Practice update: Dallas Lee well, starters injured, Nick Marshall on hoops
ATHENS – Dallas Lee is feeling like himself again, and that’s a really good thing for both him and the Bulldogs.
Lee
Lee had spent the better part of the last 18 months not knowing what was wrong with him and that’s especially bad when the problem involves breathing. Now he’s well and just in time to work himself into Georgia’s rotation on the offensive line.
“Dallas has had a great turnaround,” head coach Mark Richt said. “He’s the sixth guy [on the offensive line] right now. He’s the putty man for any guard or center situation. And he’s not done competing for a starting job either.”
That’s pretty amazing considering Lee hadn’t even played in front of first-year line coach Will Friend until the first practice on August 5.
“This is the first time I’ve ever been around him in six months,” Friend said. “Two weeks ago was the first time I’ve gotten to work with him because I couldn’t do anything with him in the summer. So that was good to get him. Dallas has played good at times. He’s actually worked some with the ones. I have no problem whatsoever with Dallas being in the game.”
Currently, Friend said, Lee would be the first guy in at left or right guard or at center.
That’s a long way from where the 6-foot-4, 300-pound redshirt sophomore was last fall. Stricken by some sort of asthma-like condition, Lee was worried about where he get his next breath rather than his next snap.
“It was real frustrating,” said Lee, a Buford High graduate. “They had me going to all kinds of doctors and nobody could figure it out. It ended up being like almost a year and a half of not being able to figure out what was wrong. They still haven’t really figured out what was wrong, but they finally got a medicine combination that works. So that’s all I’m worried about. I’m back playing.”
Friend said otherwise the O-line depth chart has remained unchanged. The starters have been the same since the opening of camp, with Cordy Glenn at left tackle, Kenarious Gates at left guard, Ben Jones at center, Chris Burnette at right guard and Justin Anderson at right tackle.
“Those guys have done nothing to lose their positions,” Friend said. “They’ve all performed pretty well, so we’re pretty set there.”
Friend said tackle Watts Dantzler and center David Andrews are the only freshmen he’s considering playing at this point. Redshirt freshman Kolton Houston, he said, “has got to do better for us.”
Also, Friend said Austin Long, sidelined for two weeks with mono, is back to full speed and working his way.
Asked if the 305-pound Long had lost any weight during his illness, Friend laughed. “I need to but he didn’t.”
Caleb King signs free agent deal with Vikings
Former Bulldog Caleb King was passed over in the NFL supplemental draft Monday but landed a free-agent deal from the Minnesota Vikings, his agent confirmed.
“He’s shown that he has skills that are transferable to the next level,” agent Kevin Conner of Atlanta’s Universal Sports and Entertainment said Monday. “Running back is such a volatile position for them to project. You can find good ones, early, in the middle and late.”
King, who would have been a senior running back for the Bulldogs this season, flunked out at the end of summer semester. A graduate of Greater Atlanta Christian School, he rushed for 1,271 yards and scored 11 touchdowns in three seasons at Georgia
Former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor was the only player taken in Monday’s draft, which was delayed more than a month due to this summer’s lockout.
Marshall still planning to play basketball
Freshman defensive back Nick Marshall, who missed four practices due to a concussion suffered returning a punt, is back to full speed in practice. He said he’s now working as a backup at boundary corner and is a member of the kickoff and punt return teams.
Meanwhile, the four-star basketball prospect said he still intends to join the Bulldogs’ basketball team in January. That is, pending the approval of Richt and basketball coach Mark Fox. “We want to make sure he’s taking care of business academically first,” Richt said.
Nike Pro Combat uniforms mostly disliked
As of 8 p.m. Monday night, 9,350 individuals voted on the AJC.com poll about Georgia’s new Nike Pro Combat uniforms that will be worn in the season opener. Of those 6,058 – or 65 percent – don’t like the way the uniforms look.
But only 35 percent actually “hated” the all-red-with-silver-helmet look. Another 30 percent “didn’t like them” but think it’s up to the players. About 22 percent “loved” the new unis while 13 percent didn’t care one way or another.
Injury report
Junior wide receiver Marlon Brown missed practice Monday. Richt said the starting split end “tweaked an ankle” late in the last practice, but that trainer Ron Courson, “doesn’t think it’s anything real serious.” Freshman flanker Malcolm Mitchell also remains sidelined with a pulled leg muscle.
