Running backs: How will Ealey and King divide carries, starts?
(Fourth in a summer series looking at Georgia’s football team by position.)
TODAY: RUNNING BACKS
- Returning starters: TB Caleb King, FB Shaun Chapas.
- Others to watch: Although King started the final five games last season, Washaun Ealey was Georgia’s leading rusher (717 yards on 125 carries to King’s 594 on 114). Fred Munzenmaier, like Chapas a senior, is a solid backup at fullback.
- Key change: Richard Samuel, who started the first six games last season at tailback but fell well behind Ealey and King by season’s end, has moved to defense (inside linebacker).
- Key fact: Despite King missing three games with injuries and Ealey missing four games before shedding his redshirt, the tandem combined for 1,311 yards on 239 carries last season –- an average of 5.4 yards per carry. About 25 percent of their combined yards (349) came in the victory at Georgia Tech.
- Key questions: How will Georgia distribute the carries between Ealey and King? And while last season demonstrated there are enough carries for both to thrive, which one will start?
- Recent developments: The question of a pecking order between King and Ealey wasn’t addressed on the post-spring depth chart because King, like other players who were injured at the end of spring ball, was not listed. King missed the final two weeks of spring with a strained knee. Ealey was listed as the No. 1 tailback on the post-spring depth chart, but Mark Richt said that in reality Ealey and King are co-No. 1’s. Richt said Ealey made much progress from his freshman season to this spring in terms of physical conditioning and understanding the offense, and Ealey was pleased with his improvement as a blocker. Richt and Mike Bobo also said Carlton Thomas made strides and can help at tailback.
- Outlook: The King-Ealey tandem, supported by an experienced offensive line, has Georgia feeling good about its running game. At fullback, Chapas and Munzenmaier are known for their run-blocking and (very) occasional forays with the ball (they scored two TDs apiece last season and Chapas had career-high five carries for 43 yards against Texas A&M in the Independence Bowl).
- Your turn: What say you about the running backs?
———-
Links to previous entries in this series:
Tomorrow: Quarterbacks.
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174 comments Add your comment
Coach D
June 17th, 2010
10:07 am
Here’s a real simple solution to the ” who gets the most carries?” question: Who ever is having the better game, gets more carries!If the defense is shutting down Ealey, but Caleb is breaking off monster yardage against them, then keep feeding the ball to Caleb. And vice versa. For example, Knowshon Moreno, who was a great RB for UGA; started against Tech in 2007 and they were able to contain him, holding him to 45 yards. So they started giving Thomas Brown more carries and he finished the game with 139 yards and UGA won handily. If both are playing well, then give them both carries. It’s really that simple.
tony
June 17th, 2010
10:09 am
ATL XMAN, if Richt didn’t see that he had a problem with his DC inept defense 3 years ago, maybe he doesn’t know that he has a problem with putting the best players on the football field. This could be the reason why the top recriuts are skeptical about playing under Mr.Richt. If it wasn’t for Gratham we probably would continue to lose out on the best recruits in this state. You are entitle to what you believe but I’m not changing what I believe.
ugaclassof2004
June 17th, 2010
10:15 am
Ringleader,
I think there is plenty of blame to go around in that 2002 loss to Florida. The pick 6 certainly didn’t help. Neither did the idiotic personal foul by George Foster, the dropped pass by Terence Edwards, the 12 penalties. This was a perfect example of the Gators being in UGA’s head and the Dawgs trying too hard. Those losses to Ron Zook were the worst! UGA had the better team every time they played Zook’s teams and still only went 1-2 against them. The Dawgs could have been competing for National Titles had they just settled down and executed against the Gators like they did against everyone else during that time.
ATL XMAN
June 17th, 2010
10:20 am
tony..who said that the top recruits are skeptical? he landing them left and right. and rich has put the best players out on the field when they earn it. richt is at every practice and he knows who the best players are and knows if they are ready to help the bulldags win. ihave no doubt about that.
ugaclassof2004
June 17th, 2010
10:23 am
P.S. Everything that dawgfan said is absolutely accurate! It’s not just about putting great athletes on the field, football is an attitude game. You have to have a divide and conquer mindset! If your team doesn’t have that, than man they’ve really got nothing!
Bo
June 17th, 2010
10:30 am
I agree that Ealey is the better back and he might end up better than Knowshon before he’s through. However, you have to remember that he put the ball on the ground several times early in the season. Also, his blocking wasn’t that great. I especially love the way he finishes a run, al a Kregg Lumpkin.
