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
LHarding Dawg
August 20th, 2011
3:43 pm
Who gives a damn what the fans want. If the players like them it doesn’t matter what the fans like. All I want is a win!
bitter nose tackle
August 20th, 2011
3:44 pm
can—————U———say———-QUAM——MAY——————————YAAAAW
——————–IM a heart breaker and a AS-S———-TAKER———-get used to it!!!secound string
————————————-and pay for play and tree killers————and gay-tards—hahahahah
Go Gators
August 20th, 2011
3:47 pm
As long as the pups continue to focus more on how they look instead of how they play, they’ll never be a force in the SEC, and will never beat Florida.
LHarding Dawg
August 20th, 2011
3:49 pm
It’s great to have a gator troll on a Georgia blog telling us what we need to do. The gators have their own problems.
Dawg89
August 20th, 2011
3:49 pm
It’s one game. Get over the uniforms.
Big John seems to be hurt a lot.
anthony
August 20th, 2011
3:50 pm
voice of reason @ 3:25….Perfectly said!
Delbert D.
August 20th, 2011
3:55 pm
The Pro Combat uniforms are going to make it more difficult for Boise State. They haven’t seen them in all of the video from last year.
Go Dawgs!
August 20th, 2011
3:56 pm
All the old codgers should just get over themselves. I think the uniforms are sharp and it’s for just one game. All the “tradition” talk is a bunch of crap. It’s just a bunch of old cronies that don’t like change of any sort, I bet Vince Dooley went through the same thing when he introduced the super G on the helmets. If you’re a fan under 50 that hates them then you need to pull the stick from you know where.
I love being a Dawg fan, was born and raised in Athens, but I swear sometimes I hate being associated with some of the backwards thinkng fans we have. Get over it.
Don’t get me wrong the vast majority of our fans are great, met a couple of great ones at the mall in Jax as I was getting new gear for my sons, but some of us just simply act like a bunch of cackling old hens, always looking for SOMETHING to complain about.
If you agree with my post then obviously I’m not talking about you, however if you are offended by my statements or think I’m talking about you, well guess what bubba you’re right.
Go Dawgs!
Boise in ATL
August 20th, 2011
4:03 pm
Special game – both teams wearing nontraditional uniforms.
Will add to the uniqueness and atmosphere of the game – differentiating this game from others to make it more special.
From publicity perspective – the entire college football nation will be talking about UGA/Boise.
Players like them – adds to the game.
Future players – recruits – will notice as well – and makes both programs unique with that national attention.
The uniforms are growing on me – good for ONE game!
Go Broncos!!!!!!
Austin
August 20th, 2011
4:05 pm
We look like an arena football team. They are hideous, but its obvious we have no choice in the matter, we just pay the money to see them play…….. thats all. LOL LOL
Prozac Dawg
August 20th, 2011
4:11 pm
@Boise in ATL,
Got a link for a look at the BS unis?
BurkDawg
August 20th, 2011
4:14 pm
Overall it’s fine, but what were they thinking with that collar?
AltamahaDawg
August 20th, 2011
4:18 pm
Go Dawgs, you are barking up the wrong tree. It ain’t the old codgers whinning about it. Did you actually read the complaints?
UGA Fans Have Too Many Bong Smokers
August 20th, 2011
4:22 pm
I just had my 10th glass of jack daniels
Those uniforms are starting to look good
LOL!!!!!
nobody
August 20th, 2011
4:24 pm
I’m old enough to endure anything…remember the Edsel…
chickenman
August 20th, 2011
4:25 pm
if you hate the uniforms then your too damn old to be on blogging to begin with..
Bdawg
August 20th, 2011
4:32 pm
Ah get over it BlazerDawg!
4WhatIt'sWorth
August 20th, 2011
4:34 pm
I’m with you “pdawg”. Every DAWG FAN in the universe will love this uniforms after UGA beats BOISE STATE 27 – 23 in an “INSTANT CLASSIC”!
