Hear, hear! Dogs have a new kickoff philosophy (PLUS: practice notes)
ATHENS – I’m guessing most of you will be happy to read this: Georgia’s kickoff philosophy has changed.
Kicker Blair Walsh indicated Thursday night that the much-criticized directional kickoffs –- kicks aimed to a specific spot on the field –- will yield to more deep kickoffs.
“It’s not like it was here the past two years, directional-wise,” Walsh said. “It’s a lot more use of my talent, I would say. I was fine doing what they wanted me to do. I’m a team player. I can go along with it. But it’s a lot more use of the talent, and I’m happy about it. I don’t think there’s a restraint on me anymore.”
He stopped there, wary of “giving too much away.”
But you get the idea.
New assistant coach Warren Belin is in charge of kickoffs, a role previously held by Jon Fabris, one of three assistants dismissed in December. The directional kicks became a controversial topic the past two seasons, compounded when Walsh didn’t keep them in bounds or the coverage broke down.
Walsh also said there is an aggressive approach to kickoff coverage this spring.
“From what little I know about football, I know we’re going down there and trying to bust helmets up,” the kicker said. “We’re trying to beat the guy in front of us and go get the guy.
“It’s a lot of old-school football involved in our kickoff coverage. [Belin] doesn’t like me to talk too much about what we’re doing exactly, but . . . you’re going to see a lot of guys hustling, a lot of fast, fast stuff.”
Walsh, who had 17 touchbacks last season, has a goal of at least 25 this year –- or about one-third of his kickoffs.
Sound good, everyone?
—————————————
From Thursday’s practice:
- Mark Richt cut practice short by 20 or 25 minutes to try to keep the team fresh for Saturday’s scrimmage in Sanford Stadium. But before they left the field, the players had to do an exhausting punishment drill for excessive penalties.
- The practice was the hottest of the spring, with bright sun and temperatures in the mid-80s.
- Tailback Caleb King sat out with a combination of nausea and a sprained knee. The knee flared up from an old high school injury and is nothing serious, Richt said. “It just got a little irritated.”
- Jakar Hamilton was working at a first-team safety, but defensive-backs coach Scott Lakatos said not to read too much into that yet. He’s still trying various combinations in the secondary.
- Wide receiver Marlon Brown again was wearing a green non-contact jersey because of a sprained shoulder joint, but he participated in practice.
- I spent a lot of time after practice talking with Todd Grantham for a story I’ll do next week. He exudes enthusiasm.
- No practice Friday. The Dogs hold their second of three spring scrimmages Saturday in Sanford Stadium. The third scrimmage is the G-Day game on April 10.
Also: Richt “waiting to see” what comes of police report.
And: One year ago today — April 2, 2009 — Mark Fox was hired as UGA’s men’s basketball coach. Here’s a look at how he sees things a year later.
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193 comments Add your comment
The difference in the two schools
April 2nd, 2010
9:42 am
GT and UGA have some thug players and there are seemingly just thugs lurking close to BOTH of the schools and interacting with the students. The difference it seems, is that at Tech, they have knives, guns and trunkfulls of “stuff”. Also at tech, they have one or two “players” that were hauled in on rape charges.
If these kids are UGA players or students ………….get to the bottom of it all and then deal harshly with them. Thugs of any stripe ( student, non student, white, red, yellow, and yes, black ) need to be quickly and harshly dealt with by the authorities. If one of them did slap a women, then that should be publically broadcast and show the “man” for what he is ……………. a coward. You can injure a person badly with the right force to the head …………internal bleeding,etc.
Facts need to govern this.
Me
April 2nd, 2010
9:48 am
IF in fact these guys WERE football players, they should not only be kicked off the team but prosecuted. But IF they were in fact UGA players, that’s OK all the excuse makers out there. WHOEVER it was, all they did was make threatening remarks about the victims life, hit him and his wife in the back of the head and suggest that they and the victims wife have group sex. And I cleaned that last part up quite a bit so it wouldn’t get deleted…
Dawg Fan
April 2nd, 2010
9:49 am
Sounds like the new coaching philosophy is getting back to basics of REAL football.
Fernando Appleyard
April 2nd, 2010
9:50 am
The incident obviously occured. The cab driver did not deny it. The only question is was it football players or just “four big black guys”?
Reality Check
April 2nd, 2010
9:51 am
Sounds like some some drunk guy and his drunk wife making baseless accusations. If it were true why can’t he actually identify the supposed attackers. And why can’t the taxi driver verify his story?
Racist Accusations!!!!
