Bulldogs buck football tradition, drop two-a-day practices
ATHENS –- Georgia will abandon a piece of football tradition this summer: two-a-day practices.
The Bulldogs have a tentative practice schedule that, for the first time anyone around the UGA program can recall, calls for no two-a-days.
Two-a-days -– the stuff of legend among generations of players –- have been on the wane with Georgia and most other college teams in recent years. Georgia had three sessions of two-a-days last summer.
NCAA rules limit teams to 29 practices before the first game, and Georgia basically decided that preparation for the season can be more productive with 29 one-a-days, allowing time between sessions for more film review and walk-throughs.
But it is a break with tradition, to be sure.
“The older you are, the tougher it was back then,” Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said Wednesday. “Talk to the older coaches on our staff; they had four- or five-a-days. That’s how Coach [Stacy] Searels and Coach [Rodney] Garner would like to say they had it at Auburn.”
Georgia Tech will continue to have a limited number of two-a-days this year. The Yellow Jackets have three days of double practices on their preseason schedule, spokesman Dean Buchan said.
Bobo said that Georgia’s staff discussed the elimination of two-a-days and that coach Mark Richt made the decision “after visiting some places and talking to some other head coaches” who have dropped double practices in recent years.
“The good is you can teach a little better [with one-a-days], where you might not be able to get as tough as you would like them,” Bobo said. “But everybody is playing with a limited number [of players] now, and there’s a fine line with injuries. You can see what injuries do to a football team. … I think we’ve got a good plan.”
The players, you can be sure, will welcome the demise of two-a-days.
“In their minds, mentally, they’re probably going to think it’s a break,” Bobo said. “But we’re still going to have 29 practices to get ready for the first game, no matter how you break it down.”
And it’s still going to be hot.
Georgia begins practice July 31, about a week earlier than usual, for its Sept. 4 opener against Louisiana-Lafayette. The Bulldogs are generally scheduled to practice six days per week throughout August.
Georgia Tech starts practice Aug. 5 for its Sept. 4 opener against South Carolina State.
Other UGA news today:
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191 comments Add your comment
jasont13
July 14th, 2010
3:24 pm
I wish a lot of you people would read the article and not the headline. They will still practive the same amount of 29 practices however they will have the ability under NCAA guidlines to focus on others areas that you normally do not have time to focus on (weight training, special teams, team meetings etc.).
The Bottom Line is...
July 14th, 2010
3:24 pm
they still will have a total of 29 practices..isnt that all that matters…I think its a great decision…
Delbert D.
July 14th, 2010
3:27 pm
Will there be fewer hours of practice in those 29 days? 2-a-days gives the body time to recover between sessions. Ah, heck, who knows…back when I played we weren’t allowed water in the afternoon practice. Water discipline, it was called. One day on the bus ride back from the practice field it started raining. Everybody was trying to stick their heads out the windows to catch runoff front the gutters.
Insect Repellant
July 14th, 2010
3:28 pm
Bobby Johnson is a knucklhead that needs “punched in the face” for talking about GA fans like he does
Lilburn Dawg
July 14th, 2010
3:28 pm
So how does the amount of time spent in one session compare to the 2 per day sessions? Is the one session going to be equivalent to the time spent in the 2 sessions? Will it be 1 long session as opposed to 2 shorter sessions?
Saint Simons
July 14th, 2010
3:29 pm
Coach Richt needs more time to work on his tan, players need more drinking time!!!!!!!
Can TG and Co. instill the MENTAL toughness
July 14th, 2010
3:29 pm
I want the three new D coaches to instill mental toughness. We have really lacked that. I am not talking about swagger ……. I am talking about the 09 OSU game and the KY game and the LSU game. With LSU we fought back so hard and let it slip away and in 08 with LSU we put a physical whuppin on them BUT they nearly won it with Charles Scott up the middle ………he hit the corner in 09 and ran over our small LB and game over. Yes, Orson Charles was celebrating and that cost us. Yes, there was a bad call on AJ with a TD “celebration” that hurt too. MENTAL TOUGHNESS is what we have been lacking and LSU in 09, KY in 09 and Tech in 08 illustrate that. In these games …………..we seem to simply check out, day dream ………..this is a lack of mentall toughness. It is so obvious when you see it.
