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UPDATED: UGA starting DE Abry Jones out for rest of regular season after ankle surgery

10:33 pm October 23, 2012, by Chip Towers

Georgia will have to juggle its defensive front after learning that starting defensive end Abry Jones is out 6 to 8 weeks following ankle surgery on Tuesday. (AJC photo by Brant Sander,lin)

Georgia will have to juggle its defensive front after learning that starting defensive end Abry Jones is out 6 to 8 weeks following ankle surgery on Tuesday. (AJC photo by Brant Sander,lin)

UPDATE ON STORY I FILED LAST NIGHT . . .

ATHENS — Abry Jones’ high school coach confirmed what had been floated around on social media and hinted by his Georgia coaches and teammates. The Bulldogs’ starting defensive end is likely out for the rest of the regular season after undergoing ankle surgery on Tuesday.

Kevin Kinsler, the head coach at Northside High in Warner Robins, is the only one to provide anything resembling a confirmation and then only reluctantly so. But he did confirm that Jones underwent ankle surgery on Tuesday at St. Mary’s Hospital and is looking at a long recovery as a result.

“I’ve just texted back and forth with his parents a little bit and that’s it,” said Kinsler, who was Jones’ defensive coordinator when he was at Northside. “All we know is the surgery went well and they were talking six to eight weeks. But we haven’t had a chance to sit down and talk with them or anything like that. I imagine it’s been pretty hectic up there.”

Obviously the recovery time will mean Jones will likely be out the rest of the season with a shot of coming back for a post-Christmas bowl game. Jones’ absence with the Bulldogs will be felt on defense.

Jones, a 6-foot-3, 308-pound senior, has started 26 games and played in 45 for the Bulldogs at defensive end. Jones had to sit out the Florida Atlantic game earlier this season with an injury to the same left ankle. He had 17 tackles before having to leave the Kentucky game this past Saturday on Georgia’s second defensive play.

While Jones’ stats don’t raise any eyebrows, he has been known as a stalwart for holding his ground and establishing a defensive edge on the perimeter. Those skills will be missed this Saturday as the Bulldogs try to contain Florida quarterback Jeff Driskell and his band of speedy backs and backfield crossing wideouts.

Garrison Smith, a 6-3, 297-pound junior from Atlanta, will fill start in Jones’ place. Smith has a lot of experience, including a start this season and two last year, and is actually Georgia’s second-leading tackler among down linemen, trailing Big John Jenkins 25 stops to 23. The 6-3, 358-pound Jenkins has also been tackling snaps at Jones’ position, which is essentially a 5-technique tackle, with Kwame Geathers (6-6, 355) getting more snaps at noseguard.

Though Jones’ surgery and recovery time has been widely reported by both reporters and his friends via social media, Georgia coach would not confirm that Jones will be out beyond this Saturday.

“He won’t play this week is all I can confirm,” Richt said on the SEC coaches teleconference call Tuesday. “There’s reason for that, but that’s all I confirm at this point.”

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I-DOG

October 24th, 2012
12:02 pm

There seem to be two camps of UGA fans. The first, are the “we are 6-1, South Carolina is only one game, look at Richt’s overall winning percentage and do you want to return to the days of Goff and Donnan and who else are you going to get to coach the team? crowd.”

The second camp is the one that I lean toward.

Yes TECHNICALLY there have been six wins so far this year, but that is an aberration. Lets not even count the two cupcakes. A coaching staff isn’t paid $5 million plus combined to win against Buffalo and the like. UGA has won four games. UGA played a complete game against Vanderbilt. Against Missouri, we came away with a tough road win and I can live with that. We were 0-8 on 3rd down at one point in the first half and were losing the game deep in the 3rd quarter. Most good teams will have a game like that against a decent opponent on the road. TN was a good win, but like the Missouri game it showed the many flaws of this talented team. The Kentucky game was probably the worst UGA “win” since I can remember. I don’t remember seeing a talented UGA team look so bad in winning a game since I have been following them since the 80’s. The fact that we looked so unprepared and tired after a bye week is troubling.

Then there is the one UGA loss. I don’t view the South Carolina loss as a one game freak occurence the way that Richt and staff are trying to spin it. UGA was completely dominated in all three phases of the game. Vandy played them tougher, Kentucky played them tougher, LSU beat them, Florida beat them. Missouri was better prepared against South Carolina than UGA was. It was unnacceptable.

