need to be castrated for having a little fun in college there only doing what college kids do, you know because that’s where they are college. I’m not saying they should be excused from their behavior since they are athletes, I’m just saying they don’t need a bunch of over grown fat ass hacks who did nothing with their lives calling these young men punks and thugs for a mistake. I hope these guys learn from this and bounce back so they can be productive members of the UGA football team and productive students for the University. All you band wagon fans can go crawl back under that rock you have been hiding under. Go DAWGS
GA YECH YELLOW MAGGOTS
November 1st, 2011
10:57 pm
I want to go to ga tech where i can get robbed and beaten on campus on a regular basis and my football team is mediocre in a mediocre conference and there are 3 attractive women on campus (and they are dating UGA guys) and none of the classes are taught in english anymore.
Your Doom
November 1st, 2011
11:00 pm
Every silver cloud has a dark lining.
Paul in NH
November 1st, 2011
11:01 pm
Who knows exactly when Richt was made aware of the results of the drug tests but with the tests allegedly administered on Thursday I don’t see a problem with the players not being suspended until after the UF-UGA game. If I am Richt and I am aware of the results of the tests before one of the biggest games of my career, I want it to be confirmed before enacting suspensions.
Having said that, WHY were all 3 RBs tested for drugs last week? Does UGA test all scholarship football players in the middle of the season (something I view as unlikely on a cost basis)? Did a random drug test just happen to find 3 RBs (2 FRs and a JR) who are drug users? Or, was there reasonable suspension to test all 3 RBs for drugs?
Give it a rest, GT crowd
November 1st, 2011
11:10 pm
I wouldn’t be coming on here (or any other blog) attacking the integrity of another school’s athletic programs. GT’s football AND basketball programs are on probation, both are an embarrassment to the school with their ACC-low graduation rates, and your only conference football title in a long time got stripped because you played ineligible players and tried to stonewall the NCAA.
As for Richt and UGA supposedly not upholding standards, why does your athletic director still have his job after the debacle of his handling of the NCAA investigation? I don’t think Richt’s handling of behavior problems of his college kid players compares to letting your athletics administration stay in place after that level of scandal.
Give it a rest, GT crowd
November 1st, 2011
11:12 pm
And as for the Florida fans on this blog, I have just two words in response: Chris Rainey.
bigeasydawg
November 1st, 2011
11:13 pm
tampa gator,
I don’t give a crap about Brantley or any other Florida player or what is going on at Florida. This is a Georgia blog so if you want to talk Florida football, you are on the wrong blog. Otherwise, you are just a sore loser and need to get over what happened on Saturday to you Gators.
For the Florida crowd....
November 1st, 2011
11:13 pm
Only two words needed in response: Chris Rainey.
Weagle
November 1st, 2011
11:18 pm
Meh… What happened to Florida happened about 5 weeks ago. They haven’t won a game since. I’ll be surprised if they beat Vandy.
Weagle
November 1st, 2011
11:20 pm
Y’all need to get your guys all lined up for November 12. We don’t want to hear any excuses.
REDawg
November 1st, 2011
11:20 pm
Ga’s recruiting class in 2012 may be better than the dream team in 2011—next year, GA will light up bi and win the SEC since lsu and bama will be down after losing a ton of talent. Murray and IC will be all SEC in 2012—bank on it.
renegade#1
November 1st, 2011
11:22 pm
The route IC is traveling it wont be long before he’ll be sporting an orange suit, no dreads, no hat with a G, and begging all his posse to send him money to the care of GDCC. What a waste could have been aspecial
D. Nigh All
November 1st, 2011
11:23 pm
I’m with Rdawg. Apologist defense employed. Check. Suspended for New Mexico State only. Check. Knuckles severely rapped. Check.
With such a severe punishment here’s hoping they aren’t scarred for life now.
Rodney Dangerfield
November 1st, 2011
11:25 pm
I will take clean 2 & 3 Star recruits over 4 & 5 Star potheads every time!
Rise and Fall of the 3rd Richt
November 1st, 2011
11:25 pm
the recruite to save Richt’s job? By the time it is all over, Crowell will be the one to tell on Richt and get him fired
Rodney Dangerfield
November 1st, 2011
11:27 pm
After reading what these UGA fans are saying boozing it up, smoking pot, and banging girls in the classroom are just a right of passage for a UGA student. No wonder the State of GA is 49th in education when half the teachers come from UGA. I’m glad to know what my son’s first grade teacher was doing while she was at UGA. And this lady is teaching my kid, so sad.
Rise and Fall of the 3rd Richt
November 1st, 2011
11:28 pm
what a coward UGA and Richt is to wait until after UF game …so typical, Shameful Egotisical Criminals equals SEC and you fit right in
Rodney Dangerfield
November 1st, 2011
11:28 pm
Rise and Fall of the 3rd Richt – reminds me of Tony Cole and the UGA basketball team.
UGA2002
November 1st, 2011
11:28 pm
Jealousy is my name
November 1st, 2011
5:59 pm
The UGA haters here are not really GT students. The real GT students are studying and when their time is away from class ……………. it is spent studying. I know, because I raised two of them.
No, the UGA haters here attend no college, no JUCO, no nothing and just waste their time on mom’s dime and plunk away on her PC and bad mouth UGA. I suspect most have never been to sit in a college classroom.
UGA is known by high quality firms and individuals all over the country to be fine university with wonderful faclities and these sad lil morons think it makes UGA fans and grads angry to hear them mad mouth the University. No, we know …………………..you are jealous.
Go Dogs.
———————–
In my experience, most UGA fans never attended the University of Georgia nor have ever stepped foot on campus on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday morning.
change that most to vast majority.
We are no different than Alabama in that regard, most of their fans never attended that school either. Tennessee as well. A Vandy fan, a Mississippi St fan, GT fan and Auburn fan all are far far more likely to have attended the school or had a family member attend.
renegade#1
November 1st, 2011
11:32 pm
player. damn buttons don’t work. Anyway what a let down. I wouldn’t want you in my foxhole wake up stupid or in Richt estimation DUMBASS.
UGA2002
November 1st, 2011
11:35 pm
I have to say it sure looks like they played players, according to ESPN all having failed a drug test on Thursday, that shouldn’t have played so that they could beat a very bad UF team and save CMR.
Had we lost to UF, and we came real close to doing that, he’d been fired. This was self preservation and it’s very obvious and UGA looks awful right now for not only having 3 players involved in this but more importantly for how this was handled and how we played players for a big game and sit them for a bad game.
And what if we lose this weekend at our own home coming, should CMR then be fired? All these people opining that we will win the SECG and upset LSU or Bama are, well, smoking something with our running backs. This weekend may be very ugly, Murray is not good. Auburn is coming off a bye week and I think this is the first time in a while they put one in before our game. They’ve finally found their QB. And GT destroyed a very very good Clemson team. Destroyed them.
We don’t have the coaching to win out. We don’t have the players. We don’t have anything and yet we still might win the East and lose 3 of the 4 next games. That’s how bad the east is. If Auburn put up 50 or 60 of whatever on South Carolina last year I can only imagine what LSU will do to us.
NorthwestGaFan
November 1st, 2011
11:42 pm
He was the same way in high school. What made anyone think he would be different in college?