Practice update: The latest on Samuel, Smith, Rambo and Boykin
ATHENS — Georgia held its final full-pads practice of the preseason Monday, with two key players still limited by injuries.
Tailback Richard Samuel sat out half of the practice to protect a quadriceps injury, and cornerback/punt returner Branden Smith did only some jogging and rehabbing because of a foot injury.
Both, however, said they expect to play in Saturday night’s season opener against Boise State in the Georgia Dome.
“I’ll be ready by Saturday, no doubt about it,” Smith said. “It’s not a major injury. Just trying to be on the safe side.”
Smith has not practiced since injuring the foot on Thursday but vowed that it won’t slow him against Boise.
“I’m still at a 4.3,” he said, referring to his 40-yard dash time. “I still have my speed.”
Samuel, meanwhile, said he has “no doubt” he’ll play Saturday despite the quadriceps injury that has bothered him for 2 1/2 weeks.
“I went half of the practice [Monday], so it was not too much of a setback,” he said. “It felt fine. Just didn’t want to push it too far too fast.”
Coach Mark Richt said Samuel is “not 100 percent yet, but he’s getting there.” If healthy, Samuel is expected to share carries with freshman Isaiah Crowell against Boise. As of Monday night, Richt said Samuel remains the Bulldogs’ No. 1 tailback.
“He has been the projected starter,” Richt said of Samuel. “Today he is still our projected starter.”
Rambo’s status
Richt declined to say whether safety Bacarri Rambo, who started all 13 games last season but is not currently listed as a first-teamer, has been suspended from Saturday’s game.
“No, I’m not going to address that,” Richt said Monday night. “At the appropriate time, if anybody has anything like that, I’ll let you know, though.”
Asked when the appropriate time would be, Richt replied: “I don’t know. I’ve got to figure that out. Still working on that.”
Richt said on Saturday that Sanders Commings and Shawn Williams are currently the No. 1 safeties.
Boykin’s challenge
Georgia cornerback/kickoff returner Brandon Boykin issued a challenge to Boise State via Twitter over the weekend.
“Dear Coach Petersen,” Boykin tweeted, referring to Boise coach Chris Petersen, “I DARE you to kick to me. Sincerely, Me and my Dawgs.”
Boykin was hardly backing down from his tweet Monday.
“It did exactly what I wanted it to do. It created a buzz and got the fans excited,” Boykin said. “I didn’t say anything disrespectful, I don’t feel like. So if they didn’t like it, I mean, whatever.
“Me and my teammates and the coaches are excited and feel like we’ve got to come out and be confident and have that swagger in order for us to be successful against a team like Boise.”
He acknowledged the tweet generated a mixed buzz from fans.
“I knew some of our fans would be like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s great.’ And some of them would be, ‘What are you doing? You’re going to give them an advantage,’” Boykin said. “I mean, that’s their job to come and tackle me. Maybe it did give them an extra incentive, but we’ve still got to do what we’ve got to do, regardless.”
Boykin said he informed Richt of the tweet shortly after posting it.
“He said, ‘OK, now you’ve got to back it up,’” Boykin said.
Etc.
Nose guard John Jenkins, who had been sidelined with a hamstring injury, and wide receiver Marlon Brown, who had been out with an ankle sprain, practiced Monday. . . . . “I felt pretty good, actually,” Brown said. He had missed the past several practices but said there’s “no doubt at all” he’ll play Saturday. . . . Also back at practice Monday: fullback Bruce Figgins, who had been sidelined with an injured hamstring. . . . Boise State’s team will arrive in Atlanta late Thursday and plans a walk-through practice in the Georgia Dome on Friday.
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260 comments Add your comment
llf
August 29th, 2011
11:21 pm
BB, pretend you have some class.
SOUTHGADAWG88
August 29th, 2011
11:32 pm
What’s with all this Rambo hate?Rambo was pretty damn solid last year at safety…we had a weak pass rush and had a hard time stopping the run when it mattered most yet Rambo is somehow the problem?Please…check his stats….the kid played pretty damn well IMO.I haven’t seenn Sanders at S yet so I’d hold off on considering him some kind of stud just yet.Heard the same yap last year about the so called “hitman” last year too from both coaches annd players so let’s see it live fist
Zoli
August 29th, 2011
11:43 pm
I don’t understand all the Rambo hating either. Ever since he replaced “always getting burned Evans” our D has been much stronger in passing and running downs. Yes he gave up some plays but he darn sure saved the Auburn game while getting knocked out.
a dawg at the Dome
August 30th, 2011
12:04 am
BroncoBlue, I’m calling you out! You know way too much to much about Uga and the SEC to be a fan of a school over 2000 miles away! Who are you really,tech, auburn, or alabama? Lower case on purpose!
akitadawg
August 30th, 2011
12:11 am
Not to sound the alarm, but who backs up Commings and Williams if Rambo doesn’t play?