Games like the South Carolina game and this week’s Florida tilt are where the staff earns their considerable paychecks. UGA has squeaked by with wins against teams that don’t have the experience, depth, and talent that UGA has this year. You don’t earn the $ by playing a good game against Vanderbilt (though as a fan, it was nice to see UGA play a complete game). You earn the $ by beating some teams with similar talent and sometimes pulling a Colorado/Central Florida in reverse and beating a team that is clearly better than you are.

I don’t think a Richt coached UGA team has beaten a team that was clearly more talented than his squad was in his 13 year tenure.

I-DOG

October 24th, 2012
12:15 pm

I suppose UGA has a chance to “salvage” this season if it beats Florida this Saturday. Howeer, not only do I get a sense that most UGA fans don’t think we have much of a shot this Saturday… I’m not sure that the players and coaches really think they are going to do it. I have no evidence to back that up, it is more about what I am NOT hearing from the players. I hear 0 confidence in themselves and in their coaches to prepare them for victory.

Here is the problem with the athletic director scheduling not 1, not 2, but 3 creampuffs: It puts even more emphasis on beating the 2 teams with similar talent that you play all year. UGA has a Nebraska circa 1977 schedule. 10 teams they should beat because they are just plain better and then 2 teams that present a challenge. Lose Saturday to Florida and it is like Nebraska from the 70’s having a top 10 team pre-season and a lot of depth and experience and then losing to Oklahoma and Texas (and getting embarassed by at least one and lets see how FL plays out)

Would Tom Osbourne say “losing to Oklahoma 35-7 is a tough loss, but it is just one loss?” Hell no! I never heard him say, but look at all our wins against Baylor and Iowa State and Kansas and we won 9-10 games and got to a bowl game. He knew that if you are only going to schedule 2 tough games each year and that if you have a roster full of NFL talent, you have to win some of those games against your peers.

JT

October 24th, 2012
12:23 pm

We do indeed average the 8th best class for recruiting each year, the problem is there are normally 2-4 SEC teams ahead of us. Backs and recievers are a dime a dozen, focus on the big uglies, where we seem to always be thin, and we win big, no matter who the coach is.

ETOWAH DAWG

October 24th, 2012
12:29 pm

Murray is too short to compete against top rated teams.. Thats why he has never beat a team ranked higher than 20… He cant see the field… UGA needs a taller Qb…… Fire Grantham and Bobo….

I-DOG

October 24th, 2012
12:33 pm

While 6-1 is technically the record and I’d like to see us beat Florida this weekend as much as anyone… I think we need to remember that we were supposed to play in Tuscaloosa against #1 Alabama the second game of the season. Missouri and A&M joining the SEC gave us a reprieve by getting to play a mediocre Missouri squad.

If not for this scheduling miracle, we would be 5-2 heading into this weekends Florida game and obviously if we lose that game, we would be 5-3 including 2 wins against cupcakes so 3-3 in the SEC.

Obviously, I am assuming we would have lost to AL (but can anyone argue that the way we played at Missouri would have been good enough to beat Bama that night?) and that we will lose to FL this weekend. I think UGA’s roster of talent is the second best in the SEC behing Bama this year.

If I gave coach Bill Belichik and his staff of choice the chance to pick any roster from the SEC to play a game against Saban and Alabama… I believe he would rightly pick Georgia over LSU, South Carolina, and Florida. I’m not saying that AL doesn’t have a talented team, but a top notch coaching staff would have a shot at beating Bama with the UGA roster THIS SEASON. I think Belichik would choose UGA because of the depth at WR, the 3rd year starter with accuracy at QB who studies a lot of film. 3 very good RB’s and the average OL to go with 9 future NFL players on the defense.

LSU, FL, and USC have very good defenses that are performing well, but I would take UGA’s overall roster THIS SEASON as I think those programs have flawed offenses this year and were better in previous years and will be better in future years.

UGA isn’t playing like it, but I think the roster is the 2nd best in the SEC this year and the schedule is the easiest. Certainly a wasted opportunity if we lose 2-3 games or more with that combination.

