Richt ‘pretty certain’ Mettenberger suspension will be one game; Anderson moved to defense
(Updated 9:30 p.m.)
ATHENS -– Georgia coach Mark Richt said Tuesday night that he is “pretty certain” recently arrested quarterback Zach Mettenberger will be suspended for only one game — the Bulldogs’ Sept. 4 season opener against Louisiana Lafayette.
Richt is withholding a final decision in case there are any further police reports on the case.
“What I’m looking for is if there is any other report I can get my hands on,” he said after Tuesday’s practice. “A lot of times there is an initial report and then another one.”
Mettenberger was arrested by police in Remerton, Ga., near Valdosta, on March 7 on five misdemeanor charges: underage possession/consumption of alcohol, disorderly conduct, obstruction and two counts of possession of false identification.
UGA Athletic Association policy mandates at least a one-game suspension for an alcohol-related arrest, although Richt could impose more.
“I’m pretty certain it’s going to be a one-game suspension and all the other internal things that we do that [Mettenberger] is in the process of doing right now,” Richt said. “It could change, but I’m doubtful it would change from that.”
———————————————-
Justin Anderson, who started five games on Georgia’s offensive line last season, will move to the defensive line, Richt said Tuesday night.
The 6-foot-5, 330-pound Anderson likely will play the nose position in Georgia’s new 3-4 defense, Richt said.
Although Anderson immediately will start attending the defensive-line meetings and learning the terminology of the new position, he’s not able to practice this spring because of a shoulder injury. He’s expected to be back on the field by preseason camp in August.
Richt said the move was based on the depth on the offensive line.
Anderson “knows that if we lose a tackle or two offensively, he’d have to come back,” Richt said. “But right now, if everybody who is projected to be healthy comes in healthy [in August] and makes it through camp healthy, we’ll probably keep him on defense.
“I think he’ll do well. He’s a real explosive athlete, a big strong kid, and we think it’ll fit him. . . . In this scheme, he’s the type of body that we think can help us at that nose position.”
Kwame Geathers has worked exclusively at the nose position in spring practice, while DeAngelo Tyson and Abry Jones, among others, are working at nose and defensive end.
Richt expects the numbers on the offensive line to grow this summer, when Trinton Sturdivant and Tanner Strickland are expected to be available. They are sidelined from spring practice while continuing to rehab from knee and shoulder surgeries, respectively.
Richt said the idea of moving Anderson to the defensive line surfaced soon after Todd Grantham was hired as defensive coordinator in January. Richt said he hesitated to make the move since Anderson is injured, “but the more I thought about it, the more I really believe it might be in his and our best interests.”
——————————————–
Georgia’s strength and conditioning staff spent two days late last week observing the program at Virginia Tech. Richt joined the group there for part of the time.
“Our strength coaches have really done a good job of going out there and seeing what other folks are doing and finding things they can implement to get better,” Richt said.
He said Georgia’s staff is “trying to find new ways to do position-specific drills that help [players] at their position, instead of saying ‘the whole team does this.’” Another area of emphasis, he said, will be in-season nutrition, particularly for players who live off campus.
On the visit to Blacksburg, Richt said he got a chance to spend some time with Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer. They talked about practice schedules and special teams.
————————————————–
– Safety Nick Williams was working with the first-team secondary at Tuesday’s practice, the fifth session of spring ball.
– Grantham said Cornelius Washington and Justin Houston are currently the first-team outside linebackers, backed up by walk-on Reuben Faloughi and Montez Robinson, respectively.
– Tailback Caleb King missed practice with an upset stomach. Richt expects him back for the next practice on Thursday.
– Wide receiver Marlon Brown missed practice after suffering a shoulder injury on Saturday. Brown called the injury “just a bad bruise.” Richt expects Brown to be back at practice, at least on a limited basis, later this week.
– Wide receiver Israel Troupe is slowed by a strained hamstring.
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128 comments Add your comment
run the ball
March 24th, 2010
12:31 pm
We have a good shot at winning the SEC this year. Run the ball Bobo.
jellybeandawg
March 24th, 2010
12:33 pm
Hahaha! Richt talking about special teams?? It must have been a 10 second conversation.
ESPN Home of College Football
March 24th, 2010
12:34 pm
run the ball, you will come in behind Tenn, SC and Fl in the East this year.
dawgfan
March 24th, 2010
1:24 pm
I see Altamahadawg is still making excuses for Bobo. Care to answer my question on the other blog? One game. That’s all I need.
