Injuries, NCAA ineligibility jeopardize Georgia’s O-line for Ole Miss
ATHENS – Georgia’s situation on the offensive line turned suddenly precarious on Wednesday. Starting right guard Chris Burnette went down in practice with a knee injury and head coach Mark Richt revealed afterward that offensive lineman Kolton Houston is currently ineligible with an “NCAA issue.”
Burnette
Burnette fell out with a knee injury during individual work early in practice. Richt initially characterized the injury as “a tweak,” but the nature and extent will not be known until Thursday.
“Right this second we don’t think it’s anything serious,” Richt said. “We’ll see if it swells and see how he does tomorrow. Hopefully it doesn’t swell a lot.”
Richt said it was the same knee in Burnette injured last season that forced him to sit out as a redshirt. That was a patella injury.
Compounding the seriousness of the situation is former starting left guard Kenarious Gates just returned to practice Tuesday from an injured ankle that has kept him sidelined since the first half of the first game of the season. Sophomore Dallas Lee has been starting at left guard ever since.
“Gates did finish out the practice,” Richt said hopefully. “That helps. Between those guys hopefully we’ll have one of them ready, if not both.”
But what if neither is available?
“Don’t ask me that me that question,” Richt said with a feigned laugh. “I don’t know what would happen.”
Most likely, he allowed, the Bulldogs would slide over senior center Ben Jones to right guard and start David Andrews at center. Andrews, a true freshman from Norcross, got his first action last week against Coastal Carolina.
Meanwhile, Jones watched the first half of Wednesday’s practice in street clothes “because something he ate didn’t agree with him,” according to Richt. But Jones felt better later, went back inside and suited up and “toughed out” the second half of practice.
As for Houston, Wednesday was the first time it was revealed that he was sidelined for any reason other than “coach’s decision.” The 6-5, 291-poundredshirt freshman from Buford was competing for playing time at both guard and tackle in preseason camp but has not played in the Bulldogs’ first three games.
“It’s an NCAA issue,” Richt said. “It’s just an individual case that we’re not going to get into details about. It’s NCAA related. We think it’s going to cleared up. We just don’t know when.”
Numerous open records requests for documents regarding NCAA investigations filed by the AJC over the last few months have not uncovered any information stating that Houston’s eligibility was in question.
Georgia Athletics Director Greg McGarity declined comment Wednesday night, saying the matter was protected by federal student privacy laws.
Mitchell becomes main target
With Marlon Brown expected to be sidelined for a second straight week with an ankle injury, freshman Malcolm Mitchell is slated to get his third start in four games at split end. But the 6-foot-1, 184-pound speedster from Valdosta would likely be playing extensively anyway.
“Since camp started he’s shown his ability to make plays,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “We knew he was a guy we were going to try to get the ball to.”
Mitchell is the Bulldogs’ leading receiver with 14 catches for 159 yards and has two touchdowns. And it’s not all just natural ability.
“He’s worked extremely hard at perfecting his craft,” Bobo said. “He’s a competitor. He’s not scared; he doesn’t flinch. We saw that early on when we put him in competitive situations in practice and he’s been the same way in games. I think he’ll only get better and be a big-play receiver for us.”
One time, at kicking camp
Saturday’s camp will reunite two of the best high school kickers in the land. Georgia’s Blair Walsh attended the prestigious Chris Sailers Camp in South California in 2007-08. along with Ole Miss junior Bryson Rose.
“Yeah, I know him,” Walsh said. “I haven’t really kept up with him since he went to Ole Miss but I’m glad he’s getting an opportunity to kick there.”
Rose, who is from Raleigh, was rated in 12th by Sailers in 2007.. He was redshirted his first year at Ole Miss and didn’t take over as the Rebels’ starting kicker until last season. Walsh, who was at one time ranked No. 1 bySailers, has started all four years at Georgia and is threatening the school’s all-time scoring record.
Etc. . . .
Starting free safety Bacarri Rambo remained in a non-contact jersey Wednesday due to a strained neck. Richt expects him to play Saturday, however. . . . Offensive lineman Austin Long returned to practice this week from an eye infection that sidelined him last week. . . . Georgia practiced for two hours Wednesday on the Field Turf, the same surface it will play on Saturday atVaught -Hemingway Stadium. . . . Legendary Georgia coach Vince Dooley will be the special guest at a Georgia-Ole Miss viewing party at TheBuckhead Theatre on Peachtree Street Saturday at 11 a.m. He will sign copies of his book before and after the game and will conduct a Q&A with the audience at halftime.
