Ten@10: Freshman TB Isaiah Crowell won’t inherit experienced O-line like Dyer, Lattimore
Marcus Lattimore ran behind an experienced offensive line as a freshman at South Carolina last season. (AP photo)
THE TEN AT 10:
1. With Washaun Ealey’s departure, the inevitable questions about whether Isaiah Crowell can match the freshman performances of last year’s star SEC tailbacks are in full force. But while Crowell’s high school accolades — nation’s No. 1-rated running back, 10-plus yards per carry — are similar to South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore and Auburn’s Michael Dyer, they had something Crowell will not have: An experienced and intact offensive line.
Auburn had the best offensive line in the country, starting four seniors and a junior, including All-American tackle Lee Ziemba. They paved the way for Dyer (1,093 yards) and run-first quarterback Cam Newton (1,473). South Carolina brought back four returning starters last season when Lattimore came in and rushed for 1,197 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Georgia’s offensive line this season will be a comparative patchwork. The Bulldogs will likely start three seniors — center Ben Jones, left tackle Cordy Glenn and right tackle Justin Anderson. But of them only Jones will be playing the same position he did last season. Anderson is coming back over from a one-year experiment on defense and Glenn has played mostly guard during his career.
That said, it is not a unit devoid of experience. Jones and Glenn have 68 starts between them. Kenarious Gates started three games at guard and played in every game as a true freshman. Anderson has played in 25 games on the offensive line with 12 starts. Only Chris Burnette, who projects as the starting right guard, is a true greenhorn.
Georgia’s line would have been comparatively similar in experience to Auburn’s and South Carolina’s had Trinton Sturdivant not suffered a season-ending knee injury in the spring. But he did and the Bulldogs were forced to shuffle again. The question now is if they can make Crowell look good, or vice-versa.
2. Georgia Southern boosters are in the process of raising money to have a statue of Erk Russell commissioned and erected in Statesboro. If successful, it’s likely Georgia fans will have had a hand in making it happen.
Former Georgia coach Vince Dooley, for whom Russell earned his reputation as a crafty and inspirational defensive coordinator, is assisting in the fund-raising effort. He has already offered up a substantial contribution of his own and wrote a letter to Georgia Southern alumni and boosters urging them to do the same.
“I was very excited to learn there is a movement to have a lifetime statue erected at Georgia Southern in memory of my long time good friend and coaching associate, the late and beloved Coach Erk Russell. It will be a fitting tribute to one of the great all time football coaches and one of the great all time people that I have ever known. I never knew a coach that was more loved and respected as Erk Russell. His record speaks for itself. . . . I am very happy and totally supportive of this effort which will be a fitting tribute not only to Coach Russell but to his family and to all of the supporters of Georgia Southern and the University of Georgia. God bless his legacy and the wonderful memories he left for us all.”
“Caleb has become a very dependable football player,” Richt told reporters before the meeting. “People can have a debate on how effective he’s been. But when it comes to knowing what to do, when it comes to pass protection, when it comes to doing the things that we’re asking him to do, he does a good job. I’ve got faith that he knows what to do and will compete well.”
King and offensive lineman A.J. Harmon were benched for the Liberty Bowl because of academic problems. Richt said spring semester grades will not be posted until Monday and, therefore, player eligibility for this fall has not been determined.
5. Sixty-nine athletes, including 12 football players and every senior on the men’s basketball team, will be graduating when UGA holds commencement ceremonies on Friday in Athens.
Among the football players planning to walk are Geno Atkins, Drew Butler, Logan Gray and Tanner Strickland. Also returning after completing his degree is NFL veteran linebacker Tony Gilbert. Men’s basketball players Chris Barnes, Jeremy Price, Connor Nolte and Gerald Robinson are all graduating.
6. It’s going to be a zoo in Athens this weekend. In addition to commencement ceremonies on Friday at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., UGA will be hosting men’s and women’s NCAA tennis regionals at the Dan Magill Complex (Friday through Sunday) and the SEC Track & Field Outdoor Championships at Spec Towns Track (Thursday-Sunday). The track competition is expected to draw thousands to the Classic City. As many as 700 men’s and women’s athletes will be participating and friends and family of many of those competitors will surely follow. Here’s a feature I wrote on UGA steeplechaser Matt Cleaver to advance the SEC track meet.