GOOOO DAWGS!!!!!!
Malcolm X
August 20th, 2011
4:36 pm
Wow, thats’s one of the worst uniforms EVER!
Malcolm X
August 20th, 2011
4:39 pm
And anyone who likes these uniforms is a Nike employee and/or knows nothing about style. Updated uniforms dont bother me, but ugly ones do…
Big Daddy"CaneDawg". Ignorance reigns at UGA under CMR !
August 20th, 2011
4:39 pm
Most of the players would be excited if the poor combat uniforms were pink with the oval “G” on them because they don’t know squat about the history of traditional uniform history at UGa. Neither does Nike or CMR.
Those helmets minus the red striped black facemasks are a rip off of Ohio State’s 1960 helmet.
The Black jerseys are cool with real silver pants but not with the dull, faded grey pants UGA has been calling silver for years. UGa should occasionally wear black shirts but they need to cancel the “blackout” Sanford stadium campaigns and promotions as they learned from playing Bama in 2008, it only motivates opponents when you create a hoopla environment about it.
I hope Georgia wins it’s first game. It’s just sad to see them looking like UNLV or Western Kentucky while doing so.
Bronco
August 20th, 2011
4:41 pm
These will look great with the pink undies UGA “Men” like to wear.
Lowereast
August 20th, 2011
4:42 pm
a top 5 Boise team and a top 20 Georgia team on a holiday weekend and tickets are face value with 3500 available on stub hub. Maybe they should offer cokes and hot dogs to go with the tickets to see if they can sell some.
UGA Fans Have Too Many Bong Smokers
August 20th, 2011
4:43 pm
chickenman
If you love the uniforms your retarded too
UGA Fans Have Too Many Bong Smokers
August 20th, 2011
4:44 pm
They really should have colored the uniforms sissy pink instead of read
UGA loses top ranked teams, probably because they are scared
UGA Fans Have Too Many Bong Smokers
August 20th, 2011
4:45 pm
red
heyberto
August 20th, 2011
4:55 pm
Someone tell Coach Richt that this is not a reaction because of lack of tradition in the uniform.. it’s a reaction to the fact that they don’t look good. I saw three mockups online before this came out. One was a traditional scheme with pro combat unis.. the other two were more ‘out there’. All three were better looking options than this.
Judge Dawg
August 20th, 2011
4:57 pm
The photo in this article is intentionally bad to stir up controversy as usual. Check out the UGA site. I prefer the old but these should be fun for one game.
UGA Fans Have Too Many Bong Smokers
August 20th, 2011
4:58 pm
heyberto
I will agree with you about that, heck if I were a UGA fan I would have at lease chosen the one with the white helmet
But what do expect from a former Miami player and FSU coach
joe taxpayer
August 20th, 2011
4:59 pm
They could play in pink tutu’s as long as they win.
Paddy
August 20th, 2011
4:59 pm
Players love them, they must wear them. OK by me. Can’t imagine we will see them again after Boise St.
Paul in NH (formerly RDU)
August 20th, 2011
5:01 pm
New UGA uniform on sale for $52
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&xhr=t&q=red+power+ranger+costume&cp=18&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1366&bih=587&wrapid=tljp1313873954423032&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=12448726218241940140&sa=X&ei=GSBQTpmTGOaw0AGS-KGYDQ&sqi=2&ved=0CEAQ8wIwAA#
Dooley for Prez
August 20th, 2011
5:03 pm
JP…you must be a democrat! Move to California where they appreciate change. We have been and will always be “traditionalists”. As for the scheduling…What because we play one game against Boise you give the AD the hall of fame. The previous AD also scheduled Boise but added OK St. and Colorado as well. The current one canked our games with Oregon that would have been a super two years for us fans. So don’t go telling me he is lining up great match-ups for us OOC. Go back to cracking the pipe!
Rich Black
August 20th, 2011
5:03 pm
Thank God I went to school up North where education is more important than football. Southern people are stupid.