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
236 comments Add your comment
Rotten in Denmark
September 21st, 2011
11:45 pm
Breaking News: In addition to demanding the removal of Beebe, OU is also calling for the ouster of CMR. Said OU’s AD: “We just can’t stand to sit by and watch Russ take any further humiliation.”
angry mangy mutt
September 21st, 2011
11:45 pm
@DAWG LOVER
Remember Colorado my friend. Remember Colorado.
bugsquacher
September 22nd, 2011
12:23 am
doesnt look like our record will improve this week….. McGarity make the CHANGE NOW! end the madness.
and the record book looks like……. (what a shame)
1-GEORGIA is a combined 0-5 against Top 25 teams in 2010 and 2011
2- GEORGIA has lost 10 of its last 12 against ranked teams. (2-10 record)
3- GEORGIA is now 15-14 in his last 29 games
4-GEORGIA is 6-10 in the past 16 SEC games.
5- GEORGIA is 3-5 in their last 8 games going back to last season
6- GEORGIA has won 1 of it last 4. (and it wasnt a powerhouse we beat
Preston
September 22nd, 2011
12:29 am
I agree with a lot of posters here that we don’t recruit enough O-Linemen. This isn’t a position that deters recruits with numbers. You should always have enough great O-linemen to swap out frequently during games to prevent fatigue, wear down the opposing D-Line, and prevent situations like UGA finds itself regularly. Another injury or two and the dogs are in deep trouble and there’s really no excuse for it. And what makes it frustrating is it occurs every year. Unbelievable. The best QB, RB, TE, WR combination in the world isn’t functional w/o a solid line. Duhhh…..
Reality
September 22nd, 2011
12:55 am
The problem isn’t that he doesn’t recruit O-linemen…the problem is he recruits O-linemen to play in a single position. He doesn’t recruit athletes and find places for them. He doesn’t recruit guys that “could play here or there or somewheres else” It’s always “he’s too small for this position, not heavy enough for this one, not tall enough for that one.” Mark Richt’s ideology is flawed. He thinks a player has to fit a particular mold for each position. If he had ends that could step up to O-linemen and linemen that could play center, etc, this would be a non issue. It’s his fundamental mentality of what a player should look like at each position that hurts him. We move ppl all around weekly as needed.
Santa Cruz Bulldog
September 22nd, 2011
1:44 am
I hope the Bulldogs win every game they play, but it is not life or death.
The World turns on Sunday, if UGA does not win, on Saturday.
Coach Richt has been a great leader of our program and I would hate to see him go.
I believe he is the kind of man who just turns everything over, to the Lord.
Fair and Balanced
September 22nd, 2011
1:55 am
This team will either become better due to all of this stuff or the CMR era is coming to a close. If he has to win 8 more games to keep his job then it sure looks like this bunch must step up.
This is needs to stop
September 22nd, 2011
2:46 am
Chip, you really need to stop we know you don’t like UGA that and just trying trying to start crap we have O-line and the O-line is doing ok.. we have Isiash in there too he did a hell of a job with SC NOW chill out and let the CHIPS fall where may…… you never do this when it comes to tech now just stop it please it’s getting old, you act like it’s the end of the world when it’s not….. I bleed red and black and i am sick of your crap.
doctor
September 22nd, 2011
5:09 am
Enter your comments here———this coffee sure is good.
doctor
September 22nd, 2011
5:12 am
ready for my donuts now——–Alabama plays Arkansas next I think. That should be interesting. And next week Alabama plays Fla—–that will also be interesting. Is UGA still trying to figure out how to run the ball———-???? Hmmm. That is also ——–hmm these donuts are tasty.
Stinger2
September 22nd, 2011
5:47 am
Some of these comments are worse that usually seen on a UGA blog. For example, someone saying Chip is biased for GT when he never writes about that team. Also, the UGA fans who continualy and increasingly blame CMR for everything including injuries. Finally, there are the naysayers who, for whatever reason, predict that UGA will lose to Ole Miss. UGA will beat them regardless of the OL situation.
