Bulldogs pass on chance to wear Nike Pro Combat uniforms again
NOTE: These are just my notes from Wednesday’s practice but I thought folks might want to comment on Georgia’s uniform situation. . . .
ATHENS – Georgia coach Mark Richt made a promise to his players before playing Boise State in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. If they made it back to the Georgia Dome as SEC Eastern Division champions, he told them then, they could wear their Nike Pro Combat uniforms in the SEC Championship game.
Thankfully, he said on Wednesday, the Bulldogs did not hold him to his promise.
“A couple of them actually said, ‘don’t do it, Coach,” Richt said with a grin.
As a result, “Georgia are red with silver britches,” Richt said following Georgia’s last full-contact workout on Wednesday. “No Pro Combats. Nobody even asked me.”
Georgia hasn’t performed well in recent years when it deviated from its traditional uniform of red helmets, red jerseys and silver pants. They lost to No. 5 Boise State 35-21 while wearing the all-red Pro Combat uniforms on Sept. 3; they lost 41-17 wearing black helmets against Florida in 2009; and they lost 41-30 wearing black jerseys against Alabama in 2008.
LSU is the home team in the SEC title game this year but chose to wear its traditional home white jerseys. That allowed Georgia to don its home red.
Richt did say one unnamed player asked about the possibility of wearing the black jerseys. But he quickly dismissed the notion.
“They think you can snap your finger and get a bunch of brand new jerseys,” Richt said. “That has to be planned out.”
But the Pro Combats remain at the ready.
“They thought were cool,” Richt said of the tight-fitting, mostly-red-and-some-silver ensemble. “I thought that’d be a nice incentive. As it turned out it wasn’t much of an incentive.”
‘As the Tailbacks Turn’
Either Richt is just tired of discussing the subject or there has been a new development in the weekly saga that is Georgia’s tailback rotation. Whatever the case, the previously jovial Richt turned positively dour when he was asked to update the situation Wednesday.
“I don’t want to talk about tailbacks,” Richt said. “I really don’t. Let’s just talk about something else. I was really in a good mood and then you had to ask that. . . . No more tailback questions until after the game.”
Twice-suspended, often-injured starter Isaiah Crowell is trying to make it back from a sprained left ankle the sidelined him for the regular-season finale against Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs also have held out hope that backup Richard Samuel could come back this week from Nov. 1 ankle surgery. Two other tailbacks have been subjected to suspensions and four different tailbacks have started this season.
“I don’t blame you for asking really but I don’t have any good answers,” Richt said, “so I’m just not going to answer it.”
Still hope for Tyson
DeAngelo Tyson (ankle) did not practice on Tuesday but Richt said the Bulldogs’ starting defensive end has “got a chance” to play on Saturday.
“Tomorrow we’ll see how much he’s progressed,” Richt said. “There’s a possibility he’ll get practice reps tomorrow, depending on how he starts out and warms up and that kind of thing.”
‘Honey Badger’ speaks
Most of the interview opportunities for LSU players had expired before word of Georgia’s defensive confidence had fully infiltrated the Tigers’ camp. But cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, better known as “Honey Badger,” did talk to the Gannett News Service about it.
Of the assertion by Georgia’s Jarvis Jones that the Bulldogs’ defense was as good if not better than LSU’s, Mathieu said: “He may have a point. I know those guys are going to go out there and play hard, and I’m sure he’s going to play extra hard.”
Known himself as a bit of a bulletin-board tweeter, Mathieu was asked why he did not respond to Jones via Twitter. “It was extremely tough not to,” he said. “But I’ve got to keep my team first.”
Few injuries for LSU
LSU starting free safety Eric Reid (thigh) and backup tailback Alfred Blue (ankle) are expected to be ready after missing the Arkansas game. Starting defensive tackle Michael Brockers (knee) is also expected to play. He played hurt last week.
Practice update
Georgia practiced for two hours in full pads Wednesday on another extremely cold day.
“The colder it is the faster they practice,” Richt said with a laugh. “There is more incentive to stay warm, so they move around quicker. Even when it’s time for a break they’re like, ‘let’s skip the break and go on to the next period.’”
The Bulldogs’ practice ended with temperatures in the low 40s. It was a relatively balmy 60 in Baton Rouge on Wednesday with Thursday expecting to reach 66. Of course, Saturday’s game will be played in 70-degree temperatures inside the Georgia Dome.
Richt said practicing in such cold conditions “could be” an issue for the Bulldogs.
“It will be warm in there,” he said of the Dome. “It was warm last time we were in there and it’ll be humid. I have seen guys cramp up in the Dome before because it does get warm. I can’t imagine it not heating up with all the fans in there.”
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
562 comments Add your comment
Hairy
November 30th, 2011
10:19 pm
The dogs will be ready, i hope it doesn’t come down to our kicker…….
