Notebook: Georgia’s offensive line will be shuffling again against Gators
ATHENS — Georgia’s offensive line will be shuffling again in the Florida game.
Juniors Dallas Lee and Kenarious Gates are expected to start as usual at left guard and tackle, respectively. But Lee has been playing on a bad ankle since the Tennessee game. So the Bulldogs are increasingly turning to junior college transfer Mark Beard, who they bring in at left tackle and slide Gates inside to guard when Lee needs to come out of games.
Beard played extensively this past Saturday against Kentucky. Lee continues to practice rather than rest the ankle, so his durability on Saturday will be closely monitored.
“Dallas has got to get healthy,” said offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, who called this a “competition week” to determine playing time on Saturday. “But it’s good that Mark got a lot of experience last week.”
Beard, a 6-foot-5, 305-pound sophomore, is starting to resemble the player Georgia thought it had recruited out of Coffeyville Community College in Kansas.
“I think it’s good that Mark got a lot of experience last week and has been getting more and more each week,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “He had to play a lot in the Tennessee game because Dallas went down and South Carolina he didn’t play that much. But he’s played well. He’s still got a lot to learn but he’s an athletic guy who’s got good hands and good feet. I’m pleased with what we’re seeing.”
Georgia’s center position and right side of the line has remained largely unchanged all season, with center David Andrews, guard Chris Burnette and tackle John Theus.
Obviously Georgia’s line play is going to be crucial if the Bulldogs are to establish any offense against Florida stout defensive front. Richt indicated the unit has played better than a lot of people might think, the difficulties in the South Carolina game notwithstanding.
“I think we’ve got a bunch of linemen that at least know what to do and get their hat on the right guy most of the time and they’re fighting,” he said. “When you do that, it gives you a chance. . . . Are we physically dominating everybody? No, not at all. But if you hit the right guy and do it.”
Turnovers a key
To beat Florida, Georgia is going to have to win the turnover battle. To date, nobody has done that yet.
The Gators enter Saturday’s game plus-11 in turnover margin, which is places them among the top 10 teams nationally. Georgia is even in turnover margin for the season.
The Bulldogs’ coaches have been working overtime to emphasize that to the team this week. Richt said they made a video of all of South Carolina’s turnovers against Florida last week and showed them to the team. They Gamecocks had four miscues in the first half and Florida finished plus-4 for the game to help it score a season-high 44 points.
Georgia’s coaches also shared this stat: The top 12 teams in the nation in turnover ratio have a combined record of 87-5, with 6-1 being the worst mark.
“It’s the most devastating momentum against you when you turn it over,” Richt said. “You lose field position, you usually give up points and you give up momentum. But if you gain a turnover it’s the same thing. You steal a possession from them; you don’t have to worry about them punting and you gain momentum. That’s what you’re looking for.”
mentioned that the top teams nationally are also the leaders in turnover margin. Also, he said he showed the team highlights of last week’s Florida-South Carolina contest as the Gators were plus four in turnover margin, and it helped them score a season-high 44 points.
Florida has just four turnovers this year and played four games without one while the Bulldogs have had three games without a turnover.
Injury report
For the second day in a row, tight end Jay Rome reported to practice late after receiving extra treatment in the Georgia training room. The redshirt freshman tight end is not listed on the daily injury report but said he is dealing. He is not expected to miss Saturday’s game. “It’ll be fine,” he said Wednesday. “Nothing major.”
One new name on Wednesday’s injury report was Quayvon Hicks. The freshman fullback came out of Tuesday’s full-contact work with a concussion and did not practice. His availability for Saturday is unknown… Linebacker Brandon Burrows also missed with a concussion.
Weather watch
Richt said he has watched the weather reports with interest as Hurricane Sandy makes its way through the Caribbean Islands toward southern Florida. The latest computer models have the storm missing Jacksonville but are predicting high winds for Saturday’s game.
“I’ve been hearing 22 mile-an-hour winds,” Richt said. “That is a lot of wind. That effects a game a lot more than rain, especially if it’s a cross wind.”
