Notebook: Open competition for starting spots on offensive line
ATHENS – Technically it’s just bowl practice. But for Georgia’s offensive lineman, the month of December may seem more like preseason camp.
The Bulldogs’ offensive coaches made a pronouncement regarding the line almost as soon as the SEC Championship game ended: Every position is up for grabs and the starting lineup will be determined during the 15 practices leading up to the Jan. 1 Capital One Bowl.
“That’s how we put it to those guys,” Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “The five that are going to play, we’ll figure out between now and the bowl who’s going to be where. I do think the line played extremely well this year and got better. But there’s always room for improvement, and any time there’s competition that’s good for the group.”
The Bulldogs were seemed stable up front this season. They played just three different starting lineups – including the same for the first nine games – and shuffled it around only because of injuries. The primary lineup included sophomore David Andrews at center, juniors Dallas Lee and Chris Burnette at the guards and junior Kenarious Gates and freshman John Theus at left and right tackle, respectively.n But the Bulldogs began to rotate in sophomore Mark Beard at left tackle increasingly toward the end of the season and would slide Gates inside to left guard.
Line coach Will Friend also said he’s giving a hard look to players who didn’t get a lot of game-action during the season. Before wet weather impeded practices Sunday and Monday, the Bulldogs full-contact, graded scrimmages featuring mainly non-starters. Austin Long, Watts Dantzler, Greg Pyke and Xzavier Ward that have reportedly stood out in those sessions.
“They were told when they came back from finals that .the people that perform the best would play and have a chance to start,” Friend said. “So we’ve mixed some guys in at some different spots just to look at some better combinations, things you probably wouldn’t be able to do in a (game) week.
“Like we said from Day One, our goal is to play with the best five. So maybe (experimenting with) a couple of different lineups will provide a chance to do that.”
While some of the experimentation is for the bowl matchup with Nebraska, the Bulldogs are also looking ahead to next season. Georgia will return its entire corps of offensive linemen, but it’s also recruiting several blue-chip prospects, including five-star left tackle prospect Laremy Tunsil of Lake City, Fla. Friend indicated that he would prefer to keep Theus at right tackle, meaning any changes will likely come on the left side.
“Obviously, Ken can play (left tackle) and we can play at a good level with Ken,” Friend said. “Now is Ken suited better for guard if somebody’s a better left tackle? Maybe. Mark Beard has improved some and done some good things athletically, but he’s got a ways to go. Maybe he’s more of a guard of somebody’s better at left tackle.
“But we’ll play the best five. Our best tackle will probably be the left tackle, whoever it is.”
Bobo aspires to be head coach
Bobo tends to be very evasive will talk turns to his interest in any other job than the one he currently has. But his name surfaced in several head coaching searching this winter and he admitted Monday that his ambition is to one day become a head coach.
“I think we all aspire to run your own program one day,” said Bobo, who has been Georgia’s offensive coordinator since 2007 and quarterbacks coach since 2001. “But I’m just constantly trying to learn and get better. If stuff like that happens, it happens. If not, not. I’m just really worried about what I can control and that’s coaching here right now.”
Bobo bristled when asked specifically if he interviewed for any positions this year. “I’m not going to comment on anything other than that,” he said.
Prove it on practice field
Redshirt sophomore tailback Ken Malcome recently expressed discontent over his role as a backup to freshmen Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall. Bobo had some advice for him on Monday.
“If he wants more playing time, he’s got to prove it on the practice field,” he said. “He’s given opportunities every day. He’s got a great chance, like we talked about with the offensive line, to earn some playing time in this bowl practice. But the best guys are going to play regardless of age.”
Etc. . . .
Inclement weather forced the Bulldogs indoors on Monday. The offensive and defensive units alternated utilizing the Nalley Multipurpose Room, which is not large enough to accommodate the entire team. It’s the second day in a row wet weather altered Georgia’s practice plans. Storms canceled Sunday’s practice and the Bulldogs ended up playing whiffle ball instead. . . . Linebacker Ryne Rankin, an early enrollee from Orlando, went through his first practices with the team over the weekend. “He’s only been here one official practice,” defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said. “He ran around like a freshman, but he did a good job.”
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116 comments Add your comment
Lonnie
December 18th, 2012
9:28 am
Columbus you are right. Depth was the key in the game and I think we are recovering from some bad recruiting years and some philosophical changes in #’s of linemen!