I-DOG
August 30th, 2011
12:16 am
Ya gotta admit that inside dawg provides pretty darn accurate info and does it before it gets reported on. He basically broke the story on here about the Smith injury and the Rambo potential first game suspension.
I don’t understand why Richt would want to keep a Rambo suspension quiet until right before the game. Doesn’t seem like keeping Boise guessing on who will play safety would be much of an advantage (unlike QB or RB).
We seem to be going into this game at about full strength. No excuses
Phuch Le` Duch
August 30th, 2011
12:19 am
(pronounced / foosh le duke)
I’m still hearing alot of negative nay-sayers, purporting to be real Dawgs;
-before the season even starts- taking shots at Mark (CoachRicht).
Ladies and or Gentlemen / or somewhere in between;
please do not turn the whims of a young Dawg, such as BrandonBoykin,
into an opportunity to mutter “why is he [Boykin] motivating the Dawg nation”?
“rather than the coaching staff “. BB is feeling his oats
and is ready to collide with the enemy instead of his teammates.
Chomping at the bit, so to speak. Mark will have the young men primed,
count on it, No Gimmicks. Go Dawgs – Sic ‘em !
akitadawg
August 30th, 2011
12:21 am
I-Dog: The only thing I can think of is if Rambo has got to “run” his punishment off. if Rambo doesn’t fulfill Richt’s request, he’s suspended.
L.A. BULLDAWG
August 30th, 2011
12:28 am
THIS IS S.E.C. COUNTRY, BABY!! DAWGS 38 BOISE ST. 24! GO DAWGS!
7576DAWG
August 30th, 2011
12:30 am
There seems to be a problem with some on here that didn’t listen when Grantham said that the best will play. Last year he could not practice that because of the lack of depth on the 3-4 defense which was none of his doing. This is the first year that his recruits will be on the team. But if you don’t believe anything else you can put it in the bank that Grantham will always have his best players out on the field. Apparently Rambo isn’t first string any longer but make no mistake he will play a lot once he returns.
Phuch Le` Duch
August 30th, 2011
12:30 am
(pronounced / foosh le duke)
* akitadawg:
“Not to sound the alarm, but who backs up” [@ Safety]
It is my understanding – it would be in this order.
*Conner Norman
*Corey Moore
*Marc Deas
* (+) Chris Sanders (if need be)
L.A. BULLDAWG
August 30th, 2011
12:31 am
WE HAVE THE BIGGEST NOSEGUARDS IN THE COUNTRY WITH BIG GEATHERS ND JOHN JENKINS! TOO MUCH SIZE AND SPEED! THIS AIN’T THE WAC! AARON MURRAY WILL PROVE TO BE THE BEST QB ON THE GA. DOME FIELD, SATURDAY NITE!!!
akitadawg
August 30th, 2011
12:35 am
I’m just wondering who backs up our starters at safety, provided Rambo is out, which i hope that isn’t the case. The way BSU slings the ball around we will need depth in our secondary. Breaking in the fifth and sixth safeties are risky (Hamilton, out injured, and Rambo who may not play, gives no depth.)
akitadawg
August 30th, 2011
12:40 am
Thanks Foosh! That’s all I needed to know.
I-DOG
August 30th, 2011
12:41 am
I’d really like to see us run the ball even if it isn’t very successful in the first quarter. Not every down, but I think we need to stay with it and try to run with some power on toss sweeps and behind big Figgins. Lets stay ahead of the chains and get some 10-12 play drives going!
I agree that it may be hard to put much pressure on their QB as they will run short routes and he will get the ball out fas tiwth some 3 step drops. I hope we are prepared for that. Hope their QB isn’t so mobile as some of the SEC QB’s we face. Seems to be a problem for us on 3rd and long.
akitadawg
August 30th, 2011
12:45 am
The more we control the clock, the better. If we gash them, their safeties must creep into the box. Then will hit them with play action to Charles or White running seam routes.
rl
August 30th, 2011
12:48 am
Yeah. Wait until BSU does an on side kick to start the game. Then we’re left with our “swagger” hanging out. Boykin should keep his pudding hole shut and do his talking on the field. Typical UGA. Talk and more talk. Show it fellas, talk is cheap.
akitadawg
August 30th, 2011
12:50 am
We just might onside your a** to start the game. Boise ain’t the only team with a few tricks up the sleave.
a dawg at the Dome
August 30th, 2011
12:51 am
BroncoBlue,,just as I thought!