Pollyanna
September 22nd, 2011
5:49 am
Players we could have had playing 2011, how they all left
1.Justin Houston – would have been senior 2011, NFL early
2.Caleb King – would have been senior 2011, NFL taxi squad, flunked out
3.AJ Green – would have been Senior 2011, NFL early
4-Brandon Burrows RFr waited until Fall Camp for surgery lost for year
5-Dontavius Jackson RB transferred to UAB
6-Lonnie Outlaw – failed Qualify 2010, WR Ga Military
7-Walter Hill Wide Receiver – kicked off team or would be Senior 2011
8-Chris Little – transfer NW C College then Southern U then ineligible academics
9-Ben Harden – OG would be Senior 2011
10-Logan Gray- Senior Transfer Colorado
11-Montez Robinson – would be redshirt sophomore 2011, kicked off
12-Zach Mettenberger – LSU,would be redshirt sophomore 2011, kicked off
13-Chris Mayes – Dream Team 2011 failed Qualify, MS Gulf Coast Nose Tackle
14-Kent Turene – Dream Team 2011 failed Qualify, Jireh Prep NC
15-Jalen Fields, failed to Qualify 2010
16-OL Brent Benedict, RFr. — Transferred to Virginia Tech
17-Nick Williams – Senior 2011, transferred North Alabama Strong Safety
18-OL A.J. Harmon, Jr. — Transferred to Alabama State
19-TB Washaun Ealey, Jr. – Transferred to Jacksonville State
20-LB Marcus Dowtin, Jr. — Transferred to North Alabama
21-Jakar Hamilton – Senior Free Safety injured, transferred
22-OG Kolton Houston R Fr NCAA eligibility
23-OT Jonathan Owens – Redshirt Junior 2011, medical disqualification
24-DE Jeremy Longo, Jr. — Medically disqualified
25-OL Tanner Strickland, Sr. — left program not playing senior year injury
26-OL Trinton Sturdivant, Sr. — knee injury
calm down
September 22nd, 2011
6:23 am
we will be ok….. unless we lose to ole miss. don’t worry we wont!!
calm down
September 22nd, 2011
6:26 am
wow! thats a big list pollyanna. we would be in good shape if we had half of those guys. better days are coming. just support the team this year!!!! go to the games
TampaGator
September 22nd, 2011
6:43 am
Pollyanna……
Couldn’t sleep? Or do you do that instead of counting sheep?
Richt and Georgia better beat Ole Mills……or get help from the federal protection system…..because the “Georgia Mob” will be after him…….OL or no OL. For Richt’s sake…..I hope the Dawgs win. They should.
just sayin'
September 22nd, 2011
7:07 am
looks like polly is gleeful that the bulldogs are having some issues…time for the Fr and 2nd teamers to step up..
Beast from the East
September 22nd, 2011
7:09 am
When it rains, it pours. UGA can’t catch a break with the o-line issues.
JB
September 22nd, 2011
7:19 am
I’m thinking we can play TE’s on the interior line and beat Ole Miss….But not Miss St, who went toe to toe with LSU. or Florida, who looks like they can muster a win with anyone of our caliber. AU, although looking iffy, the coaching and athletes on that team will give us fits…..And i’m keeping an eye on Tech…Are they really good…or just playing scout team talent?
reebok
September 22nd, 2011
7:27 am
O-line depth won’t matter against Ole Miss, because they totally stink, but it could make a big difference against a decent team.
Spike
September 22nd, 2011
7:33 am
Marlon Brown sure has turned into a bust.
Rhall55
September 22nd, 2011
7:50 am
Worst mismanagement of schollies in the history of College FB: 1) Poor recruiting of critical areas: undermanned @ OL, FB, LB and last year, NG!!! 2) Last summer, players arrested @ a record pace / this year, players transferring @ a record pace!! 3) Holding onto troubled players too long: C King, AJ Harmon, and Marcus Dowtin to name a few!! 4) Keeping unqualified Coaches too long, thus players not being coached up and reaching their potential!! 5) This crap is continuous; the CEO of Football needs to assume an Administrative Position and turn the program over to an upcoming star: K Smart!! He knows how to “Win, Baby, Win”!!! and he knows if “You Snooze, You Lose”!!!
unbelievable
September 22nd, 2011
8:06 am
how many injuries are we going to endure with this “new and improved” strength program?? how many foot injuries? think that has something to do with running on a track all summer? the Boise game should show everyone that the S&C program wasn’t the problem. after 9 months of the new training program, we still had the same crappy play calling we have had and still couldn’t get off the field on 3rd down. the only difference is that now we had guys cramping all over the place. poor coaching, if you ask me.