April 2nd, 2010
9:53 am
Just because they were black does not mean they were football players!!!! When is this racism going to end?
trailer park manager
April 2nd, 2010
9:54 am
Racist Accusations!!!! No they were basketball players stupid!
Cant Blame...
April 2nd, 2010
9:55 am
Good thing this wasn’t UF players that MIGHT have been involved in this kind of behavior, they’d already be tried and convicted on here. And if it turned out that it WASN”T players, they’d blame Meyer for it anyway.
Fact is....
April 2nd, 2010
9:56 am
I remember Georgia Tech football coach Bobby Ross gave no punishment whatsoever to those Georgia Tech football players the beat the heck out of a petite GT coed in 1988. The girl was on the Atlanta news with her entire head in bandages after her ER treatment. They really put a serious beating on that girl but at GA Tech you don’t mess with the football team!!!!!!!
Been to Athens?
April 2nd, 2010
9:58 am
Athens has a lot of black people that hang out downtown…could’ve been any number of guys.
Some of you folks must have never been to Athens before, ever.
April 2nd, 2010
9:59 am
Good one TPM — actually they weren’t basketball players. They were football players but they were white guys with African American penises.
Jeckyll Island
April 2nd, 2010
10:04 am
30-24!!!
30-24!!!
30-24!!!
30-24!!!
8 out of 9!!!
8 out of 9!!!
8 out of 9!!!
8 out of 9!!!
73-66!!!
73-66!!!
73-66!!!
73-66!!!
Georgia Tech = rape cover-ups! Baseball players overdosing on drugs. Former Tech greats/staff member DUI hit & run w/marijuana in the car, ex-GA Tech players running from US marshals and anti-American terrorists for GT students! Yea — GA Tech has some class doesn’t it?
Big One
April 2nd, 2010
10:06 am
To: Some of you folks must have never been to Athens before, ever.
Is that what your wife told you?
Some of you folks must have never been to Athens before, ever.
April 2nd, 2010
10:10 am
Well, I am not married, so, no. My response was directed at “Racist Accusations” — whoever that person is needs to read the Red and Black article on the incident.
Big one — it was acutallly your mom who told me.
RxDawg
April 2nd, 2010
10:10 am
I have this mental image of Ogre from Revenge of the Nerds.
FalconUGAFan
April 2nd, 2010
10:11 am
Joey…you are just dumb…no need to reply…
As I stated before, innocent until proven guilty. It will take some time for this to be worked out.
On to better things..good to hear the kicking philosophy has changed. Can’t wait to get some more QB news from the upcoming scrimmage…
The Greek
April 2nd, 2010
10:15 am
It was white fraternity boys wearing black face on their way to an Al Jolson filmfest………
SEC East Headlines – 4/2/10 « MrSEC.com
April 2nd, 2010
10:15 am
[...] to that amount.6. Georgia receiver Marlon Brown is still learning the ropes.7. Blair Walsh said he’ll try fewer directional kickoffs this year.8. Mark Fox said he knows “you can win” in basketball at Georgia.9. John Calipari is [...]
BigDawg
April 2nd, 2010
10:22 am
Based on the headline I was afraid this was about those four players involved in hitting the married couple in the taxi. I figured Richt had Kicked them Off the team. Guess it proves what Yech fans have said for years….Football comes before character and ethics.
I, too, am married! Should I be afraid to call a taxi for myself and my wife around town??? Please let me know Coach!!!
Denver Dog
April 2nd, 2010
10:26 am
They were really skinny southeatern asian GT students that went to Athens to have some fun as there was nothing happening at Tech except for murder, rape,robbery, and fondling of young children by professors. They also heard REM play that night at a local bar, before heading over to the love shack to see the B 52’s. When the got in the cab with all those people they found themselves in a widespread panic. Another tough Saturday night in Athens. WHO CARES!
Robert Dunn
April 2nd, 2010
10:29 am
This cab story isn’t going to add up to much. First of all, the time that elapsed makes me wonder. I mean it’s kind of like the complainant may have been intoxicated himself. He had several hours to think about it and sober up. The other thing that gets me is if i’m just riding in a cab and someone hits me for no appararent reason, then someone is gonna tote one right then not 60 hours later.
Athens
April 2nd, 2010
10:30 am
I read the story,the taxi driver it turns out did not know who the supposed assailants were and the story sounds concocted and one sided. I will not be surprised if no arrests are ever made. Unless someone has the alleged incident on video. Is it on YouTube yet? Will it ever be?
Laughing.....