Toccoa Dawg
August 30th, 2011
12:58 am
Its TIME for some FOOTBALL GO DAWGS
broncobillyblues sister
August 30th, 2011
1:06 am
my daddy rides the donkey in the NY rodeo on valentines day.He is all ways a hit on gay pride day.
Athens Dawg
August 30th, 2011
1:22 am
That’s the only thing that really worries me as a UGA fan facing Boise; they’re knack for trick plays and they are successful most of the time. They could try an on-side kick, they could try flips, and reverses, and end-arounds,etc. I hate gimmick plays only because they’re so hard to stop. I mean what if Boise really does come out and onside kick it. That’s high risk, high reward however. If they onside kick it, and we sniff it out and pick it up, we have great field position to start the game but if they get it, then they do. It’s all about high risk, high reward. But that does kind of worry me, I’m not gonna lie.
Kevin
August 30th, 2011
1:35 am
Saturday is Comin Boise state is comin to dome to make Mark Richt have to explain why we lost too.Look i not against Ga here. Just fact they not a Push over team coach is top rated they play on a blue grass….Fake u know and i see them winnin by score of 38-35 in 2nd overtime here…The End!
PeePants the hobo clown
August 30th, 2011
1:37 am
Love ya Brandan Boykin (no homo). I’m a BELIEVER!!. We’re gonna make a number of BIG PLAYS. I’m deadass serious.
Yellow Maggot Killer
August 30th, 2011
1:37 am
commings – took a swing @ ARK player on the sidelines in front of the camera last year —NOT CALLED. sailors – TENN. game caused fumble on a punt, took helmet off running off field — NOT CALLED. We’re gonna win w/ them ? ? ? Eight YES, 8 SCHOLARSHIPS given to WALK-ONS. Israel Troupe cited for public urination AND misses court date —- GEE THAT’S NEW ! ! ! Great recruiting CMR & Rodney ” OVERPAID ” Gardner. Our program has sunk to the level where BOYS TOWN ST. is huge. Don’t bother saying I’m not a UGA fan , just live in REALVILLE. HOW do you gutless pukes measure success ? ? ? 3, 5, 7 losses ? That’s a trend for you Tech fans , both of you. Win sat. – put a pretender down. Lose and WE look like pretenders. I hope the former, but . . .
clay
August 30th, 2011
3:02 am
Perfect way to start=Boykin runs it back for 100 yards.
Kris G
August 30th, 2011
3:31 am
I don’t like the way Athens Dawg just randomly called every player we lost a cancer. That’s no way to treat these kids. Logan Gray was not a cancer. Justin Houston was not a cancer. There were a few players in that group that we may be better off without, but I don’t think it’s good to treat these unpaid athletes that way for wearing silver britches.
Craig Spinks
August 30th, 2011
3:55 am
The UGA Athletic Association gave the university $30M this year. THANKS, UGAAA.
WtfWruthnkn
August 30th, 2011
4:14 am
I guess u guys want robots not kids playing. No scooters, partying, girls, tweets, etc etc.
If it doesn’t help when a game that you could never hope to play, then heaven forbid these kids do it. They were not put on this earth simply for yourbenjoyment.
WtfWruthnkn
August 30th, 2011
4:16 am
And the sad part is they put their lives and bodies on the line and when they get injured you give them your @sses to kiss…..look how quick the simpletons turned on Rambo…
Real Problem
August 30th, 2011
5:39 am
I have a Real Problem with the Boykin comment
First: We are running our mouths again and last time I looked we were 6-7 last year.
Second: What would Saban have said to Boykin? You can BET YOUR LIFE it would not be “go back it up”. Fact is he would have jumped down the kids throat, just shut up and play the game.
I for one am SICK with the way Richt handles situations like this. A loss to Boise will fan flames…..MUCH DESERVED FLAMES!
