Georgia drags major tailback dilemma into Georgia Tech game (UPDATED)
Georgia has already displayed recognitiion of its 2011 SEC Eastern Division championship on the wall of the team meeting room at Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall. (AJC)
UPDATE (6:20 P.M.) Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said he expects both Carlton Thomas and Isaiah Crowell to play at tailback. . . .
ATHENS — The question posed to Georgia coach Mark Richt was a simple one. His answer was not.
Richt was asked what the Bulldogs’ tailback rotation might look on Saturday against archrival Georgia Tech. In a nutshell, he either legitimately does not know or is not saying.
“I don’t know the answer to that,” Richt said at his weekly news conference Tuesday at Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall. “We have to sort through it. It’s just not cut and dry. I don’t know who is going to start. I don’t even know who’s going to play 100 percent. But we’re working our way through it and we’ll know more by the end of the week. I don’t know what I’ll announce, but right this second I do not know exactly how it’s going to come out.”
There are a number of issues facing the Bulldogs at their prestige position:
- No. 1 tailback Isaiah Crowell was limited to two carries for 11 yards this past after spraining his left ankle. Initially, Richt expressed optimism that Crowell would be able to go Saturday. Now he says he’ll be in a green, non-contact jersey for Tuesday’s practice and his status is questionable.
- No. 2 tailback Carlton Thomas is coming off his third-one-game suspension of the season on Saturday and Richt has remained vague about what his status will be for Saturday’s game. “I don’t know that answer right now.,” Richt said Tuesday.
- No. 3 tailback Richard Samuel, who had ankle surgery on Nov. 1, is now practicing in a limited capacity but is not ready to come back. “We hope he’s in the mix next week,” Richt said.
- Nos. 4 and 5 tailbacks Brandon Harton and Ken Malcome combined for three fumbles this past Saturday. At this point they have seriously breached the coaches’ trust regarding ball security. “We’ve got some guys that need to learn to hold onto the football,” Richt said.
So the rotation, Richt said, will be determined in practice this week.
“I want to see them practice,” he said. “I guess competition is the hold up, deciding through competition who deserves to start, who deserves to play.”
Despite its many issues Georgia has had this season, it has managed to run the ball fairly effectively throughout. The Bulldogs are fourth among SEC teams in rushing at 185.4 yards per game and they’ve had three different players bust the 100-yard barrier.
That will be especially important against the ball-hogging Yellow Jackets.
“We always like to run the football,” Richt said. “But you have to have backs who can do it and some backs who are willing to hang on to the football in the process. The thing about this game is every possession really is pretty crucial.”
– Chip Towers
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248 comments Add your comment
Be a Man about it
November 22nd, 2011
3:52 pm
All the experts on here giving advise are really funny…..
George Stein
November 22nd, 2011
3:53 pm
Neither of which are surprising for a college student, Lex.
Be a Man about it
November 22nd, 2011
3:53 pm
advice
Jim
November 22nd, 2011
3:53 pm
Just put Little Tree and Figgins in the I and feed Figgins the ball, or put Figgins, Little Tree, and Boykin in the backfield and give Boykin the ball. It’s not like Richt don’t know it’s he isn’t saying.
AlanW
November 22nd, 2011
3:55 pm
If UGA’s B- defense and C+ offense show up, they should have little problem beating Tech. If the offense plays Tech like they played against Kentucky, the defense needs to take their B+ to A- game to Atlanta to win. If UGA’s A+ defense shows up, Tech won’t stand a chance.
Dawg Fud
November 22nd, 2011
3:57 pm
Tech will be ready to play. I hope we are.
Dawglasville
November 22nd, 2011
3:59 pm
George Stein – same to you sir.
I agree with you and Lex about Samuel but you have to play the hand you are dealt. I’m pretty sure you guys would have loved to have had Nesbitt last year too. Samuel is a good kid who has sacrificed a lot for his team.
We are men
November 22nd, 2011
3:59 pm
Be a man, obviously you aren’t a Georgia fan…if you had seen the play calling on Saturday, you would be giving advice, too. The execution didn’t help.
