The word on Ben Jones

Athens – Concern swirled around Bulldog Nation for a couple of hours last night about center Ben Jonespractice-field injury. But before worst-case fears got out of control, associate AD Claude Felton walked into the media workroom around 9:45 p.m. to inform three weary scribes of the diagnosis and prognosis:

Sprained left ankle.

X-rays negative.

Day-to-day.

And as soon as word got out, Bulldog Nation exhaled.

As you know, Georgia needs its offensive line, enhanced by the experience gained last year and the return of left tackle Trinton Sturdivant, to be a pillar of the team. A more serious injury to Jones would have been a big blow.

A couple of other things:

– Might surprise you that Georgia, according to Mark Richt, still plans to use apparent No. 2 quarterback Logan Gray as punt returner on kicks  inside the 10-yard line.  Well, punt returner is a misnomer, because those punts aren’t generally returned. Gray’s job is to fair-catch them or let them roll.

“It’s not a high-risk job back there,” Richt said. “Rarely do those kicks get returned. It’d have to be shanked where he could get up on it and get it quick. Most of the times they’re trying to pooch it. It’s high; it’s usually a fair catch or a let-it-roll. It’s hardly ever a return back there. Someone could drill him, I’m sure, but again if he’s catching it, he’s probably waving for a fair catch.”

On bona fide punt returns, Richt said Prince Miller will be the main guy. He was less definitive on kickoff returns, mentioning Richard Samuel, Brandon Boykin, Bryan Evans and freshman Branden Smith as possibilities.

– About the only bad thing anyone has said about Samuel’s tailback play this month is that, in the first full scrimmage last Wednesday, he had a fumble. One week later, Richt reported, “He hasn’t put one on the ground since.”

Continued Richt: “He took that to heart, which he should. As good as he played that day, really all he could think about was that he fumbled the ball. I was really praising him for the job he did, and he was, like, ‘Yeah, but I fumbled the ball; I can’t do that.’ And he’s right: He can’t. One fumble can [cost] a game, and one game can cost you a chance at a championship. So every little bit of ball security is very important.”

85 comments Add your comment

Lars Taint

August 20th, 2009
4:33 pm

ARdawg,
What does getting a hobby have to do with asking people like you who post on here like they are UGA’s #1 fan to at least get the players name right so you don’t sound like Corrine Brown and make our fan base look stupid.

Sad Richards

August 20th, 2009
4:35 pm

Sorry Bro misspelled your name….. dawgstephen.

Lilly Munster and Edith Bunker

August 20th, 2009
4:37 pm

YES OLE HERMAN ARCHIEEEEE WAS A GOOD ONE!

now tha't funny

August 20th, 2009
4:38 pm

So it’s Dicks Samuel?

Sad Richards

August 20th, 2009
4:41 pm

Hey dawgstephen……..keep riding the coattails of the AJC! Atta boy!

Dill

August 20th, 2009
5:07 pm

Where is Chip Towers?

45ACP

August 20th, 2009
5:14 pm

Richard Samuel will be a good, solid player for the Bulldogs.
Practice makes perfect.

dawgstephen

August 20th, 2009
5:24 pm

Hey sad richard…i do not think youth is an excuse, i think its a great thing. the dawgs will be great this year AND for years to come. I am glad you like my blog, and to be honest, I appreciate the attention. Keep up the Good Work Richard. Oh, and not only am I using the AJC, but dawgrun, dawgbone, and even David Hale of the Macon paper is helping me too.

http://www.dawgstephen.blogspot.com

dawgstephen

August 20th, 2009
5:25 pm

Ohh, and thanks for visiting….3700 visits in this past week alone are great for my blog.

dawgstephen

August 20th, 2009
5:30 pm

I was saying he enrolled at 16 yrs old…earned playing time at 17, and now at 18 is mature beyond his years. read the post!!!!

http://www.dawgstephen.blogspot.com

GTDog

August 20th, 2009
5:43 pm

THERE IS NO S! I think it’s Samuel Richard…

GTDog

August 20th, 2009
5:44 pm

Hmmm, I kind of like Stephen’s website.

mick6701

August 20th, 2009
5:46 pm

PayScale provides a mid-career salary median. It is $81,500 for UGA grads and $105,000 for Tech grads.

hmmmmmm. What college should i send junior to?

BS Patrol

August 20th, 2009
5:58 pm

I’ll bet Altamaha has ” called ‘em up long distance”.