I also think that Washaun influenced King’s running style for the better after he started to get it going last year. Early on, Caleb wasn’t getting many yards after contact because he was trying to be too shifty. I noticed he started to lay a lick on defenders when being tackled in the second half of the season. The running game will dictate the success of the offense this season.
AltamahaDawg
June 17th, 2010
10:32 am
Except that Moreno wasnt ready to play untll about halfway through his RS year according to the guys I get the story from. So yea, RS him cost us having Moreno being 3rd string RB for a few games. Players declaring as a sophomore is such a rare exception, there is NO way you, he, or anyone else could have predicted that. Well I guess you could, eh Mr Hindsight?
AltamahaDawg
June 17th, 2010
10:37 am
Even still , what if he had played him sparingly as a freshman, what would have changed? Not a damn thing. This is your big example? Moreno missed out on a few carries as a freshman? Thats a fairly weak argument for some claim of a “trademark”. What else you got? He’s been a coach now for several decades.
Reality Stinks
June 17th, 2010
10:45 am
Notice 25% of their yards came against the mighty bumble bees
Could you just imagine what would happen if we were in the ACC like the wanna bees from North Ave
Buckhead Bulldog
June 17th, 2010
10:46 am
After last years performance, and having Spring drills completed, one would think Ealey would carry 70% of the load, with Caleb right there with him on the other 30%. One would also think our percentage of runs over passes would go up too because the fresh QB. However, if Bobo is calling in the plays, throw all ‘thinking’ to the wayside. I really, really do not understand his strategy sometimes. Hopefully, CMR is more involved this year with the play calling.
Adonisdaking
June 17th, 2010
10:47 am
GO DAWGS!
What??
June 17th, 2010
10:53 am
Tony – Aaron Murray had arm issues in the middle of the season that prevented him from practicing and playing. He would have replaced Cox after the TN game if he had been able to play. You have know idea what goes into the decisions that you are criticizing. Also, Greene had the most win of any college QB until McCoy overtook him last season – that’s definitely a good reason to bench him. YOU ARE A MORON!!
dawgfan
June 17th, 2010
11:02 am
ATL XMAN, please don’t take offense to this, but you sound like a Tech fan. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Oh big deal we almost beat LSU. They turned out to be a real juggernaut last year didn’t they? As for Kentucky, if you turn the ball over 4 times in ONE HALF you’re going to lose. I remember Kentucky getting after it in the 2nd half and putting some helmets on the football. Our guys were in la la land. Yeah, we were young last year but we should still compete. And I see you make no mention of ‘08. How young were we when we were down 30-0 to Bama AT THE HALF. How young were we when Florida clownstomped us that year? We just haven’t been getting it done against the big boys. No excuses necessary.
I hope you’re right about 2010. I’ll be screaming as loud as ever. But for right now I DEMAND to see it on the field before I believe anything. That’s all I’m saying. I just worry that our players don’t understand what all they have to prove this year. And yes, I do think they pay attention to the all the preseason chatter. Unless they live in a cave, its hard not to. in Richt’s early years there was a hunger and drive that I’m not sure I see anymore. I hear a lot of X’s and 0’s talk but I don’t think that has been the problem. It runs much deeper than that.
Okay, sermon is really over now.
30-24 Dawgs - WE RUN THIS STATE!
June 17th, 2010
11:03 am
One thing is for certain – CK4 and Ealey will run the ball right down CPJ and tech’s throat all day long to the tune of 330+ rushing yards!
WE RUN THIS STATE!
AltamahaDawg
June 17th, 2010
11:04 am
Come on now Buckhead. UGA has always attempted the run around 60% if the time just like every body else. Even last year, when we all saw that we simply could not run the ball early on, we still attempted to. There was very few percentage points between UGA, FL, Alabam in term of rushing attempts last year, and I would argue that they both had mature solid O-lines and heisman winners in the backfield so there should have been a bigger difference than there was. I think you will see the percentage go up this year as well.
georgia
June 17th, 2010
11:06 am
Caleb didn’t have a wrist issue, you’re thinking about Ealey’s hyperextended elbow.
Caleb’s blocking was the issue with Knowshon playing, not injury. “Injury prone” is a buzzword someone launched at some point and folks not capable of looking at the actual information have seized on it. But for every injury Caleb’s had, Ealey’s had one as well.
toughness = finishing a game with a broken jaw, finishing a season with a broken jaw.
Caleb is plenty tough.
