On White’s move to fullback — and Samuel’s future
Mark Richt’s weekly radio call-in show was much tamer last night. Whereas a week before most callers vented about Georgia’s performance at Tennessee, last night’s callers mostly commended the win at Vanderbilt.
A couple of interesting items from Richt’s comments, which came by phone from his pickup truck in a Columbus parking lot after a speaking engagement:
On last week’s practice-field move of backup linebacker Charles White to fullback: “[He] hasn’t been getting a lot of reps at the linebacker position, and we feel the best chance he can help this football team in the future is at fullback,” Richt said. “So we have made a change for him to play fullback in mid-season because we don’t believe we are pulling away from the defense and he can still play special teams. We will have two senior fullbacks next year [Shaun Chapas and Fred Munzenmaier], so we need to cultivate another fullback.”
White, a redshirt sophomore, has two years of eligibility remaining after this one.
– Richt was asked about the possibility of moving Richard Samuel from tailback to defense. (The most frequently mentioned position is linebacker, at which Samuel made the AJC’s All-State team in high school.) Richt said such a move would be premature — but did not rule it out eventually. If Samuel ever were to switch positions, it would be between seasons, Richt said.
“The thing about Richard, first of all, is that he’s got a lot of reps at running back,” Richt said. “He’s still in the race to be our No. 1 running back, and at this point I think his best chance to help Georgia win is to stay at running back. If there was ever going to be change, it would be an off-season change for him.”
Samuel started the first six games of this season at tailback for Georgia but did not play until the third quarter last week, getting six carries for 18 yards.
By the way, the Dogs are back on the practice field today, one of two practices this week. The other is Thursday. They’ll lift weights Wednesday and Friday.
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183 comments Add your comment
Raider
October 20th, 2009
2:07 pm
I just don’t understand why the Bulldogs don’t win the National Championship every year. They always have the best talent and most highly regarded recruits in the country.
dawgster
October 20th, 2009
2:08 pm
Bernie Matt, what a bunch of bull you posted about being a dawg fan, if you were truly a dawg fan you would never, ever, make a statement that a recruit shouldn’t go to UGA until a coaching change is made, i truly don’t believe your bull that you are a dawg fan, its fine to complain about the coaching and other issues, but to discourage a kid we are recruiting to not come here is absurd, thats something that fans from other schools would do….
dawgster
October 20th, 2009
2:14 pm
Saw a quote from Richard’s High School Coach and he says he is an excellent Linebacker, but that his best asset is as a running back, keep in mind this kid is young in age, just barely 18years, i think with a stronger offensive line and another year of getting stronger and maturity he can and will be a very good running back…If you change his position in the offseason, you are taking a chance that this will have a negative impact the kid’s confidence, however, if he really wants the move, then it could work out, but don’t want to give up on him just yet…
Dogbyte
October 20th, 2009
2:15 pm
When the blogs began, I thought what a great opportunity it would be to communicate with like-minded fans about our team. But, it turns out that most who post on here don’t have a clue–about anything. Then there are the little turds like “Saint Simon” who are constantly interrupting what little adult conversation there is. So, I just read the intro and occasionally skip to the end and offer comments such as this. I don’t need to read what has been written in comments. With very little variation, it is the same every day.
Brandon Glass
October 20th, 2009
2:23 pm
If he was scared to hit the whole at runningback, what makes yall think he’s not gonna be scared to fill it? That’s the problem with UGA’s D. They got a bunch of combine warriors and not enough tough football players. Speed and size doesn’t always eqaul good LB play.
12 & 21
October 20th, 2009
2:26 pm
HEY DAWG-IN-LEX (JUST WONDERING IS THAT SOME WEIRD REFERENCE TO YOUR LOVE LIFE?)
NEVER TRY TO COMPARE UGAY TO BAMA, JUST LIKE WITH THE LADIES YOU WILL COME UP SHORT EVERY TIME.