Uncle Rico
September 22nd, 2011
8:29 am
Just stepped back in the old RV here at the trailer park to watch a few of my high school highlight tapes and was up late last night playing a ton of video football games so I’m almost ready to comment with authority. Forgot to mention last time that I’m a donor to the program, too, so I’m especially qualified to comment on all aspects of the game and giving money makes it legal to say ANYthing about the program and sound interesting.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
September 22nd, 2011
8:45 am
I dont want to hear excuses
If Vandy can destroy Ole Miss then UGA better do the same
If we lose Saturday this coaching staff needs to find the Grey hound bus station and call the moving company and Mcgarity needs to decide what Grad Asst will be the head coach the following week
dmr
September 22nd, 2011
8:47 am
It won’t matter if Georgia continues to land top-notch skill players on the offensive side of the ball if they continue to fail to build depth on the offensive line. Crowell is a great runner, but he cannot do it alone. Mitchell may be a speedster at wide receiver, but if our quarterback is under duress all day, he cannot get him the ball.
The upcoming recruiting class needs to focus on building additional depth on both lines of scrimmage. Georgia loses three OL next season, but all three are starters. Richt needs to get ALL backups playing time in order to develop experience and growth at those positions.
This has been the Richt-era biggest failure…building depth on the O-line.
Root of the problem
September 22nd, 2011
8:47 am
How will this affect the 3rd and 25 draw play?
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
September 22nd, 2011
8:48 am
UGA had never been elite with the exception of a couple of years. Check your trophy case sport!
1eyedJack
September 22nd, 2011
8:53 am
What to do? What to do? Surely Vandy don’t have a better O-line than Georgia. We’ll be alright this week.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
September 22nd, 2011
8:57 am
Im wondering how this will affect the best 2 plays we have
The sideline pass for a 2 yard gain
And Carlton Thomas up the middle for no gain
no dog
September 22nd, 2011
9:02 am
why are you guys worried about this Sat?
No problem.
DC
September 22nd, 2011
9:08 am
just b/c chip reports the news doesn’t mean he hates UGA…some of you UGA fans are touchy…
DawginLex
September 22nd, 2011
9:09 am
Play the young pups Dantzler and Andrews. Get ‘em broke in.
This team and coaching staff can’t catch a break.
If the coaching staff and players have any intestinal fortitude and care anything about the university and about themselves, they will overcome this and win at least 9 of the remaining games. The talent is there. Can the coaches do it?
I still think our defense is going to be the star of the show Saturday.
I have said 31-0 and a shutout prediction might be gulp gulp gulp on the koolaid, I’m sticking with it.
Brock
September 22nd, 2011
9:11 am
Meanwhile, Jones watched the first half of Wednesday’s practice in street clothes “because something he ate didn’t agree with him,” according to Richt. But Jones felt better later, went back inside and suited up and “toughed out” the second half of practice.
Quite possibly the saddest thing I have ever read
JB
September 22nd, 2011
9:13 am
Spike, You might as well add Big John Jenkins to the bust list with M. Brown. His coach at Mississippi Gulf JC said this summer that he was as good as Cody, maybe a little faster. Well, He can’t even crack the starting lineup on OUR defense. Mr Jenkins, you’re no Mt. Cody sir.
JB
September 22nd, 2011
9:16 am
WE SHOULD win this week, N Mexico, Vandy, Kentucky. Every other game is a toss up.
TampaDawg
September 22nd, 2011
9:19 am
1. I don’t think Pollyanna is “gleeful” and UGAs issues. Hardly saw that as the point to Polly’s post.
2. If you look further into the list, it will underline that most on here aren’t smarter than the coaches as they think they are. You don’t just go recruiting 6 new OL if you have 18 on scholarship (these numbers are not factual, just used to make an example).You recruit based on upcoming needs that can be forseen. You can’t see the future with injuries and such so you do the best you can with what’s in front of you in terms of how long kids have left before leaving the school.
3. People like Rhall55 crack me up. He lists arrests in record numbers as a complaint .. as well as kids transferring at a record pace. Every team has arrested kids. It’s the nature of kids in society today. NOT ALL! But many are getting into more trouble today than ever before, not just the ones recruited to play college football. But then to complain because so many kids transferred? Look deeper and you will see that many of those that transferred were also those that got arrested. Meaning, kicked off the team first, transferred somewhere else. Could Zack Mettenberger have helped out this year? Probably, but getting into the type of trouble he was, I don’t want him on this team. When compared to say, Chris Rainey at UF, I think the right call was made.
4. We won’t lose to Ole Swiss and their defense full of holes.
5. Bugsquacher, someone might actually read your post if it wasn’t the same stuff every time. We got it, you showed the numbers and they are telling. But try a new post with a new set of numbers. Maybe something with the first 8 years, not the last 2+.
