Practice report: Dogs 19th, Crowell wows and uniform debate
UGA and Nike showed off the Bulldogs' Pro Combat uniform that the team will wear for its opening game against Boise State. (Brant Sanderlin/bsanderlin@ajc.com)
ATHENS – Online fan reaction to Georgia’s new Nike Pro Combat uniforms, publicly unveiled on Saturday, was generally negative. This came as no surprise to Bulldogs coach Mark Richt.
“I think there are a lot of people that just don’t want to get away from [tradition] and I don’t blame them,” Richt said. “That’s the reason we’re sticking it out there two weeks in advance, so everybody can get over it.”
The new design features a silver helmet with a wide red stripe down the middle, red jersey, red pants, llong black socks, all in the Nike “Pro Combat” style. UGA and Boise State both agreed to wear the specially-designed uniforms for one game only when they play in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game on Sept. 3 in the Georgia Dome.
Georgia has a 2-2 record under Richt when it has changed its uniforms. The Bulldogs famously beat Auburn 45-20 in their first-ever “blackout” in 2007. They also rolled Hawaii 41-20 in black jerseys and pants in the 2008 Sugar Bowl.
But the last two times it hasn’t gone well. Georgia lost to Alabama 41-30 – after trailing 31-0 at halftime – in 2008. Wearing black helmets and black pants in 2009, the Bulldogs fell to Florida 41-17.
“We’re due,” Richt said. “I doubt we’ll do any surprise uniforms anymore. At least everybody’s got time to digest it this time. If everybody just thinks about what’s most important and that’s playing the game, I think we’ll all be fine.”
Richt said it’s not about motivation or breaking with tradition.
“When the players saw it, they liked it and that’s the big thing,” he said. “And it’s a special game. It’s not what we would call a traditional uniform but it’s not a traditional game either. That’s kind of why we did it.”
Meanwhile, the players love them.
“I think they’re awesome,” junior wide receiver Tavarres King said. “We’ve still got to play so it’s not a magic potion or anything. But I love what Nike has done for us. We’re blessed to have those uniforms. I’m excited about them.”
Said linebacker Christian Robinson: “I do like tradition, but I think one game out of the year you can do something new. It’s not like we’re changing our whole style for the whole season. It’s one game. If it’s upsetting somebody that bad, I’m sorry.”
Dogs 19th in AP poll
The Associated Press Top 25 was released Saturday and Georgia was ranked 19th. The Bulldogs were ranked No. 22 in the coaches’ poll released earlier this month.
“That’s good,” Richt said. “It’s nice to be ranked.”
Said senior defensive end DeAngelo Tyson: “That’s pretty good. We can’t go anywhere but up starting at 19. We just don’t want to go down.”
Boise State, Georgia’s opening opponent, was ranked No. 5.
“Good. I’m very excited,” Georgia’s King said of the Broncos. “They should be 5, if not even higher.”
Crowell wows team at practice
Tailback Isaiah Crowell apparently is completely recovered from the groin injury that sidelined him for six days. In his second practice back, Crowell wowed his coaches and teammates in the scrimmage portion of Saturday morning’s practice.
“Isaiah went live today and he made some plays,” Richt said. “He had a couple of great runs and a great catch and run after the catch for a touchdown.”
Said King: “Isaiah Crowell came in and was just making plays all over. I was excited about that.”
It was the first time Crowell has gone full speed since injuring the groin on Aug. 12.
“He went a little yesterday and that was enough for him, I think, to realize he could go,” Richt said. “We had a great competitive day and he wanted to be a part of it. So I think his adrenalin took over and he competed and he competed well. It was great to see.”
Injury report
Crowell’s backfield mate Richard Samuel was not about to return. Richt said the junior will be out at least until “early next week” with a strained quadricep muscle.
Nose guard John Jenkins sat out after being sidelined with a mild hamstring pull on Friday. Fellow nose guard Kwame Geathers returned from an undisclosed injury that kept him out on Friday. Also, freshman wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell was out Saturday due to a pulled leg muscle. Freshman outside linebacker Ray Drew will be out at least another week with a separated shoulder suffered in a scooter accident.