THE DAWG DAY (BRIEF AS IT WAS) IS OVER AND YOU MIGHT AS WELL LEARN TO DEAL WITH IT. HOW PATHETIC THAT YOU HAVE TO HOPE FLA CAN DO WHAT YOU KNOW YOUR DAWGS CANNOT.
ENJOY NASHVILLE I’M SURE IT WILL BE LOVELY THE WEEK BEFORE THE REAL BOWL GAMES ARE PLAYED
12 & 21 (FOR NOW)!!!
coachKR
October 20th, 2009
2:30 pm
Scared to hit the hole??!!! What hole? There are very few holes when we run the ball, that is the problem! Trust me, Richard isn’t scared. And if he were moved to defense, opposing offenses would feel it. But, he is the better option we have at Tailback. Just need to block!!!
DawginLex
October 20th, 2009
2:32 pm
12 7 21,
As most bloggers of any intelligence know:
I live in Lexington, as in Kentucky.
I have been married probably longer than you have been alive.
I attended UGA.
There is a button on your keyboard that says “Caps Lock”. You need to press it BEFORE you type next time.
DawginLex
October 20th, 2009
2:33 pm
12 & 21 not 12 7 21. Darn shift key.
Another useful key for you to learn how to use. It allows you to capitalize the first word of a sentence.
CMR
October 20th, 2009
2:34 pm
Ealey is going to be something. He should start at RB the remainder of the season. King is perfect for blocking situations and screen plays. It seems it would be easy to move Samuel to FB at this point. He’s better suited at the more direct running opposed to cutting back. Finally, to the team: Your SEC Championship game is October 31st ( and Bobo, do NOT call the same play over and over ).
Saint Simons
October 20th, 2009
2:38 pm
Just a reminder 45 – 42 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahahahahahahahahahahaha
Conservative Hypocracy
October 20th, 2009
2:42 pm
FYI:
Brandon Boykin was an option QB at Fayette County HS (he was also the starting point guard).
joseph killeen
October 20th, 2009
2:47 pm
LISTEN EVERYBODY RICHARD SAMUEL NEEDS TO GO TO LINEBACKER. ILL TELL YALL SOMETIN WE GOIN BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF FLORIDA BECUSE REMEMBER THE LAST TIME WE HAD THE BYE WEEK AND LOST TO TENNESSEE IN KNOXVILLE. WE JUSST GOTA BELVE IN OUR BULLDOGS. WE ALL NO WE WANNA DESTORY TEBOW ONE MORE TIME AND ALSO WE R GOIN KILL TECH BECUSE THEY SUCK THEIR OFFENSE IS HORRIBLE COX IS BETTER THAN NESBIT OH AND TIM TEBOW ISNT SUPERMAN DWIGHT HOWARD IS GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OedipusTax
October 20th, 2009
2:50 pm
Anybody that types in all caps should have their posts automatically deleted, as they can’t possibly type English, nor anything else that can make sense. Cap writers remind me that a walk through the ocean of their souls wouldn’t even get your toenails wet. Meanwhile, go Dawgs! Who needs dumb ass cap writers anyway?
12 & 21
October 20th, 2009
3:07 pm
DAWGINLEX,
I AM WELL AWARE OF THE CAPS KEY. SOMETIMES PEOPLE USE CAPS TO MAKE SURE THE IDIOT THEY ARE AIMIMG THEIR COMMENTS AT ACTUALLY GETS THE MESSAGE.
As for the rest of your snide reply I could not help but notice that you did not address any of the FACTUAL DATA that was included in my remarks and I
12 & 21
October 20th, 2009
3:10 pm
con’t
know why. Because deep down you pitiful bulldawgs resent the fact that you don’t have the past present or future that Bama has. I know it must be difficult but you will be much happier when you embrace the 2nd tier status that your program exemplifies.
j
October 20th, 2009
3:11 pm
the best players in the state will be signing with Tech going forward. They know Paul Johnson is a far superior coach than CMR.
j
October 20th, 2009
3:13 pm
Paul johnson came up the hard way. he proved himself at every stop. CMR is done. his pipeline for getting top recruits is over.Saban, urban, kiffin, and paul johnson are kicking his tail.