That’s it for now. Peace out and GO DAWGS!
1eyedJack
September 22nd, 2011
9:19 am
Cody was no great shakes at Bama his first year either. It was his second year he emerged.
In the SEC
September 22nd, 2011
9:21 am
My 30 year old daughter knows that to be competitive in the SEC, the really great teams have DEEP O lines. I know all about the guys like Benedict and Tanner Strickland and Sturdivant leaving due to injuries or being disgruntled and leaving. It happens.
It is the HC’s responsibility to ALWAYS HAVE an ample supply of big boys to play O line and D line. In the SEC you control the play with a quality O line. CMR has utilized guys for O line play and his FSU style is patty cake and the huge, body crushing O linemen always go to UT or to Alabama or Auburn or one or two to SC and LSU and we end up with left overs. It is rearing its head at this moment.
It is what it is and this too will cause CMR to lose his job.
Go Dogs
UGa class of 71 & 73
pragmatic
September 22nd, 2011
9:22 am
It’s Ole Miss people don’t panic.
bubba4dawgs
September 22nd, 2011
9:26 am
I hope you got Cordy Glen straightened out after he failed to even attempt to block Clowney who shook Murray like a rag doll. It was the most blatant breakdown in a blocking assignment I’ve seen in a long time. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see that at least stepping in front of Clowney would have been the difference in 7 points that SC gained. Good job, Clowney!! Poor job, Cordy!! Straighten his butt out for the next game. The Dawgs would probably have won the game!! GO DAWGS!!!!
sogadog
September 22nd, 2011
9:27 am
The sky is falling the sky is falling! Chicken Little
Things dont seem as bad as the headline makes out. Gates is back and Burnette tweaked his knee.
1eyedJack
September 22nd, 2011
9:31 am
Crowell should be able to gain 100+ on the Missisissy Black Teddy Bears with no line atall.
38 Yardline Dawg
September 22nd, 2011
9:33 am
Maybe #1 Brandon Smith can play O-line, too. Or do we have more D-linemen who’d like to play O-line…AGAIN?
Gawd forbid we blame our UGA coaches for not recruiting enough O-line players in favor of having plenty of extra quarterbacks and running backs, in case any of those guys quit or we have to kick them off the team.
Dripping with sarcasm,
38 Yardline Dawg
AnnapolisDAWG
September 22nd, 2011
9:40 am
Come on DAWG Nation, get behind these boys and quit the negativity. This will prove to be a good judge of the teams character. It would be easy to use this as a cop-out for the season but I think this team is figuring out how to work together and move forward; something that has been lacking in years past. Good luck this weekend DAWGS and get healthy soon.
McDawg
September 22nd, 2011
9:49 am
look it is time to play the freshmen and get some DEPTH-redshirting so far has not created any depth in this system
and does not appear that the linemen are any better prepared by redshirting
ATL Sports Fan
September 22nd, 2011
9:50 am
This ultimately falls on Coach Richt, but really lies with Stacy Searles. It’s unfortunate but it happens.
Hairy Dawg
September 22nd, 2011
9:51 am
Who is talking about OL? We’ve had some great OLs under Coach Richt. We got Ben Jones now and he dominants other teams. He put Nick Fairley out for cheap shotting Murray. Then we got Sturdivents who was All-SEC but got hurt in knees. How that Coach Richt’s fault! The real problem is Adams not letting us stockpile talent at Hargraves without pointy header restrictoins when we need to replace injured linemens or stinkys ones.
Go Dawgs!
UGA Insider
September 22nd, 2011
9:53 am
Chip,
Let’s find out how many scholarship players we have available this week?? I was scorched on this blog for saying that we look like a AA HS team at practice and I said I thought we dwindle down to as low as 60 players by mid-season. I just wonder where we are today. I would imagine around 65.
That is terrible by the way if you are wondering….You can’t compete on this level with those poor numbers.
Chip Towers
September 22nd, 2011
9:57 am
UGA Insider: Georgia was back to 85 scholarship players when it award eight walkons during preseason camp. With the loss this week of FS Jakar Hamilton to transfer, that should be 84. But I’d have to verify with a new count. In any case, you can take only 60 or 70 on the road for an SEC game.
1980 champs a fraud
September 22nd, 2011
9:58 am
final regular season record of 1980 superdawgs opponents:
46-76-1 win pct. .377 more proof that historically uga wins when everyone else is down. you should all be proud!