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797 comments Add your comment
Barry
August 21st, 2011
4:23 pm
Looks like a conference USA uniform. You already have a conference USA coach.
playmeortrademe
August 21st, 2011
4:24 pm
BTW, anyone notice Oregon released a running back connected to a so-called scouting service from his scholarship because he was “homesick”? Yeah, OK. Even if that’s the truth, how did a Texas kid that attached to his grandma decide on Oregon? I’ll give you all a hint. It wasn’t the uniforms…
Poopdawg
August 21st, 2011
4:33 pm
Meme , maybe you should ask another Texas kid on Oregon’s team the starting QB . I believe his last name is Thomas from Houston Texas. He wanted to go LSU but didn’t think Miles would play him at QB.
Red Panties
August 21st, 2011
4:46 pm
U-G-L-Y, you ain’t got know alibi, you are UGLY Georgia, you’re uniforms are butt UGLY! These red things must
be Damien Edwards revenge for getting caught with my red panties.
Will BS also be in new togs?
August 21st, 2011
5:00 pm
Will Boise be in new threads too?
Go Dogs.
Lakedawg
August 21st, 2011
5:21 pm
ma double t—Get over it. Smart had his chance to coach at UGA 2 years ago and said no. That was his last chance. Not sure where he ends up after Saban leaves over there, because Bama would not keeo him either
jack bull
August 21st, 2011
5:22 pm
Boise will wear the same Pro Combat uni’s they wore last year in the opener. I’m all for it. Let the boys have some fun. It’s all about them, not us….I have this same problem with some parents of my 7-8 year old boys team.
JB
August 21st, 2011
5:40 pm
I have no problem with change but I simply think they new unis are horrible. A change would be fine but these look like some area football uniform. Glossy and silly. Not impressed with these at all. Just simply bad uniform design. It’s that simple. I’m sure some of the detractors are just resistant to change but I believe many see this uniform for just what it is…unimpressive ugliness.
Natureboy809
August 21st, 2011
5:43 pm
This is why you don’t ask 18 & 19 year olds about tradition and uniforms
CHDawg
August 21st, 2011
5:44 pm
Pete, BSU will be a tough opponent, but the roosters will even be tougher the next week…UGA is starting with one of the hardest schedules in the nation.
CHDawg
August 21st, 2011
5:46 pm
The uniforms are for the team, the money to the school, and to give the trolls something vitally important to complain about! It’s working…I predict that after Crowell or Samuel or Malcome takes it to the house the fans will think they are cool! You heard it here first.
TimDawg
August 21st, 2011
5:52 pm
First of all I love the Pro Combat uniforms! Second i am glad to hear Crowell can practice. Practice hard Dawgs and good things will happen.
Leslie
August 21st, 2011
5:52 pm
The Uniforms are Awesome!!
CANEDAWG, the nike pc uniforms STINK like...... !!!
August 21st, 2011
5:54 pm
Since CMR and nike have not given the fans any information concerning the controversial pc uniforms, I have dug deep to find out some idea of what was UGA traditions are revealed in the eyes of Nike.
The silver helmet goes back to the pre-1964 era, before Vince Dooley became coach of UGA, when the Dawgs wore strictly silver headgear with no stripe and no logo. However in 1963, the year before Dooley was hired some silver Bulldog helmets began to feature a red “block G”. It is not known if that helmet was officially endorsed by the University or it was the idea of a few ambitious players craving a logo on the silver helmet without official permission.
The wide red stripe on the nike pc helmet is reputed to be in honor of the late, great Erk Russell, Coach Dooley’s defensive coordinator and architect of the fabled “Junkyard Dawg Defense”. Coach Russell, who kept his head shaved bald was a muscular Yul Brunner, and he established a practice drill of taking on his best defensive players head on, with the player and Coach Erk both getting a running start to crash the helmeted players headgear into his forehead !! This drill was said to tremendously inspire the defense and transformed them to be meaner than Junkyard Dawgs during games. Coach Erk’s skin across his foreheard always gave way and at times he would often bleed profusely from the head. I can remember seeing Coach Erk roaming the sidelines with a bandaged forehead at times and at times you would get a glimpse of him in a players face barking orders during a game with a scarred forehead with dried blood residue running between his eyes along the bridge of his nose. Legendary indeed. UGA dominated rivals like UF in his days as Defensive Coordinator. Coach Erk moved on to Ga Southern and took this drill with him and went on to win multiple I-AA Championships.
The thick red stripe on the pc helmet is set there distinctly in honor of the great Erk Russell for the blood that was shed and sacrificed on his behalf to instill the Junkyard mentality to the Dawg defenses he coached.
Finally, the oval G on the helmet was the idea of Coach Dooley from 1964, when the university recieved permission from the Pro Football Coaching Great Vincent T.Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers Championship Team to “borrow” the logo to apply it on red helmets. Lombardi and the Packers graciously allowed Georgia to use the logo.