7. Georgia baseball’s postseason hopes have taken a serious hit this week. They were already dinged pretty good after losing two of three at Auburn, then came a t-bone crash with a 4-2 home loss to Mercer on Wednesday. Now it has become a mathematical situation for the Bulldogs. While their RPI remains relatively high, they simply have to end up at least three games above .500 heading into the SEC Tournament to give the NCAA selection committee any reason to consider them come June. That means they need to win at least five of the final seven regular-season games. That’s going to be a tall order with three at Kentucky this weekend, and then home against Kennesaw State and then three home games against No. 1-ranked Vanderbilt.
8. The Macon Telegraph’s Seth Emerson tweeted that the Twitter ban for Georgia men’s basketball players has been lifted by prolific tweeter/coach Mark Fox. Emerson was apparently alerted to this new via a tweet from rising sophomore Marcus Thornton.
9. It’s really exciting to see that the University of Georgia and the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism has established a news sports journalism major. While it has been in the works for a while, the official announcement was made Wednesday. The formation of the program was made possible by a $1 million gift from Atlanta’s Carmical Foundation, which will fund a “Chair in Sports Journalism and Society.”
Don’t be surprised if this doesn’t have an indirect efffect on Georgia’s football recruiting. Jordan Watkins, a defensive end out of Woodward Academy and a top 10 prospect in the state, is a 4.0 student who wants to major in sports journalism.
10. THIS & THAT: The good news that all of Georgia’s season-ticket holders were able to get the tickets they requested for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game against Boise State in the Georgia Dome. The bad news is some tickets are still available, at least according to one empassioned fan blogger. . . . The Georgia softball team, at one time ranked No. 1 in the country, stumbles into the SEC Tournament, which begins today in Oxford, Miss. The eighth-ranked Bulldogs (45-11, 17-9 SEC) will face LSU having lost four of their last six games, including a loss to Longwood on Wednesday.
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320 comments Add your comment
Delusional Dawg fans Parents
May 12th, 2011
4:22 pm
Delusional Dawg fans please stop, i don’t want you getting hurt again. I don’t have to remind you of the incident with the 12 year old girl. You spent four days in the hospital.
BiggdawgK
May 12th, 2011
4:23 pm
@me comment @11:58am
UT’s sports journalism program is better than UGA’s sports journalism program that was just announced wedensday? Wow way to go out on a limb with a brave statement.
As far as ut having a Journalism school that is even close to being as great as UGA’s superior Grady School I just want to say thanks for providing me a long loud LOL LOL LOL
Charlie Hayes
May 12th, 2011
4:26 pm
Too big of a deal being made about the O-Line. UGA had the most expeirenced O-Line just two (2) seasons ago. Where did that get us? Nowhere. The O-Line will be fine and the running game will improve since you have a fiesty RB (Crowell) coming into the system. Look at the success UGA has had with RB’s. When they first step on the field they are really fast, hot the hole hard and get tear up large pieces of turf per carry. When they become complacent is when we have issues. The “I know I am gonna start” mentatilly. Ealey looked like a stud his Freshman year. Moreno was amazing his R-Frosh year when he got the node for the start. The same will be true this year with Crowell. The only difference is that Caleb King knows his only shot at some NFL money is this year. He will be charged-up and motivated like never before. The O-Line and the RB’s will be putting up some amazing numbers this season. You better watch the D and make sure they can hold down our components……
Delusional Dawg fans
May 12th, 2011
4:27 pm
I pee sitting down.
bitter dawg fan
May 12th, 2011
4:36 pm
reaping the spoils of war———–we have crow———you trolls dont—–time to move on loosers
Bring Back Wally Butts
May 12th, 2011
4:37 pm
Delusional Dawg fans
May 12th, 2011
3:00 pm
“Somehow, I just can’t see UGA going from 6-6 last year to 10-2 this year”
Neither can anyone else with a brain.
No one saw Aubarn going from 8-5 to 13-0 the next year, either. Oh, that’s right, you cheated. Never mind.
