No breakaway at tailback yet
Doesn’t sound as if anybody is off and running toward nailing down the No. 1 tailback job.
In fact, the leading rusher in Georgia’s scrimmage Monday wasn’t Caleb King or Carlton Thomas, the two healthy scholarship tailbacks currently competing for Knowshon Moreno’s old job. The leading rusher was walk-on Kalvin Daniels.
“I thought it was hot and cold, really,” Mark Richt said of the tailback play in the closed-to-the-media scrimmage. “I thought there were a couple of times we should have hit it up in there a little more physically and didn’t see it. Then the same guy the next play might really hit it up in there and break a tackle. I’d say pretty inconsistent overall.”
Richt on King: “I thought he was hot and cold.”
On Thomas: “Carlton didn’t get many yards per carry, but so far I think he’s been a little more consistent in his tempo and his willingness to stick it on in there.”
Several players mentioned that the shifty Thomas had a couple of nice runs in the scrimmage. “He took a play that was called to the right, ran and got into some traffic and reversed and ended up outrunning everybody,” QB Joe Cox said. But Thomas’ scrimmage stats – eight carries for 26 yards – weren’t much.
(King had six carries for 32 yards. Daniels nine carries for 45 yards.)
Georgia expects to get Dontavius Jackson, who had arthroscopic knee surgery in December, back into the tailback mix before the end of spring practice – possibly this week. Then Richard Samuel, out this spring after wrist surgery, is expected to join the competition come summer.
The Dogs had a habit in their three losses last season of letting bad situations snowball. And apparently they showed a bit of the same tendency in Monday’s scrimmage.
“I think we’ve got to handle adversity on both sides of the ball a little better,” Richt said afterward.
The defense was playing well in the early going, he said, but “started feeling sorry for themselves” after a 75-yard pass from freshman QB Aaron Murray to senior walk-on receiver Vernon Spellman.
“We got to understand things won’t always go our way, and we got to recover quickly and get back and play ball,” Richt said.
He said he made that point to the team after the scrimmage.
“So now the leaders got to do something about it.”
So what’s it like when college football coaches are recruiting the son of a college football coach?
“I don’t think anybody is going to feed me a bunch of baloney,” Richt said Monday.
Two days earlier, he and his son, Jon, were at Valdosta State, where Jon — a quarterback seeking a new school after leaving Clemson this spring — is considering transferring. They watched a Blazers scrimmage, sat in on a quarterbacks meeting, got an academics briefing and enjoyed a campus tour.
“I’d never been to Valdosta State before, and it’s a beautiful campus,” Richt said. “It’s about the right size, and I think he’d really feel comfortable.”
Richt said his son has already visited Georgia State, which will field its first football team in 2010, and also is considering Chattanooga and Mars Hill. “Maybe a couple more. A few more people are calling.” And the recruiting experience, Jon’s father said, is going well. “I enjoy it. It’s fun. . . . Everybody has just been great.”
OK, your turn . . .
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81 comments Add your comment
RAMBLE ON!!!
March 31st, 2009
3:45 pm
11/29/08, 11/29/08…got a great life.
RAMBLE ON!!!
March 31st, 2009
3:50 pm
Oooops! Gotta run fellas, the short bus is here!!!
RAMBLE ON!!!
March 31st, 2009
3:56 pm
Very nice SEC1, now you’re my imposter. I’m flattered. I think you need to get “a life”
BS Patrol
March 31st, 2009
4:00 pm
You tell ‘em, RAMBLE ON!!! When I saw the topic & before I read any posts, the first thing that came to my mind was “Hey, if they’re that desperate Tech could probably lend them a couple” at least until Nov.
RAMBLE ON!!!
March 31st, 2009
4:01 pm
aww, reality check feelings are hurt. Poor thing, just change your name like Modawg who goes by 38-3 now.
RAMBLE ON!!!
March 31st, 2009
4:09 pm
They don’t want to listen to me BS Patrol. The truth hurts.
