With Smith sidelined, Green hoping to return punts vs. Vols (updated)
ATHENS — Georgia coaches are looking for ways to get the ball in A.J. Green’s hands more often, and they’re seeking a temporary replacement for Branden Smith as the punt returner.
Green would love for the coaches to address both issues simultaneously by letting him return some punts Saturday against Tennessee.
“I hope so,” he said Tuesday night. “I would love to do that, but who knows?”
Green said he has returned punts in practice this week, as have Carlton Thomas, Logan Gray and freshman Derek Owens, but Green said the coaches haven’t told him whether he’ll do so in the game Saturday.
“They said, ‘Just be ready,’” Green said.
Green lobbied for the punt-return job in the spring and summer, triggering much debate about whether the coaches should risk injury to the star wide receiver in that role. The punt-return job ultimately was won by Smith.
Smith suffered a concussion last week against Colorado, his second in less than three weeks, and it’s not known when he’ll be able to return to action. Coach Mark Richt said Smith definitely won’t play this week and “probably not any time soon.”
Richt said Tuesday he’s not sure who will return punts against Tennessee but said all the players getting reps in practice are “certainly capable.” UPDATE: On Wednesday, Richt said Gray “more than likely” will be the primary punt returner.
By the way, Green considers his leaping, left-handed touchdown reception against Colorado last week the best catch of his Georgia career.
“I think that’s the best one by far,” he said.
In his season debut after a four-game NCAA suspension, Green caught seven passes for 119 yards and rushed for another 40 yards on an end-around. Returning an occasional punt, he figures, could be an opportunity for more playmaking.
“I just like the ball in my hands,” he said. “I feel like I can make plays. It would be nice to do that.”
+++++++++
One note:
- Tennessee returned 400 tickets from its allotment for Saturday’s game, and UGA put them on sale to the general public Tuesday. The tickets are $70 apiece and can be purchased online (www.georgiadogs.com) or by phone (877-542-1231). Assuming they’re sold, Saturday’s game will be Georgia’s 60th consecutive home sellout. The last Georgia home game not to sell out was the Nov. 25, 2000, game against Georgia Tech. UPDATE: As of early this afternoon, Georgia had slightly more than 200 tickets remaining for the Tennessee game.
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76 comments Add your comment
BMDPD
October 6th, 2010
11:20 am
Hi
BMDPD
October 6th, 2010
11:21 am
Second?
BMDPD
October 6th, 2010
11:21 am
Third?
BMDPD
October 6th, 2010
11:21 am
Fourth?
BMDPD
October 6th, 2010
11:22 am
I HAVE NO LIFE!!! GO DAWGS!!!
Jaydawg
October 6th, 2010
11:42 am
Looks like some of these bloggers have as much insight and competence as our coaching staff.
ICMIII
October 6th, 2010
11:45 am
BMDPD
Thanks for the chuckle.
UGANick
October 6th, 2010
11:46 am
You have to get him the ball. You can see he is that much better than any defender on the field. Bama uses Julio to return punts and kicks. It has done nothing but help and he hasn’t got hurt yet.
xl.dawg
October 6th, 2010
11:47 am
Green should do whatever it takes to payback his teammates for the four games he missed. He is a gamechanger and one more quarter in CO would have been a win. Let him return punts before he is gone after this year!
Spivedog
October 6th, 2010
11:48 am
This is a no-brainer. We need to get the ball in AJG’s hands as much as possible. Alabama does this w/ Julio Jones and that seems to work for them. Heck, put AJG in the Wildcat.
Cohutta Dawgman
October 6th, 2010
11:53 am
Don’t risk AJ getting a concussion returning punts. We need him too bad.
Still@theBAR
October 6th, 2010
11:56 am
Not sure this is a smart move on AJ Green’s part. He will be mad as hell if he gets hurt. Running away from a Dback is one thing. Running headon into a tackler at full speed is always dangerous.
run the ball
October 6th, 2010
12:04 pm
Two years ago I watched Georgia scrimmage. Stafford nor Moreno participated. There was clearly nothing wrong with either of them, however they did not play, I’m assuming to avoid injury. How could Bryan Evan become a better football player? Perhaps by practicing against better players?
How many carries did Wahsuan Ealey have in the spring game? How many carries did the Heisman Tropy winner at Bama have in their spring game?