Delusional Dawg fans
May 12th, 2011
4:48 pm
“No one saw Aubarn going from 8-5 to 13-0 the next year, either. Oh, that’s right, you cheated. Never mind.”
Funny how delusional dawg fans always seem to come up with some excuse as to why they suck.
Dawg fans rationale as to why other teams win: They cheated, they got lucky, they’re on steroids….
Bottom line: UGA is a bottom tier football school.
Remember dawgies: Auburn, TN, Bama, UF and LSU all have national titles within the last 15 years.
UGA, not so much.
truedawg
May 12th, 2011
4:53 pm
Dawgs didn’t have a great 1979 either….80 went well. Last season is last season. I’ll beat money no way the Dawgs loose more than 3 games this year.
Glad to see Erk getting the statue, very deserving man. Best coach ever to coach in the state of GA..yes better than Dooley or Richt or…insert name here.
truedawg
May 12th, 2011
4:54 pm
DDF…Remember dawgies: Auburn, TN, Bama, UF and LSU all have national titles within the last 15 years.
UGA, not so much.
Do you really count a NC with 2 loses? Do you really think the UGA wouldn’t have destroyed LSU that year? answer that truthfully or lose any respect you might have from me.
Delusional Dawg fans
May 12th, 2011
4:57 pm
truedawg
UGA got screwed in 02. That’s the only year they should have gone. LSU won the West and won the SEC Championship and YES, I do think UGA would have destroyed them in the championship.
truedawg
May 12th, 2011
5:03 pm
That was the only year, other than that, not being able to beat UF has cost UGA 2 NC under Richt. I say beat UF or get a new coach. I love Richt, but I’m tired of losing that game.
Delusional Dawg fans
May 12th, 2011
5:07 pm
truedawg
What’s crazy is Auburn doesn’t have too hard of a time with Florida and UGA doesn’t have too hard of a time with Arkansas or LSU. Funny how that happens. Some teams just have other teams numbers.
Go Dawgs!
May 12th, 2011
5:14 pm
LEFTYLIBERAL
May 12th, 2011
11:50 am
rb’s make the OL great…
Link Report this comment
I guess that’s why Emmitt Smith, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Barry Sanders have bought their offensive linemen Rolex watches, vaccations, and/or routinely wined and dined them.
Everyone who has at least a spec of football knowledge KNOWS championships are won and lost on the lines of scrimage.
Go get educated.
Bail Bonds R Us
May 12th, 2011
5:53 pm
It’s UGAy, home of the wealthiest bail bondsmen in the U.S. Who cares?
Brucerugby79
May 12th, 2011
5:53 pm
Looks like this blog is loaded with trolling rivals–I want us to come out with all 5 TE 1 at FB 2 in tight and charles and white flanked out-put one in motion and here we come-a DB’s nightmare!!
Headless QB
May 12th, 2011
5:57 pm
Looks like this blog is loaded with trolling rivals–I want us to come out with all 5 TE 1 at FB 2 in tight and charles and white flanked out-put one in motion and here we come-a DB’s nightmare!!
Right. Where do you want Murray’s head delivered?
What a stupid comment.
RichmondDawg
May 12th, 2011
6:19 pm
Just revisited some video of Crowell, and got excited all over again. The kid has an extra gear, is elusive on the outside, and can run between the tackles as well. I just hope he can learn the playbook, take care of his academics, and stay out of trouble.
dawg 777
May 12th, 2011
6:28 pm
Are you going to be a Auburn fan, When you lose to CLEMSON SOUTH CAROLINA ,ARKANSAS ,LSU , GEORGIA, ALABAMA THIS YEAR AND GO 6-6. PAY BACK IS COMING!!!!
Delusional Dawg fans
May 12th, 2011
6:42 pm
“Are you going to be a Auburn fan, When you lose to CLEMSON SOUTH CAROLINA ,ARKANSAS ,LSU , GEORGIA, ALABAMA THIS YEAR AND GO 6-6. PAY BACK IS COMING!!!!”
