Fumbles will cost Ealey starting job, playing time this week
ATHENS — Washaun Ealey’s fumbles cost Georgia dearly in losses to South Carolina and Mississippi State, and they will cost the sophomore tailback some playing time this week at Colorado.
“He’s going to play, but if a guy is turning it over, you’ve got to take some playing time away from him,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said Tuesday night.
Bobo and running backs coach Bryan McClendon said either Caleb King or Carlton Thomas will start at tailback Saturday and get some snaps that otherwise would have gone to Ealey. All three tailbacks played last week and, according to the coaches, will again this week.
Ealey has started at tailback the past three games, but his fumbles inside the opponent’s 5-yard line denied Georgia potential touchdowns at South Carolina and Mississippi State.
Both of Ealey’s fumbles resulted from “a slip in his technique,” McClendon said. “We have to make sure that can’t happen. It’s so hard to win in this league, but you make it that much harder when you’re laying the ball on the ground.”
The coaches weren’t specific on how much Ealey’s playing time will be reduced, although McClendon said “it won’t be a bunch less.”
King played on a limited basis last week after missing the previous two games with a sprained right ankle. McClendon said last week’s game helped King regain confidence in the ankle. He is “not missing a beat” in practice this week, McClendon said.
The 5-foot-7, 176-pound Thomas, who entered the season as the No. 3 tailback, relishes the idea of increased playing time.
“I’m just pretty much waiting for more,” Thomas said. “I’m ready to get into that rhythm, man. . . . I love reps. I want some more to show what I can do.”
Georgia has struggled unexpectedly in the running game this season, ranking 11th — next-to-last — in the SEC with an average of 124.2 yards rushing per game.
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427 comments Add your comment
Awful, Awful, Awful
September 29th, 2010
10:05 am
Whatta ‘ya mean…..bench Ealey, the second coming of HW????? WOW, UGA has sunk to a new low……like I’ve been saying all along, you’ve got a lot of great (or so they say, i. e., recruiters, etc.) players but all of them want to be the star of the team…..no team players…..plus, the coaches are stinking up all of Georgia. As a Tech Fan, i’m loving it, but we have to think of this as a state thing……fire all the coaches now!!!!the season’s already lost……maybe some good coaches can weed out all those thugs and those not wanting to be team players.
SadDawg
September 29th, 2010
10:08 am
Congrats, Techies, the acc is NOT the worst NCAA conference now at 1-9 against OOC opponents. The Big Easy, I mean East is 1-10. Woo Hoo!
Fantasy Island
September 29th, 2010
10:09 am
Where is this guy:
Dawgs Roll in JAX!
May 11th, 2010
10:23 pm
Mark it down–this Dawg team may be their best in 20 years! The D will be loaded and with Grantham’s 3-4, Florida’s offense with brantley (good, not great) will be shut down cold! The Dawg running game will be the best in the SEC and will be pounding the ball for 200 yards on the florida D that lost all their good talent. Dawgs 30 Fla 20–bank on it!
Rich
September 29th, 2010
10:10 am
Ealy is the best of the bunch–by a bunch. It is not even close. He got nearly knocked out at Miss. St. That happens. If they pull him, the running game jsut got worse.
Fantasy Island
September 29th, 2010
10:11 am
Or, where is this guy?:
DAWG258
May 12th, 2010
1:27 pm
Dawgs will win the SEC in 2010. Book it!
Bama fan be greatful Colt came out the game or you would’ve been down 14-0 and probably lost the game. with that call on the kickoff you aren’t what you think you are! But you hold the crystal so you have the spot!
Gator fan please look at what happened after the 1 recruiting class the basketball team had left, you now see what your future holds. there is no more cupcake schedule and you will lose 4 games this season; welcome back to reality. Your coach will have to earn respect from this point and by next year im sure the word that will follow him will be OVER RATED! remember anyone can beat OSU. be thankful that 3 teams lost to let you in. We all saw with No Dan Mullen your offense isnt good and now we will see without Charlie Strong your Defense wont be either
UT is laughable
GT is a joke
Go DAWGS! GATA !
Mike
September 29th, 2010
10:12 am
The whole team has already been playing less!
Buff Hater
September 29th, 2010
10:13 am
From a Buff Hater in Colorado,,, they are really talking smack here about the Dogs and do and the Dogs better be ready. Let’s hope they show up and kick the Buffs
Lowcountry Bulldawg
September 29th, 2010
10:14 am
Bad move by the coaches. Ealey clearly got rocked on the hit by Miss St. The USC fumble was bad, but you can’t compare the two. Coaches are making the wrong examples out of the kids now. Baker kicked off the team, “scapegoat” and now the Ealey benching. Don’t like it one bit.