They want somebody who can hurdle a defender, not run threw them like Jonathan Dwyer.
RAMBLE ON!!!
March 31st, 2009
4:35 pm
I’m back, just got off the bus and changed my underwear. Okay, where were we? Oh, and I meant “through”, not “threw”. Sorry, I get excited at the end of the school day guys.
mark
March 31st, 2009
4:43 pm
lets consider a few things… number 1 is that richard samual is a better pass blocker than caleb king, and with the young offensive line we need samual in there more. when i replay georgia’s games from last year, i clearly see caleb king missign assignments leading to stafford getting sacked.
i would like to see what jackson has..
DawginLex
March 31st, 2009
4:55 pm
Rambler,
You run “threw” people? Is that a Tech thing or can you just not spell??????????????????????????????????????????????
TW
March 31st, 2009
5:00 pm
Worse than Martinez being given another year is the promotion of Jancek to Co-DC. A good LB coach over the past four years could very well have hidden CWM’s poor job at DC. Jancek, however, has been horrible on every front – the kids are in the wrong spots, they don’t know how to react, they can’t tackle, and their persuit is half-hearted at best. To promote this type of work is of great concern. At the very least, after last season we should have dumped Jancek and brought in a real LB coach. Instead we give him more responsibility?
We better have a great RB – we’re gonna need to score in the forties on a regular basis.
Proof Positive
March 31st, 2009
5:19 pm
lakerat,
http://georgiatech.scout.com/a.z?s=140&p=8&c=1&nid=3626198
I attached the GT scouting website so you wouldn’t think the stats were padded. Branden Smith, 4.28 40 yd dash, 10.62 100 meter.
turkey
March 31st, 2009
5:36 pm
Bugkiller, hit he nail right on the head. Are we the only ones who see this problem? Until CWM is replaced opposing teams will continue to RAMBLE ON.
AltamahaDawg
March 31st, 2009
5:45 pm
Zdog, don’t you think bigdawg was actually making fun of such notions? and the folks who actually think that way? Or where you just making fun of of him, making fun of them, THUS making even more fun of those that believe such? interesting
RAMBLE ON!!!
March 31st, 2009
5:47 pm
Good one turkey, till then, all you have to look forward to is proof reading my grammar, nice!
fiasco007
March 31st, 2009
6:06 pm
No TE! NO TE! NO TE! Thats all we ever hear! Is the TE responsible for someone breaking free up the middle and making our LBs and DBs look like grade schoolers? Since there has been injuries, the Def staff will always have that alibi. They need to get it together, or someone should start a petition to fire these guys before we get too involved in this season. Jus sayin.
AltamahaDawg
March 31st, 2009
6:19 pm
I think the answer is no. The tight ends are not responsible for that.
skilet
March 31st, 2009
6:58 pm
I think he meant DE. You know what he meant. But he is right.
skilet
March 31st, 2009
7:00 pm
I think C King has a fat head and inflated ego, thinking that he automatically should get the nod. He needs to get on the ball and work his butt off.
dawgfan1911
March 31st, 2009
7:34 pm
I wish this newspaper would print something good to read. Who gives a RATS A** about Mark Rict’s son? If Georgia was interested in Mike Anderson to coach BBAll, then why havent they offered him the dam job?? These so called 4 and 5 star running back, why is it that none of them have stepped up and taken the role that this is my job? It spells trouble for Georgia this year. Print more things about the winning gymnastics team or the baseball team or even the dang boys tennis team. The football team has nothing interesting happening right now worth reading and the basketball teamS yes including the sorry Andy Landers lead Ladybulldogs are just not ink worthy right now!
SugarHillDawg
March 31st, 2009
8:30 pm
Wow Ramble On! your mom must’ve given you a 3 day pass from the basement and let you post all you want! Are you and M headed down to midtown tonight for a little rendezvous at your favorite gay bar? Tomorrow brings one less day we have to wait to beat the HOLY HELL out of the North Avenue LOSERS!!!