Dooley for Prez
August 20th, 2011
5:04 pm
Paddy…the players may wear them – BUT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE MESS!
CHDawg
August 20th, 2011
5:07 pm
I looked at a better site for the unis and I like them. Should be great and fun for one game. I especially thought the touch of making the G with the gloves is neat…I highly recommend a site that gives you some full shots–they will grow on you.
Dylan
August 20th, 2011
5:07 pm
The uniforms are fine! Yes, the silver britches and the red helmets are tradition and they shouldn’t be messed with, but they’re not going anywhere! You’ll see the silver pants and the plain red helmet the next Saturday when South Carolina comes to town, which in my opinion is a much bigger game than Boise is. Anyways, got my tickets to the Dome yesterday and I hope to see everyone there in red!! GOOOOOO DAWGS!!
Ron Burgundy
August 20th, 2011
5:08 pm
I like the uniforms. The silver helmets are awesome. Bump tradition. It’s a new day at Georgia. Time to kick Boise butt and turn the tide against Florida.
TampaGator
August 20th, 2011
5:08 pm
Rich Black…….
Where did you go to school…….up north……OHIO STATE? Now, those people up there just hate football, don’t they?
What is stupid, is you post!
Buzz2011
August 20th, 2011
5:11 pm
I don’t think it will make much difference what kind of uniforms the Dawga wear..
It has been reported that that Boise State has decided to dress in full Florida Gator uniforms.. Rut- Row
JE
August 20th, 2011
5:20 pm
Again, AJC has shown poor coverage of the player and too much on the uniform and too much on everything else. Get off it and cover the team regardless of what.
Jim
August 20th, 2011
5:20 pm
I’d say the fans are split on the uniform. Personally I think the pants are too plain. Some of the UGA fans are actually acting with the manliness (sarcasm here) of Tech grads in regards to the uniform.
If UGA wins the uniform will look a lot better to those that are whining today.
Joe
August 20th, 2011
5:23 pm
Wow!!!!! The “Dream Team”, dreamed of wearing the traditional GA uniform and have to start their careers wearing something like that????? Wow. I spell it UGly.
Stupid Honkey Mo-Fo
August 20th, 2011
5:24 pm
Why not add a couple hindred punds of gold chains. gold tooth caps, and some other bling? Goodbye, Dawgs, I’ll keep the memories, but I’m not following this crap.
DawgByte
August 20th, 2011
5:26 pm
Georgia Morons -
Get over the uniforms you complete an utter simpletons!!! The players like them? Why do they like them? Because they’re damn cool, that’s why. The helmet design is amazing… love the wide red strip over the base silver color. Combined with the black G and black and red face mask – it doesn’t get any more modern and interesting. You pansies are going to love these uniforms when we kick the teeth out of Boise St.
Tradition is fine, but stop being obsessive putz’s about it!
Joe
August 20th, 2011
5:28 pm
Rick Black!!!! In the immortal words of a “great dawg” and “great American”, “the late great”, Lewis Grizzard!!!! “Delta is ready when you are”. Go North Young Man, Go North!!!
SiddyBoy
August 20th, 2011
5:28 pm
In the early 70’s UGA had bright red UGA numbers on those dull white road jerseys.Why do we put black numbers on white jerseys rather than bright red numbers??? Let’s make the opponents see more red !!! Throw in some red pants on the road “occasionally” .Now that’s a great uniform !!!.
Ben
August 20th, 2011
5:30 pm
That is not an acceptable UGA uniform. All these comments that the players love it come from some invisible source. I have not heard or read an actual comment from a player. One game, if we must, but ship them back to Nike immediately after the game. They need to get back to the red jerseys and silver britches.
Dave
August 20th, 2011
5:31 pm
Nike must have a lot of money to waste.
DD
August 20th, 2011
5:34 pm
When did Nike get into the Halloween costume business? I am sure there will be a rush on this costume by the “Walmartians”.