He needs to go back to the U and learn how to compete again.
Techster
October 20th, 2009
3:20 pm
Dawginlex I believe 12 & 21 has nailed it down pretty well.
UGA has historically been an 8 – 4 program except for 3 years with VD.
CMR got off to a good start but he gets out coached a lot these days.
Maybe since you are in Lexington you should look into UK hoops, after all jumping on a band wagon comes natural to your kind.
Dirk Digler
October 20th, 2009
3:20 pm
Maybe if UGA puts all the starting offensive players on defense and vice versa, we could maybe get somthing accoplished. I’m not looking forward to the game with the Gaytors. It could be ugly.
Jamesr1991
October 20th, 2009
3:50 pm
Has UGA thought about bringing a hot shot JUCO QB? There’s one available, former Gator Cam Newton is burning up the JUCO ranks at #1 rated Blinn Junior College in Texas. They are averaging more than 50 points per game and more than 400+ yards of offense. I hate to say this…he’s bigger, stronger, and faster than Tebow besides he’s from Atlanta and may end up at Miss. State. Making them a winner.
TW
October 20th, 2009
4:17 pm
No news yet about Willie moving to Waffle House?
jawga boy
October 20th, 2009
4:38 pm
J:Your slide rule doesn’t extend far enough, nor does your brain. You just don’t get it…..Coach Johnson is “still coming up the hardway”. He’s coaching in the ACC, the Atlantic Choke Conference. Dumas.
Bawney Fwank
October 20th, 2009
5:14 pm
I really like the bulldawgs players…..and thar chances aginst the Gators next weakend. Thay really showed prommise in there last game and wid thar weak off should be wested and redy just like in 1997 and 2006!
Wun,too,five sevin go buldawgs!
DawginLex
October 20th, 2009
5:38 pm
Bama and GT have won nothing this decade. No conference titles for either. Win something and get back to me.
UGA has 2 SEC titles this decade. We are struggling right now but Richt will do whatever it takes including firing his defensive coordinator to make things right.
DawginLex
October 20th, 2009
5:40 pm
It’s no wonder the SEC officiating is horrible. Their boss went to Tech. What a joke that is. Someone from Tech supervising anyone involved in a football game………………..
shards1967
October 20th, 2009
5:46 pm
This UGA season is in the tank. Forget any stuff for this year, beyond simply finishing out this dreadful year. It is over and UGA is looking at an easy 6-6 or maybe 7-5 with a win over Auburn. Shreveport is not that bad in December. We will play a fourth or fifth or sixth rated ACC team in front of 12,400 rain soaked fans. Clemson or Wak eForest vs UGA…………how does that grab y’all???
UGA is in full transition …………. I have seen this before with Goff and with Jm Donnan. First, there is the “stick to what brought us here” and install nothing new mode”, which we are seeing right now with Richt. What else can he do?
He knows for sure that changes either will be mandated by the UGA hierarchy, or that he will see mass resignations from most of his staff in order for them to save face. After the Tech game, he will see this latter scenario, with his boys ( Mike Bobo and CWM and Fabris ) not wanting to force their buddy into their firings. It wil happen.
So, we rock along and watch this ugly, ugly season wrap up. In 5 years, no one will remember any current UGA player beyond AJ Green, sort of like with me and the 1969 UGA team. I do recall that Nebraska BLEW UGA OUT in the old Sun Bowl to cap off that ugly 5-5-1 year BUT I do not recall one player on that particular UGA team. THAT is whay happens to players on lousy UGA teams ………..obscurity and no fame.
Maybe in 2010 with new kick ass coaches with fire and brim stone in their bellies, UGA can rise from the current ashes. If not? Then in 2010 December, Richt will be blown out.
UGA class of 73
Hey T'Ville
October 20th, 2009
6:13 pm
Not getting on the kid’s back! Your points are spot-on and EXACTLY why last year he should not have played and wasted a year in which he barely saw the field. He was not mature.
