King likely to start over Ealey at TB, Gamble over Washington at OLB
ATHENS — Caleb King, who started Georgia’s final five games last season at tailback, likely will do the same in the Sept. 4 opener against Louisiana-Lafayette. But Washaun Ealey will get extensive playing time, too, just as he did late last season.
That was the word Thursday night from running backs coach Bryan McClendon.
“Right now, it’s probably Caleb [as the starter] because he has been more consistent in his pass-blocking throughout camp,” said McClendon, who added that he expects King and Ealey to “share playing time and split series and things like that.”
“It’s a constant competition between those two guys, and they have embraced that to this point,” McClendon said. “But Caleb does sort of get the lean right now just because of his pass protection and his ability to do it and sustain it.”
Last season, King had 594 yards rushing on 114 carries (5.2 yards per carry), while Ealey had 717 yards on 125 carries (5.7 yards per carry).
+++++++++
Darryl Gamble’s strong preseason has earned him a starting nod at one of the outside linebacker positions, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said Thursday night. Gamble entered preseason behind Cornelius Washington on the depth chart.
“In base [defense], he’ll be out there,” Grantham said of Gamble. “Those guys are all going to play. We’re going to roll those guys. But he’ll be out there.”
Grantham expressed no dissatisfaction with Washington.
“Actually, Cornelius has done fine,” Grantham said. “He’s going to be in our rotation. Our first three games are at noon, and I think it’s important to keep guys fresh.
“I just think to be fair to everybody . . . when guys make plays and produce, you reward them.”
Coaches and players frequently have cited Gamble for productive performances in practices and scrimmages this month. Gamble, a senior, shifted from inside linebacker to outside in the final week of spring practice.
+++++++++
The combination of Hutson Mason’s progress and Logan Gray’s ankle injury have established Mason, a freshman from Marietta, as “pretty much No. 2 right now” in the quarterback pecking order, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said Thursday night.
“He’s No. 2; he’s one play away [from playing in a game],” Bobo said of Mason. “If there was an injury, he’d be in the game.”
Gray has missed the past 11 practices with a sprained ankle, Bobo noted. Before the injury, Gray was working exclusively at wide receiver, but coaches had reserved the option of returning him to quarterback in the event of an injury to starter Aaron Murray.
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147 comments Add your comment
steve
August 27th, 2010
8:51 am
Well, no debate on the running back starter for the next few games… unless King gets arrested.
Gatorzone
August 27th, 2010
8:52 am
82, was he drinking or did he have a suspended license? If not, this is just another dumb kid mistake. No big deal
1eyedJack
August 27th, 2010
8:58 am
drat.
82Dawg
August 27th, 2010
8:59 am
Reports I am getting is a suspended license and hitting a parked car and leaving the scene. you are right just a STUPID kid mistake. Thank goodness no one was hurt.
1eyedJack
August 27th, 2010
9:00 am
Gather them all in a room and check their licenses please. If they are invalid bus them down to MVR and make them get a new license.
AltamahaDawg
August 27th, 2010
9:02 am
aside from the obvious driving altercation making this a non-issue….what the hell is wrong with you hissy fitting Nancy boys…..geez. Tell me the logic of getting critical of King “starting” over Ealey, please. Do you seriously NOT want the best protection possible for a RSFrosh forst time starter? Is not a big deal this game, but its a huge deal in game2. You do want to actually win ballgames, right? And not test the idea of who is the #2 QB? Do you seriously NOT think that Ealey would not touch the ball the exact same amount of times? Its not like he can play the entire game, so its really a matter of do you want him in early putting Murray at risk, or later when maybe they aren’t coming at the QB as much. Not to mention, wouldn’t Ealey get MORE yards later in the game? Do you seriously think this was just a call of Mark Richt’s? There is a RB coach (that if you read the article is the one credited for the decision). He reports to a Running Back Co-ordinator, who reports to an offensive Co-ordinator who reports to a head coach. SO FOUR professionals who are at every instance think this is the proper call, but we know better?
Somebody please correct me in any of that and tell me WHY this is even a story? or how you think ealey is such a fragile little kid that we arent goiong to get the ECACT same production if not better from him, if he doesnt start. Surely to hell you wouldnt not advocate turning from a very logical win the football game decision in favor of sparring somebodies feelings. isnt that the kind of crap you make up to blast Coach about? everything I have read is personal and emotional, and not logical towards the task at hand.
15 wins in 50 years
August 27th, 2010
9:04 am
GT Baby, take your smack to a board where your team has relevance , like Duke or Wake.
UGA has owned tech for Generations, 15 wins over UGA since 1960.
Dawg4life
August 27th, 2010
9:06 am
I have just thrown my sack lunch against the office wall….I am at a loss.
