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
Anti-Delusional
October 25th, 2012
1:09 pm
“But when it comes down to it, you are who you are, and it comes down to doing what you do better than them doing what they do.”
Hmmm… Maybe the Dawgs should roll up some spliffs and challenge the Gators to a smoke-out at the line of scrimmage?
krisl648
October 25th, 2012
1:12 pm
Everyone keeps harping on the UF offense, and their low production. His game plan is to get a lead, and to then commence the pounding of the rock. He knows the D is not going to give up much, so he ain’t worried about scoring a lot of points. He wants to manhandle you and pound on you till you break…which you will in the 4th qtr. He loves time of possession and pounding the ball between the tackles.
That is why the O is not highly ranked…but they can move the ball.
UF 34 GA 13
AltamahaDawg
October 25th, 2012
1:13 pm
And no I do not think that opening holes, pulling guards, sealing off lanes, moving the others guys arouind, for run blocking is easier than pass protection. In fact I think that is far more difficult to execute. Just as I think pass rushing is more difficult for the defense than stopping the run. Not sure why “easier” is the issue though. We have to do both. I never said we shouldn’ try to set up the run. We have committed to doing that all year, not sure why we would not on Saturday.
Josh
October 25th, 2012
1:14 pm
Please god just let us show up and have some fight in us. We should know after the first few series on offense and defense how prepared we are. At some point our “playmakers” have to prove they are legitimate. Yes Coach Richt seems at times like he has no fire and our defense has been a huge disappointment but our players need to step up. I’ve been telling my friends all week we have to let Murray roll out and hit short passes some. I just hope we can have a repeat of 1985 and Gurley and Marshall can run wild like Worley and Henderson did.
flo-ri-duh
October 25th, 2012
1:17 pm
UGA is the under Dawg and the pressure is on Florida and their young QB this time. The odds say Florida will have at least two turnovers – theory of random selection based on the fact that Florida has been getting all the breaks this year. Florida’s famous home field cooking is not as relevant as in the past due to automatic reviews of questionable calls by the refs. It just feels like a trap game for the Lizards. Perhaps a little bit of a let down coming off two big hard fought wins. Start fast and end strong – go Dawgs!
OMG
October 25th, 2012
1:17 pm
Florida 51 Dawgs 10
JB
October 25th, 2012
1:19 pm
Josh, your first sentence in your post at 1:14 will probably go farther than anything said on here today as far as us to have any chance. Make it a prayer and count me in. Good Job.
OMG
October 25th, 2012
1:20 pm
Ga goes into a bowl game with two losses and loses another bowl game. Go mark richt!
OMG
October 25th, 2012
1:21 pm
After all there is more to life than football.
OMG
October 25th, 2012
1:22 pm
UGA should not have a hairy mascot but a shaved to the skin mascot.
OMG
October 25th, 2012
1:24 pm
I hope mom lets me go to the game this year.
flo-ri-duh
October 25th, 2012
1:28 pm
The Dawgs that blew out Vandy are the Dawgs that will show up for this game. S.C. got “blown out” by self destruction not because Florida dominated them. Eliminate the blunders and S.C. would have been right there with Florida at the end just like LSU was. I expect Florida to go deep early at least once on their 1st possession.- just the opposite of what they have been doing. Win the 1st quarter and go in with a lead at the half. Expect UGA to be ahead at the half and, for a change, not go conservative with the offense in the 3rd quarter.
Mobile Dawg
October 25th, 2012
1:28 pm
Easier seems to be the least complicated way. Restating what I’ve already said, IMO the gameplan should be as uncomplicated as possible. I don’t think Murray’s going to have time to execute, nor will he be nearly as effective as he was against UK. If Muschamp wants a war, Richt needs to learn how to fight in the trenches.
St Johns River
October 25th, 2012
1:30 pm
Florida’s famous home field cooking is not as relevant as in the past due to automatic reviews of questionable calls by the refs.
__________________________________________________________________
This is hilarious. UF had a touchdown, an interception and a defensive stop all overturned on penalities just in the first half of last week’s home game (including the “roughing the snapper” call against UF during USC’s punt). LSU’s wide receiver was ruled on the field not to have fumbled after a critical long reception the week before, only to have instant replay overturn that mistake. Yeah, UF gets all the breaks.