ARdawg

August 20th, 2009
5:58 pm

Lars Taints

It’s a blog. No need to be so anal retentive over a name being typed plural as opposed to singular. The message got across and most purveyors of this blog knew who was being discussed. If that is the only mishap you see for this years edition of Georgia Football I suppose we aren’t in too bad of shape, are we?

dawgstephen

August 20th, 2009
6:04 pm

WOW, check out those Atlanta Falcons in BLACK JERSEYS with RED HELMENTS AND A BLACK LOGO….NICEE!!!!!

http://www.dawgstephen.blogspot.com

harleydawg

August 20th, 2009
6:06 pm

samuel is still 17 not 18 yet, last yr this time he was a 16 man child
hes the biggest, strongest, fastese of the dawg backs, man he would get 3000 yrds in tha acc

BS Patrol

August 20th, 2009
6:14 pm

Samuel is McFadden? Right! And I just finished painting the Sistene Chapel.

Sad Richards

August 20th, 2009
6:33 pm

hey dawgstephen….. so why bring up that Samuel is only 18? whoop t do! Its college football I dont care if he is old as the dude that played for the lamechickens (POPS) a few years ago. They all must know how to catch, tackle or block.They all need to be focused, they all need to be coached,They all need to be young men and represent the University Of Georgia well and have a winning attitude for that education they receive. Which boils down to coaching. Willie aint getting it done and its dragging down CMR!

Sad Richards

August 20th, 2009
6:46 pm

Yes Samuel is “solid’ solid on fumbles that is. This wont cut it when he takes on the big boys of the SEC.

jerry

August 20th, 2009
6:53 pm

I’m not really worried about a fumble that happened to a 17 year old.

Oledawg

August 20th, 2009
7:09 pm

Alt- It was a #2 circle hook tied to a glass gallon jug that had a sealed plastic top. A small stumpknocker was pinched and inserted into the jug with a little water and an Alka Selzer wrapped in water soluble tape. After eating the bream on the hook, the flathead knocked himself out hitting the jug over and over and… well, you get the picture. They found him floating with the jug halfway in his mouth.

Sad Dick- You are sad.

GTDog

August 20th, 2009
7:35 pm

I know a guy named Richard Slack. Older fella, goes by the nickname Dick. Hillarious when I put him in my PA last-name-first, didn’t realise the joke until I called the name up to get his number one day….

DawgNation

August 20th, 2009
7:43 pm

Mick6701

Send him to which ever he has the grades, and you have the money, to get him into. No matter which school he attends be greatful that he will attend college at all.

dawgstephen

I was watching the Falcons wearing that since 1966. It wasn’t till Jerry Glanville took over that he changed them to the “Back in Black” we see now. Its good to see them in the old combo.

dawgstephen

August 20th, 2009
7:45 pm

harleydawg, thanks for reminding me. He has a birthday this fall. Not yet. Yes, he is very good, and the attitude he has displayed in the fall is gonna take him a long way if he keeps it up.

http://www.dawgstephen.blogspot.com

joel

August 20th, 2009
7:56 pm

bunch of atlanta fags

ARdawg

August 20th, 2009
8:32 pm

BS Michelangleo Patrol

Did I SAY he was McFadden? I said he reminds me of McFadden and he does. He’s got the size and the speed of McFadden and the ability to out run you or run over you. McFadden was a sophomore too once you know?

Too Easy

August 20th, 2009
9:18 pm

So it’s Richard Amuel?

The village idiot

August 20th, 2009
9:51 pm

You guys are idiots.

Stinger

August 20th, 2009
10:00 pm

He reminds me of Jasper Sanks, or is it Jasper Sank. Regardless he fumbles too much.

dawgstephen

August 20th, 2009
10:05 pm

Jasper Stanks stanked. But, don’t be too hard on the guy. He reads my blog.

dawgstephen

August 20th, 2009
10:08 pm

Jasper had a Stank attitude. It carried him all the way to stankville.

dawgstephen

August 20th, 2009
10:13 pm

Jasper had a Stank attitude. It carried him all the way to stankville. But, he reads my blog so be nice. How about the championship heart of champ Ronald Bailey? What a great attitude and Bulldog. The guy wore #4. He was fast, he was smart, he was great. Still is. Go Dogs.

AltamahaDawg

August 21st, 2009
6:55 am

I thought he spelled it Jasper Sank.

54893

February 27th, 2010
7:53 pm

Trying something new here.