78 DAWG

October 24th, 2012
12:33 pm

We will go 11 – 2 and still will not have beaten even 1 decent team this year. It was the same last year, people are off the Grantham bandwagon, because he acts like a fool and because his top 5 D can only stop bad over matched teams. Heck, his 1st year a bad Tech team with TEVIN WASHINGTON at qb scored in the 40s and almost beat us. Mich State, LSU flat made the D quit in the 2nd half of the SEC CG, We still don’t know where South Carolina’s receivers are. There was a time when we were in every game because of the D. I want more when someone make $1M/year. With the talent in this state, how can we not field a competive D? Florida can, USC can, LSU can, Bama can………..

ETOWAH DAWG

October 24th, 2012
12:36 pm

Our defense stinks… They have been pat on the back so long these dawgs cant get off the porch and run the yard.. Williams told the truth. Big John and Gathers are cream puffs… nobody is hitting hard.. They dont fear going into the middle.. Teams dont go in the middle against Bama and LSU.. Grantham got his raise so he dont care..He should be responsible for firing up his team

dawglova

October 24th, 2012
1:06 pm

just out of curiosity…for everyone wanting richt and the rest of the staff gone, who would you like to see come in as the next head coach?

Vampire Bill

October 24th, 2012
1:23 pm

I agree with other posters comments about how predictable UGA is on offense. Totally vanilla, Richt and Bobo have not added any new wrinkles in the offensive scheme for years. I remember when Lane Kiffin stated that he would never lose to the dawgs after Tenn beat us by 30 something points.

Biggest no brainer ever. Mark Richt is a poor head coach and he needs to go.

Vampire Bill

October 24th, 2012
1:26 pm

I also think that one of the reasons why our defense is not playing hard is Richt has limited Grantham so much that he can no longer be effective. I can’t imagine those two see eye to eye too much? Would Grantham sing happy birthday to his players or worry about his tan?

Uncle Kirk

October 24th, 2012
2:00 pm

So I dog…..by your logic, it is okay to lose to the cream puffs since coaches are not paid to beat them…..as long as we beat the 2 ranked teams. Wonder what the fan reaction would be to that record. Did you really follow Tom Osborne around enough to know if he would or did say that? Doubtful

Uncle Kirk

October 24th, 2012
2:06 pm

Vampire…..it is fine if you want Richt gone….but at least base it on facts. Claiming he is worried about his tan is juvenile. Nobody limited Grantham except to censor the F bombs on camera. If that makes him a less effective coach, then maybe you want the wrong one gone.

Just a hunch

October 24th, 2012
2:07 pm

1st half: UGA 17 UF 14
2nd half: UGA 3 UF 16

UF wins 30-20

Vampire Bill

October 24th, 2012
3:07 pm

Kirk, Don’t be silly. Nothing juvenile about my post. Just a bit of a dig said in jest and trying to make a point.

Football has always been a violent and emotional sport from both the athletes and coaches perspective. For years now Richt’s team has lacked the killer instinct needed to play championship football. It’s been stated many ways by many people. UGA football is too soft and changes need to be made and need to be made now.

Leftover Nesbitt for Heisman T Shirts

October 24th, 2012
3:13 pm

just out of curiosity…for everyone wanting richt and the rest of the staff gone, who would you like to see come in as the next head coach?

We could bring back Jim Donnan. Same basic results and great potential investment opportunities.
I’ll take anyone with some fire and the ability to see when it’s time to cut bait on a horrible coordinator.

Leftover Nesbitt for Heisman T Shirts

October 24th, 2012
3:15 pm

VanGorder
Mullen
I’ll take either of them.

dale

October 24th, 2012
3:32 pm

Yeah, bring back Donnan. First beat them on the football field, then destroy their families financially.

npgator

October 24th, 2012
4:04 pm

Jenkins and Geathers can make th all – fat team.

SEC Fan

October 24th, 2012
4:11 pm

You guys can’t fire Mark Richt. He’s the best coach in the history of CFB. Give him another dozen or so years — he’ll come through eventually.

Trust me! ;)

Georgia is Jones-in, Richt announces that star DE Abry Jones will miss Florida game - Gamedayr : Gamedayr

October 24th, 2012
4:12 pm

[...] this tweet, Chip Towers of the Atlanta Journal Constitution has confirmed that Jones underwent ankle surgery on Tuesday and will miss the remainder of the [...]

