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Notebook: Merritt Hall No. 1 at fullback but not assured of start

9:02 pm August 28, 2012, by Chip Towers

If Georgia opens in an I-formation on Saturday, redshirt freshman fullback Merritt Hall will start his first college football game leading the way for tailback Ken Malcome. (UGA photo by Steven Colquitt)

If Georgia opens in an I-formation on Saturday, redshirt freshman fullback Merritt Hall will start his first college football game leading the way for tailback Ken Malcome. (UGA photo by Steven Colquitt)

GEORGIA FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK

Athens – Merritt Hall was listed as the No. 1 fullback on the depth chart released Tuesday for Georgia’s opener Saturday against Buffalo. But that doesn’t mean he’ll be the starter.

The Bulldogs utilize multiple position groups on offense, meaning they could just as easily start the game with four wideouts or three receivers and a single back as a fullback and a tailback. Ultimately, what formation they open up in will be determined by offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.

Hall is  rooting for a straight I-formation. That would, of course, give him his first collegiate start.

“Coach Bobo knows a lot more than me about running an offense, so I’ll trust him to do that,” said Hall, a redshirt freshman from Alpharetta. “[But starting would] be a big deal to me. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, to start for a Division I program. I’m blessed with an opportunity to do that and I’m really looking forward to it. I’m anxious to get this thing going.”

Hall has already accomplished a lot. He walked on at Georgia out of The Wesleyan School in 2011 and, after rising to No. 1 at fullback in spring practice, earned a scholarship in preseason camp. So just the fact he is guaranteed playing time his second year is impressive. That he held off senior Richard Samuel, freshman Quayvon Hicks and junior Zander Ogletree to stay atop the depth chart is a feat that has drawn praise from everyone on the team.

“I’m happy for him and I’m happy for Georgia,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said Tuesday. “Sometimes you look at a depth chart at a position and wonder how we are going to do. For him to come out of the blue and play the way he did in the spring and the fall and solidify the job and create competition, it’s good for us, good for Georgia and good for him.”

No comes the fun part. He gets to actually play in a game.

“I’m sure the pregame jitters will be here pretty soon,” Hall said. “I haven’t played on a stage this big, so I know it’s going to be something different. But I’m looking forward to it.”

Nine first-time starters

According to the depth chart, Hall will be one of nine first-time starters for Georgia on Saturday. That’s assuming free safety Bacarri Rambo will be unable to play. In that case either Connor Norman or Corey Moore, both sophomores, will be getting their first career start.

Also expected to get their first nods with the first team Saturday are sophomore center David Andrews, freshman right tackle John Theus, junior tight end Arthur Lynch, sophomore outside linebacker Ramik Wilson, freshman punter Collin Barber and freshman place-kicker Marshall Morgan.

Many freshman to play

Eleven true freshmen were listed on Georgia’s three-deep depth chart, though not all the positions went three deep. Among the recent high school graduates expected to play Saturday are tailbacks Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall, fullback Quayvon Hicks, tight end Ty Flournoy-Smith, outside linebackers Josh Dawson and Jordan Jenkins, cornerback Sheldon Dawson and strong safety Josh Harvey-Clemons.

Georgia had only 17 players enroll with the recruiting class of 2012. Including junior college transfer Mark Beard, who is listed as the backup at left tackle, that means at least 71 percent of that will play in the opening game.

“You hope when you sign them they are going to come in and help you,” Richt said. “Then you start practicing and see these kids need to play. They need to help us on special teams and get as much experience as possible this year because we are pretty senior-heavy on defense right now. It’s good to get those guys as much work as possible.”

Big John eager to ‘show off’

Senior nose guard John Jenkins said he’s teeming with anticipation to play Saturday’s game and it wouldn’t matter if the opponent was Buffalo or ‘Bama. Jenkins said because he and the Bulldogs have worked so hard since last season they’re eager to “show off” how good they can be.

“It’s like if you’re a mechanic and you’ve been working on a car or a hot rod or something,” Jenkins said. “You just can’t wait to take it to the race track and show it off because you’re proud of it. That’s your car. That’s how I feel about my abilities in myself and that’s how I feel about this defense. We’ve been working so hard and we feel like we’ve got something special. So we want to show it off.

