Georgia post spring notes

[Eckwood43]

Guess the two main things that happened over the spring for Georgia was that weakside linebacker Tony Taylor, who started 12 of Georgia's 13 games last season, will miss the 2004 season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Junior Derrick White, who started three games last season, is the top candidate to replace Taylor. Sophomores Jarvis Jackson and Danny Verdun Wheeler also play outside linebacker
......and that starting fullback Jeremy Thomas is suspended for the first two games of the season.

Bulldogs garner high expectations

Mark Richt learned a lot in his 15 years as an assistant coach at Florida State. Among the most important lessons: how to be comfortable with lofty preseason expectations. From 1987 to 2000, Richt's last season in Tallahassee, the Seminoles finished in the final top five 14 consecutive times.

"The coaches and players at Florida State expected to be ranked at or near the top when the season started," Richt said. "And they also expected to finish there."

That would explain why Richt, now in his fourth season as Georgia's head coach, appears comfortable with the early praise being doled out for his 2004 Bulldogs.

With 10 returning starters on offense, six on defense, and a host of all-star talent that includes quarterback David Greene, receiver Fred Gibson, defensive end David Pollack, linebacker Odell Thurman and safety Thomas Davis, the national media have fallen in love with the Bulldogs.

SI.com and CBS Sportsline rate the Bulldogs as the nation's No. 1 team coming out of spring practice. ESPN.com's Ivan Maisel has Georgia at No. 3 behind USC and LSU. The College Football News Web site has them at No. 4. The Journal-Constitution spring rankings have Georgia No. 2.

"I just thought they had the least question marks coming out of the spring," said Stewart Mandel of SI.com. "I just thought it was amazing that Georgia went 11-3 last year when they were rebuilding the offensive line. With all those fourth-year players and with LSU coming to them early (Oct. 2), I just felt like they should be No. 1."

"To me they have veteran players in all the right spots," Dennis Dodd of CBS Sportsline said.

Yes, there are some real concerns in Athens, particularly after linebacker Tony Taylor was lost for the season with a knee injury in the spring game. But the Bulldogs likely will begin the 2004 season in everybody's top five and as the favorite to win the SEC championship.

And that's OK, Richt said.

"I just told the team that right at this moment, the people who care about college football are holding us in high esteem," Richt said. "I told them that this is something good. It is something the players have earned over the past few years. And it is something that is worth hanging on to."

There are a number of reasons the rest of the country is taking a shine to Georgia. Aside from the obvious talent, it is significant that key leaders such as Greene, Pollack and Thurman passed up the NFL to play their senior seasons in Athens.

"I think a lot of us sense that this season has a chance to be something special," Pollack said. "I know that's why I wanted to come back."

"When you look at this team on paper, you have to believe we have a chance to be good," said Greene, who has thrown for 9,020 career yards. "But nobody is just going to give it to us. Not in this league. We have to work for it. We have to earn it."

And that, said Richt, was his parting message to Georgia's players at the end of spring practice. Around the nation, there's a perception that Georgia is on the cusp of becoming one of the elite programs in college football, a status both Florida and Tennessee enjoyed in the 1990s.

"What people think of our program now is very special and we should hold on to it," Richt said. "But as a result, we have to work harder than ever on the field and in the classroom. We have to behave in such a way so that people think we have a first-class program. It's nice for people to praise you, but with that praise comes a lot of responsibility."

[Eckwood43]

Oh yeah........Tyson Browning has also been moved from tailback to receiver.......Gibson looks healthy and the offensive line HAS to be improved from last season when 2002 SEC Off. POY David Greene took a pounding. A healthy Gibson is going to be a serious play-maker this year. Greene has to stay injury free too b/c we all know what happened to Shockley when he came in against LSU. Although that first series, his butt was against his own goaline......he never looked comfortable against that competition.