SameOnlyDifferent
September 29th, 2010
10:15 am
Lifelong GA fan, so I have seen the good, the bad and now the ugly. 1-3 Wow. I feel your pain. My opinions to fix the problems.
1. Defense is what it is until we get the right players. Hold teams to less than 20 points and we have a chance. Recruit interior lineman – none on commitment list. This is a lot of the problems.
2. 4 or 5 receiver sets on offense – qb in shotgun to offset the worse line in the SEC.
3. Running backs are average at best so throw more screens and wheel routes out of the backfield. Treat them as running plays.
3. Besides the kicking – we have the worse special teams in the country. 3rd string qb returning punts. What a joke. Look at AL – Richarson and Jones retruning kickoff’s. Do we not have anyone on our team that’s fast and that can return kicks?
Fair and Balanced
September 29th, 2010
10:17 am
Hit and run doesn’t cost playing time but fumbles will! LOL. Honestly, I’m trying to get into a positive mode here, but this program is so out of sync, inconsistent and poor……… Anyway, GO DOGS!
dawghater
September 29th, 2010
10:18 am
CMR – it’s called “Karma”. You had the chance to punish Ealey for his arrest but choose to give him a lame one game suspension against ULL. Now he’s fumbled away the Carolina game and hurt you in the Miss. State game. That’s “Karma”
Regression
September 29th, 2010
10:19 am
Why is it that players regress at UGA? Have you ever heard CMR say that any of UGAs backs could block? Ealey was a 4 star player coming out of HS and Scout had this to say about him; With a great frame, good balance, power, speed, vision, and acceleration, it’s hard to find an area for improvement with Ealey. He does everything well, including being a lead blocker when he lines up at fullback. He can go between the tackles and he can beat a defender to the corner. He is an instinctive runner along with having all the tools. Overall, an excellent running back prospect – Scott Kennedy, Scout.com Yet the coaching staff at UGA can’t develope these players. Where is the underlaying problem. I believe UGA coaches are like kids who get new toys each year. As sonn as they get a new one the rest are forgotten even though the old ones are better. When has UGA had a QB ready to play at the start of the season other than David Green and Matt Stafford. DJ Shockley, Joe Cox and Logan Gray were all wasted tallents who withered and died on the vine (or bench). DJ was more prepared that Cox to step in and do us proud and if he had gotten more playing time during the three years he sat waiting his turn we could have gone to the next level under his leadership. Stafford was a coaches dream who put his personal goals first. He could make all the throws but his sights were on the NFL. His first year he was thrown into the pit and took a h@!! of a beating. But what did he do for UGA. Would we have done any worse with Joe Cox or been better off in the long run as he would have stuck around and put the team first. We will never know what Logan Gray could do because we turned him into a fair catch specialist. You think our coaches ever though about putting both our fullbacks into the backfield together to protect Murray. Maybe run some wishbone formations. Move Sturivant to Nose Guard. Use Logan Gray as a running back (recurited as a dual threat QB) Put Brandon Smith and Carlton Thomas both back og puns and kickoffs. In other words do something different when what your doing is not working. All the pieces are there but the coaches have to make the fit.
RussDawg
September 29th, 2010
10:20 am
Sack the whole staff. Every season we have these top 10 classes and they don’t perform.
What is that? It is Coaching !
Offer the Job to Van Gorder
Lowcountry Bulldawg
September 29th, 2010
10:20 am
Well the hit and run did cost him playing time, but your point is taken. The program is definetly on its heels right now, and apparently since the QB-1 is a Frosh the locker room doesn’t have a voice to rally the troops. I have a hard time seeing them lose Saturday, but it’s hard to have alot of confidence in this group at the same time. Hard bunch to read at this time. Where is the motivation at this point for this team?
dawghater
September 29th, 2010
10:20 am
Sorry boys, it’s just going to be a long year!
Bo
September 29th, 2010
10:20 am
Calton Thomas has a ton of potential. Although, he fumbled a couple of times early on last year. He reminds me of a Brian Westbrook type of back (I can only wish). Maybe we can get the guy some screens, short and shovel passes to offset the terrible offensive line. At least Chapas and Munzenmaier can block!
Mobile Dawg
September 29th, 2010
10:26 am
Lowcountry, Richt does not know what to do. If he does realize the program has to be rebuilt from the ground up, he doesn’t have the skill set to pull it off. That and he has no backbone for tough, hard decisions. That’s just my opinion from looking at his track record. I’ve always heard you never want to back an angry, injured dawg into a corner, this is Richts last stand, let’s see how he comes out of the corner.
