Notebook: King’s return, Green’s absence and, oh yes, cowbells
For a complete roundup of the AJC’s coverage of Georgia’s loss to Mississippi State, please click here.
(Updated 11:45 p.m.)
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Georgia got a number of players back on the field from injuries Saturday night.
Tailback Caleb King, who had missed the previous 2 ½ games with a sprained right ankle, entered the game against Mississippi State late in the first quarter.
He was the third Georgia tailback into the game, following starter Washaun Ealey and Carlton Thomas. King entered the game on Georgia’s next possession after a goal-line fumble by Ealey thwarted a scoring opportunity. King broke free for a 12-yard gain on his first play since the season opener, but that proved to be the highlight of his night. He finished with 23 yards on nine carries.
Meanwhile, Branden Smith, Shaun Chapas and Marcus Dowtin returned to action after missing the previous game with a concussion, sprained ankle and shoulder stinger, respectively.
Smith started Saturday at cornerback. Chapas entered at fullback, in relief of Fred Munzenmaier, on the first play of the second quarter. And Dowtin came into the game at linebacker early in the second quarter.
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Football games here have a unique sound: cowbells.
Before Saturday night’s game, messages played on Davis Wade Stadium’s video board, imploring fans to “respect the bell” and “ring responsibly.”
The SEC has a rule against artificial noisemakers, but the league in June passed an exception on a one-year trial basis to officially allow Mississippi State fans to continue their decades-old tradition of ringing cowbells. The catch is that the bells are supposed to be rung only at certain times -– pregame, between quarters, halftime and after MSU touchdowns. The school will be fined by the conference for violations of the policy.
Early-arriving fans started ringing the bells two hours before kickoff Saturday. During the game, the upper right corner of the video board offered a constant reminder of whether it was time to “ring” or “yell.”
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Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green was not allowed under NCAA rules to accompany the team to Mississippi State. He was serving the final game of his suspension for selling his Independence Bowl jersey to a person the NCAA considers an agent, former North Carolina football player Chris Hawkins. Green is scheduled to return to action next Saturday at Colorado.
He has played in only two of Georgia’s past nine games, missing three of the final five last season because of lung and shoulder injuries and the first four this season because of the suspension. In one of the games Green played late last season, he left with a shoulder injury early in the second quarter against Auburn. So his only full game out of Georgia’s past nine was the Independence Bowl victory over Texas A&M.
++++++++++
Georgia has more former players currently serving as captains of NFL teams than any other school.
That’s according to this report by the Dallas Morning News, which counted the colleges of the 124 players who were elected full-season captains by votes of their teammates on 26 NFL teams. The other six NFL teams have captains appointed weekly by their coaches.
Six of the 124 permanent captains are former Georgia players: Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey, Saints offensive tackle Jon Stinchcomb, Bills defensive tackle Marcus Stroud and Panthers kicker John Kasay.
Stafford was quoted by the Dallas paper as attributing his captaincy to this: “We have a great coach, a great leader at Georgia [in Mark Richt]. It probably rubs off on us.”
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Davis Wade Stadium is the nation’s second oldest Division I-A on-campus football stadium. It was built in 1914, making it one year younger than Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium. But Mississippi State’s old stadium has a new-age feature the largest high-definition video board in the SEC and the second largest (behind Texas’) in college football. The screen is 111 feet wide by 47 feet high. In square footage, it is slightly smaller than Turner Field’s video board.
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308 comments Add your comment
BoWeevil
September 25th, 2010
10:38 pm
COACH RICHT,
Is it STILL the PLAYER’S FAULT ?
Looks like bad coaching to me Coach Richt.
How in the Living Hell did you NOT fire your ENTIRE coaching staff ?
How about another $3 million Coach Richt ?
GaDawg
September 25th, 2010
10:38 pm
BoWeevil – Everyone of those QB’s have played more than 2 SEC games. Murray looks good for redshirt freshman. sure he makes mistake but that is expected.