That could be bad news for Buffalo, which is 0-3 against SEC teams and a 37-point underdog Saturday.

“My mentality going into this game is that they’re trying to prevent me from doing something that I was born to do,” said Jenkins, a 6-foot-4, 350-pound senior. “I feel like they’re trying to keep me from feeding my family. I don’t really think less of Buffalo, but I think of them as the enemy. They’re going into the game thinking they’re going to run over us and they really can’t. We don’t take anybody for granted.”

No special plan for LeMay

Hutson Mason was listed No. 2 on the depth chart behind Aaron Murray on Tuesday, but it’s more likely that redshirt freshman Christian LeMay will be next in the game if the Bulldogs build a big lead.

Mason confirmed this week that he still hopes to redshirt this season so he can establish a year of separation between him and Murray. But Georgia’s coaches still consider the seasoned Mason as their No. 2 option if Murray gets injured and has to be sidelined for a significant length of time.

That said, the Bulldogs haven’t made any special plans to get LeMay snaps early in Saturday’s game.

“Our plan is to line up with Aaron and try to win the game,” Richr said “We don’t have a plan with Christian like we might have had with [D.J.] Shockley back in the day where we knew we were going to play him in the first half. We’ll just see how the game goes and sub if possible.”

Practice update

Georgia began practice Tuesday in a driving rain storm and had to work on its two artificial grass fields. But the rain subsided 20 minutes in and the Bulldogs were able to get in a full two-hour workout. Richt wasn’t thrilled with the results, however

“I was hoping by practicing in the rain we would be able to handle the wet ball and all that kind of thing,” Richt said. “It might rain on Saturday so we better get ready. The reality was we fumbled more and dropped more balls than normal even though the rain stopped.”

This & that . . .

Defensive linemen Kwame Geathers (bruised shoulder) and Cornelius Washington (neck sprain) practiced but remained in non-contact status with injuries. . . . Tight end Jay Rome was remained limited Tuesday with a hamstring strain. . . .Wide receiver Taylor Bradberry is listed as out with a sprained thumb . . . . Asked again if he was concerned about attrition and overall roster numbers, Richt laughed. “I think we have enough guys to go play football and play well.”

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102 comments Add your comment

Mobile Dawg

August 29th, 2012
10:23 am

There are games, and then there’s the “first” game of the year, against what’s supposed to be a sacrificial lamb. Why all the speculation, the different scenarios, you guys are just trying to be difficult, I realize that. As for griping, I don’t consider it griping, just giving my opinion Lex. You certainly don’t mind giving yours. Richt seems to be big on rewarding effort, why not give the guy a start? Of course we could volley this back and forth all day, I’m house locked because of Issac for the second day.

WDE

August 29th, 2012
10:27 am

What JJ is actually saying is someone please blow a whistle so I can HIT somebody…and folks I’m very glad that someone ain’t me….Go Dogs !

HoneyBadger Has the Munchies

August 29th, 2012
10:28 am

Article with much validity…..are we really having a discussion about who starts the first offensive play? Really? In my eyes there are really three starters at running back. Malcome, Samuel and Hall. Let us not forget Gurley and Marshall. Come on guys. Finish the Drill

UGA Insider

August 29th, 2012
10:53 am

UGA 42
Mizzou 10

This team is ready! No excuses this time.

Terry

August 29th, 2012
10:59 am

Merritt Hall might not start in the first play of the game, but he’s still the starting fullback, as long, as he starts at his position, he’s still starting. It does not matter who plays, or when they play. All that really matters is winning games.

Jimmy Crack

August 29th, 2012
11:02 am

“We don’t want to hurt his family. Maybe we can talk some sense into him.”

- The entire Buffalo offensive line discussing John Jenkins.

AltamahaDawg

August 29th, 2012
11:08 am

Not trying to one difficult at all. What we run the first play is irrelavant. I think it is you that is making this a complicated issue. If he’s #1 fullback on the chart at game time, he is the “starter”. I don’t even think HE was actually disputing that.

