Richt, Grantham intentionally vague on status of suspended players
ATHENS – At this point, Georgia’s Mark Richt is starting to sound a bit like a broken record. The Bulldogs’ coach keeps getting asked about the availability of defensive stars Alec Ogletree and Bacarri Rambo, and he keeps refusing to say.
Asked Tuesday if their presence atop the depth chart at their respective positions meant they might play against Missouri on Saturday, Richt said with a wide grin, “I would say I’ll let y’all know when the time comes.”
Both players missed this past Saturday’s opener against Buffalo. Afterward, Richt admitted for the first time they were out due to disciplinary suspensions. He wouldn’t say for how long, however.
Rambo’s high school coach, Alan Ingram of Seminole County High School, said back in March that Rambo and Ogletree had each flunked UGA-issued drug tests and were suspended for the first four games per the athletic association’s marijuana-use policy. Neither Richt nor anyone from Georgia has ever confirmed that report.
Richt was asked Tuesday if he was simply looking for a competitive advantage.
“I don’t know,” Richt said. “I would just as soon not give them all of our business. If there is some uncertainty at all then just like any kind of personnel on either side of the ball, if we weren’t sure about if this guy were playing or that guy is playing it’s just one more thing game day that you have to make certain that your players understand who’s in the game. It could be helpful.”
In the past, Georgia has announced its suspensions ahead of time and still does so in the case of player arrests. Cornerback Sanders Commings (domestic battery) and linebacker Chase Vasser (DUI) were each suspended two games because they broke the law. But Richt was forthcoming only after knowledge of their arrest became public.
Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham is glad the Bulldogs are being deceptive about the players’ availability.
“Here’s what I think: I don’t know why you’d tell anybody because it’s not illegal,” said Grantham, who spent 11 years as an NFL coach before joining the Bulldogs in 2010. “Unless everybody is going to disclose all their information, why would talk about your team in that regard? To me you don’t talk about things like that.”
In the NFL injuries and suspensions had to be disclosed by a certain date each week. There is no such rule in the SEC or in college football.
“If everybody’s not going to talk about it and be on the same page, then I don’t think we should say anything, in my opinion, injuries or anything,” Grantham said. “Until it’s a league rule and you have to say something, until everybody plays on the same page, you do the least that you can.”
Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said the uncertainty is not complicating his team’s preparations.
“You prepare for the scheme,” Pinkel said. “Obviously I don’t know if they are going to be back or not. We can’t worry about that, we have to enough things to be concerned about that we have control over. If they play, they play. I don’t know what else to tell you.”
Here’s Richt on a few other things from Tuesday’s weekly news conference:
On whether cornerback Malcolm Mitchell (sprained ankle) will play . . .
“We’re not sure. . . . We’re hoping; we’re hoping. He did not practice [Monday].”
On whether freshman Todd Gurley would start at tailback this week . . .
“We usually don’t decide until Thursday how we’re going to decide who starts. We’ll have a guess-timate by about Thursday after practice, but I would think you’ll see more of the same as far as the guys who got carries. You’ll probably see the same guys getting carries, but it’s just a matter of how many.”
On importance of Saturday’s game . . .
“We don’t want to start out behind. You never want to start out behind the eight ball and getting into a chase mode right off the bat. I don’t think anyone wants to be sitting there at the first game in league play relying on people to help us get to the SEC Championship game. It’s huge. All SEC games do count so much, and the first one especially is big. If you win it, it hopefully creates momentum for you and gives you a chance to continue to control your own destiny in the race to Atlanta. I’m sure everybody is thinking the same way.”
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143 comments Add your comment
MurfDawg
September 5th, 2012
11:12 am
Chip,
We need someone to write a clever headline about all this like Grizzard did when Happy Dicks was injured. Then we can move on to the actual game.
Red
September 5th, 2012
11:15 am
Not sure using the misfortunes and illegal actions of your players as a means to deceive your opponents is an ethical thing. What these kids did was wrong. Using the situation as a ploy really looks bad. Yes, Coach Grantham, it’s not illegal. But it surely could be considered unethical and is definitely questionable.
RHall55
September 5th, 2012
11:20 am
This is a true test to see if the Coaches coach the players up……that’s my biggest concern and was last year against Boise State, SC, LSU and Mich State….please finally win a game that really matters!!
UGA Insider
September 5th, 2012
11:23 am
UGA 42
Mizzou 10
This is an easy win UGA must have.
Tech fans are here
September 5th, 2012
11:24 am
GT compared to GT of even last year or 2010, has really slipped. Why? C PJ DOES NOT sign the caliber of kids that he inherited from Chan My Man and it is telling.
GT will be hard pressed to defeat even the average to below ACC squads that they face in 2012. GT is in Trouble and CPJ is on the COACHING HOT SEAT !!!
Go Dogs.