AltamahaDawg
December 18th, 2012
9:34 am
JB, given that there has never been a case where Richt (or any other coach that I can think of), not starting a QB that “outperformed” the other guys on the team, not sure why that’s even a concern. Not to mention the situation that you set up to worry about is highly unlikely in the first place.
hangman
December 18th, 2012
9:50 am
Why take ol players like Watts when you’re not going to use them. Watts is big and talented.
Palm Springs Dawg
December 18th, 2012
9:56 am
As long as the attitude at UGA is that we concede that Alabama is going to be there every year and we’ll be there once in a while, we’re going to be the also rans. That’s defeatist and an unwillingness to deal with reality. We haven’t recruited the best people. Alabama has. In the mock draft published just recently, Alabama has six in the first round! SIX.
We’re never going to dominate like Bama has with that attitude. Never. No matter who’s coaching, if that’s the attitude “well, we tried, but you know, but you know, it’s Alabama after all” is the plaint. Apologize for mediocrity. It has been as long as I can remember and I go back a right smart number of years.
Wake up DAWG fans. This is a once in a while program like we’ve always had, even under Dooley. We had three shots at it when Herschel was playing and won the first one and came close in the other two. But, as like this year, you don’t win no prize for coming close. Now you go to Orlando and play the dregs of the dreg Big 10 conference.
Like it or not, and I don’t, everybody makes excuses for us losing. Even after that fantastic game, Florida was chosen over us for the Sugar Bowl. Florida has more cache than us (won two NCs in the last few years under Meyer). Zero for us.
We lost because the other team has the better players and better coaching. And that, dear fellow DAWGS, is the responsibility of CMR, the velcro coach.
I don’t care what the writers here said, I watched the game again this week too and Bama beat the stuffing out of our defense. Beat ‘em up! We were out of gas in the third quarter. How long is this going to keep going on? Third year under Grantham and we still have no depth? When is this going to change?
By the time we get depth, we won’t have the players on offense and when we have the players on offense, we won’t have the players on defense. Example: If Murray opts out this season, who is the seasoned QB to step in? There ain’t none. We have good prospects. Alabama has new QBs and don’t miss a beat. We miss the beats. That’s Georgia football, like it or not. I don’t like it! A lot of you do because you’re willing to settle for this. Settling has been the case over the years. Was then, is now!
RATS!
LawDawg
December 18th, 2012
10:07 am
I have to assume that even though Gilliard was probably the weak link against bama in the second half (though tree, williams, and rambo all seemed like they only wanted to arm tackle or strip the ball, which does not work against Lacy and Yeldon), Herrerra must be atrocious in run defense.
He did not play much at all against GSU or GT and was mostly absent against the Bama run. Unless he has been hurt, I have to assume Grantham was not impressed with his Run D in practice.
LawDawg
December 18th, 2012
10:08 am
Palm Springs Dawg – Its never a good sign for a comment when your first sentence is a straw man.
e burrell
December 18th, 2012
10:09 am
To bad your running back coach dosen’t have the same toughness. OPEN UP THE COMPETION AT FB.
slydog
December 18th, 2012
10:32 am
Don’t worry, the “pros” will put Ogletree at OLB. A. Herrera should have started at one of the ILB spots full time, not part time. He attacks the ball carrier, not the ball. Just watch the tape. As far as the other ILB spot, I don’t know if that person is currently on the roster. Ray Drew? All he would have to do is shed blockers and attack ball carriers, minus the power moves that DE’s have to use. Gilliard, Vasser, Robinson, Stripling, Wilson, and Ogletree are OLB all day. The lack the girth and grit it requires to play ILB in a 3-4. They would all make excellent MLB in a 4-3, where pass coverage ability and running sideline to sideline are a must. But let’s not forget: it was Grantham who changed the scheme, and therefore it is his and Richt’s fault for placing square pegs in round holes. But the newer players that have came on board the past 2 seasons are better suited for this purpose, hence, the huge interest in Foster, and not Nkemdiche, a pure 4-3 DE. I also would not be surprised if they groom Montravius Adams as a DE, if he signs with the Dawgs. Just my opinion.
monty
December 18th, 2012
10:45 am
Not sure what game some of you were watching , but the one I saw, had Bama backs taking 3-4 of our guys down the field with them on practically every run. Arm tackling or “trying” to arm tackle and as some said “strip the ball” seemed to be the order of the day. DIdn’t see penetration into the backfield or any of our backers going low. THey someties just tried to deliver a knock down blow with their shoulders and the Bama backs were too strong. Reminded me of that 1st meeting with South Carolina against Lattimore, where he looked stronger and more determined than our defense.
bubba4dawgs
December 18th, 2012
11:15 am
It seems to me that this is something that should have been addressed in Spring Training! Has the defense (Grantham) considered this? Get some beef on that line! My goodness, the linebackers didn’t even stick their hands out to shake the hands of Yeldon and Lacy as they ran by them with reckless abandon! Maybe Shawn Williams needed to call them out, evidently Grantham wasn’t about to.