I digress. My prediction came true. Haters are ready to burn Richt at the stake because he refuses to ruin Mettenberger’s life over an underage drinking charge. They want to see blood. Where was the outcry from these idiots when Meyer suspended that piece of trash Spikes for half a freaking game for trying to gouge another player’s eyeballs? They were nowhere to be found. Eye gouging=okay. Just boys being boys. Underage drinking=a horrible heinous act of thuggery. And then they have the nerve to call Richt the hypocrite. Rrrrright. Pot meet kettle crybabies.
Samuel: LB move ‘coming along slowly’; Geathers: Losing 36-38 pounds pays off | UGA sports blog
March 24th, 2010
1:42 pm
[...] to practice from a shoulder injury this summer. (If you missed it, Mark Richt said yesterday that Anderson will shift to the defensive line.) “I think he’ll be a good nose tackle,” Geathers said of [...]
Where is AJ Harmon??
March 24th, 2010
1:43 pm
Maybe two or three years back, UGA stole a kid from Clemson that was from Georgia. AJ Harmon was his name? he was all world …………where is he now? He first played on O line but just did not make it for one reason or other, then moved to D line.
Go Dogs.
We_Run_This_Country
March 24th, 2010
1:44 pm
What an a$$ Richt is making of himself…a one game suspension for a player who has a long list of misdemeanor charges? What a laughing stock that UGA is turning into!!! I love it! LMAO!
AltamahaDawg--->
March 24th, 2010
2:57 pm
hey zoo, I am easy to figure out, Just cut and paste every third word of mine and then pretend not to agree with it.
patrick
March 24th, 2010
3:07 pm
BuLLdawg seems to forget that in those crappy last four years UGA finished ranked number 2 once and number 10 once. But then why should facts get in his way
patrick
March 24th, 2010
3:08 pm
BuLLdawg…here is the response to your over sight
.
UNDER Richt
Vs. SEC foes: 43-22
.
Vs. Top 25 foes: 29-18
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Vs. Top 25 foes away from home: 18-12
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Vs. Top 10 foes: 8-6
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In postseason games (bowls and championships): 9-3
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In games decided by a touchdown or less: 34-14
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Record at home: 46-9
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Record on the road: 42-6 (including bowl games)
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Losses to unranked teams: 6
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Top 25 finishes: 8
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Top 10 finishes: 6
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Fact:………UGA was 12-1 in 2002 (prior to bowl selections)
.
Fact ………Fla was 12-1 in 2006 (prior to bowl selections)
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Fact ………Not UGAs fault there were 2 unbeatens that year. “unlucky”
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Fact……….Not Flas credit that there was only one unbeaten in 2006. “Lucky”
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Fact:………Luck (not merit) had more to do with Fla getting an invite to the BCS not that Fla was more deserving to go to a NC than UGA with identical records.
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Fact:………No SEC team has ever lost a BCSNC game and if UGA would have been invited nothing indicates that it would have been different
.
Fact……….UGA has 2 SEC titles..same as Fla in last 9 years and equal amount of total wins (90) over all.
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Fact……….UGA has been ranked more times top ten in last 9 years than any SEC team at 6. Fla has only been ranked top ten 3 times in 9 years (real impressive).
.
Fact……….In 9 years under Richt no SEC team has more wins
Fact………..UGA has won 4 str8 bowls….more than any other SEC team.
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Fact……..UGA has won 11 of last 13 bowls…Thats more than any team (tied with LSU and more than FLA)
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Fact…… UGA has won 8 or more games in last 13 years…more than any other team in the nation including Fla.
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Fact…….UGA is clearly as good or better than any SEC team over last 9 years. Only a fool or a fan of the mythical BCSNC selection process (non playoff) would think otherwise.
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Fact…….UGA had same record when they won the SEC title in 2002 as Fla did in 2006/8 when they won the SEC title. But UGA had the misfortune (luck) to have that record in a year that had 2 other teams with undefeated records.
Hardly an indictment on UGA but rather on the NC selection process.
6 times finished in the top 10
2 times finished in the top 3
3 SEC Championship Appearances
2 SEC Titles
3 BCS Bowls
2 Sugar Bowl wins
90-27 record over 8 seasons – 79% winning percentage (one of only 7 in the history of college ball to have ever accomplished this)
4 str8 bowl wins
7-2 in bowls (big games)
Mark Richt coached QB coach for Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke = 2 Heismans; Head Coach for David Greene = all time winningest college QB until Colt McCoy this year); and coached Matthew Stafford = very rich #1 draft pick)
No Probations
He has my respect.