I love some of the ignorant comments from fans of a team that went 6-7. Just because you SAY it will happen doesn’t mean it will. Heck, if we went by what dawg fans say, UGA would have 30 national title trophies since 1980. Auburn will be just fine, 777.
AUBURN: Winner of the 2011 BCS Championship.
UGA: Winner of the 2010 Fulmer Cup.
Delusional Dawg fans
May 12th, 2011
6:43 pm
“Are you going to be a Auburn fan”
Always have, always will. I’ve suffered through bad seasons and great seasons.
Great seasons include 1983, 1993, 1994, 2004, 2006 and 2010.
bgdawg
May 12th, 2011
7:05 pm
good to see my blood relative come back to school and get his degree. See my cousin gets it. its not all about football, education comes first even when you are a pro. Tony, we Gilberts love and support you!
It Ain't Rocket Science
May 12th, 2011
7:08 pm
Chip, please refrain from putting out any story having anything remotely good to say about UGA. It brings out the jealousy of a mixture of head cases and just plain ignorant folks with a vengance towards UGA. You should know by now, that there outstanding bloggers of this nature, have crystal balls and have been to a fortune teller who told them to write all of this negative stuff on your sports blog.
GO DAWGS.
Delusional Dawg fans
May 12th, 2011
7:12 pm
“It brings out the jealousy of a mixture of head cases and just plain ignorant folks with a vengance towards UGA.”
No jealously here, Science. I’m here because Chip wrote about Auburn. The only folks jealous of UGA are ones that pull for football teams such as South GA Community College etc..
Delusional Dawg fans
May 12th, 2011
7:14 pm
“UGA had the most expeirenced O-Line just two (2) seasons ago. Where did that get us? ”
Well, it did get UGA a win over Tech. I mean, most of the time, dawg fans are typing WE OWN THIS STATE. If that’s the goal of the Bulldogs, you’ve already reached that goal.
JDawg1785
May 12th, 2011
8:04 pm
Fellow Dawg fans, don’t feed the trolls!
joe taxpayer
May 12th, 2011
9:46 pm
2011 will beCMR farewell tour. That good man has had his finale year and good riddance.
joe taxpayer
May 12th, 2011
10:00 pm
tide roll there are alot of dawg fans who have discuss the issues that you have written about. However. UGA fans are in love with CMR public/religionist persona and until the house of cards collapses nothing will change at UGA. Its a first rate school, first rate campus, first rate stadium in a state filled with football talent but we are a second rate football team. Its going to have to get worse before changes will be made.
truedawg
May 12th, 2011
10:23 pm
Joe,
Good riddance? CMR? Look what UGA was before Richt..He brought UGA to the upper class. Every team in the SEC feared us (except UF) His wins per season are greater than any UGA coach before him. UGA has been down, I think the team will be ready to play come Sept, but who knows, Win or lose, Richt deserves respect from the Bulldog nation for what he did at UGA. GO DAWGS.
bardawg
May 12th, 2011
11:29 pm
Ealey exposed himself, and there’s just no taking it back. The boy has tainted himself . I would have to offer as a fair assessment that Waushan , in order to advance his situation, probably needs to go west, Where he’s relatively an unknown . If he gets another opportunity , maybe he’ll learn to keep his big mouth shut!
bardawg
May 12th, 2011
11:42 pm
To “Delusional Dawg Fans” , Just can’t say how wonderful it’s going to be when you cheating jerks have your bought & paid for by uncle Bobby Louder National Championship revoked ! You know it’s coming to the plains, just like itdid to USC, you people will feel it breathing down your pathetic chicken necks soon enough.
Just Axing!!!!
May 12th, 2011
11:53 pm
Dawg in Lex…please put down the pipe, the bottle, the prescription drugs prescribed for others.
Lets get real.
LSU- 11-1
Alabama 11-1
Mississippi St 10-2
Arkansas 9-3
USC- 9-3
Florida 8-4
Georgia 7-5
Tennessee 7-5
Kentucky 7-5
Ole Miss 6-6
Auburn 5-7
Vanderbilt 1-11
Does anyone really think Crowell is better at this stage of his game coming into his freshmen year as Ingram, Richardson, Lattimore, Dyer, ? The resounding answer is “NO”. That answer comes with the one caveat: The offensive lines that blocked for these players were very very good. UGA has depth issue, and a ton of new faces on the line. Crowell is not physically tough enough as this point of his career to be that go to “Hershel/Bo/’ style back.