Einsteindawg
October 20th, 2009
6:37 pm
We’re paying CMR $2.8M and CMB and CWM $500,000 a year to evaluate talent? What’s wrong with this picture? Or better, what’s wrong with our coaches?
Mark (a different one)
October 20th, 2009
6:53 pm
With all the books they have to read at Bama, maybe they should learn something. Saban is good coach but there are some things outside of his control. With your alums monkeying around the program, it will be a wonder if they don’t have a major infraction while on their three year probation.
Richt runs a clean program, and he wins. UGA fans attacking Richt need to remember the period between Dooley and Richt. Get real. Richt sees everything we see and more. You can bet he is trying to turn things, and if you look at his history, his teams do better as the season progresses.
I believe Samuel has an upside as a running back. He is fast and smart. King fights injuries but he is elusive. What needs to happen is the line needs to pick it up. If the first contact is in UGA’s backfield, few backs are able to gain yardage. If the first contact is after positive yardage, the back’s momentum helps them gain additional yardage.
And if the line gets the running game going, the passing game becomes much easier. The offense avoids the three and outs, and the defense is in the best position, on the bench resting and cheering.
Moving Samuel, Boykin, etc., when they are already getting significant playing time is a mistake. If they want to move in the off season, and the coaches agree, go for it. However, if they move now they won’t be ready to play significant snaps until Spring practice anyway. In the mean time, White’s move is for the future. It sounds like he doesn’t project as a linebacker for the future, and he might be a solid fullback. Give it a try in practice and see if the projection holds up.
Isn’t it fun to tell people how to live their lives and do their jobs? Don’t you wish someone would give you advice like this on your job?
Jborodawg
October 20th, 2009
8:18 pm
Richard Samuel as a recruit: Rivals.com….#24 RB in the nation, #5 inside runner; Scout.com…#4 RB in the nation, #1 in GA; ESPN….#5 RB in the nation; Parade All American-as a RB. As a senior rushed for 1429 yds and 24 touchdowns, 114 yds receiving. So, all you brilliant coaches know more about it than coach Richt, and want to move him to LB. Guess what? NONE of our RBs has set the world on fire. And we already have some pretty good FBs. That we don’t have a ‘great’ running game has much more to do with OL play. OL play might have a good deal to do with how Joe C has played inconsistently also (no telling how we’d have done so far with AJ).
“CMR is stubborn…CMR thinks this…CMR won’t do that…CMR has no ‘fire’ ” All just a crappy bunch of speculation. You have no idea what goes at practices. Apparently Mr Samuel and Joe C look better than the others during the week. That’s why they start. The game’s intricacies are too subtle for some of you; CMR HAS made changes. CWM has made changes also. To even hint that the coaches don’t know what they’re doing is ignorant and absurd. All the coaches are competitive and want to win. The wins will come; CMR’s record over the past 8 years proves it.
Yes, the whole team needs to improve in just about all facets (kicking and punting the exceptions). And coaching needs to improve. Being a Bulldog fan for 5, 20, 30 years does not an expert make.
Support the team. And hope future recruits don’t read some of your comments.
Gooooo Dawgs! Beat the tar outa the Gators!
Jborodawg
October 20th, 2009
8:20 pm
Whoooops! “…also (no telling how we’d have done so far with AJ)…”
Should be: ‘without AJ’
bugsquacher
October 20th, 2009
8:35 pm
hey st simon, you suck!
john
October 20th, 2009
8:41 pm
SS love it!!! Make it bolder and bigger print each week. The fall will be fun to witness. You go boy!! Set your badself up!!