Junior nose guard John Jenkins (hamstring) worked on the side but did not otherwise participate in practice. Tailback Richard Samuel (strained quadriceps) got in some individual drill work but nothing else. Outside linebacker Ray Drew (separated shoulder) practiced in a non-contact capacity and Sterling Bailey (shoulder) is now full go.
They said it
“Down here every game we play is such a huge rivalry. We hate South Carolina, we hate Auburn , we hate Florida, we hate Tennessee, we hate Tech, we hate everybody. Everybody is a rival. I didn’t realize that when I first got down here but I really grew into it. I have a strong dislike for all those teams now.” – Senior tight end Aron White of Columbia, Mo.
Etc. . . .
Other than some individuals, Richt was generally unhappy with his team’s ability to “fight through” a three-hour, full-contact practice. The Bulldogs have now split into scout and varsity and are preparing for Boise State. . . . UGA linebacker signee Kent Turene of Tampa, who was unable to gain clearance for freshman eligibility from the NCAA, confirmed that he has decided to attend school and play football at Jireh Prep in Matthews, N.C. He said he will enroll there later this week. . . . Based on rankings alone, Georgia’s first two games against No. 5 Boise State and No. 12 South Carolina represent the school’s toughest back-to-back opponents in history to open a season. . . . The Athens Chick-fil-A store at Beechwood Shopping Center is hosting “Spirit Day” on Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. to kickoff events surrounding Georgia’s appearance in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. UGA cheerleaders, Pep Band members and Hairy Dawg will be among the guests.
CLICK HERE for video of tailback Isaiah Crowell in action.
MORE UGA STORIES:
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
246 comments Add your comment
Preston
August 22nd, 2011
10:47 pm
Altamaha, the running game will be stellar this year. Crowell is the real deal and Samuel will be much better this time around than the last because of the new S & C program. In fact, everything will be better this year because of that alone. Look for a new attitude in Athens this year. UGA has some bones to pick with a few of the teams on the schedule and it’s gonna be fun to watch this year. UGA will get by Boise and then get better every week. We’ll take wins any way we can get em’ at the start of the season and by mid season the defense will be on fire as well as the offense. UGA will be as solid as a rock after the first few games.
Mobile Dawg
August 22nd, 2011
10:48 pm
Hairy’s right, Boise has a very solid football team. McGarity did us a huge favor scheduling this game. Like it or not, I believe this is Mark Richt’s swan song. He has the talent to win, does he have the smarts?
BG
August 22nd, 2011
10:48 pm
GATA! GO DAWGS!!!!!!
You guys crack me up
August 22nd, 2011
10:51 pm
Mobile,
Since you are obviously a little slow on the uptake, I guess I’ll spell it out for you
Two of the top three 5 RBs named by Athens Dawg as players who are going to run all over BSU are FRs. Now, if they aren’t players UGA is relying on, who are?
Mobile Dawg
August 22nd, 2011
10:52 pm
crack, agree with “every” single thing you said in your 10:46 post. Every single thing. A lot of Dawgs are severly underestimating BS.
Bluenorange51
August 22nd, 2011
10:52 pm
Preston – BSU has never beaten an SEC team. UGA and ESPN gave them a headline game (they already had ole miss on the schedule, but that would not really count as an SEC game right?). Kudos to UGA for making this happen. Who cares about the other games that weekend? All eyes will be on Georgia. Go broncos!
Hairy Dawg
August 22nd, 2011
10:54 pm
@ You guys
I think we all start to get a little delusional just before the first kickoff. UGA has to make a statement with this first game. They can’t come out flat because BSU can flat score. I do hope the renewed focus on discipline will help the dawgs play hard nose football this year. This is a great staement game for UGA. I hope that the coaches have the dawgs ready.
Mobile Dawg
August 22nd, 2011
10:55 pm
Thanks for the compliment crack, Crowell is the only Freshman in the RB mix to my knowledge, who else is a “True Freshman”?
AltamahaDawg
August 22nd, 2011
10:57 pm
Get on the Bus.
Mobile Dawg
August 22nd, 2011
10:58 pm
Hairy Dawg, you make a lot of sense. We differ in only one area of your 1054 post, I hope the coaches are ready to prepare and call a solid game plan.
AltamahaDawg
August 22nd, 2011
11:01 pm
What about my post?
Mobile Dawg
August 22nd, 2011
11:01 pm
Altamaha, I think I will fly, I have an aversion to busses since my college days. We had an accident in St Joseph Missouri, had to Greyhound to Tulsa Oklahoma, 20 hour bus ride with some colorful folks.
