Practice report: Boise State’s Tommy Smith will feel at home in the Dome
ATHENS – Everybody in Boise, Idaho, is excited about playing Georgia in the Georgia Dome on Sept. 3, but no one is more excited than Tommy Smith.
Smith
Smith is a junior inside linebacker for the Broncos and, thanks to quarterback Michael Tamburo’s transfer to UGA, the only Boise State player from Atlanta, or Georgia, for that matter. As such, he has been the No. 1 thorn-in-the-side of his teammates the past few weeks.
Players get just two tickets apiece for away games. Smith said he needs 27 — at least.
“I’ve got 17 right now,” Smith said in a telephone interview this week. “I thought this would be an easy game to get tickets for but it’s been pretty hard. Hopefully I can get 10 more.”
It’s a problem Smith is happy to have. Playing Georgia in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game – playing Georgia anywhere, in fact — is something Smith never dreamed of when he signed with the Broncos out of North Atlanta High.
“Definitely not in the Georgia Dome,” Smith said. “I’m really excited about getting back home and playing in the Georgia Dome in front of my friends and family. I found out when it was released to the newspaper. I started thinking then about how many tickets I could get.”
Smith said he and his family used to attend Atlanta Falcons’ games regularly at the Dome. But he’s never had the pleasure of playing in it. His North Atlanta teams never made it that far in the high school playoffs.
Smith is currently a backup linebacker to Byron Hout, a senior who’s best known for being knocked out by Oregon’s LaGarrett Blount in 2009. Smith plays regularly, though, and filled in last season when Hout was out with a broken foot. He has had 49 tackles the last two seasons and was named to the All-WAC academic team both years.
So how did this Atlantan end up all the way out in Boise?
“It was all about how recruiting played out,” said Smith, a two-star rated recruit. “I wasn’t that highly recruited out of high school. I had a couple of offers but nothing major. Somehow I found myself all the way out Boise on a recruiting visit and I liked it. It was in the winter, like a couple of days before the Super Bowl. There was snow everywhere. I thought it was pretty cool.”
Tailback talk
There were conflicting reports after practice Thursday as to how much tailback Richard Samuel was able to participate. Running backs coach Bryan McClendon said the big junior was able to do everything, including 11-on-11 work. Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo insisted he did not have Samuel for 11-on-11.
Suffice it to say, Samuel is back and is involved in preparations for the Boise State game. The 6-2, 238-pound running back has been out for nearly two weeks with a strained quadriceps.
Nevertheless, McClendon indicated that, barring further injury setbacks, Samuel will likely be the starter against Boise State.
“If they’re healthy it’d be Richard and Isaiah right now,” he said when asked the order of appearance. But he said Crowell will play a significant role against Boise State and may eventually start this season.
“You definitely want to see him just keep improving,” McClendon said. “He’s put himself in great position to get a lot of work in that first ballgame. He’s a guy we’re going to have to depend on a lot.
McClendon also listed Brandon Harton ahead of Ken Malcome for the third and fourth spots.
Injury report
Asked to comment on the play of nose guard John Jenkins, defensive line coach Rodney Garner groused. “If you want to know about him you have to ask Ron Courson,” he said.
Courson is, of course, Georgia’s director of sports medicine. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, Jenkins remains in Courson’s charge. He has now been out a week with a pulled hamstring.
Harton was also out Thursday with an undisclosed leg injury suffered in Wednesday’s scrimmage. McClendon indicated it was not serious. Fullback Bruce Figgins (hamstring) and wide receivers Marlon Brown (ankle) and Malcolm Mitchell (hamstring) also sat out.
Etc. . . .
Georgia practiced for 90 minutes Thursday in a workout that focused mainly on special teams. . . Offensive line coach Will Friend said sophomore Dallas Lee will be the “first guy in” off the bench for the Bulldogs at either guard position or center. He’d be followed by David Andrews, then Austin Long. However, Kenarious Gates would shift from guard to either left or right tackle if one has to come out of the game. Lee would actually be . . . Outside linebacker Ray Drew has recovered enough from the separated shoulder he suffered in a scooter crash to be counted on to play against Boise State. “He’ll play and he’ll give us some depth,” defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said. “I think he’ll be a guy that will continue to rise as the season goes.” . . . Safety Corey Moore and cornerback Damian Swann are freshmen currently playing on the second-team defense.
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268 comments Add your comment
ca dawg
August 25th, 2011
10:26 pm
@ dr. morpheus: good coaching, smart recruiting, and low academic standards is a good start to answering your question. playing a mickey mouse schedule doesn’t hurt either.
much respect to BSU, though. whether we like it or not, they’re for real and it’s gonna be a good game.
JAWJeRDAWG
August 25th, 2011
10:27 pm
@ Cassandra
Yes it can. Look at UGA’s record the year before we won the NC in 1980. New team each year.
