Practice report: TB Isaiah Crowell in line to get start in opener
Walking wounded: NG John Jenkins (66) and SE Marlon Brown couldn't practice Tuesday due to injuries. (Photo by Guy Prokay/DawgTime.com)
ATHENS – Isaiah Crowell doesn’t know whether he will start at tailback in Georgia’s season opener against Boise State, but he probably won’t know what to do with himself if he doesn’t.
“I haven’t ever not started,” Crowell revealed Tuesday after practice.
And when he says ever, he means it.
The true freshman from Columbus said he started as a safety on defense in his first game as a 6-year-old little leaguer with the Eastway Cherokees. By Game 2, “Coach Buckner” (Crowell couldn’t recall his first name) came to his senses and moved Crowell to running back. And Crowell has been toting the rock with the first team ever since.
Of course, Georgia coach Mark Richt famously hinted on national signing day that Crowell could start his first game. “I wouldn’t be shocked to see him running that rock in the Dome against Boise State on the opening play if he does what he’s supposed to do,” Richt said last February.
At this point it seems likely that could happen. With just 10 days remaining before the Bulldogs face the No. 5-ranked Broncos in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta, Crowell is solidly the No.1 tailback. Never mind that it’s by default.
Last year’s leading rushers Washaun Ealey and Caleb King were unable to stay with the team and junior Carlton Thomas is suspended forf the opener. And as of Tuesday evening, converted tailback Richard Samuel is still slowed with a strained quadriceps muscle and Crowell the majority of snaps with the No. 1 unit ahead of Ken Malcome and Brandon Harton.
Nevertheless, Crowell insists he’s neither hopeful nor expectant when it comes to taking the first snap on offense on Sept. 3.
“Starting is not a big deal to me,” he said. “I just want to do whatever I can do to help my team win.”
At this point, Crowell’s significant contribution is a more of a need than a wish for the Bulldogs. And a first-year starter in a first game against a Top 10 opponent is problematic.
“He just hasn’t experienced enough of the situations that are going to come down the pipe,” Richt said. “Has he had a chance to see every blitz against every protection that he needs to understand? The answer is no. In theory, you take mental reps and try to give him as many situations as possible. We haven’t given him every single scenario yet. But before these next 10 days are over, we hope to make sure he’s got enough to feel comfortable.
“The good news is he’s picking up things quickly and he doesn’t shy away from any kind of contact.”
For his part, Crowell appears to be holding cool and steady. He said he gets nervous before games but not the “throw-up-in-the-trash-can” kind of nervous. And claims he is largely unconcerned with how he does in his first game.
“Doing whatever I can do, going 100 percent every play and helping my team win, that’s my goal,” Crowell said. “Really nothing about yards or touchdowns. I’d like to have a lot of yards or a lot of touchdowns. But if it doesn’t happen I just want my team to come out on top and win.”
Here’s a link to video of Crowell’s entire interview Tuesday at DawgTime.com.
Let the games begin
Georgia will take its first major step toward game preparation on Wednesday when it holds a “dress rehearsal practice game” at Sanford Stadium. Richt said the workout will be 90-95 percent scout work, with the No. 1 offense and defense going against scout teams simulating Boise State and a lot of scripted situations.
“We’ll play a half of football,”Richt said. “We’ll get our pregame ready, go into a coin toss and we’ll actually name captains by then.”
The Bulldogs have an ideal situation for simulating Boise State’s offense. Left-handed quarterback Michael Tamburo – a transfer from Boise State – will simulate the Broncos’ heralded, left-handed quarterback Kellen Moore.
Georgia practiced for only an hour Tuesday in shorts and helmets to rest up for Wednesday’s work.
Injury report
Two new players were among the injured players dressed in green jerseys on Tuesday. Fullback Bruce Figgins was sidelined with “a pulled muscle” that Richt described as “not too serious.” Also, tailback Carlton Thomas, who is already out for the opener due to suspension, was sidelined to give a chronic ankle injury rest. . . . Starting split end Marlon Brown (ankle) and backup nose guard John Jenkins (hamstring) remained sidelined.
Samuel practiced in a green jersey but his mobility was clearly still affected as he ran and walked with a noticeable limp. . . . Freshman flanker Malcolm Mitchell (hip) was able to return to practice in a limited capacity but is expected to be close to full speed for Wednesday’s workout.
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551 comments Add your comment
GT Joe
August 24th, 2011
10:07 am
Good coaching beats talent. BSU 45-21.
WDE
August 24th, 2011
10:08 am
@GT Joe you sound like you need a nap, what the matter PROBATION keeping you up at night or is it 1-9 ??