Let’s face it, Alabama’s “O” line took UGA’s “D” line behind the woodshed! Talk about a butt whoopin, they ate their lunch as well!! This was the whole reason for the outcome of the game!!
P_The_Ricker
December 18th, 2012
11:18 am
Agree with the sentiment that the defense was very aggressive and sometimes over-aggressive in attempting to force turnovers this year. I believe that was a product of the talent UGA had on the field and likely “pass” given by Granthem for them to go after it. Grantham had the cushion of having so many great athletes on the field that he could afford the tactic with less exposure of a HUGE play than say the average defense.
With less proven talent returning, I expect Grantham to force more fundamentals onto the defense this year, as he won’t have the liberty of freaks like ogeltree, jones, etc running around the field.
The defense will certainly take a step back, but hardly a big drop off as the critics are claiming.
azdawg
December 18th, 2012
11:52 am
Dawgs made the most $$ in 2012 profits in the SEC. Build an indoor facility even if its off campus. Will help recruiting. Cheap sob’s.
BigDawg
December 18th, 2012
11:58 am
Fellow Dawgs with all due respect how many of you actually pay attention to the action in the trenches, because if you had you would have seen that after the third series Alabama’s offensive line was not blocking anymore but grabbing on every play, plus the officials were spotting the ball forward for Bama. If the officials had called an even game Bama’s numbers running would have been less than 200 for the game and the Dawgs would be in Miami for the MNC against Norte Dame. Most of the Tide fans have been quiet because they know they were handed this gift opportunity by bad officiating. The SEC should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this to EVER happen.
SimpleDawg
December 18th, 2012
12:05 pm
Tree got trucked more than a couple times by #7 for Ga. Southern.
He’s an outside LB….better in pursuit than as a stopper. Can’t handle the straight on tackle.
JayD
December 18th, 2012
12:14 pm
dap01 is correct. I don’t think people here really understand the 3-4. The middle backers were weak in the Championship game – especially Gilliard. Since S. Williams had his say – Herrera seemed to play less, which is the exact opposite of what he said was needed???
Troll Tide Dawg
December 18th, 2012
12:20 pm
I heard J’acquevious Jenkins from Snellville was getting a long look from CMR!
AltamahahahaDawg
December 18th, 2012
12:30 pm
@Troll Tide Dawg-
I have heard about J’acquevious being a beast, any word on Chanterelle “Mushroom Head” Davis or La’Quinsh’an “the truth” Williams from Sprayberry? GO Dawgs!
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop It
December 18th, 2012
12:32 pm
Your “defense” was embarrassed by Bama.
Your offense kept you in the game.
You want to fire Bobo, and you just gave Grantham a raise.
This is why it’s 32 years…
Hypocrital (31 signees), idiots…
Matt
December 18th, 2012
12:49 pm
Ogletree led the team in tackles and he missed the first 4 games. He would’ve had 120 tackles. I know that this stat can be skewed sometimes (evey tackle is after a 5 yard gain) but still. They lined up and ran it right down our throats for 300 yards. That can’t happen. Plain and simple.
If you are a fan of this state’s sports teams then you are used to being dissappointed by now.
DawginLex
December 18th, 2012
12:51 pm
The offensive line depth for 2013 with the incoming recruits is going to cause a domino of OL transferring out because of no playing time
These same kids are kids that we were praying would come to UGA 3 years ago. Now they are being left on the sideline by more talented players.
Our OL is going to be the strength of next year’s team
Madison Dawgs
December 18th, 2012
12:58 pm
Put a bubble over one of the synthetic turf fields in order to have somewhat of a full size indoor practice facility. What good is the current multi purpose indoor facility if it isn’t even large enough to accomodate the entire team. Even the Jackets from the trade school on North Avenue have a full size indoor facility! C’mon man!!!