This is their National championship Since ESPN and the Super computer code named BS i meant BCS has already picked the two best teams………
ESPN Sucks why don’t you unplug your BCS computer and let the teams play!
Born bulldog fan
November 30th, 2011
10:22 pm
Let’s keep it traditional!! Rumor has it that UGA is wearing the black tops!! That unknown player who made a request to wear them was Jarvis Jones!! Who would say no to that monster!?!.. Can anyone on here believe that the vegas spread has UGA losing by 15??? NO RESPECT @ ALL!! GATA!!
Hairy
November 30th, 2011
10:24 pm
Breaking news……..
Kregg Lumpkin is listed as the first teamer this week!
Paul Midler
November 30th, 2011
10:25 pm
Corn Dog Bowl…..lol
OkieDawg
November 30th, 2011
10:32 pm
I wouldn’t want to talk about TBs either. Crowell was suspended for New Mex. St., played against Auburn but fumbled twice, 2 carries against KY and a no-show for GT. So, the only game in the last 4 he participated in was Auburn and fumbled twice. If he plays Sat. and fumbles 2 times against LSU, that will be enough to blow any chance we have against LSU. After Crowell, I just can’t see a couple of 5′ 7″ running backs making much of an impact against LSU with Bobo running them up the middle all game. So I guess we need a great game from Malcome…….Hail Mary’s all day.
Fear The Lesticles!!!
November 30th, 2011
10:33 pm
What happened the last time UGA wore the black uni’s? Anybody remember?
Albert E.
November 30th, 2011
10:34 pm
Fan-base optimism is inversely proportional to the square of Vegas spread.
Dawg48
November 30th, 2011
10:38 pm
Richt has done a good job at keeping things quiet this year on topics!
And again on running backs……
I look at this as a positive.
Fear The Lesticles!!!
November 30th, 2011
10:39 pm
Your face is conversely proportional to my anus
Futbawl Fan
November 30th, 2011
10:42 pm
Not having no running backs is a good thing. That just means more passing for our star quarterback. We got a more better defense anyway. We’ll kill em dead.
Mobile Dawg
November 30th, 2011
10:44 pm
Don’t really know what Richt has to gain, or lose by discussing the tailbacks. LSU won’t change it’s game plan regardless of who we put back there. My take is that what he said, he meant, literally. Richt has never been known to be a player of mind games, and again, nothing to really gain.
Orlando Dawg
November 30th, 2011
10:44 pm
Make sure you wear longer spikes. The dawgs had a lot of problems slippling in the cleates provided for the boise game
The Turd Pickler
November 30th, 2011
10:45 pm
LSU wins 38-13
The Turd Pickler
November 30th, 2011
10:46 pm
GEAUX TIGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Turd Pickler
November 30th, 2011
10:47 pm
On Saturday LSU will paint this town Purple and Gold
Jordan
November 30th, 2011
10:50 pm
http://isportsweb.com/2011/11/30/sec-championship-game-preview/
The Turd Pickler
November 30th, 2011
10:52 pm
Les Miles and his “DAMN fine football team” would like UGA to “have a nice day”!
Dawg48
November 30th, 2011
10:53 pm
Mobile Dawg
Check this out on Tennessee football program it’s shocking.
http://tonybasilio.com/index.php?page=tony
NCDawg
November 30th, 2011
10:55 pm
Whew! I love our red, black, and silver. Glad they will be wearing them on Saturday.
Junkyard
November 30th, 2011
10:56 pm
Dawgs 42
LSU 27
The Turd Pickler
November 30th, 2011
10:56 pm
Hey Jordan,
After reading your article I can see clearly that your Schwarts is as big as mine
The Turd Pickler
November 30th, 2011
10:58 pm
Junkyard,
If UGA scores more than 27 pts, much less 42 I will personally post my address for all to see and you can get a picture taken of me kissing your bare ass!!!
Ain’t happenin redneck!!!!!
Junkyard
November 30th, 2011
11:00 pm
We have recently played very well against this program. We have nothing to lose and according to the world, should not even play this game. That is when upsets occur.
LSU has not faced an offenses this dynamic yet!
GATA!
Junkyard
November 30th, 2011
11:04 pm
Pickler: u r 100% DBAG!
Corn Dawg
November 30th, 2011
11:04 pm
Tickets are cheap for the Corn Dawg Bowl.
Y’all Come!
bdawg
November 30th, 2011
11:06 pm
Keep them out of the cold! They are going to catch colds going back and forth from cold to hot. My lord! Let us just hand it to LSU.
Junkyard
November 30th, 2011
11:08 pm
Cornface: living at home at 40 is not cool!
Remarkable
November 30th, 2011
11:12 pm
Hey, I’m a UGA fan but if anyone thinks Georgia can score more against LSU than they showed they could against Kentucky they are drinking the kool-aid. I want Georgia to win but if they do it will be something like 17-14 NOT some of these outrageous scores I keep seeing posted. I hope we have the Defense that our players believe we have and that we can shut LSU down. But they also have a pretty good Defense too.