As Far as Richt, I am 100% positive that he understands motivation and reward, and has a better perspective on (this particular situation) than we do.

Personally I think we probably do run the ball the first play. But If we run it or pass it the fist play, we are still going to beat these guys by 40, and will run it a LOT all day long. I think its silly to suggest that if we don’t line it up in the I formation the FIRST play, we wouldn’t be working on the physical running game somehow. .

Tide Roll

August 29th, 2012
11:09 am

Why in the name of all that is holy would a kid like TRENTON BROWN or Laremy Tunsil come to UGA. Look what they did to Bean Anderson and Kiante Tripp. Potential 1st round picks at Tackle and Guard. Both got jerked around by Richt and Booboo and it cost them millions. Brown and Tunsil need to look behind the Richt Christianity thing, or in Brown’s case, that Friend recruited him while at National Power UAB. Instead, both need to look at what’s happening to MARK BEARD AND XZAVIER WARD. BEARD was an early enrollee and looked good in Spring game. AT GUARD. Now, just like with Bean Anderson, they’ve moved him out of position (back up left tackle!) and have come forward with the same old Georgia bullcrap. That “He can’t pickup the system.” And Xzavier Ward is worse. How would you like your rehab to depend on former 1970s uga offensive lineman and certifiable maniac JOE T!?, Ward will never see the field. And it’s all a set up for the coaches to play fan favorites, David Andrews, Dallas Lee. Huey and Dewey Long. Dabell, Nardiello, Pyke, Theus, Alden Bynum,Dantzler and on and on! Both kids would be crazy to subject themselves to this bias. The key for both is to look beyond Richt and his BS,(in other words, Don’t trust either he, bobo, or Friend) and here’s what you’ll find. McGarity, Bobo, Friend, Tereshinski, and GA Asst. Inman and a wimp of a head coach that will sacrifice you and others to stay on the payroll. Trust me Laremy and Trent. you want no part of these yo-yo’s. They’re career killers.

HABDAWG

August 29th, 2012
11:19 am

Tide Troll and Mobile Dawg are 1st cousins. Get a grip Mobile, your comments are so ignorant that it is laughable.

Hall has been declared the #1 fullback and as such will be considered the starting fullback regardless of when he sees the field of play so just let it go and try supporting our dawgs and stop this negative rant.

Go DAWGS………………………………………………….

Henry

August 29th, 2012
11:24 am

TideRoll, what about Ben Jones, Cordy Glenn, Clint Boling, Trinton Sturdivant, Fernando Velasco, Man Jean Gilles, Daniel Inman, etc. All these guys were picked up by Richt. We’ve had some outstanding o-lines in Richt’s tenure, and we will again. Nobody’s seen this O-line play yet and they may be very good, we don’t know.

DawginLex

August 29th, 2012
11:24 am

Stay safe Mobile

some things are much more important than football

Mobile Dawg

August 29th, 2012
11:27 am

Thanks for clearing that up HABDAWG.

ARdawg

August 29th, 2012
11:28 am

Altamaha

I agree. The starter is the #1 guy on the depth chart. No need to split hairs here.

Gorilla Biscuit

August 29th, 2012
11:31 am

Turd Roll, there is less in your post than meets the eye. You were born ignorant, and you’ve worked very hard to remain stupid, and racist.

Mobile Dawg

August 29th, 2012
11:38 am

Thanks Lex, you’re right, so many people get so worked up on this blog it’s ridiculous. We’ve seen very little here in the Mobile area from wind and rain. The surge will impact us along the coast but we’re all safe here. Can’t say that for those further West.

G-Dawg

August 29th, 2012
11:42 am

I’d love to see Washington, Geathers, Jenkins, and Drew along the front 4….
JJ, Olgetree, and Wilson as the LB crew for a defensive formations and see the damage they can do with that lineup!!!

Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)

August 29th, 2012
11:43 am

@ Wtfweruthikin (or whatever)

You got it exactly right Bro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)

August 29th, 2012
11:48 am

@ Gorilla Biscuit:

I’m thinking T R was not born but what actually happened was lightening struck a buzzard in the a$$ and T R fell out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kno whut I’m sayin???????????????