So now we traditional UGA fans should have a better understanding of the Nike PC helmet designed for the Boise State game. CMR and Nike apparently knew this PC helmet and uniform would cause a huge comotion amongst the UGA faithful and it seems as if they deliberately withheld this information. For more historical UGA uniform information please see: http://redandblack.com/2008/10/03/go-you-silver-britches-a-uniform-tale/
GO DAWGS !!!
Big Dawg
August 21st, 2011
6:01 pm
I see there are a lot of opinions on the uni’s personally they don’t look that bad, yes I would prefer the traditional red helmet with Black G etc. but I remember in the 1967 Cotton Bowl after Dooley’s first SEC Championship they were all decked out in white. I think sometimes you do have to change things up a little, shake things up and get a fire lite under your team. So if this gets this team focused and playing with great intensity, then I am all for it. Anyway I hope this team plays with a burning desire to win every game, not like the last two years when they seemed to be going through the motions at times.
Go Dawgs
flatrock
August 21st, 2011
6:29 pm
Uniforms are Arena League leftovers…
playmeortrademe
August 21st, 2011
6:36 pm
From that Red & Black article referenced above.
“That’s one thing I’ve told the guys, we’re ‘silver britches,’” head coach Mark Richt said.
OK. Apparently you didn’t tell Nike or McG.
and how ’bout this gem….
“A black helmet?” Richt questioned. “We’re not wearing black helmets.”
scambled dog
August 21st, 2011
6:37 pm
Bring back the Red bitches, White jerseys and Red helmets at the away games. A very good look……………Remember the last time we wore red pants we were National Champions. Go Dogs……Sic ‘em !!!!
Mike
August 21st, 2011
6:37 pm
They remind me of the devil’s costume I saw one time in a very bad play at Big Bethel UMC on Auburn Ave (Sweet Auburn) in ATL.
neil marlowe
August 21st, 2011
6:53 pm
how incredibily stupid. no doubt a concession to the black players.
Double Zero Eight
August 21st, 2011
7:10 pm
The only thing that matters is if the players like them.
Hit A Single
August 21st, 2011
7:12 pm
The bottom line is that college football has become too commercialized. It use to be that the school, whether it was coaches, fans, alumni or players would make all decisions. Now companies have just about taken over. Look at your stupid bowl game names. Sure they help sponsor them but you could still stick to the bowl name. Companies pay millions to help sponsor the Super Bowl, but it is still called the Super Bowl. I blame the NCAA, the school Presidents and AD’s for allowing this too happen.
No Dawgs, Milady
August 21st, 2011
7:17 pm
Crowell in jail yet?
Perry
August 21st, 2011
7:19 pm
The uniforms will make UGA players look stupid.
Oh, wait, they’re already stupid!
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
August 21st, 2011
7:20 pm
Great…when whistle blows and UGA gets the sheet knocked out of them even your face will be red! Give me a break.
Hairy Perry
August 21st, 2011
7:22 pm
neil marlowe,
What’s more incredibily stupid is your comment.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
August 21st, 2011
7:37 pm
Hey Hairy…the guy is more than correct so deal with it! Please learn the difference between Realist and Racist!!!!!!!!! I am sure you drive a BMW 533 black with gray leather and it looks classy. Well the other side wants a dodge charger in red with red leather with 26″ wells and that is classy to them. Sport…look at Miami and Auburn and you will see the future of college football in the coming years. In otherwords in the 2016 you will not give a sheet what UGA is wearing or where they’re playing. It’s over and I hate that but the player pool and with today’s coaching the game is done. Deal with it.
CoopDawg
August 21st, 2011
7:40 pm
My goodness people it is just for one GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thomas Brown
August 21st, 2011
7:44 pm
AltamahaDawg August 21st, 2011 12:37 pm
“LSU, Army, Navy, all will wear Nike PC unis this year. Al, Uf, did last year. Next year the list will grow. That darn Adams is behind it all.”
.
SIDING WITH MICHAEL F. ADAM$, again, AltamahawDawg.
LakeDawg
August 21st, 2011
8:10 pm
Apparently everything going on in college athletics is just hunky-dory with AltamahaDawg. I don’t share that sentiment.
Keely
August 21st, 2011
8:16 pm
Boise State 52, Georgia 13
Buh bye to Mark Richt the Phony Saint.