Scraping Teeth
November 30th, 2011
11:12 pm
LSU allows players to beat up Marines and stay on the team.
Billy
November 30th, 2011
11:15 pm
Georgia> wear those dumb uniforms Saturday, so when LSU beats your @ss, you will only look dumber, in defeat.
Scraping Teeth
November 30th, 2011
11:15 pm
@ Remarkable what planet do you live on? The score will be much higher. Did you watch the WV game? Pick another team little boy.
OkieDawg
November 30th, 2011
11:16 pm
Hey Dawg48, thanks for that link. Da’Rick has been a problem from high school till now. Man I’m glad he followed Nance to UT. That guy is toxic to a program.
Dawg48
November 30th, 2011
11:31 pm
OkieDawg
It’s shocking that Dooley has not stopped all of that from boiling over.
Nance is transferring to a ivy league school rumor has it….
Wonder what Da’Rick is going to do if the funds stop coming in?
War Dang Dawg
November 30th, 2011
11:33 pm
Thank God, those Pro Combat uniforms scream “kick my ass”.
bring the pain
November 30th, 2011
11:42 pm
so what do you guys think about the tailback remarks?
junkman
November 30th, 2011
11:59 pm
Junkyard , where do you get LSU hasnt seen an off. like GAs ? Oregons off. makes GAs looks pathetic.
The only blowouts Ga had were the cupcakes.
Ga will play with LSU for about a qt and a half and LSU wins something like 37-17 if your lucky.
Shawn
December 1st, 2011
12:03 am
West Virginia had 525+ yds against that vaunted LSU D. I think Murray and friends can move the ball on them too. Oregon did well against them too. The D’s in these games are very capable of shutting each other down UGA has an edge in Offense. LSU has an edge in special teams. The deciding factor will be turnovers. UGA has shot themselves in the foot with them in a big game or two while LSU has dominated that aspect especially against WVU and Oregon. That’s why they were able to win those games and many more the same way TY. Bottom line is this, the team who does not turn it over wins! I for one hope its the DAWGS!
WtfWruthnkn
December 1st, 2011
12:21 am
Uniforms don’t affect play on the field. Only people who haven’t played think differently
Shawn
December 1st, 2011
12:27 am
I love this article. It was a point I have been trying to make.
http://www.theblawghouse.com/blawg/has-lsus-defense-played-the-best
Bad Dawg
December 1st, 2011
1:22 am
Comparing UGA’s offense to Oregon’s or West Virginia’s is just plain dumb. What makes you think UGA can put up those types of numbers versus LSU?
7576DAWG
December 1st, 2011
3:05 am
For Richt not to even talk about who was going to be tailback tell me that all three players fumbled a lot today in the cold practice. Combined I bet there was 5 or 6 fumbles. Those little hand’s will never be able to hold onto the ball especially in cold weather and Crowell has got to concentrate harder and cover up. Crowell need’s to do some serious weight and conditioning training from January to August. Too bad he was still in high school last year.
red&black
December 1st, 2011
3:49 am
Sorry, but I have to admit it. I really like the black jersey/silver pants/red helmet look. And, we are 2 and 1 with them. Not a bad number at all…..
red&black
December 1st, 2011
3:53 am
Billy is such a d!@k…….
Bean Counter
December 1st, 2011
4:03 am
Send them back to Nike and tell them HELL NO!!!
Black Mountain NC Bulldog
December 1st, 2011
5:06 am
The Facts, have you never heard of late bloomers. I have seen some of these young athletes with academic help; learn good study habits and become successful outside, of sports.
Not everyone comes from a cozy little background, for some it is their only opportunity, to prosper. They are thankful that God blessed them with tremendous athletic ability.
lewisbuzzard
December 1st, 2011
5:24 am
Richt and the Dawgs worry more about style points than there opponents. Hope the get run out of the dome.
Guydogbob
December 1st, 2011
6:22 am
Squash all the gators, so EM is gone; all the Bugs, and anyone else that is envious of the BLESSED DOGS. GO
DOGS and forget all the weapers: Gators,Bees,Game Crocs, and all. Besides the DOGS BE PROUD. Amen, Bro!
Guydogbob
December 1st, 2011
6:26 am
Be gone you Unis, GO SILVER BRITCHES. SIC UM DOGS.
Joe Stanton
December 1st, 2011
6:44 am
Who cares? The regular uniforms suck, and the combat ones suck too. Richt has crap all over the jersey’s and the only good thing half the team has dreads that cover some stuff up. The good thing about the combat’s is that at least it was a step in the right direction to modernize things and begin to recruit Atlanta. Until then he’s just using a few of my bro’s for a cracker organization.
Destin Dawg
December 1st, 2011
6:53 am
Go Dawgs.. beat LSU.. SEC Champs !!