CHARLOTTE DAWG
March 31st, 2009
9:03 pm
Maybe this means the defense has improved. Wait, never mind. Perhaps we now suck on both sides of the ball.
I just hope Cox stays healthy. If he goes down, it is 2006 all over again.
I’m actually surprised Caleb King is still in school. I predicted he wouldn’t be. Since I was wrong about that, perhaps I’m wrong about him being “the man”. But I’ve never seen him try to run over a defender or have any moxy whatsoever. Perhaps he just never got over the broken leg injury. I have never broken a leg so I can’t judge or call him a pansy. But it just seems like he’s running not to injure himself.
Samuel and D. Jackson need to hurry on back!!! And if the RB’s are not getting it done, put Logan Gray in there to offset our lack of a rushing attack. It would be great if we could use him every so often just to give opposing DC’s something to think about and prepare for. Merely showcasing Gray can do wonders for our offense since opposing teams will have to practice for two kinds of offenses.
RedandBlack
March 31st, 2009
9:40 pm
It is another great day to be a Georgia Bulldog when you read about the Dogs preparing for another super season. It can not get here soon enough. However, it is good to read that Coach is coaching up his team a little tougher this Spring. Every Bulldog opponent on the schedule should prepare for a different team from Athens this year, especially that last game in November. Go Dogs!!!
RAMBLE ON!!!
March 31st, 2009
9:53 pm
Sugarhilldawg:
I don’t have to ask my Mother’s permission to get on-line, I own the condo. And yes, my Mother lives with me. Is there something wrong with loving your parents? As far as secret rendezvous, I came out of the closet a long time ago. This blog is about FOOTBALL sugar…
JMO
March 31st, 2009
10:00 pm
Hope we still get a basketball coach! The best available one is still available…Bobby Knight. Their new Guitar Hero commercial sealed it!
Baseball Dawgs beat Clemson 6-5. Sorry but the AJC doesn’t have a current blog for Basketball or Baseball.
dog question
March 31st, 2009
10:12 pm
anyone hurt their heel today?
SamoanDawg
March 31st, 2009
10:45 pm
Richard Samuel and Carlton Thomas will be top 2. Caleb King 3rd & Donatavious Jackson. I think Samuel & Thomas will rotate.
Dang it, now we’re down to two DE. What’s up with everybody and their shoulders hurt? I know it’s part of the game, but goodnight! it’s frustrating hearing our guys go down.
Buff
March 31st, 2009
11:31 pm
We can’t lift all those weights and set all them new records without hurting ourselves occasionally.
SamoanDawg
April 1st, 2009
12:06 am
IDK, maybe we need to change up our workout regimen.. I’m just speculating, I’m all for our players to get strong, setting bench records etc.. but, I think it caused some of their flexibility. I’ve noticed some of the NFL players are not lifting as much weight, but they’re doing more unorthodox flexible training.. meaning, less power lifting and more of stretching or mobility type of workout, if you will. Maybe somebody else can explain it better. Coach Van is an excellent SC coach, btw.
swgaboy
April 1st, 2009
9:10 am
Fellas, the 2006 and 2008 spring practices went rather smooth, maybe a little too smooth. Aside from the worst injury situation I’ve ever seen, we had some major flaws in execution and attitude last year on the football field. The part about letting a bad situation snow ball was dead on. I’m glad that these tendencies are rearing their ugly heads right now. Because the coaches need to work on these things. The players also need to realize right now that 2009 can resemble 2002 or 2005, or it can also be a repeat of the beginning of 2006 or 2008. Now is the time to get their attention and let them decide what they want.
Nothing will be handed to them. And there should be a sense of needing re-prove themselves and the program. Gotta get that urgency back.
GCB
April 1st, 2009
12:04 pm
http://www.gcbbuydirect.com/
borderbash
April 1st, 2009
11:00 pm
Is it true? I heard that the thUGA coaching staff traded all their tackling dummies for Hospital signs this spring so any videos that turn up on Youtube in the future will just look like normal practices.