He’s grabbing a straws at this point, it’s so obvious. You hit the nail on the head, people will look at a couple of cheap moves and claim, CMR is taking action.
TimDawg
September 29th, 2010
10:31 am
Tough luck on that Miss state fumble. Looked to me he was dazed from that hit near the goal line and didnt have a clue where he was.
MississippiDawg
September 29th, 2010
10:32 am
Doesn’t matter who starts at RB…we need a new game plan…AJ will help spread out the D but we cannot be so predictable…why not install the “pistol” being used at Nevada and UCLA (win over Texas)…we have the mobile QB for this system and the head start it provides the RB’s is just what our undersized guys need.
Dogs Smell
September 29th, 2010
10:34 am
Dog fans , its called Karma. Every year you talk as if your program is Elite. All but 2 of the past 10 years you finish below expectations. Hell look at UT , they dont brag about their program because they are realalistic. Why do you continue to talk as though every kid in the country dreams of playing for a college that is always underacheiving? There are 4 other SEC schools that have a MUCH richer tradition of winning in football.
Fantasy Island
September 29th, 2010
10:35 am
Where is Colt, with this wonderful prediction:
Colt
August 2nd, 2010
10:38 am
Well, where are the weaknesses onh this team? Special teams, best in country. Offense? Best RB, WR, O-line, TE’s in nation. Defense? 6 of top 10 sack leaders and passrushers coming out of high school.
These guys will dominate every team they play by 20 point wins.
Fantasy Island
September 29th, 2010
10:37 am
And yet we have this GEM:
Buzz
August 2nd, 2010
10:40 am
My biggest concern is:
Who will Georgia play in the National Championship?
MississippiDawg
September 29th, 2010
10:37 am
Scrap the Wild Dawg and Install the PISTOL, then we’ll put a cap in their Buffalo Arses…cannot believe CO is talking smack about beating an SEC Team….we have hit Rock Bottom…I hope…
Fantasy Island
September 29th, 2010
10:38 am
And WC, do you still stand behind this prediction:
wc
August 17th, 2010
12:58 pm
Georgia definitely will NOT lose back to back games this year. But more important, there is little doubt, to those with a substantial amount of SEC knowledge, that Georgia will indeed beat Florida this year. Florida’s QB, Brantley, is mediocre at best, as well as inexperienced. And while Georgia’s QB, Murray, is young and untested, he is a true champion.. on the field and at heart. Florida’s O-line has weakened while Georgia’s has gotten stronger. Florida has no short-yardage game so they’ll have to rely on Brantley to get them into the end zone from afar (which will be difficult with his limited skills and experience). Georgia rates much higher at the receiver position with veteran wideouts A.J. Green and Travaris King. Now, on to Special Teams. Against most teams, Florida would have the edge on Special Teams, but not against the Bulldogs whose ST’s promise to be one of the best, if not THE best in the country. So, as you can see, barring serious injuries on the Bulldog squad, there is little to no possibility that the Gators will have much of a chance against Georgia this season
Fantasy Island
September 29th, 2010
10:39 am
Dawg smell, you are right on the money! EVERY year same ole same ole!!!
Lowcountry Bulldawg
September 29th, 2010
10:39 am
Mobile,
I was flipping the TV last night and on ESPNU they said its a given CMR has one season to rectify the situation in Athens and I believe that. So at this point cannot jump on the let’s fire him boat. He has enough credits from the first 5 seasons to allow 1 more year to fix it. Its just going to be a trying time for Bulldog Nation in the meantime. Have to grow a thick skin.
Tide Roll
September 29th, 2010
10:40 am
AGAIN, WHY IS BEN JONES STILL ON THE TEAM, AND IS THE KID HE “CUT-CLIPPED”, FLETCHER COX OK !? IT WAS THE DIRTIEST MOST COWARDLY PLAY I”VE SEEN IN YEARS OF WATCHING FOOTBALL AND AS USUAL RICHT AND UGA DO NOTHING. WHERE IS THE GREAT MCGARRITY IN ALL THIS? GEORGIA OWES THE KID INJURED, MISS. STATE, THEIR FANS, AND UGA FANS A GENUINE APOLOGY, AN REMOVE JONES FROM THE TEAM DAMNIT! DO SOMETHING RICHT!
Red Panties
September 29th, 2010
10:40 am
The Ben Jones cheap shot:
Take a look at another Georgia thug, and what does Richt do about it? NOTHING
No wonder the dawgs have no discilpine.
http://www.thewizofodds.com/the_wiz_of_odds/2010/09/georgia-cheap-shot.html
jtriverdog06
September 29th, 2010
10:43 am
Great so excited to see lil carlton thomas run between the tackles because that makes sense.
