Tailback update: Ealey wants to regain trust ‘I’m pretty sure I lost’
(Updated 10 a.m. Thursday)
ATHENS — With Caleb King suspended for two games and Carlton Thomas still bothered by a hamstring injury, Georgia suddenly is in a precarious position at tailback.
Washaun Ealey, whose playing time has been limited the past two games because of his problem with fumbles, will start Saturday against Vanderbilt. “He’s going to be the guy this week,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said.
Ealey sees this as his chance to make amends for critical fumbles against South Carolina and Mississippi State.
“I’m pretty sure I lost the trust of most guys on the team,” Ealey said after practice Wednesday. “Hopefully I can go out there and gain their trust back this week.
“I know my team really needs me this game,” he added.
Georgia’s tailback situation behind Ealey remains in flux.
Thomas, who missed last week’s game, practiced on a limited basis Wednesday. Freshman Ken Malcome, whom the coaches are considering playing for the first time, missed part of Tuesday’s practice with a shoulder stinger but returned Wednesday. Whether Malcome sheds his redshirt and plays Saturday could hinge on how Thomas does the next couple of days, coach Mark Richt said Wednesday night.
Asked earlier this week if Malcome has shown enough in practice to prove he’s ready to play, Bobo said: “We ain’t got nobody else. … We got one running back,” meaning Ealey.
Fullbacks Fred Munzenmaier and Zander Ogletree also have gotten work at tailback in practice this week, Richt said.
“We’re going to have to figure out a way,” Bobo said. “Guys are going to have to pick up the slack, and Washaun is going to have to be ready to go.”
King’s suspension is the latest hurdle for a tailback contingent that has had trouble getting on track this season.
“It’s been interesting, to say the least,” McClendon said.
Among suspensions (first Ealey’s, now King’s) and injuries (first King’s ankle, now Thomas’ hamstring) and crucial fumbles (two by Ealey, one by King), Georgia has not been able to get into any kind of rhythm at tailback in the first half of the season.
Ealey has started three games, King two (both of the wins) and Thomas one. Ealey has a team-leading 246 rushing yards, followed by King with 228. Ealey’s longest run of the season is 18 yards. As a team, Georgia is 10th in the SEC in rushing, averaging 136.8 yards per game.
McClendon said King was beginning to separate himself as the No. 1 tailback — before his early Monday arrest for failing to appear at a court date in connection with a speeding ticket. That arrest resulted in a two-game suspension from Richt.
Now, Ealey “has to go out there and do a good job,” McClendon said. “Not so much fill the void, but he has to go out there and fill the job, no matter what.”
Third-down inefficiency
Georgia’s defense is last in the SEC when it comes to stopping opponents on third down, allowing a first down 43.4 percent of the time.
“Third-and-long, especially, has been our Achilles heel,” Richt said. “We’ve had a bunch of teams in third-and-long, and we’ve had a bunch of teams get a first down. It’s just so frustrating.
“A lot of it has been QB runs. You feel like you have the right call, you have everybody covered and you are right there to get [the quarterback], and he breaks free. He either runs across the line of scrimmage like the Colorado quarterback [Tyler Hansen] did at least two or three times in the first drive of the game, or breaks free and throws a touchdown pass like the quarterback [Matt Simms] did for Tennessee last week.”
Richt said the Georgia defense has been much better against “third-and-medium” plays than against third-and-long.
“We just have got to continue to get our guys in position to make the plays,” Richt said, “and get them to make it.”
Last word
Asked who is happiest to have A.J. Green back in the lineup — the other receivers, the tight ends, the quarterback, the running backs — Bobo quickly answered: “Me.”
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415 comments Add your comment
Tom
October 13th, 2010
9:56 am
New article from The Red and Black…..King Could Face NCAA Violation
http://www.redandblack.com/2010/10/13/tailback-king-could-face-ncaa-violation/
Caleb King
October 13th, 2010
9:57 am
Sweet now I gots more time to work on my side biznez
Spivedog
October 13th, 2010
10:00 am
I’m new to these blogs, but I have been seeing a lot of “Fire Richt” posts. There is a zero percent chance that we would fire Richt after this season. For no other reason, how would that look to potential coaches if we were to fire Richt after one really bad season? No quality coach would want to leave his current comfotable situation (e.g. Peterson from Boise St) for a situation like that.