Rick James
December 18th, 2012
1:03 pm
Why does one of the nation’s most profitable athletic programs not have an indoor practice facility for football? I guess that project ended when Damon Evans left.
Rick James
December 18th, 2012
1:08 pm
Your “defense” was embarrassed by Bama.
Your offense kept you in the game.
Last season Alabama’s defense gave up 425 rushing yards to Georgia Southern..Thats right folks Georgia Southern,But the offense was able to out score them.What’s the saying about people in glass houses not throwing stones?
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop It
December 18th, 2012
1:14 pm
Last season Alabama’s defense gave up 425 rushing yards to Georgia Southern..Thats right folks Georgia Southern,But the offense was able to out score them.What’s the saying about people in glass houses not throwing stones?
Last season = National Championship
Psst: You can’t top that…
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop It
December 18th, 2012
1:15 pm
It sure is nice, being able to put a FB status about winning a championship, isn’t dawgs….oh wait.
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop It
December 18th, 2012
1:31 pm
Dentists are overrated
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop It
December 18th, 2012
1:31 pm
Teeth are overrated
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop It
December 18th, 2012
1:32 pm
My sister loves me. So does my cousin
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop It
December 18th, 2012
1:34 pm
I have a toothbrush
All the other poeple have a teethbrush
Cow tipping should be in the Olympics
Family trees don’t have to fork
Single wide is good enough for me. I’m not a snob
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop It
December 18th, 2012
1:35 pm
Only thing that can stop me is my probation officer
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop It
December 18th, 2012
1:36 pm
top five food groups in Alabamy
Salt
Fat
Grease
fried chicken
beer
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop It
December 18th, 2012
1:38 pm
Went to the beach once
Got shot by a fisher man with one of them harpoons
Thought I was a whale
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop It
December 18th, 2012
1:39 pm
Harvey Updyke signed my t-shirt at Walmart
wde
December 18th, 2012
1:39 pm
Bama got 350 yards rushing..so what they were still on their knees praying on the last play of the game, their D also gave up over a hundred yards rushing to a back for the first time all years and I don’t hear a lot about how bad they are…I hope they kill the Irish and I hope we get a shot at them next year.
Dawggoner
December 18th, 2012
1:42 pm
Hey Chip or anyone out there, I am not hearing anything about the OL Houston who was out this year. Where would he fit in all of this? Especially if Tunisil comes in.
DawginLex
December 18th, 2012
1:46 pm
Houston is done short of the NCAA changing its mind.
Our OL is going to see some guys leave. We should be able to redshirt several of the incoming freshmen because of the returning depth.
Will Friend has done light years better than Searles
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop It
December 18th, 2012
1:46 pm
Ah, Alabama redneck jokes…
It’s one reason you get so mad about the Tide winning.
For some reason, you think you’re better. Alabama residents don’t make Mississippi jokes like this. They have more class.
Remember, Honey Boo Boo is your typical Georgian.
DP
December 18th, 2012
1:46 pm
Big Dawg, you’re an idiot.
To the others here who are discussing the Georgia defense in the Alabama-Georgia game instead of spewing idiotic conspiracy theories, I agree with your observations about the linebackers getting manhandled, but notice that you seem to be giving Jarvis Jones a pass. After Jones pressured McCarron 2 or 3 times early in the game, it seemed pretty clear to me that Alabama decided to negate his pass rush skills by running the ball right at him and wearing him out. They ran a lot of big plays right through where he was positioned and in most cases the Alabama offensive linemen blew him completely out of the play. On one big run by Lacy, Jones and another Georgia defender both tried to hit Lacy down as if they didn’t have any arms. Lacy bounced off, spun to the outside and ran for another 20 yards or so. Danielson commented on the telecast that you can’t hit Lacy and Yeldon down, you’ve got to use your arms and wrap them up.
Another issue is what constitutes good defensive line play in the 3-4. The front 3 typically aren’t expected to make a lot of tackles, but ideally they are supposed to command some double teams, particularly the nose guard, and tie up the offensive line enough to keep them off the linebackers. I don’t think the Georgia front 3 did that very often.
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop It
December 18th, 2012
1:47 pm
Harvey Updyke signed my t-shirt at Walmart
This one is actually pretty good. The rest might as well be Georgia jokes.
1 in 4 on food stamps. Honey Boo Boo. Cheating school districts. Corrupt city goverments.