The MIZZo game
September 5th, 2012
11:27 am
I see the UGA/Missouri game as a wild shoot out. I expect UGA to win in closely fought shoot out, by holding the ball and trying to grind out some tough yards late in the game, hopefully UGA with a 8- 10 pt lead and able to sit on it.
UGA’s D will ge gassed, so Murray had better runa ball control ground game for chunks of time being taken off the clock.
39-31 UGA wins
RGB
September 5th, 2012
11:37 am
That Richt would attempt to turn 2 apparent drug violations into a competitive advantage for his team sends the message that such violations are/can be beneficial for the team. Winking at the violators encourages more violators.
So don’t be surprised, Coach Richt, when your “student athletes” commit these offenses over and over again. By your hand they’ve learned well.
Mediocre U
September 5th, 2012
11:40 am
I smell a GT troll in your Kung Fu Chicken.
FL Dawg
September 5th, 2012
11:45 am
Did anyone catch the Mizzou game last week? Am I the only one that wasn’t all that impressed? If we don’t hang 45-50 on these clowns I’ll be extremely upset.
GOOO DAWGS!!!!!
Dawg Haus
September 5th, 2012
11:45 am
I think the difference-maker in this game will be Georgia’s depth on defense. CTG will have to keep a rotation going so as not to leave anyone gassed by the second half. I want to see guys like Devin Bowman, Ray Drew and Corey Moore make some plays.
Mediocre U
September 5th, 2012
11:47 am
UGAy – 20
Mizzou – 24
Sunday morning:
All handles on this board changed and shouting for Bobo’s head. After 24 hours of cooling off, delusion sets back in and bubbas start talking about how they are going to run the table and still win the SEC, beat Bama, and win the NC.
Watching UGAy lose is almost as fun as watching my alma mater winning yet another NC.
The Umpire
September 5th, 2012
11:58 am
High today in Columbia is 98 degrees, but they expect a cool front to bring it to about 70 at game time. Advantage: Tigers. MO is used to high scoring shootouts. UGA not so much. High scoring game Advantage: Tigers. Low scoring game Advantage: UGA. Suspensions and injuries Advantage: Tigers. Looks like the Tigers beat us by 10, but hopefully Murray will light the scoreboard up, King will not drop any passes (the kid seems to always be open on long balls), and Gurley will romp through the Tigers like a hot knife through butter.
The Umpire
September 5th, 2012
12:00 pm
Mediocre U=disillusioned and depressed Gator or nerd. Can’t talk up the Gators or Bees…next best thing, talk down Georgia.
Dawg Haus
September 5th, 2012
12:06 pm
Umpire, I remember thinking the same thing before the Dawgs went to Arkansas in 2009. If Joe Cox can lead the Dawgs to a shootout victory, Aaron Murray sure can. If the Dawgs can stay rested on D, they should roll in this one.
The Umpire
September 5th, 2012
12:12 pm
Dawg of the AJC Haus, the one thing I have learned in many years of observation is that nobody knows what will happen. Your point is a good one, that they will rise to the challenge. How much does the line improve? How much was Grantham holding back? Should be an exciting game. I am amazed at how many times I have seen King wide open. They could hit three or four TDs if they got hot.
Dawg Fud
September 5th, 2012
12:21 pm
“At this point, Georgia’s Mark Richt is starting to sound a bit like a broken record.”
Well, stop asking him the same dumb question. He does not wish to discuss it. Get it through your thick skull and move on to the next question.
old man
September 5th, 2012
12:25 pm
9:09 pm September 4, 2012, by Chip Towers
ATHENS – At this point, Georgia’s Mark Richt is starting to sound a bit like a broken record. The Bulldogs’ coach keeps getting asked about the availability of defensive stars Alec Ogletree and Bacarri Rambo, and he keeps refusing to say.
________________________________________________________________________I say it’s the media that is sounding like the proverbial broken record. Why do you keep asking the same question when you already know the answer?
Dawg Fud
September 5th, 2012
12:30 pm
old man,
My point exactly. Because they are idiots that want to stir the pot. Just like they have been trying to get UGA players to bite on the Mizzou comment.
Dealing with the media is a pain in the you-know-what…..
Dawg Haus
September 5th, 2012
12:40 pm
No doubt, Umpire. If Murray hits a wide open T. King, the Dawgs win by 21 more points than they did on Saturday. I totally agree with you that a lot will depend on the lines. I sure hope CTG was holding back because I was pulling my hair out at the half last Saturday!
kung fu chicken with duck sauce
September 5th, 2012
12:50 pm
you people bashing UGA
did you not see the buffalo game
buffalo is a great team
UGA dominated that team
UGA is going undefeated
Bobo
September 5th, 2012
12:51 pm
I’m so sick of Bulldawg nation saying what a wonderful upstanding guy Mark Richt is. Richt is a shark like every other major college football coach savvy enough to swim in bloody waters without being eaten. He puts out a squeaky clean ‘Aw Shucks’ image like his mentor, Bobby Bowden and refuses to discern ANYTHING about the character of the players who play for him.