April 2nd, 2010
10:35 am
It sure did take a long time for this guy and his wife to come forward with those very vague accusations. I guess they had to sober up and come down off that marijuana high — eh? or maybe it was ecstacy!
PS. they must of forgotten about being taken aboard the mother ship…..
PMC
April 2nd, 2010
10:41 am
“it’s a lot more use of my talent” – 8 words indicating EXACTLY why Jon Fabris had to be fired.
Robert Dunn
April 2nd, 2010
10:48 am
From a different prospective. There are grown men out here with families that have no job. These men cannot find jobs and struggle to provide for their families. Meanwhile, it’s everyday that you see or read a story that some immature college athlete has screwed upb again. Even worse, you see the commentators backing them and trying to justify their act. I’d love to go to college for free. The govt. says I make too much money for financial aid. Yeah right. Coach Richt, I might not run a 4.3 forty or vertical jump 40 inches but I can tackle and guarantee that I won’t get in trouble and I would value my college education. Oh yeah, I didn’t mention that I won’t cost my teammates, coaches and Georgia fans yards and wins for my own stupidity and anger issues on or off the field.
Dbalcer
April 2nd, 2010
10:49 am
Sounds like the story about Moreno hitting someone is a bar this year. The one reporting it was drunk and when investigated charges were not filed. If something had happened it should have been reported right then by the cab driver. I don’t think charges will be filed because of the lapse of time before the incident was reported. I hope there are curfews for the players during spring practice.
Spurrier
April 2nd, 2010
10:52 am
Penalty U !!!!
Johnny DangerDawg
April 2nd, 2010
11:01 am
I am a supporter of deep kickoffs. However, I just want to point out that good directional kicks are also a “talent.” Furthermore, NFL teams look for kickers with directional kicking “talent.” So it is not a waste of one’s talent to develop directional kicking skills.
SouthGaBrave
April 2nd, 2010
11:03 am
Jon Fabris is a fine coach and will do well at Louisville. I played 4 years under Coach Fab at UGA and know that the reason he has used directional kicking for the past 20 years is that he has had success doing it. While he was at Iowa State and Kansas State, his kickoff (and punt return) teams finished in the top 10 statistically on a yearly basis. A coach can give his players the plan, but it’s their job to execute it.
Nick
April 2nd, 2010
11:03 am
Finally!! Someone with some sense in the kickoff department.
Eaassyy
April 2nd, 2010
11:04 am
greek, if you’re talking about what i think you are i know the Ga State student who did that…
yourstruly
April 2nd, 2010
11:13 am
The four men involved in the taxi incident were dropped off at East Campus Village, the athlete dorms at uga. That’s why the victim thought they were football players. Just some FYI.
ARdawg
April 2nd, 2010
11:36 am
dude probably lost his girlfriend for being such a wuss and now he wants to blame football players. Can’t identify them? How did he even know they were football players. They might not even be UGA students. Smacked in the back of the head? Give me a break. Sounds like Saint Simons was in Athens over the weekend and lost his girlfriend
Saint Bobby Bowden
April 2nd, 2010
11:39 am
Don’t worry, I taught Markie Mark how to discipline those boys.
Saint Bobby Bowden
April 2nd, 2010
11:43 am
Sounds like Patrick was trolling for gators.
Cant Blame...
April 2nd, 2010
12:00 pm
I find it funny that many people here are already trying to dismiss the situation or point to the victims because they think they MIGHT be football players. Best to cover your bases I guess, just in case. But I wonder what the conversation would be if it was already established that these guys were not associated with UGA football. Four black guys slapping or hitting and “strongly suggesting” a gang you-know-what with a white woman. Hmmmm.
UA Alum92
April 2nd, 2010
12:16 pm
If the police report is true, this incident is truly disgusting and Richt needs to drop the hammer hard; however, if it is not true, why would a 25 year old, married UGA student make it up?
how2fish
April 2nd, 2010
12:23 pm
Great news on the change in kickoff return methods..the cab story well if the are football player they have to go..but until they can be at least I.D’s think I’ll wait and see WTF happened.
jrmdvm1
April 2nd, 2010
12:39 pm
Big Dawg, would you have all the “large” black players kicked off the team? No one has proved that these were football players. No one has even identified any of them by name. So, who gets kicked off the team? I also learned long ago that there are usually at least two sides to most stories. I think that ACC police have shown they do NOT cover up anything related to UGA athletes, so I think we can trust them to make a thorough investigation. If it is proved that football players were involved, and if they are identified and charged, then certainly suspensions are in order until the legal processes are finished, as well as dismissals for those found guilty. Right now, I believe that the perpetrators were probably not UGA football players.
getting real
April 2nd, 2010
12:51 pm
This guys says he was drinking but not drunk….please
It supposedly happened at 2:30 AM
He cannot identify any individual but “thinks” they are football players
….can he identify these 4 alleged black football players in a police lineup?