Etc …
Georgia practiced for 30 minutes Wednesday in shoulder pads, helmets and shorts. “Wednesday’s in the books,” Richt said. “No more hitting until Saturday.” … Last year marked the first time in series history both Georgia and Florida had a bye before meeting in Jacksonville. The Gators had an open date before in 15 of the last 19 years. They were 15-4 in those games. Neither team had a bye this year.
MORE GEORGIA COVERAGE
- Starting defensive end Abry Jones out for season after ankle surgery
- UGA’s Mike Gilliard: ‘I felt disrespected and, yes, I took it personally’
- A look at Georgia’s next opponent: The Florida Gators
- Teammates, coaches react to Williams ’soft defense’ remarks
- Georgia players and coaches preview Florida game
- Notebook: Richt floats idea of coaching kickers himself
- Georgia’s O-line eager for another chance against an elite defense
- QB Aaron Murray will take offensive player of week honors into Florida game
- Georgia-Florida week: Will Abry Jones or Jarvis Jones play?
- Dogs struggle vs. Kentucky, but win sets up marquee matchup with Gators
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245 comments Add your comment
gomdawg
October 25th, 2012
6:09 am
Georgia 31 florida 17 GO DAWGS
Destin Dawg
October 25th, 2012
6:36 am
we’re in a better situation than EVERY other team in the SEC. except Alabama….. would you like to be Auburn, Tenn. S.C. GT ???? beat Fla… we’ll have a great season… it’s all on this game… Go Dawgs !!!!!
Destin Dawg
October 25th, 2012
6:42 am
UGA 27 Fla. 24
Destin Dawg
October 25th, 2012
6:44 am
Yes !!!! play Dantzler , De Bell , and Ward.. keep ‘em all fresh that way .. Go Dawgs !!
ed
October 25th, 2012
6:57 am
We can’t get anybody to come to our Tech games.
TY
October 25th, 2012
7:05 am
Changing and switching around the offensive line or any position creates inconsistancies and lack of cohesiveness….which creates confusion……Look out…our OL does not need to be confused. I wonder what switching around the backs vs teams like SC, Kentucky, or UF might do. I know the Gurley, Marshall greatness occurred vs lesser teams…… Why do we not have a back up plan for those backs if they have trouble running against better SEC teams if our OL is not consistant? I know they switch the WR’s around because of the great talent they have. Why not use your bigger more experienced vs SEC teams backs to run vs SC and UF and Kentucky…. Yes I mean using Samuel and Malcome. They might be an asset running up the middle so we might have a middle running game….Gurley and Marshall have had a difficult time running anything up the middle in recent games because of the recent competition and poor OL play for the run. I have always felt with all those WR’s and our passing game that the OL must spend more time at practice on the passing game instead of the running game. Not taking anything away from what Gurley and Marshal have done but it was vs inferior teams instead of elite or better SEC teams…. As far as recruiting…We have to recruit an effective back to take the place of Samuel and Malcome when he finishes and get them ready to replace Gurley and Marshall if they leave early….That prospect does not look good either. Another thing. Everyone knows if GA runs a trick play to look for it early in the game….. That is just a little item that every team that has played GA has known for years. It seems every year about this time that everyone else catches up with Georgia…They improve, Ga starts out highly ranked with a heady attitude and when they stump their toes VS SC. They do not react to being kicked in the face very well because of their dream of being better than we really are. One example is the Defense this year…. Hopefully they are not back to reality and will kick UF in the face and give them a bit of reality. Go Dawgs
Pete
October 25th, 2012
7:09 am
well there you have it folks……we lose this game and it will all be because of………drum roll please………HURRICANE SANDY! The wind was blowing and the extra point (if we even score- and that’s not a given- ala carolina) went into the stands………the wind was blowing and Murray was intercepted (funny, that happens in big games with NO wind)…the wind was blowing and Gurshall could not get up and speed……BS, as usual from the idiot staff.