UGA Insider
October 13th, 2010
10:01 am
Great point Geno… Couldn’t agree more. Our true freshman our so way behind the learning curve where other programs seem to get those players ready to play faster in the summer. Meyer has played 17 freshman this season and have struggled, but in two years they will go undefeated again. UGA has to do a better job of recruiting. Perhaps even hit the JC ranks.
Joe Hamilton
October 13th, 2010
10:02 am
Hey Hall, can you come beat up my Girl Friend
gomdawg
October 13th, 2010
10:04 am
LOGAN GREY AT TAILBACK
5150 P.O.A.D
October 13th, 2010
10:09 am
Saying UGA has Busts as players and that the good players went out of state is wrong. It is the COACHING at UGA. Swap the kids that left the state with the one that cam to UGA and they would be just BUSTS at UGA too because of the COACHING. UGA has won inspite of Bobo not because of him.
bigdawg8
October 13th, 2010
10:09 am
I think we have proven over the last 5 games we don’t even need a running back. Murray will be the rushing leader at the end of the season! Let’s put Logan Gray in the halfback position and he and Murray can either run or throw it.
JB
October 13th, 2010
10:10 am
Spivedog………………….I hear you and agree to some extent, but We did not get this way over night.This Program has started sliding since pre season #1 in 2008……The defense has been a mess, Willie or no Willie, but allowing 30-35+ points multiple times, allowing average teams to drive the field late and beat us…on and on…….Getting blown out several times the last two years on National TV on Hyped games has really damaged the brand. The Arrest of these players. This all didn’t just start Sept. 4th. 2010……. This has been building…..Mark will be back nest year even if we lose out the rest of the way, but 2011 will be his to prove he has righted the ship…..and we are all pulling for him….
Lowcountry Bulldawg
October 13th, 2010
10:11 am
C.King 5′11 211 lbs.
W.Ealey 5′11 211 lbs.
K.Malcome 6′ 213 lbs.
Looks pretty similar in stature to me, and coming out he timed a 4.54 40. That is a lack of top end speed. He may be a bruising back, but UGA needs a homerun threat. Malcome, is not a breakway threat. If he was he would be playing. King, Ealey, Samuels and now Malcome are all clones.
Steve Spurrier
October 13th, 2010
10:11 am
I will play you Malcome!!! Come to S.C. Ogletree too!! Matter of fact, all UGA freshmans head on up. The ole ball coach is not scared to play you!!!
Mark Richt
October 13th, 2010
10:13 am
Shut up steve. I need those freshman. They are the only hope I got. All my other players suck.
JB
October 13th, 2010
10:14 am
Spurrier is 65 or so and watching the sun set also…..big difference…..
McDawg
October 13th, 2010
10:14 am
i do recall a certain fullback converted to tailback who did quite well-he smashed on eparticular team right in the face-
take the redshirt off Boo and let him run
why does UGA always overcomplicate things
MURPHY
October 13th, 2010
10:14 am
We need to get our freshman playing time. We should have played Murray some last year. If they are not good enough to play now then maybe we shouldnt have recruited them. Maybe we need to focus on recruits that are ready to contribute right away ranthet than a year or two down the road. Im pretty sure Knowshon could have played very well as a freshman
SoCal Dawg
October 13th, 2010
10:15 am
Not sure why Fred Munzenmaier isn’t already used as a power back.
lovethemdawgs
October 13th, 2010
10:16 am
Didn’t Georgia recruit Lattimore? Yet he chose Carolina over us (and I hate Carolina). Wonder why. More of the top players from Georgia schools are going to other universities/colleges. Why? 11 arrest since March and most of them off season doesn’t say a lot for us when we recruit. Are the better disciplined players going to other schools and we’re getting the kids who can’t stay out of trouble, looks that way. Maybe the way we recruit needs to be changed.