The Diesel
November 22nd, 2011
4:01 pm
Hope UGA physically beats the North Avenue Trade School so bad they carry a few of the Yellow Maggots off on stretchers.And yes I mean it GO DAWGS!!!! To Hell with Tech
We are men
November 22nd, 2011
4:03 pm
Of course, when you lose three fumbles and throw an interception, everything looks bad. But really, barely matching KY on offensive production for much of the game is something to have some serious evaluation about.
George Stein
November 22nd, 2011
4:03 pm
Samuel had better get a massive ovation at Senior Day next year, Dawglasville. He has red shirted, switched positions, and then did it again. Even this Tech fan admires the hell out of him. He has represented UGA remarkably well.
And, yes, I would have loved Nesbitt last year. I guess those are the breaks.
We are men
November 22nd, 2011
4:03 pm
Diesel, you sound like a nice guy.
George Stein
November 22nd, 2011
4:04 pm
Not sure why you’d wish injury on an unpaid college kid, Diesel, but whatever.
roughrider
November 22nd, 2011
4:08 pm
This just in: Tech coaches are only dressing out two players for the game with UGA. The rest will have to dress themselves.
A Dawg
November 22nd, 2011
4:08 pm
Enter your comments here
A Dawg's Dawg
November 22nd, 2011
4:11 pm
I heard that we aren’t going to use backs on Saturday, and that Tailback U will be discontinuing the position in the future. Two TEs, three Wrs, shotgun all day.
Delbert D.
November 22nd, 2011
4:12 pm
The Georgia defense allowed over 300 yards total offense only against Boise, S. Carolina and Vanderbilt.
Tom Shane
November 22nd, 2011
4:13 pm
@roughrider
Engineering Degree vs. Trailer park management.
Engineering vs. Trailer park
I think it’s UGA who will have problems dressing themselves.
A Dawg's Dawg
November 22nd, 2011
4:14 pm
What dilemma? Just throw the ball.
A Dawg's Dawg
November 22nd, 2011
4:17 pm
Tomboy, you think engineers dress better than trailer park residents? Take off those coke bottle glasses, put your pen in your pocket protector, and pour that vodka out now….
Chris
November 22nd, 2011
4:19 pm
Dawgs – Don’t worry. I’m watching GT practice at this very moment and they’re running pitches, reverses and sweeps over and over and over. They aren’t running anything up the middle. UGA’s speed will beat them outside all day. Jarvis will have another career day.
Tom Shane
November 22nd, 2011
4:21 pm
@Dawg’s Dawg
This seems to prove engineers dress better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvxNgdFeWqM
A Dawg's Dawg
November 22nd, 2011
4:23 pm
Just line up in a shotgun every time and let Murray throw it 40 times, and let’s see what happens. He has 28 TDs, and 2446 yards, and much of that was against nation leading Ds like the Gators and Carolina. And we didn’t have some of our best receivers available. We are deep, so give LSU something different to think about. Tech supposedly has trouble with passing D…
St. Richt
November 22nd, 2011
4:24 pm
Don’t worry Chris, you’ll get a healthy dose of the dive up the middle, too. And its not just about speed in getting to the corner on our sweeps, its more about keeping your feet..
UGA Insider
November 22nd, 2011
4:24 pm
I told you guys yesterday IC wasn’t going to practice this week. I for one am nervous as a cat. GT and LSU are licking their chops because if you can make UGA one dimensional then Murray really struggles. Just go look at all of our poor offensive games…Like UK. I pray this is not an ugly end to the season but we are in trouble.
bucket
November 22nd, 2011
4:24 pm
I personally think Malcome will be ready to play after a week of practice knowing he will be counted on. (The fumble on his first carry Sat was ugly though!) It’s time for Malcome to put-up or shut-up about PT. The Carlton Thomas deal took everyone by surprise and they had obviously not game planned to have to throw the ball alot. I haven’t seen as much miscommunication between Murray and his receivers since the first of the season.