Stupid Honkey
August 21st, 2011
8:18 pm
It’s official! We’re a South Botslanta high school powerhouse!
Dirty Dawg
August 21st, 2011
8:29 pm
Hey wet-willie, why don’t you explain what you believe the difference to be between racism and being realistic? I mean dig back into your, or your Daddy’s, memory banks about how this region and this state were being ‘realistic’ about the difference fifty or sixty and more years back. Were you being ‘realistic’ when you, and Bear Bryant, decided that it was ‘realistic’ to recruit black athletes (if you wanted your team to ever win anything again)….is it ‘realistic’ to recognize that we live in a pluralistic society and have to accept that all of us are in this mess together and if we don’t deal with it together we won’t survive? Future of college football…player pool…with today’s coaching the game is done…deal with it??? You may think that’s just being ‘realistic’ but the rest of us know it’s racist pure and simple and the sooner you decide you don’t care any more and take your hate and prejudice and leave the rest of us alone, the better. Deal with that, OK?
FLA DAWG
August 21st, 2011
8:29 pm
Less than two weeks to go and I am drooling like a Bulldog!
Gotta say that if The Dawgs play ANYTHING like last season then we lose the first two games and more.
If that happens then I believe we can wave goodbye to Richt & Co.
ckgator
August 21st, 2011
8:37 pm
BAAHAHAHA. Holy crap these are horrible. I guess Nike saved the tier-2 uniform designers for the Dawgs. The latest in the world of UGA misfires. BAHAH.
Stupid Honkey
August 21st, 2011
8:37 pm
Way, way too gay. Not that there’s anything wrong with that….
AltamahaDawg
August 21st, 2011
8:37 pm
Why would you draw that conclusion when I have said no such thing Lakedawg. A bit of a reach there isn’t it?
AltamahaDawg
August 21st, 2011
8:43 pm
So if I said..”Apparently everything going on in college athletics is just completely wrong with Lakedawg. I don’t share that sentiment” How would that be? Fair and honest?
Not cool
August 21st, 2011
8:44 pm
Further proof that even Nike can destroy the best color scheme in all of sports just like how they humiliate Oregon each and every year with their nasty scheme. Unreal.
ugab
August 21st, 2011
8:44 pm
Uniforms do not look that bad! A win will make the uniforms bad a>>. A loss will make them look ugly. Lets go dawgs!
Dawg Roll
August 21st, 2011
8:49 pm
The uniforms will not matter—Ga blows out boise state in the dome—book it! Dawgs 41 boise 20!!!
dap01
August 21st, 2011
8:58 pm
UGA has been sold out!
B.G
August 21st, 2011
8:59 pm
Chip how often will they wear the new nike pro combat uniforms this year and going into future seasons?
Khalimar
August 21st, 2011
9:01 pm
So the players like the uniforms. Big deal. These lamebrains probably liked their jail uniforms too.
Erk Russell's Dog
August 21st, 2011
9:01 pm
Canedawg
Your story about Coach Russell is a little bit off. Coach Russell would get the defensive starters together in the locker room before a big game and they would take turns banging their heads into locker doors. The players would have their helmets on and Coach Russell would do it bare headed. It would draw blood on his face,but I doubt Nike used that for input in the new uniforms.
RIP COACH RUSSELL GATA DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TV Daze
August 21st, 2011
9:07 pm
The uniforms don’t matter one whit. Boise State will have a field day against the mutts, regardless of the uniforms they’re wearing.
Wait, maybe the red panties would save them. And diapers for Israel Troupe.
AltamahaDawg
August 21st, 2011
9:16 pm
I’m sure folks would call that a gimmic now.
PDiggityDAWG
August 21st, 2011
9:25 pm
Roaddawg80 has not been a Bulldog fan long enough nor read very much. Silver britches have been a tradition at UGA back to the early 1900’s.
Erk Russell's Dog
August 21st, 2011
9:25 pm
It was an effective gimmick. Under Coach Russell the Dawgs defense always over achieved and usually half of his players were recruited to play offense.Dooley was always sending players who washed out on the offense and Coach Russell would make them into Junkyard Dawgs .
Chopdawg
August 21st, 2011
9:37 pm
ERD–do you recall the 1974 DAWG defense, coached by Erk? Gave up 31 points to Vandy at home, 31 points to Houston at home, 34 to Tek at home, 35 to Oregon St at home; 38 to Missy St in Jackson; as much respect at I have for Erk, his defenses didn’t always overachieve (I was in school that year, painfully remember most of those games)