Buford T. Pusser
May 13th, 2011
12:01 am
He has has yet to play a down and already excuses are being made for Crowell; “He does’nt have an offensive line.” UGAy is the place top-rated running backs go to underacheive, need I elaborate? Justice for the most delusional fan base in America. Any wonder why UGAy fans are the most despised in the South? And I assure you it is not jealousy. It’s been, what, 31 years and counting since your one and only National Championship?
The Sheriff has spoken.
RED DOG 77
May 13th, 2011
1:23 am
Personally?…………I am quite confident the Bulldog Oline will be just fine this year. I don’t care if “Bean” was on the Dside of the ball last year……the new kid on the block, Burnett, hell folks the dude is a hoss, if Sturdivant can be a Freshman All-American, so can Bunett…….remember the kid is not only big and strong and atheletic……but he is smart, possibly the best GPA on the team. Oh just quit maoning and graoning people!…….Our Defense is going to kick some major butt this year, and something tells me the offense won’t want to be left out of the glory!………this my fine BULLDOG friends is where chemistry is born……..and aside from raw talent, chemistry is the most important element in football PERIOD………….RED
Ssgt Dawg
May 13th, 2011
1:28 am
Murray got his grades today 4A’s and a B you can fact check that. As did a few other dawgs on the roster. So the question is why not ck? Something in this stew just don’t taste right.
SLCDawg
May 13th, 2011
1:52 am
“Delusional Dawg Fans”
– that was 2007
SLCDawg
May 13th, 2011
2:01 am
anybody post this in a while? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZe99cnBT4s
Georgia Boy
May 13th, 2011
4:19 am
You said that Kenarious Gates played in every game? That’s wrong. He didn’t make his college debut until somewhere around the Tenn game. Get it together.
ty
May 13th, 2011
6:21 am
Paul H, you know nothing about GA Southern. They have 24 returning starters from the semi final team of last year. Their running backs do not get an entitlement job and are rotated frequently because of the great number of good backs they have. WE wants to be the man that runs the state. That will never happen at GA Southern. No one has been given a starting position before they arrive on campus at Statesboro. The problem at GA is Richt says IC will probably seen some time in the first game, without knowing how well he BLOCKS for the PASS, While all the other backs presently on the team and in the recent past had to be able to do so before they get on the field. Lack of consistancy in the philosophy creates confusion, distrust, and friction among the players.
joe
May 13th, 2011
6:29 am
Have you ever considered the difference in the programs at Burnes High School in SC and Carver of Columbus?
RD
May 13th, 2011
6:33 am
Do you actually think Bobo and Richt are going to have a running game?????Wake up!!!!!!
It Ain't Rocket Science
May 13th, 2011
6:38 am
RD,
Coached a lot of NCAA football have you?
Paddy
May 13th, 2011
7:08 am
leftyliberal………………..no you are not the only one who thinks Ealey will be missed. Ealey thinks he will be missed also. One of the straight things in this college crowd is Georgia Southern. They know they are not going to miss Ealey; they don’t need or want him. That should tell you that the hometown folks down there know what there doing!!
AltamahaDawg
May 13th, 2011
7:13 am
I don’t think it would take a lot of improvment from the o-line to only lose 5 games like SC. As poorly as they played last year, it would have been good enough to win the East with 3 losses, get blown out of the SECCG, and lose its bowl game. That’s not much of a standard.
joe taxpayer
May 13th, 2011
7:27 am
truedawg every thing you wrote is true however look what Bobby Bowden did for Fla. St. and they were ready to let him go. CMR time is up and UGA and this season will prove it. He took Ga. to the upper class for 2 or 3 seasons true but for the last 5 we have been sliding slowly downhill and its not going to be turned around in 1 year. It seems we have been having o-line issues forever.
