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.
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236 comments Add your comment
slydog
September 22nd, 2011
9:59 am
All of these issues add up to a coach being let go at the end of the season. An already weak Oline gets weaker and now we are shuffling. Have redshirts for the season been determined yet? I say redshirt no one, everybody plays, except maybe Lemay. There should not be all of this roster turnover and depth issues when you are 10 years into a regime. There is a 70/30 chance Vanderbilt beats this team this year. CMR is notorious for getting slapped in the mouth by “something” he has never seen before.
Mr. SEC
September 22nd, 2011
10:03 am
The NCAA started with UGA a couple of years ago with petty crap, ten started slapping other schools hands; but Auburn can can buy a QB and everybody knows it, and ain’t crap done about it, and never will. The total NCAA administrators are a complete bunch of idiots who want people to think that they are cleaning up the collegiate violations in all sports, BS! When are they going to clean up their crap? I’m speaking for all schools, not just UGA!
38 Yardline Dawg
September 22nd, 2011
10:04 am
Hairy Dawg, we HAD some good O-lines from players that Donnan recruited. And our O-line coaches have scrambled to cross train players to switch out positions for years now.
My issue: Find me another SEC or Top 25 team who’s had more O-line deficiencies in the last 5 years than UGA.
Not to mention, our O-line is terrible at false starts (see first series, Boise State 2011). I bet they’ve committed a third of our penalties in the last 4 years alone.
vince
September 22nd, 2011
10:09 am
O line depth issues. Continuous o line injuries. What the bell is going on in Athens?
how2fish
September 22nd, 2011
10:15 am
I think I’ll wait a few games before I head to the bunker and cry myself to sleep because of the O-line. Granted they didn’t look that good vs Boise, but Boise has a very good D line and it was the first game of the year..remember we didn’t have a couple of cupcake games to hone the OL’s timing like a lot of teams did. We looked much better vs USC and their D line is supposed to be very good also. We looked fine last week vs a cupcake…..let play the MS schools and then the Vols and then we will have a good indication of what we have at OL and everywhere else. Go Dogs!
evil empire
September 22nd, 2011
10:16 am
all these problems are unique to Georgia…no one else has these issues. blame it on Searles…blame it on Martinez…blame it on Bobo…blame it on global warming…just don’t blame the CEO…
Humpers amaze me
September 22nd, 2011
10:20 am
how2fish says: remember we didn’t have a couple of cupcake games to hone the OL’s timing like a lot of teams did.
Why is it UGA fans every year predict great things and then when it falls apart they have a myriad of excuses to fall back on? Boise’s OL didn’t have a cupcake game to schedule either and they did just fine with inferior athletes. Course, maybe UGA was their cupcake game.
WDE
September 22nd, 2011
10:20 am
@SSIgator your guys been pretty quite on the drug bust front lately…congrats.
Humpers amaze me
September 22nd, 2011
10:21 am
lavender I saw a movie with Helen Hunt in it last week and haters are correct, with the suntan Richt does look like her.
Ben "chop block" Jones
September 22nd, 2011
10:23 am
SSI I resemble that remark.
how2fish
September 22nd, 2011
10:26 am
@Humpers amaze me never said it was and excuse you can’t blame the Boise loss on the OL it was a team meltdown. And as for inferior athletes I think they trotted out 15 seniors that were starters, if you don’t think that is an advantage you never played any sports. My point was not an excuse frankly I predicted we would have a problem with the OL the first couple of games. I was surprised they maed the improvement they did by the USC game. Do me a favor declare your team and lets talk or just lurk about and run your mouth.
DawginLex
September 22nd, 2011
10:27 am
Well, the gator folks are starting to arrive up here.
already had to go back to goodwill and but more blue jeans and another pair of scissors
Jorts business is booming
My kids are laughing at the stupidity of these people paying $49 a pair for “Authentic Florida Jean Shorts” that my kids made themselves.
GT Dude
September 22nd, 2011
10:27 am
Even if you guys only have your 3rd string O-Line you will still crack Ole Miss’s Nutts
BubbaJean
September 22nd, 2011
10:33 am
This OL is big, fat, slow and dumb. However, they are adept at the “look-out” technique.
barneyb
September 22nd, 2011
10:33 am
This just gives Richt & Co. more excuses rather than manning up and admitting they are in way over their heads coaching in the SEC
deaddog
September 22nd, 2011
10:35 am
Once choakdawg at Russ the end is near.
Mel
September 22nd, 2011
10:39 am
Something sounds fishy with the “NCAA issue”. I’ve never understood why the player has to sit out if things are being investigated. What if the player is innocent? And he lost all that time? So the team is damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Tech let a player still participate in games that was being investigated and they got nailed for not pulling him during the investigation. Just a screwed up set of rules the NCAA has.
how2fish
September 22nd, 2011
10:41 am
@DawginLex now that is capitalism at work..you going to the game?