So much for that conspiracy theory.
Joey
October 25th, 2012
1:36 pm
“I would put Jenkins and Kwame Gaethers both in at DT at the same time and go to a 4 man front. Something they haven’t tried at all this year. ”
*************************************
flo-ri-duh, they did that some in the second half vs UK. I suppose to try to slow down the Wildcat’s vaunted running attack . . .
flo-ri-duh
October 25th, 2012
1:37 pm
Don’t expect any blow out…… not going to happen. Like I said S.C. beat S.C. with early blunders much like Georgia did against S.C. Early turnovers are a recipe for disaster. Florida’s defense is good. They were good last year but the Dawgs won with timely passing and few blunders. The biggest thing Florida has going for them is their punter but it takes him a while to set up and kick. Put a rush on him early – why not? UGA is likely to just call for a fair catch any way.
flo-ri-duh
October 25th, 2012
1:40 pm
Joey – No – Jenkins was at DE – not DT.
Dawg Pile
October 25th, 2012
1:41 pm
Another name for a turnover is a “takeaway.” Gotta give their D credit for pics and forced fumbles. They’re coached up to strip the ball, and they’re good at it.
JB
October 25th, 2012
1:44 pm
Good point Dawg pile…..I read this week where Muschamp and the DC get the defense in a room for an hour and study film cuts of the upcoming opponent to look at tendicies of how they carry the ball as for opportunity for strips. It’s called coaching I guess.
ARdawg
October 25th, 2012
1:45 pm
OMG
October 25th, 2012
1:21 pm
After all there is more to life than football.
_________________________________
And here we have typical Tech fan
JB
October 25th, 2012
1:46 pm
Hadn’t heard much from Tech on here lately. They still playing this season?
what of it?
October 25th, 2012
1:47 pm
It’s one thing to talk about turnover, entirely another to actually do something about it. Against SC we didn’t turn it over much, but we didn’t move the ball much either (which I would attribute to Murray throwing everything out of anyone’s reach)
flo-ri-duh
October 25th, 2012
1:48 pm
St. John’s River – That’s what I just said. Reviews of the calls kept Florida from getting that home cooking. It’s not a bad break if the call is reversed because that is the right call. Florida used to get a couple of plays their way every Gator Bowl game – but the reviews have removed most of those “home” calls. And yes Jacksonville is a HOME game for the Lizards. UGA has to get on a plane and fly to the game which is in Florida. The Lizards go by bus. More tickets are reserved for Gator fans – obvious when you see the colors in the stadium. I was at the game last year. And it called the GATOR BOWL.
Joey
October 25th, 2012
1:52 pm
I won’t argue with you flo-ri-duh, but I swear I saw 4 down linemen on the D.
But at any rate, if UF starts gashing them up the middle, they better give it a try.
flo-ri-duh
October 25th, 2012
1:52 pm
If you go by scores it looks like a blowout. But that is why the game is played on a field not paper. Just hoping for no major injuries for either side and a good close game. – and a win for the DAWGS!
Big Wally
October 25th, 2012
1:56 pm
Hoping that; 1) Florida cannot play that good three weeks in a row – they are due for an off game, and 2) that they are overlooking Ga., and think that their game last week gave them the East. Otherwise, it will be a Fla. route I’m afraid.
flo-ri-duh
October 25th, 2012
1:58 pm
See you saturday in the GATOR Bowl………… time for UGA to inflict an upset, heart breaking, loss on the Lizards. After all UGA would be doing the reptiles a favor – keeping them from being crushed on national TV by the Bummers. What we need saturday is a little REPTILE DYSFUNCTION! Turnovers, penalties, blunders by the Lizards.
St Johns River
October 25th, 2012
1:59 pm
Oh, so the home cooking is just in Jax? I guess it doesn’t apply in Gainesville, where they had three 15 yd penalties called against them in the first half last week – seven total penalties in the first half against UF vs. none for the Chickens. None of them involved instant replay at all.
You do know that the SEC provides the officiating crew for the game, right? I mean, they don’t just round up a handful of drunken Jax locals wearing orange and blue.