Hairy Dawg
August 22nd, 2011
11:03 pm
Mobile Dawg, you are right these coaches had better be more prepared than they have the past 2 seasons. If the coaches dont start coaching these players up its going to be time to bring in some moving vans.
Preston
August 22nd, 2011
11:04 pm
Thanks Blueorange51. I know you guys have a stout team but being a lifelong Dawg and SEC guy, I have struggled with a lot of the hype that has been put on Boise and the other few teams that play in lesser conferences because they look impressive beating non-SEC opposition. The media is so ready for a non-SEC team to win it all but just remember that the SEC has won the NC EVERY year they’ve been given the chance to play for it. The BCS system has denied them the chance to win them all. 5 straight national titles tells you where the best football is and I’m glad you guys have the guts to come on down and give it a try. We’ll see what’s up in 12 days my friend. Take care.
AltamahaDawg
August 22nd, 2011
11:04 pm
No brother. THE bus.
Mobile Dawg
August 22nd, 2011
11:08 pm
You twisting my arm? I’m on the Dawg Wagon, I will be on Richts when he shows me he’s no longer a “work in progress” but is the real deal. We can no longer afford OJT at 3 Million a year.
seriously?
August 22nd, 2011
11:08 pm
@blueorange51, get your facts straight! It was 2005 , not 2007. You Boise fans are way too over confident. You know what happens when you back a Dawg in the corner right? You get bit! The 2011 Dawgs are backed in a corner and are embarassed by last years production. Keep drinking the koolaid my friend and thinking that BS will dominate. Its going to be a huge pill to swallow. The reason you guys usually even have a chance in these games is bc you schedule that at certain times. Usually the first game where you have a month to prepare, or in a bowl where you also have a month to prepare. That tends to balance out the playing field. All I’ll say is itl be nice to not have to hear about BS all year once they lose in week one. BS is going into this way too over confident! I love it!
You guys crack me up
August 22nd, 2011
11:16 pm
Mobile Dawg – touché. My apologies for the “compliment”.
Bluenorange51
August 22nd, 2011
11:17 pm
Preston – unlike your GT bloggers, I will give the SEC it’s due – it is the best conference in college football, no if, ands, or buts. I happen to believe BSU is the best football team in the west and I think they have backed that up. Looking for a really good show for college football fans!
bwkdawg
August 22nd, 2011
11:23 pm
People talk as if Boise is so solid they’ve got promblems like everybody else. They lost their top two receivers, and and their starting right tackle (KM blind side) is a first year starter, was a back up left tackle last year and his first assingment is going aginst an SEC defensive line. Their 280lb center will already be overmatched an require help from the guards so the takles will have to be able to hold their own one on one. I see KM having one of the worst games of his career.
Mobile Dawg
August 22nd, 2011
11:30 pm
Accepted, it’s hard to overlook some comments, they are tainted with the brand of kool aid.
Bluenorange51
August 22nd, 2011
11:31 pm
Seriously – three years ago Oregon said the same thing, two years ago they said it was time for revenge, last year VT said they would run BSU off the field. BSU will come to play. Btw, sorry for getting the year wrong! And, I never said dominate. It will be a close, defensive battle, decided in the 4 th quarter. I like the chances of a very well coached team led by a senior QB when the game is decided in the final minutes. And, if the game is close, CMR and the dogs will feel the pressure from 65,000 bulldog fans who EXPECT to win. They will gamble on defense and get burned. IMHO!
Preston
August 22nd, 2011
11:32 pm
Jenkins and Geathers will have a field day with a 280 lb center. Whew….he IS gonna have to get some help from the guys around him and that opens up a lot of opportunities for the ends. Could be ugly. We’ll see.
Bluenorange51
August 22nd, 2011
11:40 pm
Preston- VT got one sack on Moore on a missed assignment. Their DE was all conference. Like I said, it will be a defensive battle. actually, that is the best football. Can not wait!
Radioman
August 23rd, 2011
12:08 am
Morse code signal intercepted from Mark Richt:
… — … … — … …— …
I’d say Richt knows he’s on the hotseat.
Clown Union
August 23rd, 2011
12:11 am
Will Nike have one of those clown costumes for the mutt too?
Marseilles Mutt
August 23rd, 2011
12:15 am
B & O, you should nave been a dog!