Period.
patrick
March 24th, 2010
3:09 pm
one correction to above comment…..LSU has 91 wins to UGAs 90 wins over the last 9 years
patrick
March 24th, 2010
3:11 pm
In terms of “BuLLdawgs” comments, I say thank you. Thank you for your dedication and daily concern for UGA.
.
This guy wakes up every day thinking about UGA.
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That is so funny to me.
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What is more amazing to me is that you are only here in hopes of getting attention.
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that is pathetic.
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That obsessive behavior indicates just how superior you view UGA.
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You attempt to distract people from the topic at hand.
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Suggestion for “BuLLdawg” who blogs on a daily basis about UGA:
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“Please Notice Me” would be a better name.
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That would be a very fitting name because of your desperate need to get members of the CFB family to notice you.
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Before you refute that statement, ask yourself why you are not blogging on any other subject at any other time except about UGA.
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You are so unoriginal and pathetic you will probably copy and paste that comment and subtly change the content to make it appear as your own work.
patrick
March 24th, 2010
3:15 pm
BuLLdawg
.
Richt or Saban?
.
Nick Saban went 6-5, 6-6, 6-6, 7-5 at Mich St.
He went 8-5 at LSU 2x
He went 7-6 at Alabama.
Saban has gone 5-3 or worse in conference 8 times.
Richt has only gone 5-3 or worse in conference 3 times in his first 9 years.
Compare that to Saban’s record and consistency in his 1st 9 years.
Richt has NEVER had a 7-6 or 6-6 season, Saban’s done it 5 times, including once at Alabama.
AltamahaDawg--->
March 24th, 2010
3:27 pm
Oh sorry sport, I didn’t see your question. One game what?
And by the way I am not making excuses for anybody. No coach at a top SEC school needs me to make excuses on their behalf. I don’t even really know what making “excuses” means, what the hell are you talking about? I do choose to look at what actually happens on the football field, perhaps with some background facts, and pontificate why I think that affect the outcome. I might be right, I might not. That’s what actual critisism is. What you do is complain and blame. There is a big difference. I suppose if I happen to see a different explaination or in this case, a different cause for the problem, you call that making excuses?
Mark Richt “pretty certain” potential starter at QB will be suspended for one game
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[...] coach Mark Richt will likely suspend potential starting quarterback Zach Mettenberger for the Bulldogs’ 2010 season opener against Louisiana Lafayette. Mettenberger racked up several misdemeanor charges for a March 7 arrest including underage [...]
Zack is Back!
March 24th, 2010
7:58 pm
1 game? guys that’s not even a slap on the wrist!! Coach Richt know that we the uga football teat runs the program at UGA, NOT THE COACHES! SWEET!
Yeah...
March 24th, 2010
8:27 pm
Oh No! Somebody let Patrick (aka pat sulley) back out of the mental institution. Read some of his spew yesterday and this dude not only lives in his own world…he has his own solar system!!!
Tech Star
March 24th, 2010
9:10 pm
Richt runs his program like his mentor, bobby bowden! He learned from the best—recruit a bunch of thugs and cover up crimes until the newspaper gets hold of story—then, “get tough” with a 1 game suspension against some weak team!!!
Tech Star is gay
March 24th, 2010
11:09 pm
since when does a minor possession of alcohol make someone a “thug”? if that’s the case then what would you call ruben houston? there’s no way you tech nerds can really believe deep down that you’ll beat the dawgs once in the next 4 years, haha!!
RED DOG 77
March 25th, 2010
1:06 am
Patrick………..You are the man !!! Bravo, keep up the good work ! Buckhead Bulldog………Pickin-up pecans, hush yo mouth ! Those good folks down that way, do know how to eat ! Guess they got as nice as they are by having to put up with those dadgum skeeters and gnats ! You and patrick are going to have to look out now, ol “BuLLdawg” will start taking your comments out of context like he does with me, but I do have a ball winding the little character up. I won’t defend myself to the little “Debbie Downer” that he is, but I will defend coach Mike Bobo. I have stated on several sites, coach Mike Bobo is a very bright young man, and is an important part of a successful GEORGIA offense, along with CMR, and Stacy Searels. My best to you, my friends Buckhead Bulldog, and Patrick………..Save some strawberry shortcake for me ! GO DOGS !!! GATA !!!
AltamahaDawg
March 25th, 2010
6:58 am
Try this again.
AltamahaDawg
March 25th, 2010
7:27 am
I found your one game question back yonder.