AltamahaDawg
August 27th, 2010
9:10 am
“I disagree with this concept of picking starters based on seniority over talent”
As do we all. As do men who get paid to win football games. Might be why that never happens.
St. Richt
August 27th, 2010
9:12 am
Why are you Dawg fans even worried about this? With holier than thou CMR, its a one half suspension against Cupcake State as a worst case scenario. Sweep in under the rug- nothing to see here.
Joemac
August 27th, 2010
9:20 am
thank you, St. Richt, for you are totally correct. All CMR will do is a little slap on the wrist so he can get one of his “star” players back for the SEC games.
rduck
August 27th, 2010
9:26 am
Clark County Jail… AKA “The DAWG Pound”
and the beat goes on...
August 27th, 2010
9:27 am
beating yourselves is what CMR is all about
penalites
turnovers
arrests
suspensions
great program discipline dawggies
Red Panties
August 27th, 2010
9:29 am
The latest:
Georgia running back Washuan Ealey, the Bulldogs’ leading rusher last season, is in the Clarke County Jail this morning after being arrested by university police on misdemeanor charges of hit and run of a parked vehicle and driving on a suspended license.
Ealey was driving a gold Chevrolet Impala that hit a parked truck in the East Deck at 3:19 a.m. today, university police chief Jimmy Williamson told the Athens Banner-Herald.
Parking service employees saw the incident and stopped Ealey and asked him to wait for police, but Ealey said he couldn’t and left the scene, Williamson said.
“Our officers arrived on the scene ran the car and it came back to an individual not the individual that was arrested,” Williamson said. “We went to the room of that individual and he told us he had not been driving a car, that his roommate had been driving the car and he gave us the name of Washaun Ealey.”
Police talked to Ealey, who told them details about the accident. It was then determined he was driving on a suspended license.
Williamson said a police incident report won’t be ready today and he did not identify the owner of the car Ealey was driving. The truck was unoccupied and the damage is believed be to minor, according to Williamson.
Ealey was booked into the Clarke County Jail at 5:22 a.m., according to the Clarke County Sheriff’s website and had not posted $3,000 in bonds as of 9:03 a.m.
The arrest of Ealey bring the number of Georgia players arrested this year to eight- all since March.
Another running back Dontavius Jackson, decided to transfer after he was suspended six games following his July 10 arrest on six misdemeanors, including driving under the influence of alcohol, leaving the scene of an accident and underage possession of alcohol.
Tavarres King , a returning starter at receiver, is suspended for the Sept. 4 opener against Louisiana-Lafayette after being charged with underage possession of alcohol in that same incident.
Quarterback Zach Mettenberger, outside linebacker Montez Robinson and punter Trent Dittmer were dismissed from the team after their arrests.
how2fish
August 27th, 2010
9:35 am
St. Richt Joe Mac…if its half game wouldn’t that be the same “slap” CUM gave a player for trying to blind a opposing player? Or did the player give himself half a game..how did that work again?
robodawg
August 27th, 2010
9:42 am
If Mason’s pretty much a lock at No. 2, then you’d expect him to get mop up duties in the opener, right? No redshirting him if we want him to be ready at backup.
Dawgtards ruin this state
August 27th, 2010
9:52 am
yes they do
Dawgtards ruin this state
August 27th, 2010
9:53 am
Washuan – I got all coached up by Damon Dirty Dawg and I’m good to go
hatfieldgeoff
August 27th, 2010
9:54 am
Well Washaun has decided the RB starter. At QB Hutson Mason should be the backup. Gray isn’t a SEC QB, Mason may be so let him get the experience if he’s called on.
AltamahaDawg
August 27th, 2010
10:12 am
Yea Joe, because any other coach would let him play the first game, which is the next available game to take action on, and use the second game for a suspension (if there is one, which I don’t think this even rises to that level of action anyway.) That happens all the time. I’m sure you could list plenty of examples.
Breaking News: Georgia Bulldog Running Back Washaun Ealey Arrested » College Football Daily News - Get all your football news on one site
August 27th, 2010
11:00 am
[...] said, there was some indication that Caleb King was going to be the No. 1 tailback at the end of summer practice. Mark Richt stated that both running backs were doing well, but he [...]
Dawgs Tell
August 27th, 2010
11:02 am
I just give up!! What was he thinking?Kid mistake—Oh No;he is 21 years old.In my book of life,he is a adult period. Booked in jail at what 5:22 am.My god what time did the accident happen. NO EXCUSE.CMR better get a handle on these players. Big time UGA Athletic Fund Money givers are looking real close at the overall program and it is not just the won and lose record.
12-2
August 27th, 2010
11:06 am
Like I said, I like Wee Wee Wee
Bail Money
August 27th, 2010
11:27 am
Will Richt be bailing Ealey out to get to practice today, or just have him work out on his own using all the good weight equipment in the jail fitness center?