UGA has a revolving door of guys getting arrested and Richt slapping them on the wrist. Don’t even get me started about the guys like A.J. Green who couldn’t pass high school classes, let alone a college course. I’m sure if the 3rd string snapper had gotten arrested for a DUI, he would conveniently disappear. Just like Urban Meyer….different standards for different skill levels of player. Wonderful ethics there Richt.
old man
September 5th, 2012
12:52 pm
Dawg Fud, I couldn’t agree more. Do these media types actually believe that the coaches are gonna suddenly spill their guts just because the same, tired question is asked again and again? If so, we should have them interrogating terrorists.
Bobo
September 5th, 2012
12:52 pm
And by the way…..if UGA’s pass defense doesn’t get any better than last week, Missouri will win a game that has a score like a basketball game….like 59-47.
ConfusedDawg
September 5th, 2012
1:06 pm
Hold on one hot minute…
Isn’t this Ogletree’s first drug violation? His first encounter with trouble, his freshman year, was due to theft, not drugs. Therefore, according to the policy, he should only miss 10% of total games, meaning just ONE. He did not play against Buffalo. Problem solved. Ogletree will play against Missouri.
Meanwhile, Rambo will miss the next three games.
I dropped my fried twinkie
September 5th, 2012
1:10 pm
ConfusedDawg………do really know what all happened with the Theft?
Are we sure it has only been 1 failed Pee Test?
ConfusedDawg
September 5th, 2012
1:23 pm
Twinkie, unless UGA is witholding information, which until now had been rare, Ogletree has not failed a piss test in the past. If he had, a suspension would have almost definitely followed. Anyway, I was only trying to see this situation half-glass full. Below is the theft suspension story from September 2010.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5529065
The Umpire
September 5th, 2012
1:25 pm
I’m going to call this one like I see it, Franklin should hope that Tree is on the pine.
The Umpire
September 5th, 2012
1:28 pm
Twinkie, you can hope all you want, but it ain’t going to help you. How does a Dawg defeat a Tiger? By Treeing him, of course.
I dropped my fried twinkie
September 5th, 2012
1:43 pm
UMP…………with OBAMAnation in the whitehouse I don’t HOPE for anything anymore.
Blackberry Cobbler
September 5th, 2012
1:45 pm
I’m as big a UGA fan as they come……….. but, you wanna see a good football team, look at Alabama and the way they destroyed Michigan. UGA’s got nothing remotely close to ‘Bama. We have a suspect OL, and QB that has never played good in a big ball game against a ranked opponent, and 1/2 the defense not on the field.
The Umpire
September 5th, 2012
1:59 pm
Blackberry, Alabama is going to the NFL playoffs as a wildcard this year. Don’t worry about them. Twinkie, no worries, we can throw the football around when we wind up in one of O’s communes after he gets through spreading the wealth. I just hope his Central Planners don’t outlaw football!
No. 1 Braves Fan
September 5th, 2012
2:16 pm
UGA is not handling this matter like what CMR claims is ” the Georgia way”. He is being like jut the opposite of what he claims to be. Its his choice but very deceiving nonetheless.
Huh?
September 5th, 2012
2:29 pm
It might be Ogletree’s first offense with drugs, but it’s his second time in trouble. Theft + drugs = Thug in my book. He needs to sit another game or two.
Mangy Dawg
September 5th, 2012
2:55 pm
Huh?
September 5th, 2012
2:29 pm
It might be Ogletree’s first offense with drugs, but it’s his second time in trouble. Theft + drugs = Thug in my book. He needs to sit another game or two.
That was Funny!
Son of Sammy Davis Jr, Jr
September 5th, 2012
2:58 pm
I guess the Ole’ Ball Coach was right.
dawginduluth
September 5th, 2012
3:56 pm
He’s thinking if he doesn’t let the play and they coach and play like they did against Buffalo and lose, he will have an excuse.
No NC with Richt. Never.
909
September 5th, 2012
4:16 pm
With so many suspensions, year-in and year-out, Richt has to
be vague to keep UGA from looking like a work-release program.
Jim Rome knows.
Seriously
September 5th, 2012
4:24 pm
How many times are you going to report on this AJC?
kingdaddy
September 5th, 2012
5:16 pm
Woot, Woot, Woot…
Huh?
September 5th, 2012
5:19 pm
Seriously…it’s their job.
Paddy
September 5th, 2012
6:31 pm
Washaun Ealy just got arrest on a dope charge. The beat goes on!
In a related story; CMR announced that that UGA will play FAMU next year. CMR said that after their latest hazing incident on their campus this week; ” we just could not pass up the chance to play the “Harvard of the South”.
Gurley not worried about starting, just wants to stay around longer | UGA sports blog
September 6th, 2012
2:42 pm
[...] Richt, Grantham being intentionally vague about suspended players [...]
Dawgs 32
September 6th, 2012
7:02 pm
They will play. This game is to important for them to sit. But…If they don’t then someone else will have to step up.