I quite agree that it will be a close game- hopefully agree that is- but the fact remains that you guys are #5 for a reason, and deservedly so. UGA is untried, unproven and untested, with a bunch of recent unpleasant history on top of everything else.
If all of my Dawg buddies really believe what they are saying, I am sure they are burning up the lines to their fave bookies who will give them the Dawgs and anywhere from a deuce and a half to a touch…depending on who you talk to and when.I hope it is not a runaway either way….and like everyone else, just cannot wait!
Live for fall and UGA football! Go Dawgs!
Oh, and the BSU/Okla game was one of the top five games I have EVER seen, if not the best….and that takes in a lot of territory, especially where Georgia is concerned.
What college football is all about « Year of the Dawg
August 23rd, 2011
1:05 am
[...] rivalry. We hate South Carolina, we hate Auburn , we hate Florida, we hate Tennessee, we hate Tech, we hate everybody. Everybody is a rival. I didn’t realize that when I first got down here but I really grew into [...]
LABULLDAWG
August 23rd, 2011
1:07 am
THIS IS NOT THE WAC! BOISE ST. IS NOT USED TO S.E.C. SIZE AND SPEED!! UGA 35 BOISE ST. 24! ENOUGH SAID!
pirtdawg
August 23rd, 2011
1:28 am
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it agian. the biggest advantage in this game for UGA, is that unlike boise’s past openers, UGA wants this game just as much (if not more than) bosie does. usually boise schedules an opener that really only benefits them. this year we need the attention and the Dawgs will be ready.
T2go
August 23rd, 2011
2:07 am
Love the confidence of many of the Dawg fans here,,,hope it happens Hawaii style. BUT I HOPE THE DAWGS DONT HAVE TOO MUCH CONFIDENCE…think that was the problem w the UCF game. Go Dawgs!
Bodda Getta
August 23rd, 2011
6:50 am
“We hate South Carolina, we hate Auburn , we hate Florida, we hate Tennessee, we hate Tech, we hate everybody.”
I can speak for all these schools. We don’t hate you. We just laugh at you.
Joe
August 23rd, 2011
6:59 am
So Calebs “skills” are transferable to the next level……does that include his losey attitude and its all about “me”?? SOOOOOO glad he flunked out- having him back this year would have kept cancer in this team…..he had 4 years to prove himself- funny it took Crowell signing to get his attention…..
Bill King is a..............
August 23rd, 2011
7:34 am
The reason why CK didnt get signed in the draft is he isnt worth a damn!!!! How long before he lands in the pokey??
And we can close the book on Nick Marshall. After watching that kid in highschool, he didnt like to get hit then. So, if he’s already suffered a concussion from a punt, he’ll never hit again. We wasted a fb scholarship on him. He’s ruined for sure now. Send him on to the basketball team.
CHDawg
August 23rd, 2011
7:38 am
Here is what I’m watching–do we tackle better than last year? Just look at some video of Lattimore trucking our secondary, or Tech running for a million yds against us before you get carried away on the chest pounding. Boise has two SEC caliber RBs. They are for real. I’m really interested to see how their line blocks our guys. If they can’t establish the running game, I think they are in trouble. Number two is how we block and run. If you think about it, we haven’t had a threatening running game since Moreno. If we can run against the will of the DCs we face, Murray will be able to cut them to pieces. Trying to load the box with 7-9 defenders to stop our run is going to get you into trouble with our WRs and Murray, not to mention the TEs. Murray and CMB were forced to rely on passing the last couple of years, and strangely enough, I think that has helped our program tremendously. CMB is a much better OC as a result. That is exciting. So the real key is how the battle on the lines shakes out–we outweigh them by almost 50lbs/man–if they are quick and they can defeat our lines it could be a tough night. Turnovers and penalties haven’t gotten any press–sure hope they haven’t forgotten these keys. Finally, the kicking game could win a lot of games.
Mindless and BallLess Insider
August 23rd, 2011
7:45 am
Shut up and let the boys play the game Football Insider. You’re NOT a Coach and you’re NOT a player. You ARE a useless troll with no clue, but I bet you slept at a Holiday Inn last night!