TampaDawg
August 24th, 2011
10:08 am
@GT Joe — Let’s try real facts buddy .. the VT game was NOT in Blacksburg (I will let you do the research to find out where it really was but here’s a hint, NOT IN VIRGINIA). Second, is that the same VT team that lost to James Madison the very next week? Very impressive JMU school. I bet they could beat Tech. Same Oregon school that couldn’t match Auburn’s speed? Yup, that’s the one. That same QB that beat Oklahoma is the same one that UGA destroyed just one year earlier. These are all in different years too BTW so not nearly as impressive as playing an SEC schedule year in and year out.
Lastly, quit playing on our blog techie until YOUR team figures out how to beat NC State .. lol.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
August 24th, 2011
10:10 am
Who cares what a Tech fan thinks of UGA? Go drop some of your LOL’s to the Tech blog we don’t LOL our comments in big boy blogs like your Dungeon and Dragon fans do.
GT Joe
August 24th, 2011
10:10 am
Lex, BSU doesn’t need to go 12-0 in the SEC to prove anything. They have already proved themselves.
Sure, in the SEC, they don’t win as many games. But an 8-4 SEC team still beats Georgia.
TampaDawg
August 24th, 2011
10:11 am
Mobile Dawg, love your posts buuuut, what’s a computer’s ISP address?
DawginLex
August 24th, 2011
10:14 am
They haven’t proved anything and you know it.
We will see who is crowing after Sept 3rd
How is it to live vicariously through other teams because your own team can’t beat us?
What is that world like?
GT Joe
August 24th, 2011
10:15 am
I’ve never LOL’d so much in my life. Silly mutts crack me up.
Fresh off a 6-7 season, outclassed by central florida who went d-1 in 1996, no AJ green, freshman RB, and you’r gonna beat a top 5 team? LOL. Seriously. LOL.
Twin FBs is the way to go
August 24th, 2011
10:15 am
Figgins and Jay Rome are both big, strong hulks and have good hands. Why not use them in twin FB situations and allow QB Murray to sweep, or throw dump off passes to them? Also, we could use this same set and have Richard Samuel also blocking with these twin FBs for a QB Brandon Smith or that frosh Walker, with all of his speed and athleticism.
If we go 3rd 7 and use Carlton Thomas off of tackle and then punt, it will not be pretty.
Go Dogs
GT Joe
August 24th, 2011
10:17 am
FYI, Boise is favored by 3 points, in basically an AWAY game.
But maybe mutts are smarter than bookmakers. LOL not. Get a grip.
DawginLex
August 24th, 2011
10:17 am
There is a reason that an SEC team can lose 2 games and still play for the national title while if Boise loses 1 game, they are immediately eliminated.
It’s called schedule strength.
Boise schedule is a joke
DawginLex
August 24th, 2011
10:19 am
Won’t answer my question?
Figures because we all already know the answer.
South GA Dawg
August 24th, 2011
10:19 am
GT Joe,
I agree the Tech game is a coin toss every year. They always play a great game against UGA. I wish GT all the luck this year and hope both teams are undefeated when we play. I would love to see GT win the ACC and UGA win the SEC and play each other in the BCS. NOW THAT WOULD BE A GAME!!!!!!!!!
GT Joe
August 24th, 2011
10:20 am
Um Lex, out of the 2 teams playing in the dome, it’s UGA that needs to prove themselves, not Boise State.
TampaDawg
August 24th, 2011
10:21 am
@GT Joe “I asked you how many SEC teams did they play in the past 3-4 years when BSU was legit.” ..
So let me see if I got this straight, when BSU beat Oklahoma, they weren’t legit? They were in a BCS bowl game when they did but they weren’t legit? And with much of that same team, especially the QB, they got busted up by UGA. You can’t make a legitimate case with BSU’s previous 4 or 5 OOC wins over a 7 year period. It doesn’t add up.
GT Joe
August 24th, 2011
10:21 am
Lex, no one is questioning schedule of strength.
Unfortunately for UGA, your strong schedule doesn’t add points to the scoreboard.
South GA Dawg
August 24th, 2011
10:22 am
The best coaching will win this game and it will be UGA.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
August 24th, 2011
10:22 am
Tech fan on a UGA blog after being owned the past decade…
Tech fan on a UGA blog after Tech is put on probation…
Tech fan on a blog who thinks winning the Rushing yards category is a victory….
Tech fan who plays in the ACC on a UGA blog…..
Again UGA simply does not care what a Tech fan thinks.
Reggie Ball still thinks its 3rd down fyi…..
DawginLex
August 24th, 2011
10:23 am
Boise plays no one other than us and TCU
That is a fact
If they lose 1 game they are eliminated from national title consideration
That is because the schedule is weak.