JB
October 25th, 2012
7:14 am
Richt say’s ” no more hitting until Saturday”…….. I hope he is right. Florida will hit first,hard, often and early. The MO on this Georgia team is they don’t respond to that. Let’s hope Shawn Williams has woken a sleeping giant. We’ll know early. Kentucky marched down on their first possession and scored….and hadn’t done that all year on anyone.
The Truth About Dawgs
October 25th, 2012
7:28 am
@JB
If I’ve learned anything from reading these blogs, it is that Kentucky’s offense is far superior to that of the Florida Gators. That, and the fact that Aaron Murray will win the Heisman Trophy this year.
dogdawg
October 25th, 2012
7:29 am
Finally fans are starting to wake up to the joke that is Mark Ritch!! Been saying this ever since Bama black out.IF we win this weekend it will be because a player had the guts to stand up to this zombie coaching staff and call out the players,and do CMR’s job and fire up this team.I think he’s on pain meds cause he’s never fired up and seems not to care if we win the games that matter!!!
JB
October 25th, 2012
7:30 am
Just some realities of real football on the field. Florida is one of best at stopping the run. Better than Carolina. Has played LSU,SC & A&M to write that resume. Georgia’s OL is border line horrible. Expecting swirling high winds Saturday. Georgia D will make Florida’s offense look like they are leading the conference, not near the bottom. ….Realities. They are real…..Fla 31 Dawgs 17
The Truth About Dawgs
October 25th, 2012
7:35 am
31-17 sounds like a reasonable prediction, although Georgia will need the ball to bounce their way a few times to put up 17 on the Gator defense.
JB
October 25th, 2012
7:40 am
Tenn message boards are rampant that Dooley is a dead man walking.
RedandBlackDAWG
October 25th, 2012
7:43 am
If the wind is strong and could be a problem, keep it on the ground and pass for short yardage gains if you have to. If the O line can do their job, UGA should be able to move the ball.
The defense needs to show up ready to hit hard and put the pressure on. There is no big secret to what Florida does. They aren’t going to beat any team if you force them to pass a lot, so that’s what the D has to do. I don’t know if they will, but Florida is not some big enigma or has a secret formula to winning games.
The team that wants the win most, will come out on top. Past games are history now, so it is up to UGA to show they want to be considered a really good team, versus an average team in the SEC. Worry about any team in the SEC West down the road. One game at a time and leave it all on the field.
Gaytr hater
October 25th, 2012
7:44 am
If we come out looking asleep and get behind early, i’m going to turn the tv off and go fishing!
JB
October 25th, 2012
7:51 am
Would love to see the Georgia D ( they are all still here) that played the first half against LSU in last years SECCG .
The Truth About Dawgs
October 25th, 2012
7:53 am
@JB
Dooley was never intended to be anything more than a placeholder HC from the outset. Fulmer had allowed the football program to become stale and loyalty had kept him there far longer than he should have been. Then Lane Kiffin used Tennessee to promote himself for the USC job and left the football program in a total shambles. Now that Dooley has cleaned up Kiffin’s mess, Tenessee will hire a real Head Coach. Vols fans will owe Dooley a debt of gratitude for stepping into that disaster and preparing their football program to mount a comeback — just as Bama fans owe a debt of gratitude to Mike Shula.
Ron Zook
October 25th, 2012
7:54 am
“I would be shocked, shocked, if Georgia doesn’t come out there breathing smoke.”
I would too Ron, i would too…..
Red and black on the Attack
October 25th, 2012
7:58 am
This is hard to call, i want us to show up, but do we have the heart to do so?
Please don’t shame the people from the start of Georgia like you have done in the past.
either put up or don’t even come out of the locker room.
RHall55
October 25th, 2012
8:14 am
Smitty…the point is that UGA’s Coaching Staff is PITIFUL…poor recruiting plan, poor cooaching up the kids, poor enthusiasm, poor new ideas, poor conditioning, poor plan to keep the kids in school……maybe I should say “Dumb and Dumber”!!!