If we overcome this things ………… then UGA can re emerge ………….. we always get our share of talent. Folks are about 65% correct about UGA ………..we “do get players and then, what happens?” We have not been mentally tough and that is coaching and coaching at every position.
This should be the first sign of the new D regime. It ought to be apparent on the first snap.
Go Dogs.
Bulldog59
July 14th, 2010
3:32 pm
Paul in RDU, of course, these blogs are full of weather men and armchair QBs, both always have opinions that fit any outcome, so you are right on with your assessment.
ugaclassof2004, I’m inclined to agree, but put a different slant on it. You can only absorb so much info in a given day of practice. Once you reach a point mentally and physically, it’s time to call it a day. Makes sense to show up on a new day, mentally and physically refreshed.
Gatorzone, Spanky, etal. I too would be curious to see, how many major injuries occurred during the second session of the two a day practices.
Bulldog59
July 14th, 2010
3:37 pm
Can TG and Co. instill…..you hit it on the head. Remember the end of the G-Day game when the scuffle broke out between Ealey and a DB (Wiliams?) Grantham was screaming, yelling, cursing and spitting in his face about the mental mistake that would cost us 15 yards in a real game. Reminiscent of Van Gorder. D players hated to come to the sideline after making a mistake when BVG was standing there! This seems to be a priority for Grantham.
Huh?
July 14th, 2010
3:39 pm
Didn’t UGA decide to have more physical practices a year ago? Guess they couldn’t handle it so the coaches have treat them like they play on the women’s field hockey team instead of football players.
You’d think they’d need more time to practice things like tackling…
FLA DAWG
July 14th, 2010
3:45 pm
Big Mistake…………….Keep Two A Days and just make one a half speed play drill practice.
Watching film is important but the counter to what is seen on the film must be practiced.
Paddy
July 14th, 2010
3:45 pm
Mikey in Sav….maybe the practices will be more intense. Who’s to say until they start to practice. Anyway you cut it there is still only 29 sessions to work with. I was always under the impression that the Dawgs pactice sessions are intense.
UGA Tackling Dummy
July 14th, 2010
3:45 pm
I’m lonely, sooooo lonely!
Crow
July 14th, 2010
3:46 pm
we’ll see how well conditioned they are this season. I’m sure their competition is okay with it.
How2fish
July 14th, 2010
3:49 pm
Frankly I don’t think it will have that much of an impact one way or the other. As the article states “Georgia had three sessions of two-a-days last summer”. All your doing is adding 3 more “practice” days and filling the mornings or afternoons each day with more film/playbook study..this is not like the bad old day where 2 a days lasted a couple of weeks.
Red Panty Gate
July 14th, 2010
3:49 pm
Meet @ Beluga @6 for Drinks wth thUGA’s AD
Tenspeed
July 14th, 2010
3:54 pm
Next step: Pratice once a year. Two free get outta’ jail cards for players. New Athletic dept. EZ Store, Athletic Dept Gun. Players need money, go get the AD Gun, rob the AD EZ Store. All is well!!!! No longer will we say, “Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane.” New discription, “Looks like Jane, plays like Jane”.
Dawgs Rule
July 14th, 2010
3:56 pm
was that a Saint Simons sighting?
It’s been a LONG time SS. No longer ashamed? You will be again soon enough!!
How2fish
July 14th, 2010
3:57 pm
Oh and for those mental giants that don’t think you can get in shape on doing one a day sessions..you can do them at 4pm if you want….or at 12-1pm which is when we have the bulk of our day games this season.Going full speed is what gets you in shape and helps guard against injury..after a couple of days of two a days..its tough to go full speed..hell its tough to go at all.
joe
July 14th, 2010
3:57 pm
Just what the doctor ordered…less practice time surely equals more wins, right? Shreveport here we come again…
Atlanta Jackets
July 14th, 2010
3:58 pm
Why was my second post deleted?! You mutts can’t handle a true talker?
Fletch
July 14th, 2010
3:58 pm
Atl Jacket…that was the g@yest post I’ve ever seen. Thanks for the laugh
destin dawg
July 14th, 2010
4:01 pm
Yes !!! New mentality on Defense.. TG is the man.. Belin and Lagatos.. are great on basic tackling and coverage… Belin on special teams… MUCH more aggressive attitude.. hit ‘em early and often…
Atlanta Jackets
July 14th, 2010
4:02 pm
Seriously, I typed a long response and now it’s gone. Forget this site. You guys need a good tech man to run this. At least things would be working. I’m out of here.