Idaho Potato Bowl
August 25th, 2011
10:29 pm
To Cassandra, I dont know if that is a knock to Boise or a knock to UGA?
I pull my muscle every day
August 25th, 2011
10:29 pm
sometimes twice what’s the big deal?
Idaho Potato Bowl
August 25th, 2011
10:30 pm
To Pitbull, thanks for giving me some hope man!
Prozac Dawg
August 25th, 2011
10:32 pm
@ Idaho,
There is no hope in Pitbull’s words, for either of us.
Pete
August 25th, 2011
10:34 pm
Boise gonna look so good in the new uni’s when the crush the dawgs.
Boise gonna beat them so bad ppl won’t even think about putting them in the top 25.
uga will be the laughing stalk of the SEC.
Boise wins an easy one……… 51-13
Idaho Potato Bowl
August 25th, 2011
10:34 pm
lol at Prozac Dawg. True
Idaho Potato Bowl
August 25th, 2011
10:37 pm
WHOAH!!! Pete… slow down. I am an avid fan of BSU but your a little high on whatever you’ve been smokin. B realistic. Its going to be a good game.
Pete
August 25th, 2011
10:39 pm
REalistic………………..
I am, you’ll see……… What will happen is once Boise is up 21-0 in the beginning of the 2nd qtr. uga will be so demoralized they’ll crumble and the game will get outta control. I’m psychic bro, it’s true!
bitter dawgs fan
August 25th, 2011
10:42 pm
@Pete————-21 is the age of your boyfried———-51 is your age————–tatter loooser
Idaho Potato Bowl
August 25th, 2011
10:42 pm
To Pete, dude lets talk trash like that AFTER the game. This is a better UGA team than previous years and my opinion is that they may have MORE at steak here than us.
Ole Yeller Dawg
August 25th, 2011
10:44 pm
Link to all the new Nike Pro Combat uniforms:
http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com
Pretty COOL I think!
Pete
August 25th, 2011
10:47 pm
Well I hope they are better than previous years……….. to go 6-7 again after Boise beats them wouldn’t help our SOS.
But realistically, how can they not be better after last year and with this years schedule….. the SEC E. is weak. That’s why a 6-7 team is considered to be 2nd in SEc E.
I’d rather talk smack now so I can spend my time after the game watching it over again and other good games that will be on that weekend.
kybodawg
August 25th, 2011
10:48 pm
was reading bosie st. article about this season both kickers are freshman, have to replace receivers and secondary.
bitter dawgs fan
August 25th, 2011
10:52 pm
pete=tide roll-michael cravell————hahahahaha—looooooser======bammmma troll
Erk Russell's Dog
August 25th, 2011
10:55 pm
@Idaho Potato Bowl
Don,t worry about Pete ,he is just a Ga.Tech nerd .He is sweating bullets over their opener vs Western Carolina.
Idaho Potato Bowl
August 25th, 2011
11:01 pm
Nice!…@ Erk Russell
Idaho Potato Bowl
August 25th, 2011
11:02 pm
But heh, I want BSU to win. Im all for that Pete… I hope you ARE right.
Class of 86
August 25th, 2011
11:10 pm
I’m hoping all the hype about the Dogs being better is true. I still have very vivid memories of not scoring a touchdown against Central Florida, losing to Mississippi State and looking pathetic doing it, and so on. Boise doesn’t have the size, true, but they are always ready to play and play with such heart and fire they can play with anyone. That is what was really missing from the Dawgs – passion and leadership. If we get that we should win going away, if we don’t it will be worse than Central Florida.
C from Marietta
August 25th, 2011
11:11 pm
lol. Someone actually pulled the “I played High School football card”. LOL. Too funny.
Alphare
August 25th, 2011
11:13 pm
Idaho,
you don’t have to worry much about UGA. They lost to the 4th best team in Florida in the last game they played. Their best player Murray couldn’t even throw a single touchdown in that game.
Boise State is way better than Florida’s 4th best team.
RamboDog
August 25th, 2011
11:13 pm
Pete
August 25th, 2011
10:34 pm
Pete, I just got through watching Nevada beat your tail 34 to 31 in OT, and ya’ll were up 17 to o !!
Boise lost 2 best receivers and your weak armed little QB will spend more time on his butt than standing up/ I suspect we will knock him out of this game by half time, I hope we don’t hurt him for rest of your season. Coach Peterson needs to protect him…this is BIG BOY football, dude.
Paul Johnson
August 25th, 2011
11:13 pm
I own the SEC. I’m 4-2 against that vaunted SEC speed. Hee Haw!
RamboDog
August 25th, 2011
11:14 pm
Alphare
August 25th, 2011
11:13 pm
Tech troll, go jerk your monkey , he is lonely.
