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reese

07-09-2007, 06:20 PM

Stability at QB, maturity could boost receivers
By Marc Weiszer | Staff Writer | from abh

Consider that the top four wide receivers from last season are back.

Add on top of that the return of a big-play threat who sat out last year because of injury.
Receiver Sean Bailey missed 2006 because of a knee injury. Receivers coach John Eason said Bailey dropped just two passes in the spring.

Factor in an offseason when Georgia's receivers are getting more time to get comfortable catching the bullets that starting quarterback Matthew Stafford fires their way.

All of which has wide receivers coach John Eason hopeful that the drops that plagued his unit last season could be a thing of the past.

"A year of maturity plus the situation at quarterback, that's going to be a key," Eason said. "We know who's going to be the starter. We know who the guy is we're going to catch passes from every day. I felt like that was more of a problem than people really realized.

"One time you got one pass coming out there and then you've got another guy who is still trying to feel his way throwing the shot out there. You had a freshman coming in, and he's going to let that sucker ride."

Georgia fans had reason to be frustrated last year when Georgia receivers often seemed to be catching passes like they were wearing oven mitts.

Their problems holding on to the ball came during a season when Joe Tereshinski, Joe Cox and Stafford all started games for the Bulldogs.

"Any time a wide receiver does something on the field, that represents you," Eason said. "When there's a drop, it's like I dropped it. You cringe. It's not something you accept or you tolerate. You cringe with it."

A positive sign came this spring when senior Sean Bailey, returning from an ACL injury, showed sure hands when he dropped only two passes, Eason said.

Bailey joins a unit that returns juniors Mohamed Massaquoi, Kenneth Harris and senior A.J. Bryant, and includes spring game stars Kris Durham and Mikey Henderson.

"We worked extremely hard in the spring, and it was a big difference from last year," Stafford said. "We played with a lot of passion. ... It's exciting to be around."

Two other receivers, junior Demiko Goodman and senior T.J. Gartrell, are returning from knee injuries. Goodman emerged as a starter before his season ended in the Kentucky game on Nov. 4.

"They're not full tilt, but they're getting better and better," Stafford said.

Eason expects both to go without limitations when preseason practices begin on August 4.

Dmldawg782

07-09-2007, 08:55 PM

Wow, I said the same thing on the other forum.

Sabanocchio

07-09-2007, 09:08 PM

www.howboutthemdawgs.com (http://www.rainbowbrite.tv/)

reese

07-11-2007, 01:29 AM

Miller making his adjustments
Head coach believes he'll be ready to play middle linebacker by opener
BY DAVID CHING - dching@ledger-enquirer.com --
A wide smile breaks across Brandon Miller's face when he's asked how long it took to adjust to his new position, middle linebacker, in spring practice.

"The whole time," Miller said with a laugh. "Right at the end, after the (spring) game."

With Georgia's 15 spring practices under his belt and summer workouts under way, Miller says he is now "very comfortable" in his new position -- a far cry from the tentativeness he showed in the spring and during the defense's disappointing showing in the G-Day game.

Georgia coach Mark Richt said Miller's uncertainty was completely understandable after he spent his first three seasons at strongside linebacker, but he doesn't expect it to continue in September when the Bulldogs open the season against Oklahoma State.

"He was not playing full speed because he wasn't certain of exactly how he was gonna fit. But the more reps he gets, the better he's gonna fit," Richt said. "After 29 more (preseason) practices plus spring, I'm sure he'll be able to play full speed."

As one of only a handful of defensive veterans, Miller will need to be at full speed quickly. None of the players vying for the two starting outside linebacker spots opposite Miller -- Dannell Ellerbe, Darius Dewberry, Akeem Dent or Darryl Gamble -- have started a game in their college careers.

Miller, defensive end Marcus Howard and safety Kelin Johnson are the only seniors penciled in as starters on the rebuilding defense -- and by many accounts Miller has taken hold of the leadership responsibility that comes with his veteran status.

"This is my last year and I've got to take responsibility for everything that goes on. So everything bad that happens, I blame myself," he said.