Burn!!
KimZ'spackage
July 14th, 2010
4:07 pm
Players need time to practice DUI’s too. Players can’t just focus on Football and Hard Classes. Boys got to get down that DUI without getting attested or hitting other objects. The best way to get ready to play in the early season heat is to not hit or practice outside. You need to be inside in the A/C watching film or playing football on the XBOX. No good comes from being in a situation with fatigue setting in and you have to make the right choice on the play. I mean our Special Forces learn how to do the real hard work playing videogames as practice.
Ole Dawg in Junction, TX
July 14th, 2010
4:07 pm
What would th’ Bear say?
Blackberry Cobbler
July 14th, 2010
4:07 pm
Looking at film is good, but it don’t mean squat unless it transfers into better execution on the field. I think the team needs 2-a-days AND more time with film. We’ll see. Remember, it was CMR idea of less physical practices last year that produced the kind of sloppy on-field performance we witnessed.
Blackberry Cobbler
July 14th, 2010
4:11 pm
I agree with KimZ at 4:07.
Yea, the Dawgs are going to learn better by just watching how to do it rather than actually do it. Yea, I bet the Marines learn how to be the best by watching film of other Marines, right?
This is all just another sissy-@$$ CMR routine.
Booby Johnson
July 14th, 2010
4:13 pm
I will now be the new A D at UGA……
shane#1
July 14th, 2010
4:13 pm
I am sorry to hear about Coach Johnson. I think he is a good coach and a fine man. Vanderbilt would seem to be a pretty thankless place to coach. Dropping the two-a-days sounds like a good idea to me. If I were trying to break in a new QB and install a new defense I would want the guys as fresh as possible. With the stress CTG is putting on fundamentals having more practices of shorter duration is a good idea. When one is tired old bad habits tend to creep back in. I know this from practicing rifle shooting. An hour a day for a week is much better than one five hour day in that sport.
Delbert D.
July 14th, 2010
4:15 pm
@ All I will say -
Who is E L Ivory? Not a Georgia Tech player. I’m guessing the comparison with Jarrard Tarrant (#37) has something to do with Eddie Lee Ivery, a Georgia Tech graduate an former running back.
Ivery was a player with Green Bay, and he was with James Lofton at a strip club in 1986 when Lofton was arrested for sexual assault on a stripper. Ivery wasn’t charged. He did spend time in jail in 1984 while with the Packers for the crime of driving with a suspended license. While with the Packers Ivery drank, smoked, got divorced, and he ultimately with through AA meetings his last 6 years with Green Bay. He came back and graduated at Ga. Tech 13 years after his college career.
Jarrard Tarrant was arrested on charges of alleged rape and jailed more than 2 months after the alleged crime. He was released on $40,000 bond. Tarrant was suspended from the team indefinitely, pending the outcome of the legal proceedings. The DA didn’t drop the charges until the season was in progress, so Tarrant was redshirted for the 2008 season.
So, yes those 2 players have something very much in common…they spent time in jail, but only Tarrant did while in college. Are you in need of more athletes for your list? They are not hard to find.
Dogschugginlicker
July 14th, 2010
4:18 pm
Plus we gotta study for Basketball 101. That’s sum shyte man.
Booby Johnson
July 14th, 2010
4:21 pm
I can now show Mark Richt how to do more with less.
Delbert D.
July 14th, 2010
4:21 pm
Bulldog59 -
“Grantham was screaming, yelling, cursing and spitting in his face about the mental mistake that would cost us 15 yards in a real game. Reminiscent of Van Gorder.”
Reminiscent of my drill instructor at Quantico as well. That is exactly what is needed.
Hobnail Boot
July 14th, 2010
4:23 pm
I don’t like it. I think we need one practice just dedicated to the snap count (jumping off sides) and Special teams. We were bad in both areas last year. Nothing wrong with 2 a days.
Brad
July 14th, 2010
4:24 pm
Gator fan here w/ some stuff that has absolutely nothing to do with UGA’s practice schedule… I just read Stewart Mandel’s Mailbag from si.com and he completely smashes Tech’s claim of 4 national championships. Thought you guys might like this… I’ve included it below… enjoy!