I dropped my fried twinkie

August 29th, 2012
12:05 pm

How do you get UGa fans and Students to actually come to a game like Buffalo & Florida Atlantic?

Make it an All Day Tailgate Drunk-Fest and play the game at 7-8 pm.
ACCPD should get plenty of DUI’s, MIP’s & Public Drunkenness arrests after those games.

Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)

August 29th, 2012
12:07 pm

@ Altamaha Dawg:

You got it right!!!!!!!!!!!

Nobody would have ever wondered about it for one second what was going on if the 1st formation did not line up a FB as such if this “dramatic” article not been printed.

Marshall(Kicker) not on the field for the 1st series……….. Isn’t he still the first team Kicker????????

Barber(Punter) not on the field the first quarter………….Isn’t he still the 1st team Punter???????????

just a fan

August 29th, 2012
12:10 pm

Just my humble opinion but there is no reason Aaron Murray should see one snap of action in the second half of Saturdays game. CL should get in some good playing time and be able to pass and run the offense and not just hand it off.

Go Dawgs Sic em WOOF WOOF WOOF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)

August 29th, 2012
12:14 pm

@ Twinkie:

You got it right but then many of them would be too drunk to find their seats. It is an established fact that thousands of so-called “Sports Fans” can’t even consider starting up a conversation with another person/animal/etc without boozing it up from daylight or until they pass out.

This is a sad situation and although UGA is one of the nation’s leaders in that category they are by no means alone in that type behavior!!!!!

Mobile Dawg

August 29th, 2012
12:15 pm

But it was the “Headline” of the article, so I commented on it. The article wasn’t headlined Marshall or Barber named first team but might not get the start. Just drop it and move on if you can.

ARdawg

August 29th, 2012
12:18 pm

“Make it an All Day Tailgate Drunk-Fest and play the game at 7-8 pm.
ACCPD should get plenty of DUI’s, MIP’s & Public Drunkenness arrests after those games.”

Man, this is so true. Those Techies that hang out on the UGA boards can’t stay away from Athens either. They can hold they’re liquor, they drive drunk and fill up the Athens jails. What are we to do?

chazzo

August 29th, 2012
12:23 pm

I’d love to see Big John Jenkins line up at TB at least once this season. He did it in junior college. Remember Fridge running it for the Bears.

Mobile Dawg

August 29th, 2012
12:31 pm

With Geathers as the Fullback.

I dropped my fried twinkie

August 29th, 2012
12:38 pm

ARdwag………..no place in the ACC jail for tech fans with all your students, professors, administrators & players.

WDE

August 29th, 2012
12:38 pm

Are you kidding me fans actually drinking at a college football game…gosh what’s next cute girls with pom poms on the sidelines ?

WDE

August 29th, 2012
12:46 pm

@I was dropped on my head as a child and it fried my twinkie..lets see I recall we had plenty of room in the jail for a Bug player this summer…we can always find room to store a Bug.

I dropped my fried twinkie

August 29th, 2012
12:55 pm

WOW 1 GT player and just exactly How many dWags were in the ACC jail this summer?

I dropped my fried twinkie

August 29th, 2012
12:59 pm

I didn’t say there isn’t drinking at all games. I said UGa NEEDS a Night game and an ALL DAY DRUNK-FEST to get Students & Fans to come to these pathetic games.

WDE

August 29th, 2012
12:59 pm

@I was dropped on my head as a child and it fried my twinkie.Not a numbers question you said we wouldn’t have room, I disagree and if you don’t believe me, come on over to Athens town and get your drunk on….

Fair n Balanced

August 29th, 2012
1:00 pm

I love a guy who earns a scholarship! Make em all earn them I say! And keep “scholar” in scholarship!

ARdawg

August 29th, 2012
1:17 pm

Twinkie

Whatever it takes to get them to a pathetic game huh? You mean like 4 hotdogs, 4 Cokes and a program? ;D

I dropped my fried twinkie

August 29th, 2012
1:22 pm

WDE I have not been in that Toilet town since 1998. I wouldn’t spend any of my blessed life in that pit ever again.