These aren’t even jokes…
DP
December 18th, 2012
1:49 pm
wde, surely you’re not equating Alabama giving up 120 yards to one back who got virtually all of Georgia’s carries with Georgia’s defense giving up 350 yards on the ground?
DawginLex
December 18th, 2012
1:55 pm
Don’t forget that T-Town now proudly has a TV station that advertised:
Broadcasting day AND NIGHT!
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop It
December 18th, 2012
1:56 pm
Don’t forget that T-Town now proudly has a TV station that advertised:
Broadcasting day AND NIGHT!
Also, not bad…Dawginlex
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop It
December 18th, 2012
1:56 pm
I think Albany just got running water activated.
DawginLex
December 18th, 2012
1:58 pm
DP
We got our yards and points a different way than Bama did. In the end, 1 more throw and we win and the 350 yards wouldn’t have been that big a deal. Since we lost, it gets magnified.
I expect a rematch in Dec 2013. IF Murray returns, we only lose T King and we get Bennett back at WR. Our offense will be really good.
Don’t sleep on our defense either. The suspensions put this group in catch up mode from fall practice on. We have talent and they all have been recruited by Grantham. If we can survive early, we will be really good by November.
DP
December 18th, 2012
2:06 pm
DawginLex, I wouldn’t be nearly as sanguine as you if Alabama gave up 350 yards rushing. You can be glass half full and say Georgia had a chance to win the game anyway, I would be glass half empty and say when you get beaten up physically like that you’re going to lose at least 9 out of 10 times. Look what it took to give Georgia a chance to steal the game at the end: a blocked field goal return for a TD and a couple of great throws and catches on the last drive.
wde
December 18th, 2012
2:16 pm
DP I do indeed Bama has the best OL in the nation and two of the best running backs, they couldn’t pass as Saban admitted because their OL couldn’t stop us rushing off the edge..so they had to run, the worst part of their success to me was too many times we hit the back on the line or behind it and did not tackle well and that showed, the tackling was worst than the Bama OL was good. vaunted . And Bama is not beating us 9 out of 10 DP they just aren’t.
DawginLex
December 18th, 2012
2:19 pm
DP
I agree. I wasn’t happy watching it. It was like a movie you have seen and you know the ending and it is a bad one.
That’s why I don’t think our defense was anything special in 2012. Yes, it is loaded with NFL talent but, the secret to a GREAT defense is playing together as a unit. We lost that with the offseason stupidity. Watch Rambo against SC versus Rambo against Florida. It’s night and day.
We lost the ability to have continuity all through spring and fall and through the season because we were filling gaps with freshmen early on.
We have to stop the stupidity in the offseason. It is highly important this year. We don’t have to be the 1985 Bears with the offense we have.
dawglova
December 18th, 2012
2:23 pm
Ramsey WILL NOT start over mason if Murray leaves. I coached in a game against this kid a year ago and worked a football at a camp that he attended in central Ga as well. He has tons of talent but is very raw. His mechanics are not the best on his drops and he tends to over throw. But as I said the physical tools are all there. He did trow on one dropback about 65 yards in the air during a deep ball competition but missed the receiver by about 6 yards. In his defense the kid was a back with not very good speed. In watching some tape of him from this year he did show some improved mechanics and I think a redshirt year with some coaching from Bobo and Richt will do this kid wonders.
DP
December 18th, 2012
2:28 pm
wde, I didn’t say Alabama would beat Georgia 9 out of 10 times, I said when your defense gets manhandled and gives up 350 yards rushing (to a team that also throws the ball well, not to a Tech or other option team) you’ll get beat 9 out of 10.
If I was Richt and Grantham, I’d be saying that even though we’ve been in the SEC championship game 2 years in a row, the way our defense was beaten up physically by LSU in the second half in 2011 and Alabama the whole game in 2012 says the first priority is to get tougher physically on defense and stop the run. That might mean more emphasis on strength and conditioning, bigger inside linebackers, better schemes and execution or all of the above.
DawginLex
December 18th, 2012
2:32 pm
DP
We are in year 2 of a revamped S&C program. I said when we made the changes that it would take until at least year 2 to see results. We saw some of it but the best is yet to come.
We were also hampered by a lack of DL depth and the loss of Abry Jones. The scholarships left on the table hurt us depth wise. We needed more big bodies to rotate in during the 2nd half