If you’re going to lose, at least be tough. These kids don’t practice hard enough, and they don’t get better at blocking and tackeling.
Jeff
October 6th, 2010
12:07 pm
I am just hoping AJ can play an ENTIRE game for once. Enough of the talk…shut up and go play. DO YOU GUYS GET IT????????? 1-4 …JUST BACK UP ALL THAT SMACK TALK YOU GUYS DID ALL SPRING AND SUMMER
Dawg_Mike
October 6th, 2010
12:07 pm
Put the ball in AJ’s hands. Do not be afraid. What are we afraid of…losing?
w cannot do any worse…go for it.
Billy Jack....
October 6th, 2010
12:07 pm
If I was AJ I’d stick to being a WR….getting hurt on a punt return could be expensive..but it’s good that he wants to help the dawgs win you gotta like that….I can’t believe UT returned 400 tix…nuts…
Dawg_Mike
October 6th, 2010
12:10 pm
I see where Crowell is leaning toward Alabama. does anyone blame the kid?
Alabama’s offensive line opens holes for 3 and 22 to run through while our offensive line is err….offensive.
OTOH, if he goes to AL he will sit for at least 2 years.
If he comes to UGA he can play immediately….unless CMR decides to redshirt him, like he did with Knowshon.
sarcasm= you bet
Frank Lane
October 6th, 2010
12:10 pm
Green owes it to this team. Injury or not. Be a man.
Ralph
October 6th, 2010
12:20 pm
Poll: Do you think the former holders of the “Fulmer Cup” UT, or current thUGA record holder of arrests is the most undisciplined football team and will have the most number of penalties?
Dogs Smell
October 6th, 2010
12:23 pm
I hope AJ returns punts , plays QB and catches his own pass so Georgia fans can say on Sunday ” What was CMR thinking” “AJ had to be tired”!
Still@theBAR
October 6th, 2010
12:27 pm
Which Mascot gets to eat the possum as the winnner(loser of the game) in the O for in the SEC game between UGA v Tenn?
Spivedog
October 6th, 2010
12:29 pm
We cannot be worried about AJG getting hurt…the season is already lost, why play scared now? It would be different if we were about to play a meaningful game like the SECCG.
Billy Jack....
October 6th, 2010
12:32 pm
@ Dawg Mike he just returned from Bama beating Florida I’m sure that was an electric atmosphere last Saturday…hopefully he’ll change his mind, he can play early at UGA and we have put many RB’s in the League…(but we won’t have an electric atmosphere this year in the stadium) nothing that will compare to last Sat in Tusc,Al
GA Dawg in Atlanta
October 6th, 2010
12:35 pm
http://pricezack.wordpress.com/2010/10/04/alcohol-sales-through-the-rough-in-the-state-of-georgia/ great article about uga sports. a must read for dawg fans, there is also an awesome article about the braves playoff chances which has an awesome video. great stuff
Andy Coleman
October 6th, 2010
12:41 pm
Why Not Let AJ Green Return Punts?
Dirty Dawg
October 6th, 2010
12:55 pm
While we’re on the subject of AJ, I’d like to ask opinions on whether or not we’d like to see him return for his Senior year? I mean an argument can be made that this season has been lost because he made a stupid, selfish decision to do something he knew to be wrong. Sure the defense and the O-line have, way, underperformed, but one could argue that with him in the lineup Georgia could have overcome the mistakes made that have cost us every game we’ve lost thus far. My point is that a young man with any sense of guilt and remorse over what he has done to his teammates, his coaches and his school (LOL on that one) would at least consider staying if for no other reason than to prove that he really was remorseful and wanted to ‘make it up’ to everybody…then again I remind myself that we are simply a ‘means to an end’ and anything that keeps him from getting at that money is just a bump along the road. So AJ, prove me wrong and hang around…surely somebody’ll spring for the insurance premium in case of injury…and, by the way, if you are determined to return punts, you’re gonna need that policy this year – that is why you sold that jersey wasn’t it?
DawginLex
October 6th, 2010
1:22 pm
I’d love to see him come back for his senior year but, if money is an issue in his family, there is no way he is coming back. WR and RB have a limited shelf life in the NFL. If he came back for a senior year, he is not going to increase his draft stock.
chiefdawg
October 6th, 2010
1:24 pm
Put him in there. He can fair catch in place of Logan Gray.