Ted M
June 17th, 2010
11:26 am
What about Branden Smith. He had some big big plays on offense. Are they still planning to use him as running back this season?
uga91
June 17th, 2010
11:30 am
Hey pi$$ maybe the only one uncomfartable with the big, strong man coming to your family’s rescue is you.
Billy T.
June 17th, 2010
11:46 am
We should incorporate a T, Split Backs, and or Maryland I to get all these guys on the field at once. Maybe add a wishbone formation with B. Smith behind center just to screw with the other teams a little. How do you stop 4 running backs while covering green and orson?
Will
June 17th, 2010
11:59 am
By mid-season Ealey will begin to have athe word “Heisman” mentioned with his name. I’m predicting a 1300 yard, 15 touchdown season.
RxDawg
June 17th, 2010
12:00 pm
SickandTired
June 17th, 2010
8:16 am
There is a small amount of truth in your post. I too feel that Ealey is a much better RB than King. But I disagree that “Richt just can’t handle RB’s”. Last year was rough, but he has been well enough the other 8 years to make blanket statements like that.
I actually thought the Richard Samuel experiment failure was far worse than the King/Ealey situation. As a common fan I could watch Richard running the ball and KNOW that was not the position he was meant to play. That man was made to play LB and he will redeem himself.
Go Dawgs!
"Home of Mediocrity"
June 17th, 2010
12:03 pm
“When delusional fans attempt to elevate there program through hype, they tend to end by reducing the program to the levels of their mediocrity.”
Buckhead Bulldog
June 17th, 2010
12:15 pm
I hope so Alt-Dog….I sooooo want to get back to our roots of running it up the gut. Pound, pound, pound, pop!
AltamahaDawg
June 17th, 2010
12:25 pm
The only thing about starting Samual experiment was that the alternative was just not to have a RB on opening day last year, wasn’t it?
And Buckhead I wasnt disagreeing with you as much as clarifying. I don’t have any issue with the attempt percentages, as we are higher than most think, But I am 100% with you that it wasn’t anywhere near as productive as needed to be , especially short yardage. Inability to pick up a third and 2 running the ball has cost us at least 5 losses in teh past 2 year, everything else being the same. And a major factor in the buttwhippings we took that we probably still would have lost respectably. But did you notice that on the first 3rd down and short in this year’s G-day game what we did? It wasn’t a fle-flicker to the QB.
P. Bull Terrier
June 17th, 2010
12:26 pm
If you’re a real coach like “tony”, you don’t make playing time decisions based on what you see in practice. You make decisions based on what you see on ESPN. I just watched a highlight clip of Moreno’s best carry and compared it to a clip of one of Thomas Brown’s carries and one of Hershal Walker’s carries, and Moreno is clearly the best RB ever. I also saw a Gatorade commercial where Mike Vick threw the ball all the way out of the stadium. Shockley looks more like Vick than Green does, so obviously Shockley is the better QB. It’s really that simple.
NRBQ
June 17th, 2010
12:27 pm
Coach Richt has been quoted on several occasions saying that red-shirting Moreno was one of his biggest coaching mistakes. Look it up.
Three years of Knowshon’s energy on the field is better than two.
BirdDog
June 17th, 2010
12:27 pm
Man, there is a lot of b!tching and moaning on here by so-called UGA fans. Some of you clowns should really find a new team to pull for b/c you are bringing the rest of us down with your BS negativity. Sickandtired, most of us are sick and tired of you and your brethren.
kb
June 17th, 2010
12:28 pm
Richt has made mistakes, who doesn’t, his loyalty towards WM, JT3, yes Shockley should have seen the field more, but he had injury problems, as for Murray I think he would’ve played last year if not for the injury.
Preston
June 17th, 2010
12:34 pm
“Home of Jealousy”, keep on showing yourself on the blog of the team that you claim is nothing more than mediocre. If UGA was irrelevant, you wouldn’t be here. Thanks for your support!
Preston
June 17th, 2010
12:38 pm
I’m VERY excited to see what the running game can do this year. Hopefully both RB’s stay healthy all season to complement each other to unbelievable yardage and TD’s. Really looking forward to punching tech in the face again! GO DAWGS!
30
June 17th, 2010
12:44 pm
to 24
Only 50,000
June 17th, 2010
12:45 pm
Seats
Douchy
June 17th, 2010
12:46 pm
“Fanbase”
If you can consider someone attending for free food a fan.