UGA Insider
November 22nd, 2011
4:27 pm
I’m sure glad Boo didn’t quit the team a few weeks ago. It’s gonna be his time to shin this week. He is our only SEC sized back we have left besides IC.
AlanW
November 22nd, 2011
4:28 pm
How many Tech players are actually engineering students?
Chris
November 22nd, 2011
4:29 pm
St. Richt – I’m sure Kwame Geathers is shaking in his boots about GTs tiny blockers when you come up the middle. UGA has the second best run defense in the country and the fourth best defense overall. Bring it!
It doesn’t matter who plays in UGAs backfield. The defense will win it for them again, no matter how the offense plays.
A Dawg's Dawg
November 22nd, 2011
4:31 pm
Might be a few good lessons for Boo on that one Insider! But everybody else should take note, too. Mason is one play away from playing in the SECCG-let’s hope he is ready, too.
Eaassyy
November 22nd, 2011
4:31 pm
Insider and or Chip, Boo actually looked pretty good last week at times (when he wasn’t coughing it up inside the 30).
What is the deal with this kid? Why did we wait until week 11 to play him?
Delbert D.
November 22nd, 2011
4:32 pm
Referencing my 4:12 comment, Georgia was held to less than 400 yards total offense in only 5 games:
375 – Boise St.
366 – Tennessee
354 – Florida
317 – Kentucky
315 – Miss. St.
A Dawg's Dawg
November 22nd, 2011
4:32 pm
Tom, funny, but I would rather trust a fashion designer to build a supercomputer, than an engineer on fashion! Trailer park wins 100 out of 100.
I want my tailback
November 22nd, 2011
4:33 pm
Richt is being Coy…. if Crowell is ready he starts, if not Thomas starts. If neither can start.. we pass
A Dawg's Dawg
November 22nd, 2011
4:33 pm
Malcome looked very strong in the 2nd half.
Eugene
November 22nd, 2011
4:34 pm
There are a number of questions that I would like to ask Georgia’s head coach about his offensive strategies and how he uses his offensive personnel. A number of these questions would be instantaneously cleared up if he would answer the question why there are two starting players on his team that wear the same number, #1.
I find this assignment of numbers expecially perplexing in games in which their numbers are called to play offense. I also wonder what the Defensive Coordinator think of this practice?
Chris
November 22nd, 2011
4:36 pm
Smith and Crowell are never on the field at the same time, so they can have the same number. If Smith is running the ball, it’s only because Crowell isn’t playing. Otherwise Smith is on defense and it’s a moot point.
Delbert D.
November 22nd, 2011
4:38 pm
@AlanW “How many Tech players are actually engineering students”
Well, you can dig for the info out of this:
Updated 11/1/11
Misc. info on some of 2011 the 2/3-deep players:
Quayshan Nealy – 1st team LB Computer Science major
Tevin Washington – 1st team QB Management major, pre-law
Emmanuel Dieke – 2nd team DE Biomedical Engineering major
Preston Lyons – 2nd team B-back History major ACC Academic Honor Roll 2010
Will Jackson – ACC All-Academic Team, 1st Team Freshmen All America in 2010
Synjyn Days – 2nd team QB Biology major
Ray Beno – 1st team OL Management major 4.0 GPA throughout HS
Chandler Anderson – Punter Biology major
David Scully – Kicker Biochemistry major
Morgan Carter – LB/special teams – Business & Public Policy – US Supreme Court Intern 2011
Nick Menocal – LB/special teams Civil Engineering
Darryl Dickey – 3rd team QB – Aerospace Engineering
Jamal Paige – special teams/A-back – Industrial Engineering
Morgan Bailey – 3rd team OL Rs-Fr Physics
Trey Braun – (Rs) OL Mechanical Eng major
Jabari Hunt-Days (Rs) LB Biology major
Roddy Jones – 1st team A-back grad student, 3-time Academic All-ACC
Logan Walls – 1st team NT grad student, 2-time Academic All-ACC
Jason Peters – 1st team DE Grad student-member of Ga. Tech Student-Athlete Advisory Board
Tyler Melton – 1st team WR
Michael Peterson – 2nd team CB/nickel Grad student, ACC Academic Honor Roll 2010
Tom Shane
November 22nd, 2011
4:39 pm
Dawg’s
Well I would trust a fashion designer to build a super computer over a trailer park, and I don’t think a “trailer park” would take advice from an engineer or designer on fashion. They would recommend that a shirt and shoes be worn in public.