First of all, don’t try to morph the issue. You know damn well I wasn’t barking at you because I thought you were indicating that the offense wasn’t up to speed quite often. I was getting on you about the over the top, over exagerated, totally unsupported by facts claims that the problem is that Bobo doesnt like to run, doesnt understand power football the way you do, and elects to avoid running the ball at all cost. Thats the oldest trick in the blog. make some ridiculus statement, and when somebody calls you on it, revert then to a “oh I guess you think everything is perfect” posture. No I don’t. I wasn’t even defend coach Bobo. IN fact when I was in here saying how the offense was the main reason for the Bama, and UF blowouts in 08, where were you backing me up against it the “it’s all Willie’s fault” crowd?
I know you weren’t down on the line. I didnt state that very clear. I realize that you Do think the line could have just blocked where nobdoy could stop them, and it’s just that Bobo that didnt have any “confidence”, ( I see you now pick a nicer way to say what you had previously portrayed as completely irresponsable sabatoge of the playcalling). I really don’t think it was an issue of confidence. I think it was just a realistic understanding of what they can and can not do, based on the hundreds of hours of drilling them, further illustrated by what objective people saw on the field every Saturday. UGA simply could not ru the ball effectively till late in the season. He called running plays 60/40 give or take, same as the the rest of the SEC, not sure what more he can do to attempt running the ball. Just stubornly punt 9 more times a game?
Its his job, its his responsibility. Richt has already made the investment in him, if he doesn’t get the return he wants (and I think somebody is going to benefit from this rising young coach eventually), then he will go some other direction.
I’d like to see all the flat rocks removed to see what he can do.
As far as your question. Aside from it not being the point. I never said I though they played well, just it wasn’t a matter of. Bobo don’t know run. But since you asked: you rule out the 07 UF game But if running the ball is your issue, surely you rememebr that UF was #1 against the run that year. And we beat them running the ball. Auburn was #1 scoring defense that year and we put up 40+. Several defenses were highly ranked at time we beat them. UT, LSU, SC.
And NO SEC team has ever started to beat the best till they had the line to do it, and it wasnt some magic playcalling formula.
BTW, it’s “Lighten up Francis”. Don’t quote movies before your time. Sgt. Hulka will stick his big toe up your butt.
Fillin' up @ Juniors
March 25th, 2010
10:26 am
WARNING TECH FAN HERE: I think a one game suspension kind of fits the crime…it wasn’t anything most college kids don’t do. He is probably not the starter anyway, so it doesnt impact the team one way or the other, and honestly the real damage is done behind the scenes. He probably made his battle to become the #1 that much harder with “character issues” which is the long term punishment a kid ends up getting after they do stupid stuff. Wasn’t he the #9 QB recruit in the country, and wasnt he the one from Athens? If I remember correctly he out dueled in High School combines because he was super competitive. He’ll get back on his feet if those recruiters got it right…
AltamahaDawg
March 25th, 2010
11:39 am
The reason that the University went to published, dicated penalties for this stuff is exactly for this reason. Fair and non-subjective. It’s an alcohol related issue and the punishment is a standard 10%, which has been determined to be a one game suspension. Logic would dictate that everybody would want to clear that asap. The guys who were dealt the same thing last year missed the OkieState game, big opener, national attention. They also have the university process to deal with just being a student.
Richt has the option to extend that. I thought he might just to satisfy the kid’s mama, but it seems the “crime” is what it is, and he decided not to unfairly increase the penalty just because Mett is a higher profile player.
Folks can question the penalties not being strong enough or whatever, BUT its predetermined. If they want to change that going forward, then some other kid, in the QB race or third string longsnapper, will get whatever that is.
uGAY MASTERS DEGREE = Pizza delivery Specialist
March 25th, 2010
2:59 pm
Haha that sounds like Richt Discipline. Heck you might as well not suspend him at all. Lets see, lets suspend him for our first and worst game of the season. I mean is Louisiana-Lafayette even really a college? Haha man that Richt really does have a great grasp of that program down there in Clark Co. Junior College. What a pathetic program. Richt is a joke!! OH YEAH AND in case you were wandering the score was GT 6 ugay 5. HAHAHAHA
AltamahaDawg
March 26th, 2010
7:14 am
If I had a dollar for every techster that can’t think of anything better than repeat “pathetic” and somebody is a “joke” in every post, I could retire by now. Smart guys.
Georgia Quarterback Suspended One Game | Nidoy Internet Cafe (NIC) Sports
April 2nd, 2010
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[...] coach Mark Richt will likely suspend potential starting quarterback Zach Mettenberger for the Bulldogs’ 2010 season opener against Louisiana Lafayette. Mettenberger racked up several misdemeanor charges for a March 7 arrest including underage [...]