Win P
August 30th, 2011
5:57 am
Boykin’s challenge…to Boise. IMO it was a dumb thing to have done. Players need to be “up for the game” but that should not include giving the opponent additional incentive. It’s “trash” talk, which unfortunately has become a big deal in college and professional football. I suspect it backfires as often as it gets into the opponent’s head. I think its more of the “look at me factor” and football has to be a total effort. UGA has had too much of the “me factor”. I adhere to doing vs running off at the mouth, or in this case typing dumb messages to the opponent’s head coach.
Dizzy Dean once said, if you can do it, its not bragging. I can think of a few times it actually worked. Babe Ruth pointing to the outfield stands indicating where he intended to put the next pitch. Then there is the famous Mahammad Ali, tauting his opponents. Finally, Broadway Joe Namath’s trash talk before the championship game with the Colts. Doubt Boykin cleared his action with UGA coachs before he decided to become spoke person for UGA. From what I’v read, Boise it too good of a team and too discpline for it to have a negative results on their team.
Runnin With The Dawgs
August 30th, 2011
6:33 am
I’m not worried about UGA’s defense. As a matter of fact I’m not worried at all. It’s like I said before. The Dawgs will score everytime they get the ball. The loss to UCF in the bowl game only serves to stoke the fire M.R. has built under them. “GO DAWGS”!
Paddy
August 30th, 2011
6:41 am
Dalton Dawg…….it is not the coaching staffs responsibility to motivate the fan base. It is the fans responsibility to motivate the team. Coaches coach! Players play! Fans cheer! Don’t believe that equation will ever change.
deaddog
August 30th, 2011
6:45 am
Dawgs lose by 50
DirtyDawg34
August 30th, 2011
6:46 am
I remember when all you heard was that colt brennan was gonna destroy the dawgs in the sugar bowl, by the end of the 3rd qtr. he was on the sidelines literally crying.That is a blueprint of whats going to go down in the dome on saturday night broncos fans,KELLY moore will be saying what just happened.Then when its all said and done and you smurfettes have used up all your crying towels you can say the DirtyDawg34 told you so,if the dawgs can score 24 pts. we win.
deaddog
August 30th, 2011
6:46 am
Richt loses his purse by halftime.
CHDawg
August 30th, 2011
6:53 am
Talking smack is *always* a bad idea, and I sure hope CMR took control of this break in team discipline. Pride goes before a fall–a warning from our Friend in high places. I remember Reshad Jones taunting the GT sidelines just before he missed an easy tackle that cost UGA the game–the bigger they are, the harder they fall. CMR knows better, and Boykin should, too.
McDawg
August 30th, 2011
6:54 am
if Boykin wraps up the ball he can tweet all his wants-he carries the ball like a loaf of brea-don’t need any turnovers
david
August 30th, 2011
7:05 am
maybe someone will show rambo how to play saftey¬ get burnt on the play fake.
Larry
August 30th, 2011
7:10 am
Boykin is typical, narcissistic and an idiot. He is an excellent example of everything that is wrong with college football today. Ignorant, ungrammatical and selfish; too bad. He and the Dawgs are going down.
REAL DAWG'S N FALCONS FAN
August 30th, 2011
7:12 am
i’m glad Brandon sent the tweet,it’s time for georgia to be back where they belong among the elite team’s in college football . ATTITUDE IS WHAT SEPARATES WINNERS AND LOSERS,LET’S GO DAWGS ! LET’S SHUT THE MOUTH’S OF THE NAY SAYER’S GOOD LUCK MEN,HAVE FUN AND GO GET EM,GET AFTER BOISE ON OFFENSE KICK THEIR TAILS WITH DEFENSE AND WIN ON SPECIAL TEAM’S , AND EVERY PLAY. I WANT TO SEE THIS TEAM GET AFTER EVERY TEAM THEY PLAY LIKE THE DAWGS DID AGINST HAWAII,REMEMBER ALL THE EXPERTS SAID THE DAWGS COULDN’T STOP HAWAII ,JUST LIKE THEY ARE SAYIN NOW,TALKIN MEANS NOTHING UNLESS YOU BACK IT UP AND I KNOW THESE DAWGS CAN DO IT. GO DAWGS!
CHDawg
August 30th, 2011
7:14 am
Do you think Saban, or V. Dooley, or B. Bryant, or any other great coach would let one of his leaders say stuff like this the week before the opening game? Unbelievable. CMR should bench Boykin for the BSU game. A lack of team discipline has been a real problem for UGA lately. Boykin is a great player who is loved by the Dawg nation, but this was a big mistake, and I hope somebody on the staff lets him know that.