Many Georgia fans expected Miller to switch positions for his senior season, but most of the speculation had him moving to defensive end rather than middle (or "mike") linebacker. He was, after all, rated as the nation's No. 1 defensive end prospect by Rivals.com as a senior at Miller County High in Colquitt, Ga.

His first three years have been relatively quiet -- Miller has started 15 games and registered 73 tackles in 37 games -- leading some to label him as a bust who's not cut out to play linebacker.

Richt said that criticism is unfair.

"No matter how good a player is, he gets overhyped. No one's that good," Richt said. "(Matthew) Stafford is one of the best high school quarterbacks I've ever seen and he still wasn't able and ready to play like a veteran, because he wasn't (one).

"It's a huge transition, high school to college, and no one's gonna meet the expectations that people have if they're quote-unquote rated No. 1 at their position. It's just very few guys."

If Miller even approaches the ballyhoo that followed him to Athens, the 6-foot-4, 250-pounder will need to have a big senior season.

His coach expects it.

"He's a very, very talented guy and I think he's gonna play great at mike," Richt said.

Miller expects it as well -- and he expects this to be one of the most productive defenses he's been a part of at Georgia, although it's also the least experienced.

"I'd say this is the least experienced team, but right now we've got the most talent," Miller said. "We've got fast guys. They're great and they're ready to come out there and play and it's gonna be a great season."

Dmldawg782

07-11-2007, 08:14 PM

We do have speed. This is going to be the fastest defense we've had. Hopefully, they can play as good as they run.

reese

07-12-2007, 02:12 AM

yea with that speed we have mabe for once we can contain a running qb

reese

07-12-2007, 03:34 PM

Dogs' CB Oliver drafted by Chargers

By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/12/07

Athens — Whether NFL success finds Paul Oliver is yet to be determined.

But what has finally been determined is where the former Georgia
cornerback will get his starts as he works toward that success.

Oliver was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of
Thursday's NFL's supplemental draft. The cornerback was to be a senior
at Georgia this year. He was also expected to anchor an inexperienced
secondary and defense.

Instead, Oliver's grades slipped and while he still could have
remained in school he was declared academically ineligible to compete
in football. With that taken away, Oliver walked away from the
university and into the 31st annual supplemental draft.

And while an NFL team now has a new prospect on defense, Georgia is
left to figure out its prospects at corner. For now, sophomores Asher
Allen and Prince Miller could be counted on to take up the slack.
Ramarcus Brown, a former starter, is also available. But depth could
be a problem.

That has Georgia thinking about making some personnel moves.

"Reshad [Jones] is a possibility because he's athlete enough to do it
and he is a bigger body than most of our other corners," Georgia coach
Mark Richt said. "It takes a while to get good at that. But in some
ways, assignment-wise, if you say, 'Hey, you cover him,' that's not a
lot to learn.

"The question is, do you have the ability and the technique to get it
done? There may be a time, there may be a matchup where we need to do
that. There may be, gosh, you could play a ton of four-receiver sets
and you're looking for more cover guys."

Jones, a redshirt freshman, could move to that corner spot in those
situations or he may be utilized as a cover guy from his natural
safety spot.

"If your safeties are good enough to cover an inside receiver, then
you don't have to get into nickel packages and things of that nature,"
Richt said. "He's definitely gonna be covering some people man-to-man.
Whether it be a true corner or a slot, I don't know."

reese

07-16-2007, 05:48 PM

UGA's Brown ahead of schedule in rehab

By CARTER STRICKLAND
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 07/12/07

Athens — When Georgia coach Mark Richt started to hear the reports on running back Thomas Brown's rehab he was not so much stunned as he was satisfied that what he believed about Brown was true.

The running back who suffered a season ending injury against Vanderbilt last year was not just reaching his marks in rehab but far exceeding what anyone had done before him.

"Because it's Thomas, I'm not that surprised," Richt said. "He understands that a lot of it is between the ears. You've got to work and rehab and get ready, but then once your body gets to a point where you're probably ready to play physically, it takes a little time mentally to feel comfortable. He's so mentally tough and determined."

That determination has made the tailback position into a three-man race again. Kregg Lumpkin is listed as the starter. But everybody expects Brown to be ready to contribute from the first game.