shaquanda
October 20th, 2009
8:49 pm
obama never met a communist he did not like go dawgs
negretta
October 20th, 2009
8:50 pm
saint simons is funny not ha ha
Bernie Matt
October 20th, 2009
9:39 pm
I’ve been off line a while, but I see i have a few fans on this blog. “who ya wit”, “i aint scared of you muthas”. Yea, I go to a regular job these days, but unlike you suckas I did play ball at one time and I was not a kicker. LOL And yea I told the kids not to come to UGA until the get their s_it together and I’m going to be on the streets of Atlanta tellin um that, sham you don’t have the connections I do. Most of you probably don’t even know how to get to Washington High School, but you love getting those inner city athletes, don’t you. Then soon as things go wrong, “OH THAT KID MUST HAVE BEEN OVERRATED”, you guys are a joke. Finally, the point I was making initially was that the movement of Charles White should not have even made news, but once again, it’s a smoke screen to cover this failure of a coaching staff. “Who ya wit”
N.C. Dawg
October 20th, 2009
9:56 pm
I love the fact that Richt would consider switching players to positions that will help the team and the player. Richard, as physically talented as he is, doesn’t have the “it” factor. He fumbles and he gets tackled easily sometimes. I do think he could be a good linebacker, so if they decide to give it a try to make it a win/win, then I am all for it.
harharhar
October 20th, 2009
11:26 pm
You guys still have a blog? I figured you had all done the hari kari thing. Guess there is still life in the trailer park after all.
MM
October 21st, 2009
12:24 am
aw how cute, the little 9 year old bama fan came out to talk crap. tell me, did your mommy help you with all that? she did good. now hurry up or you will miss the short bus. woops, you probably aren’t a bama fan. ohwell, heres for trying. nice try at spelling harikari.
murder
October 21st, 2009
1:33 am
is this for real? former UGA footballer arrested for 1st degree murder? I never want to read any comments from you mutts about misfits from other programs. Murderers!?!?!? Really?
Big time?? Not
October 21st, 2009
6:07 am
Four tickets, four hot dogs, four cokes
Dem Dawgs
October 21st, 2009
6:50 am
We have a murderer as a former dawg. So much for making fun of reuban houston’s pot. Pray for him Mark.
joe
October 21st, 2009
7:10 am
It was Vanderbilt UGA beat
Chris
October 21st, 2009
7:28 am
I knew some idiot would bring up Bierria. As if him being accused of murder has anything to do with him playing for us EIGHT years ago. That’s really pathetic.
As for all the comments about not being able to criticize Richt and Martinez while being a UGA fan – that’s almost as pathetic. You stick your head in the sand, the rest of us will see the problems that encompass this program, and the person who’s ultimately responsible for them. Sometimes, you have to tell the people you love the most that they are doing wrong. That’s not being a bad person, that’s being a good person. Same with fans.
As for Bama fans criticizing UGA fans…hey, it’s only Wednesday. Plenty of time left in the week to get caught cheating.
Aimee
October 21st, 2009
8:24 am
Bernie Matt, we don’t need you telling our recruits to go elsewhere. If you are a Bulldog fan, please act like one.
Jesup Dawg
October 21st, 2009
9:07 am
The best position change was David polack he came in as a FB and they moved him to DE and look how that turned out!
Stinger
October 21st, 2009
9:11 am
DawginLex, it’s all about what have you done for me lately. The answer for you is NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When did you win a National Championship? I believe the one and only time you did was 1980. We won our 4th one in 1990. We will win our 5th one in the next 2 years. Let’s hope that you are about 15yrs. old; otherwise you will probably never live long enough to see the dawgs win another National Championship. The final question for you is when did you last beat Tech? It won’t happen in your lifetime either as long as Paul Johnson is our coach.
SaintSimonsMeetsRuttsHut
October 21st, 2009
9:22 am
How did you like that big, juicy fried Red Hot last night? I know you liked it because your boyfriend told me so. I am still hoping that you get the Bird Aids and visit Liberace soon you NTAC!
Fair Weathered Fran
October 21st, 2009
9:56 am
I agree with Billy Ray. You do not have to have played college football to be a coach. Or even have gone to college. Look at George O’Leary. He stayed at a Holiday Inn Express and was immediately named head coach at GT.