DP
October 6th, 2010
1:26 pm
Of course A.J. should get a shot at returning punts. Play your best players and get the ball in the hands of your playmakers as often as possible. Julio Jones not only returns punts and kickoffs but he plays on the punt coverage team. Trent Richardson returns kickoffs and plays on the kickoff coverage team. When your star players want to play on kick coverage teams it sends a message to everybody else.
hunker down
October 6th, 2010
1:26 pm
who’s D did logan gray blow? why is he still a relevant, talentless, oft-mentioned player on offense or special teams? stumped.
down in dawg town
October 6th, 2010
1:27 pm
Play him on defense too. He has had plenty of rest the first of the season,
$70???
October 6th, 2010
1:28 pm
i’ll save the money and drown my sorrows at home
UGA Insider
October 6th, 2010
1:30 pm
A name that keeps popping up in conversations I have with other UGA Insiders is Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He may be the only candidate that could improve the coaching staff, bring discipline and retain a strong recruiting class if the change were made early enough in the winter. McGarity will be prepared to make a move if we happen to lose to UT, AU, UF and possibly GT. So UGA fans don’t think our new AD will not have a worse-case scenario plan if we have a 4-11 season, because he is. Also, The alleged Crowell statement in which the athletic dept is checking into for validity is a real concern.
jw
October 6th, 2010
1:31 pm
can he play nose tackle too?
UGA Insider
October 6th, 2010
1:32 pm
3-8
PappyHappy
October 6th, 2010
1:34 pm
Richt is proving a point that UGA is a one or two man team! Let him return punts! The same thing may happen to him that happened to Smith, but just fear that there are too many on the team that are looking beyond their UGA days — Green is probably at the top of the list!
Mike
October 6th, 2010
1:34 pm
Mark Richt is so fearful of injuries that he has sacrificed winning thus far to keep players healthy. That cautious approach is actually what gets these kids hurt. You have to go at everything as if injuries aren’t a concern. That will help build their strength and build the confidence to be able to go at a game at full speed all while playing smart. Play him at Punt Returner CMR … he’ll be ok.
Mike
October 6th, 2010
1:36 pm
@DP … exactly. I’m tired of this scared coaching. Every game counts.
reebok
October 6th, 2010
1:40 pm
i’d let him return punts. this season is shot to heck anyway, and he won’t be coming back for his senior year, so why not get the most you can from him over the next 7 games?
Vu Du Huong
October 6th, 2010
1:47 pm
Forget buying the returned tickets. Since that was A.J.’s best catch, I’d like to instead buy the jersey he was wearing when he caught it. How much? No matter what you shake up, A.J. returning punts or the Q.B. blocking, it doesn’t matter. The “Georgia Jinx” is real. There is a way to remedy it!
mike
October 6th, 2010
1:50 pm
Pretty dumb idea. Why give this man the opportunity to get hurt. No wonder the Bulldogs are having such a bad season with ideas like this.
RealDawg
October 6th, 2010
2:03 pm
Play him. What exactly would we be saving him for? That great BCS bowl game? He got hurt last year just playing receiver. We only have a few more games with his talents. If he is a play maker, then let him make plays.
cmdawg99
October 6th, 2010
2:05 pm
AJ could pay an interum quarterback and “SELL” the fake hand off and make a screen pass to (our longest rushing play owner ) A. Murray.
cmdawg99
October 6th, 2010
2:09 pm
Time to pull out all the stops.
Big Dawg
October 6th, 2010
2:11 pm
An absolute no brainer. Best player on the entire field touching the ball as many times as possible. What took so long to figure this one out? Oh yes. We have a coaching staff that moves at light speed in making smart decisions (see the Colorado game and not throwing to AJ until the 2nd Qtr. for further proof). Flat out geniuses we’re working with here.
Bill
October 6th, 2010
2:12 pm
AJ gets injured on a kick return !! is it worth it?
Randy Moss
October 6th, 2010
2:15 pm
Trade him to the Patriots, they got an opening man……
Bigguy
October 6th, 2010
2:18 pm
Wildcat!!!!!!!