Can he be sued for defamation?
ARdawg
April 2nd, 2010
12:59 pm
How about getting the facts before the conviction?
Tdawg
April 2nd, 2010
1:20 pm
bill h, I hear what you’re saying man. Let’s point out the obvious though. Hope I’m wrong, but 4, countem, 4 big ole hulking football player’s (maybe), now on the other hand you have this fellow, let’s just say that it was you and your girlfriend or wife or something. You still with me? Let’s say just for arguments sake that both parties have been indulging in the spirits a bit much. Are you trying to convince a normal thinking person that you would antagonize 4 men while crammed into a vehicle. I’ll even give you that. But you would have to had to have slugged one of these guys in order for me to see your point. The fact of the matter is that these guys know the rules and should have just left the scence. You know how it is when a gang of guys get together and drink, they generally become a bit rowdy.
If these were athletes attending the University of Georgia then they should be kicked off the team and kicked of campus. I really hope that this isn’t true, if so at least maybe one or two of them hopefully weren’t involved. The truth will come out soon enough. I have all ideas Rich already knows what went down and all parties involved are. I suspect he’s just waiting to see what the law is going to do. No matter what the law decides to do, if they were his players then they should be told to take a hike.
Tdawg
April 2nd, 2010
1:24 pm
getting real, that just about cover’s it.
Adele
April 2nd, 2010
1:47 pm
Oh goody, four more UGA thugs about to be arrested.
We’re only three months into the year. With the other arrests, this could be a record year for arrests.
When will Richt stop recruiting this kind of undisciplined, unprincipled thug?
Adele
April 2nd, 2010
1:59 pm
By the way, for all you 30-24 jerks, it’s the latest score that counts, and that’s 6-5 for Tech on March 16.
Have a nice day.
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
April 2nd, 2010
2:21 pm
What can you tell me about the spring mascot? Is there a mascot with the team? I have been waiting for a phone call but the phone has not rung. It may have something to do with my reaction to the a$$ painting. The team needs a mascot and I need work. Maybe it will work out. Maybe not. What kind of people paint a little dog’s a$$ white?
Quit Telling Your Competition What You're Doing Guys!!!
April 2nd, 2010
2:51 pm
Our players, (hi walsh) need to learn to quit discussing strategy with media. Here’s how you answer questions like what’s different THIS YEAR:
“A bunch of things, but I am not going to talk about them, because we prefer to keep that information to ourselcves”
Reality
April 2nd, 2010
3:16 pm
Wow. Let’s look at things logically.
Women dawgs excel. Women dawgs win.
Men dawgs lose. Men dawgs get arrested.
This leads to only one logical conclusion. UGA needs to close down men sports and focus on the Lady Dawgs!
oldbird
April 2nd, 2010
4:00 pm
You folks that keep criticizing Bobo need to look at the facts. Last year we put up over 40, and had to, to beet South Carolina and Arkansas. Remember that Bobo was coaching an offense that lost its quarterback that was taken number one overall in the NFL draft, a running back that was taken number 12 overall and a receiver that was taken in the second round. Also, he lost his best offensive lineman before the season started. I remember Bobo’s playing days, and he did not have SEC caliber physical talent. He played well because of his mind. Give him time to grow. He will be a head coach soon somewhere, and if you are a Dawg fan, you better hope that if it is in the SEC, it is at UGA.
Go Dawgs!
UGA class of ‘86
Zeb
April 2nd, 2010
5:28 pm
Well dam……None of us knows what really happened and all of our comments are based on pure speculation……but…….like a few have said on here……..it doesn’t matter if my wife and I were on a rikshaw in Mongolia……….those 4 would’ve had to kill me after they even had a coherent thought of touching either of us.
It sounds like the plaintiff is either just making this up or exaggerating the circumstances.
Unfortunately….on this blog……most of our players are already convicted while the accusations are still sitting on the desk of a Magistrate Judge.
If anything beyond a mild verbal confrontation is true….then these guys…whatever color……need to stand in front of a judge. I’m not saying throw the book at them……but they need to understand that this type of behavior is intimidating and could result in them getting the hell beat out of them if they challenge the wrong guy.