Tide Roll's Tutor

August 29th, 2012
1:50 pm

Another week, another F. Good thing I have mucho patience. Most tutors would have dropped you by now. What is up with this obsessive, anti-UGA baloney? Please give me something to work with, show a modicum of progress in logical thinking.

And now you are implying black athletes are crazy if they go to UGA? My advice is to lay off the ad hominem attacks. Namecalling is a sign you don’t have the facts on your side, and have lost the debate when you resort to them.

Good news for UGA?

August 29th, 2012
1:57 pm

Anyone else hearing we may be getting a commit from Alvin Kamara shortly? Of course, Game Changer says it is USC, so we will just have to wait and see.

WDE

August 29th, 2012
2:07 pm

@@I was dropped on my head as a child and it fried my twinkie…and how long where you in our jail that time?

I dropped my fried twinkie

August 29th, 2012
2:21 pm

ARdwag i would give you an answer but you would try to poo-poo it. UGa with 5 times the # of fans in this state and the UGa fans saying they SELLOUT why are there so many empty seats? Well the school learned the students will not wake-up early for a football game but they will underage drink all day and try to make a night game.

Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)

August 29th, 2012
2:22 pm

@ Mobile Dawg:

Give it a rest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The article was pretty self explanatory that HALL is the 1st team Fullback. Whether he is on the field for the 1st UGA offensive play means ZERO!!!!!!!!!!!

In the event that UGA does NOT have to punt in this first game the punter IS STILL THE 1st TEAM PUNTER!!!!!!!! As clearly noted in the article SOME FORMATIONS DO NOT REQUIRE A FULLBACK!!!!! Are you suggesting Hall be on the field in a position he has not prepared for.

There are a number of reasons UGA may elect to select a play that is not in a formation that requires a FULLBACK, Especially since UGA doesn’t want to run ALL it’s offensive plays for our future opponents to begin preparation to stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lastly but not leastly the primary concern is to WIN THE GAME!!! If this requires Hall not getting ANY PLAYING TIME SATURDAY so be it and I’m quite sure Hall agrees though he would be extremely disappointed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rip Van Winkle

August 29th, 2012
2:38 pm

DawginLex

August 29th, 2012
10:07 am

The truly sad thing to me is that Richt needs to have a great season to not only silence the haters from other teams but also from our own “fanbase” like Mobile.

DawginLex,

Trust all of us “haters” from other teams; WE DONT HATE RICHT. WE HOPE HE GETS A LIFETIME CONTRACT!! (except for maybe the Tech Nerds).

calmdawg

August 29th, 2012
3:46 pm

to be or not====REALLY?

AltamahaDawg

August 29th, 2012
4:45 pm

I figured socked in from the rain, you NEED me rattling your chain as a distraction. as far as the symantics, perhaps Chip could pipe in. not to be critical, but to me it read a bit confusing. ” a single back as the fullback”.Isn’tt that basically playing withOUT a fullback? To me its 2 different topics.

1. Meritt Hall says he dreams of starting for a D-1 team. He is
2. It would suit him to be used right from the start. which we might not. Different deal.

And that was framed around and linked purely from a writer’s hypothetical situation. (which you saw as an opportunity to critisize Richt).

ARdawg

August 29th, 2012
4:48 pm

twinkie

You’re right, I would. 4 hotdogs, 4 Cokes and a Joke

AltamahaDawg

August 29th, 2012
4:58 pm

And FWIW, I think our path to the best results will be our passing game this year. We need to be “solid” in the running game, but we need to tune up the passing game just as much Saturday. I expect that to be done early, and then grind it out with run game late………………..so passing on the first play is not really some failure of strategy IMO.

Mobile Dawg

August 29th, 2012
6:36 pm

My distraction is putting the final touches on our taxes. Watching the rain come down is more fun. I really hope the guys (players anc coaches) can pull it all together this year and show solid improvement. Can’t ask for much more than that. I’m going to start sipping some kool aid about now, Issac’s taking a break and so am I. Check in on you later.

Game Changer

August 29th, 2012
7:11 pm

What about our O lineman commit that decommited?

AltamahaDawg

August 29th, 2012
7:58 pm

I like grape.

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