James
September 22nd, 2011
10:45 am
@bitter dontavoius-hershal-cesar-walker
And Tech has put up those numbers against who? I wouldnt brag about that here guy.
evil empire
September 22nd, 2011
10:51 am
hey James…every team Tech has played would smoke Coastal Carolina…the fact that you would schedule that game tell’s America where uga football is right now…a big, steaming pile…uga is a disgrace to the SEC…
Dogs Smell
September 22nd, 2011
10:52 am
Coastal Carolina could beat Ole Miss
WDE
September 22nd, 2011
10:54 am
@evil empire puck you on Main street at high noon…who has played 2 top 10 teams in three games this season so far..your the steaming pile..
Ben "chop block" Jones
September 22nd, 2011
10:57 am
Let’s see Jean Shorts or 400 pound men wearing overalls with a Jawja T shirt underneath.
Snellville GT
September 22nd, 2011
10:57 am
Even without its best O-linemen, UGA will beat both Mississippi teams easily. Say “thank you,” Mr. Richt. Those wins will put you on track to saving your job.
Dawg Tell
September 22nd, 2011
10:59 am
Why is Richt always laughing when a question is asked by someone???? Maybe it is standard thought process.Laughing all the way to the bank!! Hi-Ho,Hi-Ho it’s off to the bank I go. 3 Million each year It does not get any better than this.HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!
duronimo
September 22nd, 2011
11:01 am
It’s bad luck …. fate …. or perhaps God sending message to the coach (ok that part is a joke). What it really is, is a perpetual problem. Assembling a good football team begins with the line. Who doesn’t know this? So why are we always thin at these positions?
TampaDawg
September 22nd, 2011
11:04 am
Good to see you on here Lex .. bring some sanity to the madness that is. SSIgator is going “chopblock” on us about Ben Jones (as if Brandon Spikes was the cleanest player on the field .. that’s right Brandon Spikes! I called you out for your finger bending, eye gouging, knee twisting while under a pile self!).
TampaDawg
September 22nd, 2011
11:09 am
evil empire
September 22nd, 2011
10:51 am
hey James…every team Tech has played would smoke Coastal Carolina…the fact that you would schedule that game tell’s America where uga football is right now…a big, steaming pile…uga is a disgrace to the SEC…
—————————————
Wow, I missed that great Western Carolina/ Coastal Carolina game and the MTU / Coastal Carolina game. Not sure how you can make that statement as fact without seeing those powerhouses play. Fact is, you can’t. Fact is, EVERY team schedules a couple each year. How bout this goofball, while Tech was playing three lousy programs in a row to go along with a weak ACC schedule, UGA SCHEDULED BSU and USCe back to back. Losses, yes. But after starting the season like that, you deserve to schedule a school full of prom queens to play against. Unlike GT who schedules those schools REGULARLY!
beebee
September 22nd, 2011
11:15 am
Ole Miss played a decent BYU team to within 1 point.
I hope they bring the hot skillet out on you Dawgs!
In fact, I think they will because a whole lot of you Dawg fans have been mouthing off just a tad bit too much lately!
TampaDawg
September 22nd, 2011
11:16 am
beebee, every other team’s fans have been mouthing off about how bad Ole Miss is too. You know you suck when other team’s fans are piling on. And whatever school you are a fan of, probably runs their mouth on here too. It’s the nature of being a troll.
DawginLex
September 22nd, 2011
11:18 am
Not going to the game Saturday either in Oxford or Lexington.
Kentucky had a chance to break the streak this year if they had any kind of offense because their defense is actually pretty good.
Typical Kentucky football. Mumme years-could score 40 but gave up 60
Joker has destroyed what little credibility Rich Brooks brought to the program.
I say 27-10 florida. It will be close for awhile but the defense will be on the field way too long and will wear down.
Georgia | MrSEC.com
September 22nd, 2011
11:31 am
[...] regarding depth at O-line and tailback throughout the first quarter of UGA’s season. And now there’s more to worry about.Starting right guard Chris Burnette suffered “a tweak” of his knee during practice [...]
Delbert D.
September 22nd, 2011
11:33 am
Someone please explain to me why wearing these jeans shorts is some sort of class warfare issue. When I was kid, we called them “cutoffs”.
WDE
September 22nd, 2011
11:42 am
@Delbert D. yes they were for most everyone in the country, however at around 26 years of age or so most folks gave them up. However Gator Nation adopted them as the fashion statement for the Gator Nation, that’s why at a typical outing at the Swamp you will see 10,000 + over 50 years olds dressed up with their Tebow jerseys and jorts….and lets not delve into the whole mullet thing.