JB
October 25th, 2012
8:23 am
UK 1-7
Tenn 3-4
Vandy 3-4
FAU 1-6
Mizzou 3-4
Buffalo 1-6
Carolina: Ran us out of the place
This will be our problem Saturday. We have beat no one, while Florida has beat LSU,SC and A&M
It just doesn’t add up for us….and them throw in the Richt,Bobo factor
Dawg Tired
October 25th, 2012
8:23 am
OL is a major, major problem.
JB
October 25th, 2012
8:25 am
We rush 35 time Saturday for about 120 yards
old dog
October 25th, 2012
8:26 am
It has now become painfully obvious….we do not have the o-line needed to compete in the upper-level of SEC play. We recruit in all these skill players, and we have the talent on defense….they just are not getting it done right now. But, while we are pretty good at recruiting skill players, our lack of top recruits on the o-line has shown through. We can only improve so much there, because there just is not enough talent overall. Our center is shorter than our QB. (6-2 my foot…if he is 6-2 then so is Danny Divito.) We play soft, and get physically dominated by the better teams. Coaches, PLEASE put as much effort (and success) into gettin linemen as you do other positions. We have really fallen behind in this category, and the team will have to depend on luck, turnovers, etc. until this blatant problem is addressed. Doesn’t everybody see that? I am not a fair-weather fan, but coaches, writers, fans, alumni, and everybody else has known (and discussed) this weakness for awhile. We have done ZILCH to address it, and now EVERY GOOD TEAM WE PLAY crowds us up front and spanks our tails in front of fans, t.v. folks, etc. Gotta have the studs up front! They say they are “shuffling”???? Hard to win the game when you are not playing with a full deck!
gomdawg
October 25th, 2012
8:27 am
UPSET WEEKEND 4 TEAMS IN THE TOP 15 GO DOWN AND ONE OFF THEM IS GATORS
GEORGIA 31 GATORS 17 YOU GOING DOWN GATORS YOU GOING DOWN GOOD LUCK IN OUTBACK BOWL GATORS
gomdawg
October 25th, 2012
8:28 am
BRING IT ON ALABAMA YOU NEXT
Alphare
October 25th, 2012
8:29 am
I think that girly hurricane Sandy just about doom UGA. UGA offense is QB oriented, not interested in strong running game like Bama and LSU.
The strong wind will tip Murray off balance big time, and thus doom UGA’s offense.
On top of that, your defense is horrible.
Every indicators tell me a big win for FL.
gomdawg
October 25th, 2012
8:29 am
GATORS THE SEMINOLES WILL KICK YA’LL BUTTS TO
dale
October 25th, 2012
8:33 am
August Moon, you’re crazy. No way Florida puts 55 on the Georgia’s awesome D.
45-10
AltamahaDawg
October 25th, 2012
8:35 am
Well there you go. Just play the cross wind on the extra points.
gomdawg
October 25th, 2012
8:35 am
August Moon, this is October THE DAWGS ARE COMING
BAD MOON RISING
GEORGIA 31 GATORS 17
JB
October 25th, 2012
8:37 am
If Dawgs can’t pass Saturday due to wind and rain, buy extra beer. Fla will load up the box and we will wear out our punter Saturday.
JB
October 25th, 2012
8:39 am
Pretty sad reading the Gainesville Sun online this AM. One guy writes about the low expectations coming from the fan base to the North. That be us.
Joey
October 25th, 2012
8:41 am
The crosswind may actually improve our placekicking . . .
Joey
October 25th, 2012
8:44 am
I don’t think we can run on that D-line. It’ll be just like the SC game.
3-and-outs galore.
Fletch
October 25th, 2012
8:45 am
I put a lot of blame on the OL and DL coaches, there is just not the enthusiam, hard hitting we should be playing at UGA. Offensive QB, RB’s have looked good when they have blocks, protection. Just not the OL we need. We need some mean sob’s there, as well as no penatration on the DL. Teams have run up our middle as if there is no one there, and they usually are not there.