Sportsrealist
September 25th, 2010
10:38 pm
GT Fan
Only a GT fan can say that, probable because you are use to being at the bottom.
acedawg
September 25th, 2010
10:39 pm
cmr needs to go. too bad for grantham he might have made a pretty good dc
coachKR
September 25th, 2010
10:40 pm
ANd what idiot coach at UGA thinks Ealey, King and Thomas are better running backs than Richard Samuel???!!!! He was the best RB they had last year, and would have been this year. A crappy offensive line and OL COACH deserves that credit!
Billy
September 25th, 2010
10:40 pm
Has the AJC negatively affected Georgia’s recruiting over the last several years?
DawginOH
September 25th, 2010
10:41 pm
CMR is not the problem. As a matter of fact, Bobo should be fired right away so CMR can resume calling plays, which he still does very well. The problem with the Dawgs is that this team lacks leadership on the field- the only guy who seems to want to be a leader is a redshirt freshman. It seems that these players have no respect for themselves or their coaches. There’s plenty of talent out there, but you can have all the talent in the world and still not win. You have to want it and this team clearly doesn’t.
acedawg
September 25th, 2010
10:42 pm
wake up folks!!!! why do u run the same player two cosecutive times after he just ran 14yds???? absolutely no game plan
Kev
September 25th, 2010
10:42 pm
Ealey is bad news. He is a dumb son of a gun. Just not a bright kid.
acedawg
September 25th, 2010
10:42 pm
Enter your comments here
nobody
September 25th, 2010
10:42 pm
our situation is worse than it looks, if that is possible….bordering on desperation, it is really hard to believe and accept that our talent is so inferior to that of the opposition… our running backs stop before they get hit….no power…probably 10 backs in the league better than ours…as for A.J. Green, he is nothing more than a distraction and a liability….having missed the last 9 games, he,obviously, is more concerned about himself than he is with his coach and team….sooner he simply decides to drop out of school and start workouts for the draft, the better for him…and us…
GaDawg
September 25th, 2010
10:42 pm
Acedawg – you must be a techie nerd. Let’s open this up. Everyone calling for Richt to be fired let’s hear replacements. Keep in mind that Bosie State plays one tough team a year.
FLA DAWG
September 25th, 2010
10:43 pm
This was the worst display of football play in well over 10 years. I’d rather watch a Ray Goff Coached Game than replay this disaster. WE JUST LOST TO THE WORST TEAM IN THE SEC – CORRECTION, WE ARE THE WORST TEAM IN THE SEC.
How Mark Richt can keep his job after three years of miserable failure is beyond me. There must be a RECKONING in Athens and IT MUST BEGIN TOMORROW.
DAWG NATION – Give NOTHING to our beloved UGA until they unload Richt for good. Nothing will happen without your action.
FLA DAWG CLASS OF ‘79
RinggoldDawg
September 25th, 2010
10:43 pm
There is not much here that I disagree with. Our O-line was supposed to be a strength, so far the only strength is the kickers and that’s about it. The last drive tonight there were plays that should have been called all night. Single coverage and 8 in box? Throw it down the field. If it wasn’t for Murray our offense would really be in the toilet.
BoWeevil
September 25th, 2010
10:44 pm
B.S.
kydawg
September 25th, 2010
10:44 pm
I have been a HUGE CMR supporter but now I am off the bandwagon…yes…it is time for the entire staff to go!!!
SatillaDawg
September 25th, 2010
10:44 pm
Back to the Future.
It’s the Donnan Days all over again.
Greg, please fire this whole pitiful coaching staff, before they do even more harm to UGA’s great football heritage.
Not just one of the worst teams in the SEC.
This is one of the worse teams in the USA.
Hands down.