St. Richt
November 22nd, 2011
4:39 pm
Don’t worry Chris, we will bring it. You should also note that I’ve been highly complementary of Georgia’s defense. Maybe I’m missing the part where I disrespected them in any way…
bucket
November 22nd, 2011
4:39 pm
@ Easy – I asked this same question last week and from the responses I got apparently attitude and effort have been a problem for Malcome. He certainly looks like an SEC rb and I have wanted to see him get some of the carries that Harton and Thomas has been getting simply because they don’t have the size to run the ball between the tackles. Actually Thomas has looked pretty good, but can anyone be sure he won’t get himself suspended? I just cringe when Harton gets the ball because I am scared he will get broken in half, but his 100 yards was needed last week, too.
Joey
November 22nd, 2011
4:41 pm
No matter who’s back there, you can bet your ass that PJ noticed what KY was doing to disrupt and/or confuse our OL, and we’ll see more of it.
Anybody who thinks this game will be lopsided is insane.
Clinically insane.
Chris
November 22nd, 2011
4:44 pm
To all of you who use academics vs. football stats, at least UGA graduates more players than Tech.
Quote from the AJC:
Georgia Tech ranks last among ACC schools in graduation rates for football and men’s basketball programs, according to figures released Tuesday by the NCAA.
Georgia ranks near the middle of the SEC in those sports.
List of SEC grad rates:
Vanderbilt 89%
Georgia 68%
Florida 67%
Alabama 67%
LSU 67%
Mississippi State 64%
Auburn 63%
Kentucky 63%
Ole Miss 61%
South Carolina 57%
Arkansas 55%
Tennessee 53%
Chris
November 22nd, 2011
4:46 pm
For the record, last in grad rates in the ACC is 55%. That’s Tech’s lousy grad rate. UGA looks better academically and athletically.
St. Richt
November 22nd, 2011
4:46 pm
Thats an old and tired statistic, Chris. It just means that GT doesn’t hand out degrees to any idiot athlete that shows up on campus. You actually have to earn it from GT. Graduation rate is just a statistic used by the football factories that give out degrees like candy on Halloween..
Chris
November 22nd, 2011
4:47 pm
St Richt – I don’t think you did any disrespect – just a little fun rivalry. I’m watching Tech practice, so I’ve got my game attitude going. Fun stuff.
Delbert D.
November 22nd, 2011
4:49 pm
Basketball? Basketball?
Chris
November 22nd, 2011
4:49 pm
St Richt – I have an undergrad from UGA and an MBA from Tech, so I’m quite familiar with academics at both. Neither schools are slouches, but there are people who put UGAs players down for academics, so I thought I’d throw out some stats to refresh some memories.
St. Richt
November 22nd, 2011
4:51 pm
Yeah, no worries, but one could easily argue that the lower the graduation rate among student athletes, the better the academics. Makes more sense to me, actually.
Delbert D.
November 22nd, 2011
4:52 pm
From AJC June 9, 2011:
“Georgia Tech’s football and men’s basketball teams posted the biggest improvements in APR scores in information released on Wednesday.
The APR, or Academic Progress Report, measures the eligibility, retention and graduation of athletes on every Division I team in all sports. It is designed to serve as a predictor of future graduation success. The APR scores released are four-year rates based on the 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 academic years.
The football team’s score increased for the third consecutive year, reaching 993, the fourth-highest score nationally and tops in the conference, according to the ACC. The team’s multi-year average of 967 is tied for the third-best score among ACC teams, behind Duke and Miami.