The Truth About Dawgs
October 25th, 2012
8:45 am
Enjoy the victory parade while it lasts, gomdawg…
Saturday is coming.
Macclenny_dawg
October 25th, 2012
8:45 am
Until we start recruiting where the game is won in the trenches we want beat teams on our level. Every year we recruit the best talent but it always lacks linemen. No matter how good your wr, rb, or qb is if you cant penetrate the line or hold your own u lose. Funny thing is we run a pro style offense and never recruit enough linemen. We recruit like we are a spread team with all the rb’s and wr we recruit. Guess Richt being a former qb himself forgot u can’t throw it if your on your back. Oh i forgot he never seen the field much being a backup. Guess that is why he continues to play upper classmen instead of the best at the position. It will be so painful if we lose to the hated Gaytors, but maybe it would have a silver lining and help send Richt out the door. SICK OF RICHT!!!
dale
October 25th, 2012
8:48 am
Florida will mercifully keep Georgia football from getting nuked back to the stone age by Bama.
The Truth About Dawgs
October 25th, 2012
8:49 am
@Fletch
You have a point. The starting QB and Freshman RBs have looked pretty good in mop-up duty against cream-puffs.
Hey! Stats are stats…
JB
October 25th, 2012
8:49 am
Richt will have to resign to leave I’m afraid. The Adm. in Athens is a weak as our lines. 10-2 and capital One Bowl in Athens is a GOOD YEAR.
JB
October 25th, 2012
8:51 am
dale….I agree. Fla will face Bama in the SECCG and Bama will win with ease due to their great D and fla’s weak O
There is a disconnect, certainly on the UGA D
October 25th, 2012
8:52 am
Enter your comments here
old dog
October 25th, 2012
8:56 am
Bottom line………….takes Clydesdales up front, not Shetland ponies. We cannot block a decent team. QB running for his life, backs getting major yardage on patsies, but getting smacked by better teams. Look at all the GREAT o-linemen who got away…………and have thus made us a middle-of-the-pack team!
Skint
October 25th, 2012
8:57 am
It all comes back to OL recruiting. We have not recruited athletic OLmen. This year is no different. We are putting all of our eggs in one basket with Tunsil. If he doesn’t come, we will have missed out again. None of the three committed will play tackle, and only one is SEC material.
ARdawg
October 25th, 2012
9:01 am
JOEY
With our RBs we can run on any line with some creative enough game plan and play calling. It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out whats coming from the Georgia offense, unfortunately. A good mixed balanced attack and even good defenses are on their heels.
The Truth About Dawgs
October 25th, 2012
9:06 am
@ARdawg
Yep… Georgia has a stable full of seasoned and proven running backs.
Unfortunately, none of them plays for Georgia any longer, so we’re stuck with two unproven Freshmen who were playing High School ball last year. They looked pretty good against Buffalo though…
dale
October 25th, 2012
9:06 am
You’re right ARdawg, the key words being “creative enough game plan and play calling.”
If Georgia can’t physically overpower a team (which they can’t Florida) the coaches don’t know what to do.
DIT
October 25th, 2012
9:08 am
Hey I’m just as dissapointed as the next Dawg on here after our last 2 games. Yet, I still keep thinking “what if, what if we pull this off.” Can’t help it. If UGA pulls off this major upset I will curious to see how people react to CMR.
I admit, after the UK, as much as I like CMR, I have come to the conclusion that he can’t win the big game. There just always is a big part of their game missing that one can contribute to coaching. I’m pulling hard for my Dawgs Saturday and that includes Richt! College football needs men like Richt in HC positions.
I will agree, another poor performance and clueless play and he might want to consider coaching in the ACC. Get em going Coach. Beat the gators and who ever is in the the SEC CG game!
One can always dream! Go Dawgs!
ugab
October 25th, 2012
9:14 am
Hope the OL are ready for a battle in the trenches.