Fantasy Island
September 29th, 2010
10:48 am
Red Panties, that’s how they roll in Athens. Game out of hand, let’s cheap shot and injure the other team!
JB
September 29th, 2010
10:49 am
Just me, but at 1-3 I let this freshman Malcome run the ball some……you never know when you’ll have another moment like ” MY GOD A FRESHMAN”
JB
September 29th, 2010
10:50 am
speaking of that, Wonder how Munson is taking this…..
Fantasy Island
September 29th, 2010
10:53 am
JB, you still this confident:
JB
August 17th, 2010
9:23 am
Gatorbait 17-3……………..With your Def. Cord gone, a lot of your defense, and 76% of your offensive production gone ( Tebow) I’ll take our chances…..Unproven QB yourself ( played class A Ball), Tebow gone, no proven WR’s or RB’s ( proven is key word and Brantley is a pro set Qb which means a SEC caliber running and passing game needed)…..Don’t be surprised if you lose to Dawgs and Bama this year….maybe one more loss…………You guys are not hitting on all 8 yourselves
JB
September 29th, 2010
10:53 am
Carlton Thomas got Tackled by a white line in the open field last week…………….I figured he got so excited that he got past the line he peed on himself and fell down….
Blundermutt
September 29th, 2010
10:54 am
Much thanks to Fantasy Island for the excellent job of chronicling the delusions of these mutt fans for the last six months. I see none of these leghumpers on here have any response to these pearls of wisdom that you have preserved. Really sucks when someone has the nerve to actually use your own words against you. 0 and 3 in the SEC.!!!!! It rhymes.
Christian LeMay
September 29th, 2010
10:54 am
Red Panties what did you expect my center to do? That bad Ms State boy been kicking his a$$ the whole game. He had to do sumpin.
Fantasy Island
September 29th, 2010
10:54 am
And, where is the BIG BAD Italian Dawg???
He never shows up when UGA starts losing!
Tide Roll
September 29th, 2010
10:54 am
Ben Jones tries to end the Miss. State players career, let’s end his Richt. Ya’ll are right, Richt needs to go. You will not see thus type of cowardice under WILL MUSCHAMP.
JB
September 29th, 2010
10:55 am
Fantasy………………I feel like Obama at this point…………..Over promise and under deliver……………..Sorry I’m late this morning….Been to the dentist getting this crow out of mouth.
Richard Samuel
September 29th, 2010
10:56 am
Give me the ball.
Fantasy Island
September 29th, 2010
10:58 am
Blunder, it is the same every year.
UGA is just wayy tooo easy. Year in and year out Delusions of Grandeur about how wonderful their team will be. What a joke! At least UT and other middle to bottom tier SEC schools accept their lot. UGA still thinks they are a top tier NATIONAL powerhouse, much less SEC powerhouse..
At least Richt can dive and is one helluva bowler!!!
Fantasy Island
September 29th, 2010
10:59 am
JB, I appreciate your honesty. In all truthfulness, I would not be so hard on UGA fans if they did not yap so much before the season EVERY year.
JB
September 29th, 2010
10:59 am
2007 wasn’t a joke……………..Never seen college players cry in public in Florida…..priceless.
Tattoo from Fantasy Island
September 29th, 2010
11:02 am
You need to get back to work cleaning the toilets Fantasy before the next plane arrives. Glade to know you can copy and paste. Internet for dummy’s must be a beautiful thing for you.
STUDENT ATHLETE
September 29th, 2010
11:02 am
TREY BURTON. FRESHMEN -UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA. 220 LBS. 6 TOUCHDOWNS. 333 YARDS AGAINST KENTUCKY. WASHAUN EALY WOULD PICK UP TOWELS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA. THEN AGAIN, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE RECRUITED HIM.
JB
September 29th, 2010
11:03 am
Fantasy, The failure for Richt may not turn out to be good for you. Dawgs been winning about 10 a year with Richt. Maybe the next guy knows how to get to 12, just say’n… No doubt the wheels have come off, but with the talent this state produces, I’m hopeful…..we have been in a steady decline since 08.
Fantasy Island
September 29th, 2010
11:03 am
HOBNAIL, I could not leave you out:
The Hobnail Boot
June 9th, 2010
9:28 am
yes, gator fans should get used to speaking in the past tense. 2010 gators are terrible
SLim
September 29th, 2010
11:05 am
Doesn’t matter….UGA’s season is over.
Bottom Dwellers
September 29th, 2010
11:05 am
We hit and run and fumble this state
Fantasy Island
September 29th, 2010
11:05 am
This one is still my favorite, because it is sooooo typical:
Buzz
August 2nd, 2010
10:40 am
My biggest concern is:
Who will Georgia play in the National Championship?