I’m done
ate my homework
August 24th, 2011
10:23 am
Will the dog that $10k worth of diamonds be declared ineligible by the NCAA?
BSU Fan
August 24th, 2011
10:25 am
DawginLex,
LOL, you UGA fans really think that the size of your line is going to determine this game? Most defensive lines ARE bigger than OLines. Boise is more athletic and they’ll cut block, Boises coaches aren’t stupid. They aren’t going go toe to toe with a bigger line. Boise cut blocks and it slows down opposing Dlines enough for Kellen to make plays.
How do you think Georgia Tech’s smaller Oline put up over 500 yards of offense last year on UGA?
GT Joe
August 24th, 2011
10:26 am
Tampa, BSU beat oklahoma in 2007 fiesta bowl. FOUR years ago. That was their “coming out party”. Before that, they were a curiosity at best. Today, no one doubts them. Except UGA fans.
Does BSU’s schedule really matter for THIS game? They have beaten FAR better teams than UGA. Kellen Moore is an absolute stud. The probably have the best coach in college football.
And UGA’s last game was that debacle against central florida.
I’m not saying tech is any better than UGA. I’m just saying UGA isn’t any better than tech.
Dawg in Tide Country
August 24th, 2011
10:26 am
It’s bad enough to hear “Roll Tide” every 5 minutes, but to listen to a Techie blast UGA about Boise is really bad. I guess it’s easier to hope Boise can beat us than hoping Tech has a chance.
Scrimp Daddy
August 24th, 2011
10:26 am
Crowell gonna totes dat rocks likes its a ham hocks !
John Jenkins
August 24th, 2011
10:26 am
Kellen Moore won’t finish the game due to injury
TampaDawg
August 24th, 2011
10:27 am
AGAIN, all the pressure is on BSU. They are a top 5 team who, like it or not, DOES HAVE TO PROVE THEY BELONG. They haven’t won an SEC game before, they know if they lose game 1, their shot at the NC is pretty much over, and they have a QB that is SUPPOSED to be all-world. UGA? Well, most believe they are still rebuilding, coming off the less than stellar 6-7 season, lost AJ Green and have a lot of young players coming in. BSU has a mountain of pressure on them, end of story.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
August 24th, 2011
10:27 am
BSU Fan,
If you do not know why Tech did that then all the points you made before that comment hold no water. It shows how little you pay attention to the game of football.
GT Joe
August 24th, 2011
10:27 am
DawginLex, great facts. Thanks.
Here’s another fact. None of those facts matter for this game.
Ask the bookmakers.
BSU Fan
August 24th, 2011
10:28 am
John Jenkins,
I’ll bet you won’t finish the game because you’ll get hungry for another biscuit. Make it through practice first before you start talking about other players.
John Jenkins
August 24th, 2011
10:28 am
Doug Martin is not gonna like what I bring to the table either
GT Joe
August 24th, 2011
10:29 am
I’m not blasting UGA. I’m injecting some friggin sanity and reality here.
IF tech was playing BSU, I wouldn’t be yappin about how we were going to beat them. Cause we probably wouldn’t beat them. And UGA is about the same as Tech these days. Our games are coin flips.
Tobias Funke
August 24th, 2011
10:30 am
GT Joe
Oregon was 2 years ago
Oklahoma was about 4 years ago
BSU barely beat VT at FedEx Field in DC, NOT BLACKSBURG.
The more you type, the dumber you sound.
BSU Fan
August 24th, 2011
10:31 am
And from my observation here in Idaho, I seem to remember GT being more relevent than UGA recently. I saw them play Iowa in a BCS bowl, granted they lost, but the won their conference more recently.
Didn’t UGA have a losing season last year and lose to UCF in lowly bowl?
GT has been more relevant lately, UGA has just been riding the coattails of a strong conference. UGA hasn’t actually competed in that conference lately.
Dawg in Tide Country
August 24th, 2011
10:32 am
Must be a two headed coin!
Lowcountry Bulldawg
August 24th, 2011
10:33 am
Yep Boise fans and Tech fans unit. The only thing they are missing is the third musketeer, quick grab a Bama fan.
Joey
August 24th, 2011
10:33 am
“The best coaching will win this game and it will be UGA.”
***************************************
If that happens, it will be the first time we have had the “best coaching” in a big game in a long time. I have confidence that our D is in good hands. The O – not so much.
The key, other than Bobo is the OL. No RB can do much if he doesn’t get good blocking.
JB
August 24th, 2011
10:34 am
Tech is in trouble, they just want admit it. GT Joe talks about the wisdom of the odds makers having Boise favored by three, but won’t comment much about every pre season Mag and every sports outlet and commentator having Tech in the Suck category.