"They say he's already changing direction like nobody's business," Richt said. "That's the one thing they get a little nervous about, and right now he's already doing it. I don't think the contact scares guys as much as the sudden change of direction."

Brown is just 133 yards form becoming a 2,000-yard back at Georgia.

The coaching staff didn't know for sure Brown would accomplish all that when he was a freshman. But there was an early indication the Tucker product would physically excel.

"When (Brown) was a true freshman, Reggie Brown won the quote-unquote pound-for-pound strongest guy, or whatever that award's called," Richt said. "We have power indexes that measure their strength, but also their leaping ability. And Thomas Brown as a true freshman would have won the award if coach (Dave) Van Halanger allowed a true freshman to win the award."

reese

07-16-2007, 06:12 PM

Bulldogs aim to have role for White

By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 07/14/07

Athens — Georgia football coaches recruited Aron White last fall not knowing where they might put him. Three weeks before camps starts, the Bulldogs still don't know where the Missouri product might fit.

"I told him ... 'If you weigh 212 when you get here, I don't see you playing tight end. I don't think that body type can hold up,' " Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "I said, 'Now if your body grows big enough to play tight end, then you'll play tight end. But what we're not gonna do is force-feed you to make you get big enough to play tight end or try to starve you to make you stay at receiver.' "

Aron White could play wide receiver or tight end, but Georgia coaches have yet to decide.

What Georgia wants to do is wait on White's body to mature some more before making a decision on a position for one of the headliners of February's signing class.

But either way, the Bulldogs think they have a catch. The

6-foot-4 White is, Richt said, talented enough to excel at wide receiver. He has the hands (23 catches for 430 yards as a high school senior) and the speed.

But he also could have the body of a tight end and eventually develop into a serious pass catching threat at the position.

As for where White is right now with his weight ...

"He's probably in the mid-220s," Richt said. "And if he stays there or gets a little bigger, he may roll right into the tight end decision, I'm not sure."

Speaking of tight ends, don't expect the redshirt to come off Bruce Figgins just because projected starter Tripp Chandler is due to be suspended at the start of the season following his alcohol-related arrest.

"I don't want it to have an effect on his career," Richt said of Figgins. "My goal would be for it not to affect his career. If he plays early, it won't be because of Tripp.

"We've had that happen before. We've had guys with a one- or two-game suspension and we'd be like, 'Should we play so-and-so?' " Richt said. "... I'd say, 'Look, I'm not gonna play this guy if it's a two-game situation.'

"Now if a veteran got hurt and he's out for the year, that's different. If it's a one-game situation or a two-game situation, I'm not gonna redshirt or not redshirt a guy because of that."

reese

07-22-2007, 02:58 AM

Depth on the defense
By Carter Strickland | Friday, July 20, 2007, 02:53 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia didn’t have any guys on the first team preseason SEC defense,
but I think there is a chance the Bulldogs could have some of the best
overall depth in the conference at two spots - safeties and defensive
tackles - by midseason.

First off at the safety position, Reshad Jones is going to be a player
who would start for a lot of teams out there. And Quintin Banks hits
like Thomas Davis and Greg Blue. And those two are backups. Yeah, both
are young but I would expect them to be major contributors. Couple
those two with Kelin Johnson and C.J. Byrd and it is a solid group
that probably can match any team in the conference

On top of that if he can remain healthy and if his lateral movement is
good - and everybody says it is - Antavious Coates can provide some
stability back there.

At the other spot, I know Georgia may have lost some leadership at the
defensive tackle spot, but there are six or seven players there who,
by the end of the year, should really be contributing. First off Jeff
Owens probably should have been second team all-SEC at the very least
on the ballots. Geno Atkins and Kade Weston are the next best two
players at D-tackle. Atkins is strong and agile. Weston is huge and
can plug up the middle. Then there is Tripp Taylor. Taylor, off-field
distractions aside, is a hard working player who is not afraid to
match up with anyone. Throw in Corvey Irvin and Brandon Wood and there
is some serious depth. Ricardo Crawford may also be able to provide
some punch at that position.

reese

07-22-2007, 03:25 PM

UGA safety Johnson is sizing up Cowboys

By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 07/20/07

Athens — Kelin Johnson is busy watching film just about every day
these days.