JB
October 13th, 2010
10:16 am
And If I coached Carolina, I’d play walk on’s if I thought they could help get rid of that chicken curse……………The curse you ask…………100 years of college football and nothing to show for it……That curse……
bigdawg8
October 13th, 2010
10:16 am
Maybe we should move Samuel back over to running back? I remember 2 years ago when reporters asked all three backs – Moreno, King and Ealey who the man was and both Moreno and King pointed at Samuel and said he was the man! He practiced like a beast at RB but never did in games. Maybe we should have kept him in there a little longer and he would have flourished?
Spivedog
October 13th, 2010
10:17 am
Lowcountry, I’m guessing you have not looked at Malcome’s high school film. And the vitals you posted are a true freshman’s vs two guys who have been in the program for a long time, and Malcome is still bigger. Malcome will be 235 lbs very soon.
JB
October 13th, 2010
10:17 am
Lattimore is from Duncan, SOUTH CAROLINA, NOT GEORGIA !!!!!!!! He stayed home….
DawginLex
October 13th, 2010
10:18 am
Shawn Chapas is the best running back on the team.
I would rather play him a lot more than to play Ealey.
MURPHY
October 13th, 2010
10:19 am
Lowcounrty,
Knowshon was almost same 40 time(4.52) as Malcom but yet a bigger body. Speed wont matter if they cant break tackles with this o-line we have.
SoCal Dawg
October 13th, 2010
10:20 am
agree with dawginlex
MURPHY
October 13th, 2010
10:22 am
I remember when we used a fullback named Haynes as a tailback and that turned out productive.
RAMBLE ON!!!
October 13th, 2010
10:23 am
Ealey still has 3 days to get arrested…again.
QWERTY
October 13th, 2010
10:23 am
Why not play Malcome? What’s the worst he could do: fumble – miss a block – fail to make a long run – fail to break a tackle.
matt
October 13th, 2010
10:23 am
It is a sad day when the NCAA is more interested in a $500 loan than a death threat(see FLA).
5150 P.O.A.D
October 13th, 2010
10:23 am
I am not sure Crowell is interested in coming to UGA so he can play right away. With what UGA has an O-line he will not be a huge factor if there is no place to run. I would think Crowell would rather sit a year at Bama and play behind a Line that can make holes for him to run through.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
October 13th, 2010
10:25 am
Good points, I hope you guys are right. I am not as sold as you guys, but hopefully will be completly wrong. I have a hard time announcing the 25th tailback in the nation is now the savior. I know what my eyes tell me and I do not see the same thing you guys do.
matt
October 13th, 2010
10:26 am
“Red and Black” is starting to sound more like a Salem witch hunt. As the schools newspaper, you would think that they might be a little more supportive of the team. Maybe a writer got picked on by a football player in middle school?
US Dawg
October 13th, 2010
10:26 am
Just put someone back there that can pick up some short yardage for a first down, isn’t prone to fumble and can pass block for Murray. Murray is the best rusher on the team anyway.
Mark Richt
October 13th, 2010
10:26 am
Not Everybody wants to play for Satan oh I mean Saban 5150
Crowell
October 13th, 2010
10:28 am
Man I am going to pick Florida over all you fools
DawginLex
October 13th, 2010
10:28 am
My depth chart would be:
RB: Malcome
Chapas
Munzenmeier
Thomas
Ealey
King
FB: Munzenmeier
Zander Ogletree
Chapas
Caleb King would never play for me again.
Bench warmers
October 13th, 2010
10:28 am
I have to agree with Geno in when is someone ready. Cox sat for 4 years getting ready and look at where it got us. Stafford was getting ready for the NFL and look what it got us. Lattimore ran all over us when he was a freshman who missed half of spring training. Run the wishbone with both fullbacks and either Logan Gray or Brandon Smith in the backfield and AJ Green and Orson Charles as recievers.
5150 P.O.A.D
October 13th, 2010
10:30 am
Matt the paper is not creating the facts, but simply reporting them. Would you expect the School Paper not to do an article on these issues.
PMC
October 13th, 2010
10:31 am
not trying to be overly mean here but Ealey can’t even be trusted not to DRIVE when he is instructed asked not to.