DawgNation
August 27th, 2010
11:27 am
12-2 now that you have had your morning wee wee before bed time please get some rest for your midnight to 6am rants.
Joemac
August 27th, 2010
12:43 pm
Altamaha, it is thinking like that that has helped make the situation worse. I guess if Ealey had tagged your parked vehicle, fled the scene, then found out he had no valid license, AND was wanted on a failure to appear warrant, you would just laugh it off and say that kids will be kids. Only, he is not a kid. Ealey is a 21 year old man who, by leaving the scene, has no respect for the law. Oh yeah, and exactly why is one our alleged “star” players out at 5AM anyway? Does CMR not have any kind of curfew while in training for the regular season, especially 8 days before the first game? CMR needs to send a message, a CRYSTAL CLEAR MESSAGE
Joemac
August 27th, 2010
12:46 pm
That message should be a minimum suspension of 8 games, and another violation and you lose your schlorship. Something has to be done to get the athlete’s attention, or it will keep happening.
Florida Dawg
August 27th, 2010
12:59 pm
Apparently Ealey is a problem. He doesn’t show up in court last July for a mandatory hearing and he is still playing football? (you would think the cops could find him)
He is up driving around at 3 AM…3 AM for heavens sake without a valid DL and does a hit and run????? If he had hit a PERSON do you think he would have hung around to see if they were OK.
I’m a dawg fan but this guy has zero character.
Why is he on the team??? Oh I forgot… we don’t have much of a back-up.
AltamahaDawg
August 27th, 2010
1:03 pm
Thinking like what Joe? I didnt laugh at anything aside from your asinine assertion that because we open against a lesser team that the suspension need to be postponed to SEC opener. And are you seriously saying that Ealey was less likely to back into a parked vehicle if the penalty was worse. As if he is thinking , hell it’s just a game or two. Trust me if you ask ealey right now how serious any suspension is, he thinks its the end of the world. You are the one that said its a slap on the wrist so that he can hand pick when he gets to come back. NONE of which is factually correct.
Pretty damn sure my thinking or comment have zero to do with it anyway. Its a police matter, its a university student disclipline matter, and it’s a contractual matter when you sign a LOI.
AltamahaDawg
August 27th, 2010
1:08 pm
“With holier than thou CMR, its a one half suspension against Cupcake State as a worst case scenario. Sweep in under the rug- nothing to see here.”
To which you believe to be “totally correct”. Yeally? Really Joe?. You think there is any history whatsoever to half game suspension hand picked to be a cupcake games. Totally correct huh?Interesting. Maybe what does make things worse, is when folks a cannot be intellectually honest about a situation, and simply say things that are irrational and emotional, instead of realistic.
Vick=Dog killing thug
August 27th, 2010
1:19 pm
If Mark Richt does not throw Ealey off the team then he himself needs to be fired. Nobody loves the dawgs more than me but this has got to stop. These kids have no respect for themselves, their team or their school.
Enough is enough… SAD day for UGA football
Joemac
August 27th, 2010
1:28 pm
Altamaha, I would give you an answer, but you have shown by your response that you are so thick headed that you cannot understand the seriousness of this. Laugh it up and forget the real issue here. People like you should never have to think.
Joemac
August 27th, 2010
1:29 pm
And with that I am out of here. I have a job to do, probably unlike you.
AltamahaDawg
August 27th, 2010
1:48 pm
What exactly did I say that remotely resembled laughing at anything? I stated truthful and obvious problems with your original post, that made you mad, now you are trying to put words in my mouth, rather than to answer my simple question.
As far as Ealey, as you stated he is an adult, so he paid an adult price. So why would you now decide to treat him like a child? I suspect it has more to do with YOU wanting your pound of flesh rather than any behavior modification. As a scholarship football player, he has certain responsibilities that he agreed to, he broke them and that consequence has already been determined. You don’t just change the rules all of a sudden out of reaction. Want to change the contract going forward, fine.
Tom Dawg
August 27th, 2010
2:08 pm
What does it matter if Ealey’s on the team anyway, these idiot coaches weren’t gonna start him even though he had clearly won the job. As far as him hitting a parked car he was probably trying to get the hell out of dodge to find a real team with coaches that aren’t a bunch of dumba##es. I think i’m gonna join the Gator Nation.
AltamahaDawg
August 27th, 2010
2:23 pm
I think that ship has already sailed.
Vick=Dog killing thug
August 27th, 2010
2:29 pm
I am still in utter disbelief that Ealey got arrested. What could of possibly tempted him to do such a thing especially with so many of his teammates getting fried recently?
I suspect a hot woman or a cold drink? Don’t these kids get enough during the off season?