CHDawg
August 23rd, 2011
7:47 am
One other interesting observation. People doubted Murray’s size last year. Moore is a little shorter, 20 lbs lighter, and he runs a 5 second 40–probably slower than Kwame! I have seen a few highlights, but I haven’t watched him much–I guess he gets rid of it extremely quickly on timing? I could see potential problems if he tries to escape a rush, and if he stays in the pocket. One thing is sure, he isn’t going to outrun anybody, and any collisions would be ill advised. His record is almost unbelievable for a guy of his size and speed. 38-2 as a QB, with many victories over big and fast teams!
RedandBlackDAWG
August 23rd, 2011
7:58 am
BlueandOrange,
Yes the Boise fans will be making noise at the end of the game, It is called moaning and the players will lead the way. UGA is gonna put a whoppin’ on those boys.
Nothing Could Be Finer
August 23rd, 2011
7:59 am
Might not be a whoopin, but I expect yall to beat Boise.
Jimmy Crack
August 23rd, 2011
8:00 am
Funny how, just like in 2005, the overall feeling is that Boise State was going to come into town and kick our butts.
How did that end? Boise got jack hammered 48-13, and 6 years later there is still an imprint of the body of Jared Zabransky on the Sanford Stadium turf.
Joe
August 23rd, 2011
8:08 am
Jay Rome is one that really could help the basketball team. He was amazing in the state final four this year. He also has had greater competition to face than Marshall. He is a natural at his size.
DC
August 23rd, 2011
8:29 am
That kid looks like Michael Carvell..
AltamahaDawg
August 23rd, 2011
8:34 am
The difference is that in 2005, BSU had given no indication that they would come in here and kick our butts. I think the overall feeling was that they “could” if everything went well, and we didn’t show up. This time around the shoe is on the other foot.
Smokewagon
August 23rd, 2011
8:36 am
Bluenorange-I have enjoyed reading your posts and know that you are as pumped as I am for this game. My hat is off to BS for coming in to SEC country and scheduling this game and I know that both teams will be ready. Best of luck after 09-03.
DawginLex
August 23rd, 2011
8:39 am
This game will in no way resemble 2005 game. That was 48-13 but a LOT went wrong that day for Boise. We had a little to do with it too.
The bottom line for us is this:
How desperate are we to win? How desperate is this coaching staff?
We can not win this game playing soft and back on our heels. We have to go after them from the opening kickoff and hit them in the mouth. Set the tone, get the lead and make them have second thoughts about why they are in the GEORGIA DOME playing GEORGIA.
I still believe it will not be a shootout. I believe our kicking game and defense will win it in the end. No more than a 3-6 point spread.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
August 23rd, 2011
8:42 am
Yeah Boise was the “sexxy” pic by the talking heads to come into Athens and pull a upset and put Boise on the map officially. It didnt happen, the “Z-Man” quite that game will never forget that. He wanted no part of that UGA defense. Boise suffered the fate of, once it started to get sideways on them they couldn’t figure out how to stop it. Those things happen, UGA blackout vs. Alabama, anyone? So 2005 matchup is impossible to compare but certainly fun to poke at BSU fans with. Hopefully will be a great game.
Let the "BIG" Dawg eat!!
August 23rd, 2011
8:43 am
Athens dawg, what makes you think Richt and Bobo have realized UGA must run the ball to win? They haven’t figured it out in the last 5 seasons, except for one game against Ga.Tech in 2009. There is nothing to think Richt’s finesse style of offense has changed, besides he has told UGA fans a couple of times that he “Knows what the hell he is doing” The definition of Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, i hope you are right. But after watching Richt’s offenses the past 10 years, i think he is leaning more to the insane label. UGA is bigger and deeper than B.S., but S.C. will be a whole different animal the 2nd game. That is the game that worries me the most. S.C. will be just as big, and probably deeper than UGA, so we will see how that works out.
Blue Boise
August 23rd, 2011
8:45 am
Two weeks away from playing Boise State and UGA having bad practices with poor effort. That’s gonna translate into a butt-whipping. Kellen Moore is gonna have a field day against UGA secondary. For you bettors,take the over.
Blue Boise
August 23rd, 2011
8:46 am
Smokewagon, you are bluorange. You aren’t fooling anyone.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
August 23rd, 2011
8:47 am
UGA runs the ball equally with the pass. It is certainly a myth if a fan thinks it is 60/40 run to pass. UGA is as close to 50/50 as can be. In a Pro Style offense UGA will never be a run heavy team. If I am a betting man I would say the split is 52/48 Run to Pass. I bet we run the ball a tick more than we pass. Look at the few games were AM passed over 30 times, only 3 games.