Fire ‘Em All!
nobody
September 25th, 2010
10:44 pm
I agree with Billy…the AJC has certainly adversely affected recruiting….and it will not stop…they smell blood and need to sell papers….look for more…
FLA DAWG
September 25th, 2010
10:44 pm
GaDawg,
Kirby Smart, Will Muschamp, Van Gorder, Derek Dooley……………….shall I go on?
acedawg
September 25th, 2010
10:45 pm
jsutin houston jumps offsides. rambo has no clue on a punt.bobo runs the same play again when the previous one got no yards. its 3rd and 4 and we theow it 30yds down field
BoWeevil
September 25th, 2010
10:46 pm
GaDawg,
No one wants to hear your B.S.
We are SUNK
Mark
September 25th, 2010
10:47 pm
I know the RIcht haters are lining up. As a bulldog fan for half a century I am proud of Mark Richt and wish that the fans would rally around him in these difficult days. He is a great coach and a great man.
GT Fan
September 25th, 2010
10:47 pm
Sportsrealist – You had two spelling errors and one gramatical error in one sentence.
Krogunner
September 25th, 2010
10:49 pm
Chris Peterson, Dan Mullin, Bobby Petrino. We need an established head coach with fire.
FLA DAWG
September 25th, 2010
10:49 pm
MARK,
Please enlighten us as to how Mark Richt as a coach is a great coach and a great man?
ARdawg
September 25th, 2010
10:49 pm
The Donnan days were better than this. This is more like the Donner party
Say What...
September 25th, 2010
10:49 pm
Dawgs Win! Dawgs Win!
Oh Sorry Wrong Dawgs!
acedawg
September 25th, 2010
10:50 pm
ga dawg – stop drinking te koolaide! richt can fire searells he can fire bobo he can fire the strenght coach. but we still have richt. he decides he game plan. he leads the team. and he absolutely wasted 2008!
87RxDawg
September 25th, 2010
10:50 pm
Oh my.. Do you really get season tickets????? I don’t believe you do. If you did you would know what it would cost to get them back and you would lose all your base points. And would a season ticket holder, presumably the most loyal fans, throw all that away for 2 or even 3 or 4 bad years?! I’m keeping all 6 of my season tickets even if we lose the rest of our games! Why? Because I’m a Georgian by birth and a bulldog by the grace of God!!!
Go Dogs!!!
acedawg
September 25th, 2010
10:51 pm
the dawgs will be lucky towin 3 games the rest of the season
Reality Stinks
September 25th, 2010
10:51 pm
Bobby Petrino are you kidden nooooooooooooooooooooooo
Dawg 97
September 25th, 2010
10:51 pm
Hey Mark, Richt sucks! time for the sun tanned, aw shucks, bowden wanna be preacher man to go. We need a real coach who instills discipline, accountability, and a little fire!
Dawg Catcher
September 25th, 2010
10:52 pm
Yeeeeeeeee…..haawwwwww!!!!! All you Dawgie fans talking about national titles and SEC titles and Bama aint crap and Saban is evil and Richt is the greatest…it suuuuure is quiet now! zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
kydawg
September 25th, 2010
10:52 pm
Greene won as a RFr QB so I don’t buy the “he’s young” crap. That said…Murray is probably the only one (maybe Durham) that is showing effort and acts like he gives a crap!!!
Reality Stinks
September 25th, 2010
10:54 pm
GT Fan
Its taken Richt 7 yrs to start moving down hill
Its taken Paul Johnson just one
Reality Stinks dont it
CDAWG
September 25th, 2010
10:54 pm
In all fairness to Ealey, it looked like he got his bell rung down on the goal line. I think he was dazed after that hit when his helmet came off. True, things are not going good right now but I am not going to say I am embarrassed to be a bulldog fan; however, I am embarrassed by the way things are going. I don’t understand why CTG doesn’t make some adjustments on the line. Everyone has figured out they can run on us up the middle, why not come out of the 3-4 so we can shut the run down until we get the right personnel to run it? We aren’t even covering the pass that well in the 3-4. I am not impressed at all with our running backs. We really need to recruit some bigger backs. OUR problem and I have said it since the USC game is we have NO INTENSITY. We just don’t look like we are fired up and we sure aren’t laying the wood on anyone. Lastly, if we get rid of CMR who has won 90% of his games, who do we replace him with?