No Ealey can’t pick up the slack at tailback. He doesn’t take care of the football and he hasn’t been good enough to do so yet this season.
They might as well just throw the ball all day.
DawginLex
October 13th, 2010
10:32 am
If you need a yard, Chapas is your man
If you need a fumble close to the goalline, Ealey is your man.
Let Malcome play.
Ealey
October 13th, 2010
10:33 am
Yo what you mean I can drive with a supsended license. I thought it was like one dem suspensions coach richt gives me.
DOG
October 13th, 2010
10:33 am
p. o. a. d. yea the o-line sucked at grant field last year, you guys fix that turf we tore up yet?
Ealey and King
October 13th, 2010
10:36 am
Hey we own this state! Why do wet have to pay speeding fines and and drive with a valid license! Grow up punk thugs!
Spivedog
October 13th, 2010
10:38 am
Whomever we have at running back, you can better believe they will flat run all over Ga.Tech’s Defense at the end of the season.
5150 P.O.A.D
October 13th, 2010
10:47 am
DOG that was last year. Crowell has to make a decision based on what he sees this year.
Inside Source
October 13th, 2010
10:57 am
All I know is that this Caleb King situation might be the tip of the iceberg. Last night a pressing issue caused richt to skip the touchdown club where his brother-in-law was speaking. The issue came up yesterday afternoon, pertains to the football team, and according to a very close source inside of UGA Athletic sports comm., it is big, and they are taking extra precautions to keep the press from finding out about it yet. I’m worried…..
tt
October 13th, 2010
11:00 am
“We ain’t got nobody else. … We got one running back,” ……wtf?
We have three backs that are not able to do anything on the field( Come on, its game 6 and our backs have as many yards as Lattimore did against us in 1 game!!)…an O line that isn’t performing as it should after years of playing together and an OC that can not speak English or call plays!
WHY “AIN”T” WE better than 10th in rushing? What is the problem with these clowns?
BufordKing
October 13th, 2010
11:01 am
Geez!!! I am ready for some new players at UGA. The current group seems to not appreciate what they have going for them – and the personal behavior and lack of respect for the coaching staff – has worn thin.
We are realistically looking at 6-6 at best – while we have had 11 arrests.
Yikes!
sogadog
October 13th, 2010
11:03 am
Given the lack of production at the running back position this season, the three game killing fumbles, the off field problems and resulting suspensions of both our top running backs, CMR needs to dismiss Bryan McLendon and hire a quality running backs coach.
A retail store should ALWAYS be in stock
October 13th, 2010
11:06 am
Do you think that the UGA book store needs to be OUT OF STOCK on red UGA caps? They always, always sell red UGA caps. Foks ……….it is a basic sku. Running backs are the basic, basic position that any school must fill in on …………every year!!!
UGA is in a state of high quality HS running backs. We know that, because when we view ANY, any school playing college football ………… there is USUALLY a decent Georgia bred running back there. We simply cannot get them all but two per year is about right.
UGA has let this position slip badly since they signed No Show Moreno. In the old days we usually had a decent back …………now? NOT !!
Caleb King and ealey are duds. They cannot break tackles and they are losers. Thier position coach is the SON of a former great UGA back …………Willie McClendon. Brian McClendon played flanker for crying out loud. THAT is why UGA does not have quality running backs.
Richt & Co.need to be blown out for this deficiency and when the season is over ……………..McGarity will pull the plug on this make believe show of UGA ball.
UGA fans do not expect to win the SEC nor the NC every year at all but we do expect to compete for the SEC Eastern title and we then would be happy to let the chips fall where they may. It ain’t happening UGA grads ………..let us rise up and get this bunch of clowns gone.
In 2 years, UGA will be fine. Such is life. SWe ain’t football factory bamy nor floder.
GO Dogs.
Bruce Mac
October 13th, 2010
11:11 am
P.O.A.D. you wouldn’t have any idea about anything involving Blue Chip recruiting. Just stick to posting scores of seasons past or cracking on the arrest records. You and the rest of your ilk are much better at that juvenile stuff than acting like you are knowledgeable about anything resembling a big time football program.