LHarding Dawg

October 24th, 2012
4:21 pm

Abry – DGD – Get well quick and good luck. You’ll be missed on the field.

DDPO

October 24th, 2012
4:23 pm

Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said in 2010 there was “mutual agreement” to cancel the series, but that’s another technicality. Georgia wanted out and Oregon allowed it to happen, even allowed Georgia to save face by calling the decision “mutual”

Why is UGA backing out of an opportunity to play a quality out of conference opponent? Bama & LSU are certainly not afraid, given their non-conference opponents over the past few years.

SEC Fan

October 24th, 2012
4:31 pm

@DDPO

Ten wins. That’s what UGA fans want.

LHarding Dawg

October 24th, 2012
4:33 pm

The Oregon game was a mutual agreement. The Pac 10 was going to 12 and we were going to 14.

SEC Fan

October 24th, 2012
4:36 pm

@LHarding Dawg

What does the number of teams in a conference have to do with OOC game scheduling?

dawglova

October 24th, 2012
4:40 pm

vangorder???? jesus…

dawglova

October 24th, 2012
4:41 pm

well he will be out of his current job by the end of the year. Just goes to show most of you have absolutley no clue

hmm

October 24th, 2012
4:50 pm

Why all the secrecy? It’s not like Florida will be worried about who is playing or not since the defense is a joke anyway.

Roll Tide with Pride!!!

October 24th, 2012
5:11 pm

Let’s see here:
1. Abry Jones is gone for the season – one of the leaders on a mediocre defense.
2. Your safety, who has been burned on more than one occasion this year – is pointing fingers as his “soft” teammates and calling players out.
3. Alex Ogletree is dressing down and yelling at his punt returner for not fielding a catch (even though he was suspended for four (4) games this season – which to me disqualifies him from criticizing anyone on the team …what a punk).
4. Yes, I would say the defense is BEYOND being in trouble – UGA will not be playing for the SEC East this Saturday – they will be playing to enhance their position in a second tier bowl. .

UGA’s DEFENSE has not been a good unit all year – it is a mediocre unit filled with individual talent that are too stupid to understand the concepts of the 3-4 and the importance of team play. They will not magically turn into the Chicago Bears on Saturday. Who they are will show up on Saturday – and Florida will have a great day of runnning the ball right into the line.

SO – the question is:
Which game this weekend will see the biggest blowout?
– Florida/Georgia
– Alabama / Miss. ST.

My pick? Florida/Georgia
– Florida will run right through Granthams pourus defense – and by the mid/end of the 3rd Quarter – Gators will be just punishing the UGA D-Line and running away with it.
– UGA’s big concern is to regroup quickly after the Cocktail Party blowout and prep for OLE MISS. Ole Miss is playing pretty good and there game with UGA is an upset alert special.

Alabama/Miss ST – this will probably be closer than many are thinking.
Have to give respect to Miss State. Team has heart – unlike UGA’s defense.

Bad Dawg

October 24th, 2012
5:19 pm

Great post – College is Forever

Very well said, couldn’t agree more

Gman 84

October 24th, 2012
5:31 pm

So glad the gasbags from Bama have had their daily dump.

I rue the day that I actually felt sorry for these losers during the Shula, Dubose, Coach Franny, Mike Price and Joe Kines era. Big mistake on my part.

smitty

October 24th, 2012
5:35 pm

GA-FL has some interesting elements. For one, FL has a strong defense that has played best in the second half. GA’s defense (in fact the entire team) has looked stronger in the second half. Wonder how that might play out on Saturday?

Sunbury Ga dawg

October 24th, 2012
5:53 pm

Can we show up at the beginning of the game this time? or will we wait until we are down by 21?
that is the question……..

Dumpster fire

October 24th, 2012
6:05 pm

No matter how bad we suck or how soft we are…….and we do suck and we are soft, i will never cheer for the Gaytors and i still hate Bama! but i do respect the fact the their AD will go out and get them a winner unlike how we hope and wish every year and watch the same piss poor performance and act surprised…

Really? who was surprised that we didn’t show up for the biggest game on the schedule? Looked just like that blackout, so similar with the same result! we have seen it many times before. there is a good chance we are getting ready to see it again. And yes it sucks to sit in Afghanistan 8 hours and 30 mins ahead of the eastern time zone, stay up late to watch a beat down of a team you love so much and really want to succeed!
If you are going to come out and die like you did for the SC game please take that G off the side of your helmets, you are making us born and bread true Georgia boys look bad around the world!