Joey
September 22nd, 2011
11:43 am
Let’s see, we’re “thin” at OL. We’re “thin” at TB. We’re “thin” at MLB. We played a nose at DE last week, so we muct be “thin” there, too.
Apparently, we need a recruiting director who knows something about inventory control. You know, “let’s see, we’re graduating 3 OLs next year, I better sign 3 this year.”
It can’t be that complicated, and they don’t all have to be 5-Stars (see Boise).
Spanky
September 22nd, 2011
11:46 am
What?! ..The only thing that Chip is saying, regarding the O-Line, is that Burnette tweaked his knee! He might still play on Saturday, so nobody knows yet. Chip is making it sound as if we just lost 2 linemen, when Kolton Houston has yet to be in a game, so take a breathe folks! These sneaky AJC writers like throw curveballs at ya!…SWING!!
Terry
September 22nd, 2011
11:48 am
I don’t worry about what if, only idiot’s worry about something before it happens.
Spanky
September 22nd, 2011
11:49 am
This means you, Joey! We not that bad off! If you want to judge for yourself as to the dawgs depth, get it from georgiadogs.com. These writers like to rattle cages.
1980 champs a fraud
September 22nd, 2011
11:50 am
perhaps with all this talk about conference realignment, it may be time for uga to make a statement. uga should leave the sec, where they have become irrelevent, and move down a peg to the southern conference. before all you rednecks go stupid, hear me out. the easier schedule would fit into your a.d.’s plan to try and ensure at least 3 wins a year versus inferior competition; it would at least slow the death spiral the program as a whole is currently in; fall day trips to Chattanooga, Cullowhee, or Boone are more appealing than driving to jax every year and getting your behinds kicked every year…on second thought those semi-annual trips to Boone might not result in wins, but the scenery is beautiful. chances are pretty good you could go 8-3 in the socon, make the playoffs, maybe get to the semi-finals before the ole’ gag reflex acts up again…just a thought…
Delbert D.
September 22nd, 2011
11:52 am
WDE – Thanks, got it. It is interesting how some innocuous things develop into cultural symbols. I no longer have the hair quantity to grow either a mullett or a mohawk ; -)
1980 champs a fraud
September 22nd, 2011
11:52 am
46-76-1…wow…
Terry
September 22nd, 2011
11:56 am
1980 champs a fraud = Loser Troll
1980 champs a fraud
September 22nd, 2011
11:56 am
speaker of the truth…
1980 champs a fraud
September 22nd, 2011
12:08 pm
imagine if you will how amped up sanford and son stadium would be when the dawgs score a touchdown late to pull even with wofford…good times!! the socon rocks…and uga is an original member of the socon, so you can always go home…
TampaDawg
September 22nd, 2011
12:18 pm
Terry
September 22nd, 2011
11:56 am
1980 champs a fraud = Loser Troll
——————-
No, you were right with loser troll .. The “truth” as he calls it didn’t get backed up with a sugar bowl win over Notre Dame or the win over Florida or a win over a George Rogers led South Carolina team. You want to spit the truth, then put it ALL out there troll. Did ya look up BSU’s scheduled teams combined records over the last few years? Probably not, but they still win the games put in front of them.
ga gator
September 22nd, 2011
12:21 pm
Lexie, I seem to remember you telling me that our streak against Ky would end this week. What made you re-evalute brother?
1980 champs a fraud
September 22nd, 2011
12:28 pm
tampadawg
south carolina and florida finished the season unranked…notre dame finished 9-2-1, the tie was to ga tech, who was a national powerhouse finishing 1-9-1…the deeper you dig, the uglier it gets…it’s a fraud…typical uga though…only wins big when everyone else is down…
Larry
September 22nd, 2011
12:33 pm
This season is down the tubes so hopefully the new coach and staff can help Georgia reach their potential in the years to come.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
September 22nd, 2011
12:41 pm
1980 champs a fraud
So are Tech’s 5 National Championships
They have never won an outright NC they share it with other teams
Their most recent was tying with a sorry UNC team and beating a Nebraska team that wasnt that great. And the competition in the ACC in 1990 was worse than it is now
TampaDawg
September 22nd, 2011
12:41 pm
Yeah, and that same Notre Dame team beat Michigan, Purdue, Miami and Bama that year. As for USC and Florida, both teams went up against difficult teams at the end of the season, Florida going against Miami and FSU (both were very good that year) and USC ended their season not being ranked after a loss to Pitt in their bowl game (Pitt was a dominant team that year). BTW, both of those teams were ranked when they played UGA. Spin it all you want. Your facts are just weak examples of data mining.