DropSackDawg
August 30th, 2011
7:23 am
Rambo is a Vampire
Jimmy Crack
August 30th, 2011
7:26 am
Tweeting…how feminine.
AltamahaDawg
August 30th, 2011
7:31 am
I could live without this kind of thing, but Boykin should be on a NFL roster right now. He showed his loyalty and now is trying to be a leader and motivator. He might be one of the harder workers on the team too. For anything he had ever done, he has never proven himself to be a bad kid, or a hotdogging “me” guy. He’s been nothing but team, as far as I can tell. If he wants to tweet something in fun about playing a game, I don’t have any problem with that. Had he promised to make a certain amount of yards, or do something to somebody, then yes, it would have been over the line. he didn’t say anything about somebodies own funeral, or something like that. Too much blowing every little detail out of proportion goes on with fans nowadays. This kind of stuff is all just a matter of perspective, and its real easy to argue either side of it.
BSU is breaking in a new kicker, and it’s probably not such a bad thing to mess with their collective heads over there. Does anyone really think the special teams of BSU are going to tackle any harder, or Boykin is going to whiff because of this? One thing for sure kicking “to”him or not is going to be something they are thinking about when they line up, (and they need to be thinking about assignments) so it’s way more of a distraction for them, than our guys. Now imagine he breaks a pretty good run. He just put himself up in thier huddle.
Again, not a big fan of the idea in general, and its hardly worth defending or critisizing because it’s really a non story, but from a strategic standpoint, if you are going to mess with them, that was a pretty good area to pick on.
bubba4dawgs
August 30th, 2011
7:33 am
All I gotta say is: “Leave your mistakes and penalties back on the practice field in Athens and come to play solid hard-nosed kick butt football!”. Oh, and PULEEZE forget the celebrating when you score. This is a stupid mistake that will haunt you! Just don’t bear yourselves! GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!
Fidlin1
August 30th, 2011
7:37 am
All this trash talk ends Saturday, the Games begin…It’s all a powderkeg and the polls will rock!
Go Dawgs!!
St. Richt
August 30th, 2011
7:43 am
Boykin’s tweet is the last thing Georgia needs before this game. Give me a break. Go out and do it on the field and shut your mouth. Richt has no control over these players, none.
Thomas Brown
August 30th, 2011
7:47 am
This is what this football program has been, and what it remains.
OK, now you’ve got to back it up
MARK RICHT
said of Brandon Boykin’s hot-dog celebration to the head coach of the opposing team we play 4 nights from now that Boykin DARE Chris Petersen to kick-off to him. We have to have that swagger, both Mark Richt and Brandon Boykin think. He has 3 returned for TD in his career and we, as a team, were # 85 in the nation on kick-off return last season. This is where we are.
And, against a team whose claim to fame is that 5 years ago 2006 season they beat a 3-Loss Choke-la-homa team who lost to a 7-6 Oregon team and who lost to a 3-Loss Texas team who also lost to a 7-6 Kansas State team.
Of the 4 of the 8 wins in 31 games vs the 6 BCS Conferences, this Choke-la-homa win is supposed to be why Boise State is so great. Not over even a team finishing in the AP Poll Top 10, quite obviously. The 2nd of the 4 wins that supposedly make Boise State so great is also from this season 5 years ago, 2006 vs 10-3 Oregon State only Oregon State lost to 6-6 Washington State and Lost to 7-6 UCLA that same 2006 five years ago season as well.
The remaining 2 great wins that make Boise State so great are both against Oregon 10-3 teams in 2008 and 2009. Oregon ended up # 11 in 2009 and # 10 in 2008, both 3-Loss teams. In 2009 Oregon’s 3 Losses included Losing to 8-5 Stanford an unranked football team in the final AP Poll Top 25. And, in 2008 Oregon’s 3-Losses included Losing to a 4-Loss California team who also did not end up in the AP Poll Top 25 either. But, because Boise State beat Oregon in 2008 and in 2009, both years Oregon Losing to teams who did not finish up in the AP Poll Top 25, Boise State is great because they beat them. Why then aren’t the other teams who beat Oregon both 2008 and 2009 also then in the final AP Poll Top 25 ? Oregon was NOT great in 2008 nor in 2009, were they ? Or the other teams who beat Oregon in 2008 and 2009 would have been ranked in the Top 25 too, right ?
And, this is whom we TAUNT before we play them.
And, Mark Richt tells him not not to do it, but that he has to back it up now. Wonderful Mark Richt.