Georgia Red-Black Spring game

Greene and Gibson both were outstanding in Georgia's spring game and the defense showed some strength too, even with Pollack sitting out the scrimmage. The D-line is gonna be stout this year, with Moses opening some eyes.

Gibson is going to be the playmaker people thought he would be last year now that he's healthy. Also nice to see Albert Hollis on the field making some plays after people thought his career was over a few years ago with that knee injury.

Athens -- It wasn't the prettiest sight to behold, but Saturday's G-Day game was nearly perfect as far as a head coach is concerned: a big crowd, a little offense, a little defense and no major injuries.

A crowd of 25,134 -- unofficially the largest since the Vince Dooley era -- filled most of the lower South stands at Sanford Stadium to watch Georgia's spring intrasquad game. The Red squad, led by quarterback David Greene and wide receiver Fred Gibson, defeated the Black team 21-0.

Gibson caught two long passes for touchdowns late in the third quarter -- one from Greene and the other from walk-on Tommy Wilson -- to briefly break open what had been a 0-0 game.

"It was good to see the offense score; it was getting a little boring there," said coach Mark Richt, who spent the first half of the game as a commentator for CSS-TV. "But I wouldn't have minded if it ended up 0-0. I thought it was a well-played game."

Linebacker Tony Taylor injured his right knee, and offensive lineman Max Jean-Gilles has a left high-ankle sprain, but Richt said neither appears serious.

Gibson out-jumped cornerback Mike Gilliam for a 46-yard touchdown down the right sideline with 6:59 remaining in the third quarter. Five minutes later, Gibson beat Tim Jennings down the left sideline for a 64-yard touchdown from Greene. Gibson finished with five catches for 129 yards.

"Once Tommy did it, I wanted to go deep," said Greene, who was 11-for-13 for 131 yards and two touchdowns. "I actually called that play myself."

The best catch of the day came on the last scoring play. Greene found Bryan McClendon open in the back of the end zone, and McClendon jumped high to haul in the pass and barely got his left toe down inside the end line for a 9-yard touchdown.

The biggest ovation came when senior Albert Hollis II took a handoff at right tackle and plowed his way to a 6-yard gain. Hollis has missed the past three years rehabilitating what was expected to be a career-ending knee injury. He had complete knee reconstruction and suffers from nerve damage in his right leg and foot.

"Yeah, I heard it," said Hollis, who finished with 11 yards on four carries. "I took a quick glimpse [at the crowd] as I went back to the huddle, but I was focused on getting ready for the next play. I want to tell the fans thank you for sticking with me all this time."

The kicking contest was a wash. Brandon Coutu was 5-for-5, and Andy Bailey was 4-for-5. Each player got a last-second try in the live scrimmage. Coutu missed from 46 yards, and Bailey's 51-yard try missed wide left.

David Pollack didn't play, but Quentin Moses, a 6-foot-5, 249-pound sophomore had three sacks. Kedric Golston and Dale Dixsonlso got sacks, and Dixson led linemen with seven tackles.

Tailback Danny Ware had 43 yards on eight carries; Kregg Lumpkin had 38 yards on eight carries; quarterback Blake Barnes was 6-for-6 for 36 yards.

[rabidcock]

Hey, it's about time this was updated a bit (where are all the dogs?).

By the way, congrats to all the Dawgs out there. David Greene really is that important isn't he (not to mention, Fred Gibson). Had he not returned to spark the team, doubtless, UGA would not have been able to seal that leak for much longer!

I breathed a sigh of relief and felt immediate confidence upon his return in the 4th quarter. Not only did he spark the offense, but gave the defense the impetus it needed to finish the game strong. [And, boy, did #47 really shine when you needed him---that's what All-Americans do!]

It would have been tragic to have the staunch pride of the SEC besmirched by a 4-4 team from the ACC, not at the expense of one of our power teams.

The only good thing about Greene's departure (AND Pollack's) next year is they'll be easy pickin' for the chickens!!!

GO COCKS!