The GoalLine Fumbler
September 25th, 2010
10:54 pm
Please do NOT give Ealey the ball in the red zone any more. This is the 3rd critical fumble inside the 5 in our last 4 SEC losses (dating back to the Kentucky game last year). The guy is absolutely killing us. And I really appreciate his effort to recover in the endzone tonight.
RinggoldDawg
September 25th, 2010
10:55 pm
Kydawg,
I agree. Take away Durham and Murray and it seems we would be lucky to cross the 50.
acedawg
September 25th, 2010
10:55 pm
gadawg! the team from athens just lost to an 0-2 in the sec and u r bringing up boise state?????? do u really think we could beat them ?
acedawg
September 25th, 2010
10:55 pm
we miht not beat idaho state
Edwardo
September 25th, 2010
10:55 pm
I really don’t think potential recruits are basing their college choice on the Atlanta paper’s coverage. Neither are their parents. Georgia is just down right now, and we Dogs gotta deal with it.
CMR
September 25th, 2010
10:56 pm
Fans, it’s Coach Richt here. I know you’re disappointed; I am too. But all we need to do is Wrap Up and we will be just fine.
Mark
September 25th, 2010
10:56 pm
All of Richt’s graduates have the highest regard for him. Read Stafford’s comments in the Dallas paper. Richt’s former players rave about him. Have you heard or read David Pollock’s comments or David Greene’s? Richt’s winning percentages are off the charts, his road record the best, to the SEC championship 3 times and 2 wins, one of the best bowl percentages in UGA history. As for him being a great man. All former players say so. He and wife have adopted poor children from other countries. He is a leader filled with compassion. He is down right now (in wins) but first in the hearts of those who know him. I have followed GA for almost 50 years. He is the finest man and coach I have ever known.
Dawg 97
September 25th, 2010
10:56 pm
Young or not, Murray just isn’t that good. He’s missing too many of the attributes needed to be great at this level. There’s a reason he didn’t end up at UF.
Football Nazi
September 25th, 2010
10:56 pm
Richt is a good man. Does not equate to a good coach! He is getting paid to coach.
FLA DAWG
September 25th, 2010
10:56 pm
Dawg Catcher,
If you’ve read our comments you know we are well aware of our problems. Please quote in this blog where we’ve spoken of a National Title, SEC Title, Bama is “aint crap” and Saban is evil, etc, etc.
You do a great diservice to the memory of The Bear. He would be the first to tell you to keep your dopy red necked mouth closed.
On the other hand, you’re from Alabama……………how you doin with yo mom lately?
92 UGA Grad
September 25th, 2010
10:57 pm
When I decided to make the trip to Boulder several years ago, I certainly wasn’t expecting to head out there 1-3…this is a very poorly motivated and prepared team. They need to start the coaching search now. I hate it for Coach Richt because I love what he stands for spiritually…but, as a HC, it’s about wins and losses. Too many losses over the past 2 plus seasons…this team looks like it’s being coached by Ray Goff.
What are our chances of getting Will Muschamp or Jim Harbaugh….Harbaugh already outrecruits us in the state. Can you say James Vaughters??
Edwardo
September 25th, 2010
10:57 pm
PS — All non-Dawgs on this site must not have gone to a college and have no team of your own to follow. Isn’t your shift about to start at 7-11?
FedDawg
September 25th, 2010
10:58 pm
@Billy, nobody. It’s the AJC’s fault? Give me a break. We consistently get a top-ten recruiting class.
Dawg 97
September 25th, 2010
10:58 pm
Mark, that’s all well and good, but he is paid (and a lot of $) to win football games. I’d help lots of kids too if I was paid 3 million a year to coach football. This program is sinking and sinking fast on his watch. It’s bye, bye at the end of the year.