Crawdawg
June 17th, 2010
12:46 pm
Caleb King had more long touch down runs last year than we have had in a while. He looked stronger as the season went on (i.e. Auburn, Vanderbilt, GT, Kentucky, TX A&M) and Ealey does run with a attitude which makes for a good change of pace. I LIKE THEM BOTH!!! 3 & 4
Gynecomastic
June 17th, 2010
12:46 pm
Coach
Pago Pago Dawg
June 17th, 2010
12:55 pm
Didn’t somebody say that UGA always get’s Top Ten recruits, but then nothig happens?
Wayne
June 17th, 2010
1:02 pm
Hey DawgInGermany…think again Mojombo….Georgia ain’t gettin close to 10 wins!
Sam Dog
June 17th, 2010
1:06 pm
Ealey’s getting almost 6 yards a carry, and about 8 per catch. If you get him 25 touches a game that’s 150 yards, you only need to get about 75 more from Caleb/Green/dual-threat QB’s. Florida & Alabama both got 225 yards rushing per game during the season, so we need to be get 225 a game.
Need 225 rushing yards a game to win SEC like Florida & Alabama-
Ealey 150
King 50
Murray/Gray/Green 25
Sam Dog
June 17th, 2010
1:10 pm
Richt’s 39-3 when he gets a 100 yard rusher. Ealey’s per yard average is just behind Mark Ingram’s (Ingram 6.1 ypc, Ealey 5.7 ypc). Both are even on yard per catch average at 7.7. I’d give Ealey the ball at least 20-25 times a game, as long as he produces. Ealey also protects the football better than Caleb King or Branden Smith who are both fumble-prone. King is injury-prone too, so you need Ealey to play big.
P.S. Scout says Ealey will be a phenom in 2010. Phil Steele has Ealey on his long shot Heisman list.
DawginLex
June 17th, 2010
1:20 pm
Who is your team Wayne?
Are you another UGA obsessed Techno-nerd?
AMSTERDAM SAM
June 17th, 2010
1:22 pm
YO, PI$$ONADAWG! Show me a photo of your rented Lexux and I will email you photos of my 75 acre farm you can work on near Savannah, or the three story house I own on a bayou (pronounced buy-you) near New Orleans, which you can clean, or you can come visit me here in Amsterdam. Better yet, google my name: it will be number one and three out of the top ten out of over 600,000 Sam DeLoach’s. Photos of the house, farm and Amsterdam are also on FaceBook Talk is sooo cheap. And I am a UGA graduate, so pi$$ on you, you elfish moron hiding behind a stupid toadstool moniker (that is another word for name).
DawgDude
June 17th, 2010
1:22 pm
Where is Dontavious Jackson??
MountainDawg
June 17th, 2010
1:24 pm
Ealey’s a better TB than King & should get the starting nod (if he keeps his grades up & stays outta trouble). As Tim alluded to, the FBs are grossly under-utlized & need more carries & passes. Both are good athletes & should get more chances at picking up yards (& TDs). Bobo needs to use the FBs, TEs & Kris Durham alot more to mix things up & keep the defense off key.
Sam Dog
June 17th, 2010
1:28 pm
Too bad Richt can’t figure out how fix errors, because Branden Smith & Caleb King could get a 100 yards together rushing per game, but they just fumble the ball too much, and Richt’s staff doesn’t know how to fix errors–worst in penalties last 5 years, defense gets worse every year for last 5 years, etc.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
June 17th, 2010
1:28 pm
I just pray all the players have an injury free Summer and everyone stays out of trouble. we have a great team hitting between the hedges come this fall.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
June 17th, 2010
1:29 pm
Don’t worry Sam Dog- that will all chance. TG is certainly no Willie M….i foresee a huge difference in the D this year ( for the better)
Wally
June 17th, 2010
1:32 pm
WITH UGA’S OFFENSIVE LINE’S EXPERIENCE OF OVER 150 STARTS, #1 IN THE NCAA, YOU GOTTA RUN THE BALL DOWN PEOPLE’S THROATS.
AMSTERDAM SAM
June 17th, 2010
1:33 pm
Sorry, guys! I usually do not vent like that, but ol’ PI$$ ANT had it coming, for he never has a point worth making, so he spews venom and vitriol. Use big words and he will quit responding, for I sense a low IQ based on his drivel.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
June 17th, 2010
1:33 pm
sorry change
edumacated
June 17th, 2010
1:33 pm
Richt was a great coach. What remains to be seen is whether he is still a great coach, because the last couple of years he has really screwed the pooch, and it isn’t looking good.