AltamahaDawg
May 13th, 2011
7:29 am
ty, how is predicting that your star recuit is going to “see time” some kind of a problem? What’s the problem? Do you presume to know exactly what that means. Its swell that “starters” have to earn thier spot unlike any otehr colleges in the nation. . Never actually heaed anyone promising the kid was the starter, (in fact I have heard quite a differerent take on it). I’m pretty damn sure he knows from his 3 decades of coaching exactly how he can block his first month on a college campus. You presume to know what he should think or do about it? It’s kind of a situation deal isn’t it? Richt NEVER said a freshman RB can’t even play trill he has mastered blocking. He talks all the time about the importance, and how that dictates playing TIME, and how reliable that makes a back in critical situations. Some RB have been RS because the playing time, behind whomever is in front of them, would be a waste, in a couple of cases there were physical issues. You don’t know what you are talking about to say that you know the circumstances in each case.
Ealey came in as a freshman as soon as he as healthy enough becasue he was highly regarded in his running ability. Nobody ever thought he could block well at that point. But you say that is confusing to him that somebody else, even higher regarded, might see time as a freshman as well?
Concerned!
May 13th, 2011
7:53 am
Who cares who is at what position. Georgia could have 5 star guys coming in at all the positions, as well # 1 at all the positions, and the fact remains that the house is not being run right. CMR good guy, poor leader who gets little respect from from his real players. The fils in are there for the education, but the real guys CMR is depending on are just poor young men. That is a broad brush, but ten bad apples spells 10 more who go undetected. Same rule with shop lifting, speeding, etc. We have nothing to be proud of, and man do I no longer like this staff for not what they have done, but for what they have NOT done.
How many more kids will crap all over their opportunity? This is beyond okay, and CMR has yet to own his failure which tells me how really poor of a inner person he is.
“Please do not print that, my Sunday school class is not going to like me saying that word’. What a passie for a major institution BCS coach. Get on thing straight, most of the players from the past do not support this staff and lack of leadership. I do not care what they say in public or on the air. Behind closed doors it stinks and CMR has lost much respect.
Another thing, how about one asst. who has not stepped up to say look we did not do right by the University, and we are to blame for the lack of leadership. Five coaches have come and gone in the last two years. Warren Belin is no loss, he was an ugly man when at Vandy, as for the O Line coach, well can you blame him. The Texas coach is top shelf plus what a nice pay day. When it is all done and over, and we either have an okay season or we look like what we have, CMR will have to face the music. It is not about wins and losses, records are okay. Dooley had so so seasons, and won a Championship once ever six or eight years. Dooley and other coaches never had these type of issues with having players stay within the game, and conduct themselves in a manner that a student/athlete should. I was there and I saw five years of it. This passage today is filled with disrespect for the university, the fans, the other players, the families, and the player himself. We just are not close enough for me to think that an all world QB, and a little freshman running back will lift Georgia from the ground. Then again Buck was that sort of QB, and # 34 was a single A back coming out of high school. So the good news is God can do what he wants, and maybe CMR will get a lift for his faith. Time will tell!
Magnolia,Tx Dawg
May 13th, 2011
8:49 am
I just hope the Dawgs play 60 minutes in a 60 minute game on both sides of the ball.
It Ain't Rocket Science
May 13th, 2011
8:50 am
I am sure glad that the Penn. State folks had more patience than a lot of supposedly UGA fans do when it comes to their coach. Joe Pa had a few lean years in a row and he hung around and it appears he has done pretty good for himself and his university. Bringing in a new coach means bringing a whole new way fo doing things, not neccesarily any better, a need to get established as an SEC recruiter and in most cases, a need to even know anything about the state and the recruiting pool available to it. It could also mean losing some of the good players that UGA has, and usually, it means three years of a learning curve to be successful in the SEC. For those calling for CMR’s head, Let me ask you one thing. Do you think waiting for three years more before a new coach can get it into gear, versus letting CMR coach, as he has proven very capable of doing, is worth it?
LEFTYLIBERAL
May 13th, 2011
9:05 am
so if CROWELL doesnt have a good season, whose fault will it be, the OL or his?
Chief Judge
May 13th, 2011
9:10 am
you guys dogging King will change your bark!