The Georgia safety is trying to figure out the ins and outs of
Oklahoma State, the Bulldogs' first opponent.

"The one thing about their offense is that it is really, really
unpredictable," Johnson said. "They have got so many weapons. You have
got the quarterback who can run. You have got a running back that can
sure enough run.

"They run that option where they can do anything. Plus the quarterback
can throw and then you have wide receivers that can catch and wide
receivers that can run. Their best player is their tight end."

That tight end is 6-foot-6 Brandon Pettigrew, who started all 13 of
the Cowboys' games last season. Pettigrew can block on the line but
was also a threat to slip into pass patterns.

"You can kind of compare them a little bit to Boise State," Johnson
said of the two offenses. "Both those quarterbacks can make plays when
they scramble. And Bobby [Reid], you have to be right on target with
him in coverage because he is going to buy enough time to find his
receiver downfield."

The receiver Reid likes to find the most is Heisman Trophy candidate
Adarius Bowman. The 6-5 Bowman might be the best pure receiver Georgia
will face all season. (Florida's Percy Harvin is probably the most
explosive and versatile.)

Oklahoma State suffered a setback this week in its receiving corps
when Artrell Woods suffered a season-ending back injury in the weight
room. Woods was making a move to complement Bowman on the other side.

"What we are going to have to do is run to the ball," Johnson said.
"Coach [Willie] Martinez is not going to be able to make every perfect
call for all of us to be in the exact spot every single time. This is
about defense and about team and everybody running to the ball.

"You get people knowing what they are doing and playing just as hard
as the people next to them and you are going to make up for mistakes.
Every play is not going to be perfect. You can call a holding on just
about every play, but the question is, 'Who is going to get off that
block and out of that hold?' "

------------

Scouting OK State's offense | UGA | ajc.com (http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/uga/entries/2007/07/18/scouting_ok_sta.html?cxntlid=inform)

Scouting OK State’s offense
By Carter Strickland | Wednesday, July 18, 2007, 03:13 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

In talking with Kelin Johnson this morning he made the comparison
between Oklahoma State’s offense and the offense thrown onto the field
by Boise State a couple of years ago. Both, he said, are difficult
because they do so many things and you never really know what is going
to come at you.

If you remember, Boise State didn’t have much time to come at Georgia
because it was too busy going backwards thanks to several Jared
Zabranski interceptions. OSU’s guy, Bobby Reid, who by the way was
heavily recruited by Georgia, is a much better runner than Zabranski
and can tuck and go rather than throw the picks.

Johnson said an aggressive defense should be able to take OSU out of
its comfort zone. But he also warned to not get too caught up in
oohing and aahing over the talent OSU has at quarterback, running back
and wide receiver. Those guys are good, he said. But Johnson said the
tight end, Brandon Pettigrew, is the best player on offense.
Pettigrew, 6-6, had 24 catches and four touchdowns last season. The
Pokes will be missing wide receiver Artrell Woods. Woods injured his
back and is out. He was supposed to contend for the spot opposite
Adarius Bowman.

reese

07-24-2007, 09:32 AM

Dogs' defensive tackle Atkins is a changed man

By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 07/20/07

Athens — It took just about a year for Georgia defensive tackle Geno Atkins to earn a nickname that will undoubtedly stick.

"I call him '180,' " teammate Jeff Owens said. "That's because since he got here he has done a 180. He is completely different."

When Atkins first got to Georgia, he kept to himself, didn't have any friends on the team and never said anything — no matter what was said to him.

"Now he is talking to everybody, hanging out, really being a part of the team and helping us be a team," Owens said. "He is totally different."

What hasn't changes is Atkins' play on the field. The sophomore played in 11 games as a true freshman and is expected to be a starter next to Owens come Sept. 1.

"He's so strong, that is the thing about him," Owens said. "He's just powerful."

Atkins and another sophomore Kade Weston should provide plenty of power at that defensive tackle position next to Owens. The speed could come from Brandon Wood. Wood, who redshirted last year, is making the change over from defensive end to tackle.