Just a clarification regarding the email you received about Georgia Tech winning its first national title in the ’90s — it’s incorrect. That was the school’s fourth national championship.
– Rubin, Atlanta
Fair enough, but here’s a little clarification on my part. The Mailbag fully concedes the right of any school to recognize whichever national championship selectors it deems legitimate from the pre-modern era, and the inherent ambiguity that comes with it. Alabama, for instance, proudly claims 13 national championships, while other sources recognize it for 12. Georgia Tech, for its part, is certainly entitled to claim the four that it does: 1917, 1928, 1952 and ‘90.
For uniformity’s sake, however, the Mailbag does not recognize so-called “national championships” prior to the advent of the AP poll in 1936 and coaches poll in 1950, seeing as most “polls” prior to then were conducted by obscure individuals or organizations and oftentimes were rewarded retroactively. Therefore, while Yellow Jackets fans are perfectly entitled to brag of the 1917 and ‘28 teams that wowed the Helms Athletic Foundation, or the ‘52 team that claims as one of its selectors the INS — International News Service — the Mailbag officially recognize the 1990 UPI coaches poll trophy as that school’s “first” national championship.
Any further disputes may be taken up with Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who will “personally guarantee” any championship your favorite team dreams possible.
Booby Johnson
July 14th, 2010
4:24 pm
Steve Martin is my lookalike and I can bring Greatness to the UGA program.
Dawgrulz
July 14th, 2010
4:27 pm
29 practices is 29 practices, Does not matter if they do it in 29 days or in 25 days. You still have the same practice time as allowed by the NCAA. This is the biggest non-story ever!!!
Dadgumit
July 14th, 2010
4:29 pm
Dawgs getting softer every day. You think Bama and Florida are doing once a day practices?
Tar heel Bob
July 14th, 2010
4:30 pm
Reports are that Dean Smith has passed away…….
dawgster
July 14th, 2010
4:33 pm
Being old school here, don’t know how i feel about the new practice schedule…but here is what i predict: if we don’t havfe a strong season and if we appear to be getting beat physically, then everyone will attribute that to the lack of two-a days, if we have a really good season and have fresh legs and can physically handle some opponents then credit will be given to the coaches and team for their insight…I support this staff on the decision and hope it will turn out as a benefit to the dawgs this season…
Yeah Delbert D.
July 14th, 2010
4:33 pm
Here are a few more; Mooney, Salibury and Lavin, Houston, Hamilton and Hall. All of their issues except for a couple here are/were with g-i-r-l-s and hard knuckles.
UGA does have some 19 year olds that do booze it and we did have Montrez Robinson who has gone.
Compare the itty, bitty gal in early mid 90s getting whupped hard ( she fought hard until she was held ) by the 3 GT LINEMEN.
Atlanta Jackets
July 14th, 2010
4:34 pm
For all of you mutts that question my background, I played football for years. I just gave it up last year. It was flag football which takes even more hip flexibility and agility than “hugging” football does. Even we practiced twice a day when we had a tournment to prepare for. These mutts are whimping out. And then they are going swimming! LOL! Burn!
Yep
July 14th, 2010
4:37 pm
You are acting like UGA is the only program switching over to this. If anything, they are one of the last programs to get the hint.
Patsy
July 14th, 2010
4:44 pm
good thing daugs are not starting with cowgirlz again….you would need those two-a-day!
Shech aint tit
July 14th, 2010
4:44 pm
Atlanta Jackets has two a days all the time with Saint Simons.
Anonymous
July 14th, 2010
4:51 pm
Who’s running this asylum, the idiots? ! ! !
Zeb
July 14th, 2010
4:51 pm
Delbert….you just brought back shivers. I was at Quantico in ‘83….I4 platoon. Some of the best experiences in my life. Talk about learning how to work thru pain……..dam. I wish the UGA players could go thru the O-course at Dobbins too……that’s an awesome team builder.
Zeb
July 14th, 2010
4:55 pm
Atlanta Jacket……….WOW……flag football……….just wow.
King Gator
July 14th, 2010
5:03 pm
Who can practice twice a day when you’re that hung over in this heat. Plus afternoon practice cuts into Happy Hour! Go Gators!