Making me look soft because you are looking soft!

me

October 24th, 2012
8:25 pm

Dawgs Linebackers and safeties need to step on on the run support. Too many guys are running through wide open holes. “Stiffen up and stick it in the hole”. Oh, sorry, that was the wife.

me

October 24th, 2012
8:27 pm

Too many blown assignments. Grantham needs to simplify. Both early USC TD’s were blow coverages with no Dawg within 5 yards of receivers running behind everyone. Stop looking for the ‘kill shot’ and just hold the line of scrimmage and make the tackle.

ugab

October 24th, 2012
8:45 pm

Hope you have a great recovery. Go dawgs.

ugab

October 24th, 2012
8:47 pm

Well said dumpster fire

There is a disconnect, certainly on the UGA D

October 24th, 2012
9:02 pm

UGA ’s D is not a team.They’re all focused on ther first Escalade tnstaafl they buy Mama and their friends.

UGA has built a star system and not a TEAM.Murray is not respected by the majority of his mates and the entire team is divided.

I am disgusted by it all.

UGA man, class of 71&73

Notebook: Georgia’s offensive line will be shuffling again against Gators | UGA sports blog

October 24th, 2012
9:20 pm

[...] Starting defensive end Abry Jones out for season after ankle surgery [...]

shakazulu

October 24th, 2012
9:24 pm

On Wednesday morning, Georgia junior fullback Alexander Ogletree sent out a tweet that got fanbases fired up for this weekend’s rivalry game with Florida.

“Think we should rush the field first touchdown … fans and all!” Ogletree posted on his Twitter account.
___________________________________________________________________________________

Funny that the local paper hasn’t reported this….might give the opposition a little more fire that they don’t really need…..GA surely needs it though according to Sawn Williams….you can’t turn it on in a couple of days boys.

why

October 24th, 2012
9:36 pm

why is losing jones a concern. Let someone else have a chance to play…maybe there is someone on the bench that wants to play! Maybe there is a star somewhere on that bench. They obviously are not on the field.

The Bear

October 24th, 2012
10:39 pm

Abry tough luck, great kid. Hope the best for you! I know you will rebound!

hind tit

October 24th, 2012
10:57 pm

I think the Grantham defense is over these guys heads maybe to complicated for college kids. You just don’t get enough push from the 34 that you do from the 43 plus Jarvis Jones has been shut down since the first two games. Jordan Jenkins needs to start seems to be the only one that can see a play unfold. Very mature for a freshman. Georgia uses their players like a unionized company. Put the best players on the field instead of the seniority system.

Abry Jones has ankle surgery, could miss rest of Georgia’s season – Macon Telegraph (blog) | Cosmetic Surgery

October 25th, 2012
8:34 am

[...] Georgia DE Abry Jones has ankle surgery, done for regular seasonCBS sports.com (blog)UPDATED: UGA starting DE Abry Jones out for rest of regular season after ankle …Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)Columbus Ledger-Enquirerall 44 news [...]

Dawglasville

October 25th, 2012
11:27 am

Thanks Abry for your effort and play. You represented us well.

Mobile Dawg – Your faith is your faith and Richt’s faith is his.

I – Dog – Osbourne didn’t start beating OU until he started letting the likes of more athlete/less student play. He let some questionable kids continue to play after they got in trouble. A more principled Osbourne would not have done that.

Richt may lose his job. He may have hit the ceiling. I would love to win a NC too. If it is time, it is time. He left the program in better shape than he found it and represented the University well.

Big Ten fan videos; bowl news; more college football links | Campus Union

October 25th, 2012
11:34 am

[...] • Injury report story hour. Starting Georgia defensive end Abry Jones had ankle surgery Tuesday and may miss the rest of the season. [...]

National Injury Report: Updates from across the country | Egypt

October 25th, 2012
9:40 pm

[...] is done for at least the regular season with a broken ankle, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He had surgery on the ankle on Tuesday and a recovery could take at least six weeks. Junior [...]

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