Paul Johnson
August 25th, 2011
11:15 pm
Rambo, if SEC is big boy football, then I have a REAL BIG BOY in my pants. I’m 4-2 against the SEC. HEE HAW
RamboDog
August 25th, 2011
11:16 pm
Paul Johnson
August 25th, 2011
11:13 pm
Fat boy can’t recruit and can’t beat UGA !!! We own you, tech turd.
CDAWG
August 25th, 2011
11:17 pm
Columbus, Herschel came off the bench as a fresman in the first game of the year against Tennessee
RamboDog
August 25th, 2011
11:17 pm
Paul Johnson, why don’t you go play with it…if you can find it little man…I can loan you some tweezers
Paul Johnson
August 25th, 2011
11:18 pm
4-2 vs. the SEC Rambo, now who’s the turd?
Paul Johnson
August 25th, 2011
11:20 pm
Boise state 84-0.
Richt gets fired at halftime. Bobo gets fired after the 3rd quarter.
RamboDog
August 25th, 2011
11:26 pm
Paul Johnson
August 25th, 2011
11:18 pm
Paul, you can’t and won’t beat UGA. If you think you can be good in SEC (BIG BOY FOOTBALL), go ahead and jump in when the greatest conference expands to 16 teams…last 5 NC’s from SEC for a reason. Tech is a joke, I am going to watch a high school game Friday night that is more entertaining than Tech’s team.
Are you back from taking care of yourself? Take your time, it’s like looking for a bed bug, right?
RamboDog
August 25th, 2011
11:29 pm
Paul, your mom just texted me…said you need to head to bed. School Friday, sleep tight and don’t pee the bed tonight.
LogicalUS
August 25th, 2011
11:34 pm
“Asked to comment on the play of nose guard John Jenkins, defensive line coach Rodney Garner groused. “If you want to know about him you have to ask Ron Courson,” he said.”
Sounds like the strain is starting to show on some of the coaches. Somebody doesn’t sound too happy about his material on the defensive line.
JUCOs are seldom ready or conditioned for for SEC level football regardless of the hype. It was always a huge gamble to stake the newfound unbreachable run defense on a JUCO.
C from Marietta
August 25th, 2011
11:34 pm
@basstringerfish
You need to take your wife on the trip. Show her she is more important than a football. If she is not. Then, you should’nt be married IMO. I think you figure that out, once you get older. Time with loved ones is MOST important. Not watching kids that are barely legal playing a game. I am going to NY and have fun at the US Open. Yep. Skipping the game for better adventures. Then, drinking beer and eating wings. I love the Dawgs, but I have to live my life.
C from Marietta
August 25th, 2011
11:38 pm
@ Paul Johnson.
Idiot you can’t be 4-2 against the SEC. UGA has beat you twice and remember the beat down LSU gave. That’s three losses right there.
LOSER
C from Marietta
August 25th, 2011
11:40 pm
Oh yeah. Forgot to add Coach Richt hasn’t had to give up any of his titles either. ACC = has no champion in 2009. LOL.
Dean Tate
August 25th, 2011
11:47 pm
Welcome home, Tommy. I hope you guys are ready to get your backsides kicked.
The Truth
August 26th, 2011
12:05 am
Don’t believe for a moment that the Broncos haven’t figured a way to replace Pettis and Young. In the past they have thrown to receivers by committee–they will do the same again this year. For those who do not believe they have elite talent, just realize that this particular team will have 8 to 10 players on this particular team playing on Sunday in the next couple of years–including 3 of the 4 starters on the D line. The D line backups may be even better than this year’s starters next year.
Just ask your wife; size doesn’t matter.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
August 26th, 2011
12:22 am
I personally think BSU deserves all the credit they are getting. They play smart football and are brilliant in scheduling.
Look at this point in camp, 3 week or so it is bound to get a little sloppy. Players are tired of hitting each other, it has been blistering hot. This is nothing new I am sure all coaches have the same isses at this point. The issue is we are all way to close emotionally to the situation and wanna read inbetween every other word. Relax the game is getting close and alot of questions will soon be answered.
7576DAWG
August 26th, 2011
12:35 am
I think that Boise State’s strategy will be to out score us like they did Virginia Tech. I think we score 28 to 38 points which will be enough if Grantham’s defense can shut the passing game down. I think Boise State is hoping for a shoot out.
The Truth
August 26th, 2011
12:41 am
7576DAWG–Isn’t a principle strategy of football to outscore the other team?
Forgive Me, South Georgia
August 26th, 2011
1:00 am
It’s time for the University of Georgia Bulldogs to step up. If we’re legit contenders for the SEC Championship, then we wax Boise – no question. If we’re going to struggle in the SEC, then Boise will beat us easily. I hate to say it, but the pressure is on the Dawgs to represent for the SEC on 9/3.