Bigguy
October 6th, 2010
2:20 pm
Try adding a leader on defense to glue these parts together.
Inthecellar
October 6th, 2010
2:21 pm
Bill
October 6th, 2010
2:12 pm
Whats it gonna hurt! The loser column!
Randy Moss
October 6th, 2010
2:26 pm
He’s gonna be the next me suckas!!!!!
RUSHING
ATT YDS TD LG
Green 1 40 0 40
RECEIVING
REC YDS TD LG
Green 7 119 2 50
Mike Bobo
October 6th, 2010
2:30 pm
Since I can’t figure out how to get the ball to him on offense, this is a great idea!
Vick=Dog killing thug
October 6th, 2010
2:41 pm
haha Mike Bobo
Give Green the ball anyway possible!
Hey reebok
October 6th, 2010
2:41 pm
Reebok, you are 100% correct ………….let AJ play to the max and frankly, now to UGA he is very, very, very,very expendable so use him and emphasis on the word U-S-E- , instead of the other way around.
Ankle, Knee? Who the heck cares??? For sure let him build his market value returing punts. Do I care if um, ah, well, you know ……………..
USE HIM UP.
Go Dogs.
In context of the entire ugly season - Try this
October 6th, 2010
2:48 pm
Try this:
Use Orson Charles at QB and use Trinton Sturdivant at Fullback with Chapas as a wide out and have Wiggins playing DB ..nichel back. Why not??? Let Aaron Murray kick FGs, with Walsh hauling water for The Water Girl.
As for ealey …………let him return K.O.s and get creamed along with Caleb King.
I context of this ugly year, who the heck cares anymore? After baby Vince comes in and roughs up this group BULLDOG pretenders, I could care less. The $$$ alumni, which I am part of, have seen and read enough …………this staff is toast and SHOULD BE.
Failures in recruiting SEC caliber kids.
Failures in coaching up to the mid level SEC standards.
Failures to grow UGA ball to a much higher level than Goff and Donnan took it to.
Go Dogs.
Class of 71 & 73
Patrick
October 6th, 2010
2:51 pm
Not allowing Green to return punts is the exact reason UGA has struggled the last two years. Play the best players available, and play to win. Don’t play afraid… Don’t play not to lose….Don’t play not to get hurt. I’m disgusted by all the people on here who are afraid AJ will get hurt. Give me a break! This is footbal…Unreal….
Hey UGA Insider
October 6th, 2010
2:52 pm
MIKE TOMLIN????? SERIOUSLY??? There is no way Tomlin would leave the Steelers to come and coach our team. Same argument goes for Gruden as well. I don’t know where you delusional fans get these ideas, but it does make these blogs interesting.
LLoyd Christmas
October 6th, 2010
3:07 pm
Man, you are one pathetic losers. No offense.
FATLEGS
October 6th, 2010
3:12 pm
um.. $70 dollars? Seems a little bit much doesn’t it?
Daniel
October 6th, 2010
3:13 pm
This doesn’t make any sense to me.
If we want Green to get the ball more often (and we do), we should set up more pass plays for Murray to connect with him. I’m tired of our sad run plays that go no where because our offensive line and tailbacks aren’t playing well. Put it in the air, and Green will get more chances to handle it. Save the run game for 3rd and 4th and short, and then give it to the fullback.
As for a replacement punt returner, why not let Boykin take it? He’s an excellent kick-off return man, and I think he’s tough enough to play on both sides of the ball.
Dawg Gonnit
October 6th, 2010
3:28 pm
I’m sure Green can fair-catch as well as anyone else on the team..put him back there! We are 1-4 and we need to do anything we can to win. AJ helped screw-up this entire season when he decided to sell his jersey when he new it was the wrong thing to do. I think he has a ways to go to earn back his team’s (and the fans) trust and good will. He needs as many touches as possible! Put him in the Wildcat! What would it hurt, we are 1-4 people and 0-3 in the SEC!! It’s time to put up or shut up – everyone better be balls to the wall on every play!!!!!!
Bucky Belue hand it to Herschel
October 6th, 2010
3:40 pm
More touches for the best weapon on the field??? & whats the problem? No brainer, DO IT CMR!