To work so hard and get so close to a chance for greatness, then throw it away for nothing….
I do hope we hear the real full story… I’m bewildered….
Joemac
August 27th, 2010
3:45 pm
Altamaha, personally I could care less, but you come across as one of the usual UGA bloggers. You made light of the problem, and even mentioned a half game suspension. I do not care if he gets a half game or 10 games. There is a problem in college football, and it needs to be addressed. I have, as you put it, NO pound of flesh to give or receive or take. Coaches have got to get a better grip of their players. Ealey obviously has no respect for authority. He and anyone else, athlete or not, must pay some kind of price. To me, this is just another example of the type of athlete CMR desires to have on his team. This makes 8 players arrested. Maybe he and other coaches need to start looking at character before talent. Oh yeah, and you have LeMay, who was recently suspended at high school, on his way to Athens. You, my friend, were the one making light of the episode. You called it a NON-ISSUE. That shows your ignorance. It is a BIG ISSUE,not so much for the crime, but for the attitude of the player and some so-called fans like you.
AltamahaDawg
August 27th, 2010
4:08 pm
How am I a “so-called fan”? My fandom is in question somehow? What is that even supposed to mean….a so-called fan? Grasping at straws there. And let’s be perfectly clear it was YOU who brought up a half game suspension, NOT me. Don’t just make up crap. I was the one asking YOU why you agreed with the guy who suggested it would be swept under the run as as “totally correct”. Nor did I ever categorize it as a non-issue. Where? The silly thing about this whole deal is that I was berating YOU for suggesting that Richt was going to just take it lightly. Does that sound like something that a person who wants to take it lightly would take exception with? You don’t even know what you are arguing about here.
I said the rules are in place. ealey knows the rules. Ealey broke the rules. Ealey will pay the price that has been set long before today. Show me where I suggested that this should be taken any less or more serious.
Joemac
August 27th, 2010
5:06 pm
If you go back and read, if you were taught, I NEVER MENTIONED A HALF GAME SUSPENSION. That is pup-hockey. You really are delusional, and if you will go back and read your earlier posts, YOU DID CALL IT A NON-ISSUE. Read the first line of your 9:02AM post for reference. I said it would be dealt with lightly because that is the history of CMR. A slap on the wrist, and then go help the dogs go win a couple of games. As I said earlier, a message must be sent to these athletes that have no use or respect for authority. Suspend him for 6 maybe 8 games. A second offense and pull their scholorship. At some point, they will get the message and straighten up. I will give you that maybe you did not say half game suspension, but I NEVER mentioned it. I was only agreeing that the punishment from MR would be light. I will repeat… 6 to 8 games off would be the lightest he should get.
Joemac
August 27th, 2010
5:08 pm
And as I also said earlier, this is an issue, not just in Athens, but all through college football.
Georgia Bulldog Running Back Washaun Ealey Arrested (UPDATED) » Medieval European Castles -
August 27th, 2010
6:01 pm
[...] said, there was some indication that Caleb King was going to be the No. 1 tailback at the end of summer practice. Mark Richt stated that both running backs were doing well, but he [...]
Cedrick (Arlington, TX)
August 27th, 2010
6:11 pm
Look these guys are just kids but this mess is getting out of hand. I think CMR needs to bring these fools in for a major meeting. In this meeting CMR needs to lay down a serious law. CMR needs to tell them if they are arressted for somethin stupid (Driving on suspended license) that they are suspended from the team for minimun of 4 games then the second offense suspends them for the rest of the season after that they are kicked OFF the team and the lose their scholarship!!! Then these dumba** will realize what they may be losing for being an idiot!!!!!
Georgia Bulldog Running Back Washaun Ealey Arrested (UPDATED) » College Football Daily News - Get all your football news on one site
August 27th, 2010
8:00 pm
[...] said, there was some indication that Caleb King was going to be the No. 1 tailback at the end of summer practice. Mark Richt stated that both running backs were doing well, but he [...]
AltamahaDawg
August 27th, 2010
11:34 pm
speaking of taught to read, I was talking about King getting the start as a non-issue.
bigcalidawg
August 28th, 2010
12:43 am
That whole “picking up the blocking schemes” junk is coachspeak for “We want Washaun to play as hard as Caleb, cuz we want him to step his game up.”
We used to hear it with Knowshon and Thomas Brown, too
i win u lose
August 28th, 2010
5:35 pm
Tide Troll: I really enjoy your starting OL, Sturdivant (2 knee injuries) over Clint Boling? Burnette (RS Freshman) over Ben Jones? I guess you don’t like white guys on the OL huh? I hope Trinton comes back strong and Burnette develops into a stud but as of now our starting OL looks pretty good to me…..don’t you have some more National Championships to go make up?