Basically the football game against Boise will tell us how the season will go. If Boise beats us handily, then hello, 6-7, hello Liberty Bowl. If we can hang, whether we win or lose, I think that we are looking at a winning season. If we win comfortably, then I expect to see us in the GA Dome again come December.
Boise is well coached and they know how to win. I mean, as much as any other SEC fan I wish that Boise would grow a pair and join a real conference. But you can only beat what’s put in front of you. I will very begrudgingly admit that they are better than the average college football fan gives them credit.
But come on. UGA has to beat Boise St. The rest of the season could be a nightmare but it wouldn’t matter as long as we demonstrate to the team that refuses/can’t get an invite to join a decent conference that the SEC is hands down, no questions asked, the best conference in college football.
On the other hand, LSU should feel tremendous pressure to beat Oregon, and they have their own demons at this point.
Blah blah blah just play the game already
TeeJayy
August 26th, 2011
1:13 am
Richard Samuel is good for Boise. Here is why, he’s a straight bruiser. He could run through their DBs.
Dirty Dawg
August 26th, 2011
1:35 am
Clearly Boise State has a lot of supporters out there, otherwise they wouldn’t be a pre-season top five team with plenty of ESPNers, et. al., claiming that they could ‘go-all-the-way’. We, on the other hand, have a lot of question marks that just might not be answerable in the affirmative. So I guess this adds up to ‘gloom and doom in the dome’…on the other hand, this could very well be the first step toward a ‘Dome to Dome’ season that will have us building so many new cars for the ‘bandwagon’ train we might have to hire the techies to assemble ‘em – just hope they do a better job than they did on the 17th Street Bridge…maybe the fact that we let ‘em paint it ‘yaller’ should have told us something.
I’m looking forward to being able to bombard that jerk Cowherd (starting with the old story that ends with, ‘,,,whata I care what a cow heard, I don’t have any secrets from a cow?’) with who ya’ pickin’ to play in the NC game now ‘cow-heard’…and his buddy Ed Cunningham (I think that’s his name) who so cavalierly threw out on ‘cow-heards’ show that Georgia was ‘way overrated this season…no better than third in the SEC East’…and those two are just for starters.
One thing’s for sure, I can’t imagine what kind of grief we’re gonna be in for if those guys really are up to the task – the blu-smurfs that is…and don’t think that your wearing all-white will mean we won’t know who you are when we ask the final, ala John Russell, question of ‘hey, how you gonna get outa this Dome?’…and by the way, Pete, it’s ’stock’ not ’stalk’ – not that we intend to be the ones being laughed at, and Idaho Potato guy, it’s ’stake’ not ’steak’, but if you happen to have one (with your potatoes) at Bones while you’re here, don’t count on being able to buy a Varsity dog and Coke before the game.
In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m gettin’ kinda fired up…I mean I really do think the Braves have a chance to win it all this year.
Bulldawgsfan
August 26th, 2011
2:50 am
Do all you boise state fans remember 2005? When yalls “high powered offense” was suppose to be too much for georgia. Well it turned out we made mashed taters out of yall that day 48-13. You had a better team then so good luck on 9-3-11.
7576DAWG
August 26th, 2011
3:05 am
The Truth
That’s the reason I mentioned the Virginia Tech game. Their strategy was to out score Virginia Tech with a shoot out like you see in the Big -12 all the time. The SEC way is to out score your opponent with a low scoring ground game.16-10 and chew up the clock. We don’t need to get into a high scoring shoot out with one of the best and accurate passing Quarterbacks in the nation. Our strategy is to keep Boise State offense off the field and when they get on the field Grantham needs to shut them down. We have got to win TIME OF POSSESSION THIS YEAR. And when we take 6 minutes to score we can’t let them match our score in only 2 minutes.
DawgDawgDawg
August 26th, 2011
4:25 am
Hey Bulldawgsfan,
I remember 2005–it was six years ago. I’m a UGA grad and an UGA fan for life, but we should look at how Boise State’s program has risen and how our program has fallen. I like Mark Richt and I’m sure he is a great person, but he is not taking this program where it needs to be.
We/ll see next weekend.
chubbychase232
August 26th, 2011
4:35 am
Bulldawgsfan this boise state team is way better than the one in 2005. so get yoiur facts right before you start drooling all over the internet.
@rambo- good luck hitting moore he reads defenses better than anyother qb in the country and gets rid of the ball quickly. I would take moore over georgias gunslingin qb that shredded ucf last yr.
7576DAWG
August 26th, 2011
4:44 am
DawgDawgDawg
With all the changes that have occurred in the last year I’m sure McGarity isn’t going to stop there if more changes are needed. We will know a lot more after the Tenn. game. Just have an open mind. We could play great and still lose the first two games. Boise State and South Carolina could both end up with no more than 1 or two losses. I hope we have enough to beat both of them but we definitely should beat most of the rest of the schedule and that is what will decide CMR’s fate.