AltamahaDawg
October 25th, 2012
1:59 pm
I am no lineman, (and maybe some who was, can tell me) but to me, effective Run blocking is a more complicated event than 3 seconds of pass protection. But again, we have to do it, (as we have almost 60% of the plays we have run so far, same as we always try to do).
And, why will Murray not have time to throw? Sacks is not UF’s big things. Kentucky has recorded more sacks than UF this year. Just saying. UF is a slightly over average pass defense team in general.
Dawg Pile
October 25th, 2012
2:00 pm
With Muschamp coaching, there is ZERO chance of them overlooking UGA. Fatigue from the LSU and USC games is a different question…
JB
October 25th, 2012
2:03 pm
Big Wally…….I hear ya but…………..Florida is 7-0. Muschamp, a Georgia grad, lost his first Georgia game…They hate us more than Bin Laden…………..They will have to remodel and repair the Florida lockeroom after they take the field. They want this bad……………Do we?
JB
October 25th, 2012
2:06 pm
As a former lineman, one thing I’ve noticed about our Ol the last 3-4 years, and especially this year, Our OL don’t stick with blocks after contact. I was coached to hit, stick and drive and never give in until you hear the whistle.
AltamahaDawg
October 25th, 2012
2:07 pm
flo-ri-duh, you must have forgotten all the logic last week. A 2 loss SC deserves the trip to Atlanta, even if Georgia were to beat Florida, because thier coach would never ever show up to a big rival game and blown out.
DawgFanInBama
October 25th, 2012
2:08 pm
Still don’t feel confident at all with Gates on the line. He got dominated in the SC game.
GatorBait 18-4
October 25th, 2012
2:09 pm
Surely the dawgs have more than 6 o-line players- I thought they are 2 deep
ZinoDawg
October 25th, 2012
2:49 pm
Due to the tropical storm I am revising my prediction.
Gators 35
Dawgs 0
NC Dawg
October 25th, 2012
3:46 pm
Can we just go for 2 all day and skip these attempted PAT’s Saturday?
Kingsx7
October 25th, 2012
4:58 pm
JUST WIN BABY !!!!!!!!!!!
wastedyears
October 25th, 2012
5:06 pm
gators 60…..ga 0…..at haftime…….fire mark richt PLEASE !!!!!
wastedyears
October 25th, 2012
5:11 pm
GA FANS SELL YOUR TICKETS IF YOU CAN FIND A FOOL STAY AT HOME QUIT BELELIVEING ITS THE SAME SMOKE AND MIRRORS EVERYYEAR THAT MASSACRE WILL BE ON CBS @ 3.30 PM AND OVER WITH BY 4.00PM ITS GONNA BE AN AXE MURDER WITH A DULL BLADE!!!!!
wastedyears
October 25th, 2012
5:24 pm
FIRE CMR
Defense wins Championships
October 25th, 2012
5:57 pm
Dawgs, All eleven players on field hit someone hard as you can every play or have a stretcher or body bag haul yourself off in humiliation. Our Time, Our Team, No Regrets. It is about Time Dawgs play with piss and vinegar, you marshmellow puffs.
Defense wins Championships
October 25th, 2012
6:01 pm
This game is always about Wills. Do we have a Will to Win? Do the Dawgs let the Gators Will overcome our Will? Com’on Men, Show The Georgia Will to Win. Please for yourselves, your coaches, your teammates, your Bulldawg Nation Fans. Make ALL Proud. Please.
Bob
October 25th, 2012
6:16 pm
To the person asking about Watts Danzler. He’s a good kid, great size, and loves the game…but he’s an average player. His Dad was an excellent Dawg during the glory days, so Watts got a legacy scholarship. If he had proper coaching, Watts could be a good, second team OL, but you know our lack of “coaching up”. My advice to Watts would be to transfer to UTC (Chattanooga), close to home, and be a star.
Chip Towers
October 26th, 2012
11:31 am
dougsmugs.com: I’m down here now I think the weather is going to have a tremendous affect on the game. Latest predictions have winds at more than 30 mph for game. 70 percent chance of rain, but the wind will be a bigger factor, in my opinion. The good news: Perhaps the gusts will blow Marshall Morgan’s PATs between the uprights!