Boston Dawg
October 6th, 2010
3:42 pm
What is with people continuously posting that we should hire guys like Mike Tomlin, Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden? I’m as big and optimistic a UGA fan as there is, but there is absolutely ZERO chance any of those guys would come to UGA. Tomlin is coaching a team he just won the Super Bowl with two years ago. Cowher and Gruden have both been lifetime NFL guys, so they wouldn’t come out of retirement for ANY college coaching job. Even if they did, there’s no reason to believe they’d be good recruiters, having never held a college head coaching job before.
The UGA head coaching job is very attractive, but it ain’t THAT attractive. Get a clue, people.
hornblowermg
October 6th, 2010
4:01 pm
ajg should consider another year playing at dawgville rather than sitting out a year in the nfl after a player lockout next year.
Bdawg
October 6th, 2010
4:19 pm
Too risky to lose him for the rest of the season. Julio Jones is always hurt. Tougher practices will translate to better and more discipline on the field. For the off field issues, Richt cannot determine who will screw up but, the players have to want to play for a NC and a chance to make it to the next level. Richt does have to instill discipline into the players and a more physical mentality. I looked at some of the OL that we have coming in next year and they look really soft and with the OL coach and strength and conditioning coach we have that is not good. There are some major changes that need to be made with the coaching staff and it will start with Richt’s attitude and deamanding a tougher mentality.
Marlon Brown Out This Week - VolNation
October 6th, 2010
4:40 pm
[...] Branden Smith, punt returner definitely out too. With Smith sidelined, Green hoping to return punts vs. Vols | UGA sports blog [...]
Bigguy
October 6th, 2010
5:01 pm
When you are 1-4 I don’t think anything is too risky.
Joey
October 6th, 2010
7:05 pm
It don’t matter who’s returning punts.
Georgia gonna win em’ all from here out.
Check it.
UGAVII
October 6th, 2010
7:58 pm
I can`t stand it anymore.
Send UGA VIII to the other side so I can have company.
AJ can sell jersies as he runs down the field.
Tenn. wins by 30.
DAWG07
October 6th, 2010
8:18 pm
Would like for A.J. to return for his senior year to make up for the 4 games he missed. Know thats asking a lot.
daddydog
October 6th, 2010
9:17 pm
To everyone wanting to expand AJ’s role, remember he doesn’t have himself in good enough shape to plat a whole game @ receiver without cramping up
TheTaxJacket
October 7th, 2010
2:34 am
**** “Well, they’re losing a lot of games and have a lot of people getting arrested,” Crowell said of Georgia. “There’s just a lot of things going wrong. I do want to play right away but I also want to be where it’s disciplined and they win championships.” ****
(((( 45 – 42 ))))
bbcsickdawg
October 7th, 2010
8:57 am
can aj play defense and offense line
AltamahaDawg
October 7th, 2010
9:46 am
Personally, I am glad to see the reports of the O-line being shaken up. Not to pick on the boy, but the one in question has whiffed on a bunch of critical situations. Just need to get him in some kind of different situation, coming in as a reserve fresh, whatever. But something has to give. A freshman LG cant be any worse that a Sr. RT has been doing. As much as I question the overall job coach SS is doing, he has shown in the past he can change things around and get better results. Not getting better results from game one is the question, but we are not at day one, so game 6 is better than never.
Well I should say I am glad it’s happening, the “seeing the reports” is not really the important thing. I am like most of us an info junkie about the team, but BUT when the coach says……..hey local paper, can you shut up about that…..is there any doubt what that meant?
AltamahaDawg
October 7th, 2010
9:49 am
Is it true that the tech bookstore ran out of Crimson Tide hats already? I heard they even had to convert some of the Gator section over.
JT
October 7th, 2010
10:00 am
I hate to say this but Richt has given in to Grey allowing him to catch punts when someone else could have returned punts last year in many cases. He also has given time to Grey to develop as a wr at the cost of others getting time at wr. We have a freshman as a backup qb who may not ever get experience on the field when we had Grey that at least competed for the starting qb job and who backed up the starter last year. If Mason has lost his RS season to have one series and one td we have set him up to be in the same boat as Samuel has been….Wasted Talent…Especially since the greatest thing go come out of NC since Cox is on his way to UGA without playing in any HS this year…Can you understand recruits being a little leary of coming to UGA? Especially QB’s.