GT Joe
August 24th, 2011
10:34 am
Thanks Tobias.
By the way, to the people complaining about BSU’s OOC schedule: They are practically BEGGING folks to play them. They asked bama, they asked USC, everybody, nobody wants to play them. They are scared. VT showed some nuts and took them on. UGA has nothing to lose this year, so why not.
TampaDawg
August 24th, 2011
10:34 am
BSU since joining the WAC:
2002 Western Athletic Conference 12–1 (8–0)
2003 Western Athletic Conference 13–1 (8–0)
2004 Western Athletic Conference 11–1 (8–0)
2005 Western Athletic Conference 9–4 (7–1)
2006 Western Athletic Conference 13–0 (8–0)
2008 Western Athletic Conference 12–1 (8–0)
2009 Western Athletic Conference 14–0 (8–0)
2010 Western Athletic Conference 12–1 (7–1)
And how about this classic article repost from 2005’s game
Georgia 48, Boise State 13
It was supposed to be one of the most intriguing match-ups of the opening weekend of college football–two top 20 programs, squaring off. Boise State had a lot of momentum and buzz based on their bowl game showing last year and were heaviliy talked about for their wide-open offense. Meanwhile, Georgia had questions on both sides of the ball as to how to replace the senior leadership lost last year.
Someone must have forgot to mixed up the scripts for this one. Georgia looked like the world beaters on all sides of the ball Saturday afternoon while Boise State looked confuse and bewildered by the relentless attack of the Bulldogs. Georgia won the first game of the 2005 season in convincing fashion, 48-13.
They have been considered a “tough opponent” for more than 3-4 years GT, you just have to say that to try to prove your point. And yes, UGA is a class above GT. Put GT in the SEC and suddenly Vanderbilt looks like a powerhouse.
GT Joe
August 24th, 2011
10:35 am
JB. We are in trouble. Just like UGA. No different.
BTW, bookmakers are WAY smarter than the silly magazine rankings. Just look at preseason #1 in 2008. LOL.
Dawg4Ever
August 24th, 2011
10:35 am
The maturity level of non-Dawgs on this post is humanly pathetic. No wonder the economy is sinking with these people in (or maybe out) of the work force and voting. Go ‘Dawgs!
Afan
August 24th, 2011
10:37 am
Boise State is a marginal team in a weak conference so yes they rank them high.
they had great stats last year against horrible teams.
UGA is faster, stronger, has more depth, and overall just better.
now will they win the game? anybody can luck up on occasion. But even though UGA struggled last year. They are still a better team than Boise.
this all american QB of Boise may be good. But he has never seen speed like he will see coming at him on Sept 3rd.
JB
August 24th, 2011
10:37 am
Is There electricity in Idaho?…………..All kidding aside, I’ve been looking and reading about Boise on line….Man, it looks like a wonderful place to live.
GT Joe
August 24th, 2011
10:37 am
LOL tampa, UGA beat Boise in a down year for boise. which is 9-4 for them.
UGA is a class above tech? get real. We beat ya’ll in 2008, and the last 2 games went down to the last possession. Get a grip.
Ag Dawg
August 24th, 2011
10:38 am
BS fan … How mant 350 lb nose tackles do you play against that are fast and quick enough to play fullback ???????? Just letting you know his name is JENKINS so can remember it when on top of your overated QB
TampaDawg
August 24th, 2011
10:39 am
GT Joe, apparently you know NOTHING about oddsmakers either. They don’t throw a line down there based solely on who they think will win. Their job is to get money into the game with an intriguing line both ways. A 3 point spread has a lot less to do with who they think will win and more to do with can they get money placed on both sides. You’re grabbing at straws here. None of your “facts” stick.
BSU Fan
August 24th, 2011
10:40 am
Ag Dawg…
Are you talking about the guy up there in that picture in the green jersey? So athletic he had to hauled off the first practice because he coulnd’t breathe? That guy? That sounds way too athletic for me.
Maybe he should have just went to the NFL.
Mobile Dawg
August 24th, 2011
10:41 am
Tampa Dawg, I probably meant an IP address, no technical computer wizard here. As you are asking you probably already know, my short answer would be an identifying number for the particular computer I’m sending from.
Tobias Funke
August 24th, 2011
10:41 am
That wasn’t a compliment GT Joe.
You make no sense.
JB
August 24th, 2011
10:42 am
Tech beating us in 08 was considered by them a route, a real beating, and had rings made with the score LOL,,,,,, but our wins the last two years were in their eyes played down to the last possession…LOL………interesting take…………….sounds like a Democrat.