"He's really quick and can get past you," Owens said.

Wood has gained 20 plus pounds since arriving at Georgia and is up to 275. What could slow Wood is his lack of experience. Shoulder surgery sidelined him for most of his redshirt season so he hasn't worked with defensive line coach Rodney Garner much.

"Brandon Wood and Corvey Irvin are going to learn how tough it is," Owens said. "Corvey was here in the spring so he knows a little bit but it gets a lot tougher in the fall.

"A lot tougher."

reese

07-25-2007, 03:04 PM

Team takes Stafford's orders seriously
UGA QB has ramped up leadership role

By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 07/24/07

Athens — Sophomore quarterback Matthew Stafford has taken charge at Georgia during the pass skeleton drills on the practice fields. And players are hoping he will continue to take control on the field.

"One thing that sticks out in my mind about Matthew is leadership," safety Antavious Coates said. "He is a guy who depends on other people to do their jobs. And once he says something, everybody takes it serious. That is what you need as a quarterback if we want to win games."

Stafford started to win games, consistently, in the last three games of the season. After struggling through growing pains and a couple of unexpected losses at Kentucky and against Vanderbilt, Stafford was 39 of 70 with three touchdowns, one interception and 529 passing yards.

In the previous 10 games, Stafford was 96 of 186 with four touchdowns, 12 interceptions and 1,220 yards.

"I was really impressed watching him grow," Coates said. "I really like him under center. I think he is going to take us to the promised land."

reese

07-30-2007, 12:47 AM

Defensive shuffle
Dogs rely on young defense after departure of several key leaders
BY DAVID CHING - dching@ledger-enquirer.com --

Photo by Rob Carr / Associated Press
Georgia coach Mark Richt must find suitable replacements for defensive ends Charles Johnson and Quentin Moses, who combined for 14 sacks last season.
HOOVER, Ala. --Although Charles Johnson and Quentin Moses didn't quite put together the sack total they expected last season -- combining for 14 -- the departed defensive ends did plenty to affect opposing offenses.

There are other question marks entering the 2007 season, but whether Georgia's current roster contains adequate replacements for those two NFL draft picks is the biggest on coach Mark Richt's mind when the subject is his defense.

"Right now, I'm not sure how much edge pressure we can create minus Quentin Moses and Charles Johnson," Richt told a small group of reporters Friday morning at an SEC Media Days interview session. "Those guys brought their own pressure. We didn't have to create a lot for them. You just lined them up and let them go. Even if they didn't get a sack, they would pressure a guy."

Johnson was drafted by the Carolina Panthers after a junior season where he posted 9.5 sacks, 19 tackles for a loss and 12 quarterback hurries. And although he fell short of the school sacks record he was approaching before a disappointing senior season, Moses still recorded 4.5 sacks, 12 tackles for a loss, 15 quarterback hurries and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders.

The Bulldogs have no shortage of candidates to take over Moses' and Johnson's starting spots when preseason camp opens next Saturday, but the group is short on experience. No member of the group has started a game.

Senior Marcus Howard and sophomore Rod Battle completed spring practice as the first-team ends, but there are no fewer than five others contending for playing time. Junior college transfer Jarius Wynn will be in the mix, as will junior Jeremy Lomax and redshirt freshmen Demarcus Dobbs, Kiante Tripp and Michael Lemon.

"I'm not saying we won't get it from Marcus Howard or Rod Battle or Jeremy Lomax or Dobbs or whoever, but I'm not sure what's gonna happen," Richt said. "When you say what's a question mark, that's a question in my mind, 'Will they provide the pressure that these other guys have done?' "

The benefit of a strong pass rush isn't simply an impressive sack total. Consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks would ease the transition for the numerous new starters on Georgia's defense.

It would help an all-new group of linebackers adjust to their more prominent roles. And it would assist a secondary weakened by losing all-America candidate Paul Oliver to academic ineligibility.

All three linebacker spots will feature a new player, with Brandon Miller -- who shared starting responsibilities at strongside linebacker with Danny Verdun Wheeler -- moving to the middle. No player likely to start on either side of Miller, out of the group of Darius Dewberry, Dannell Ellerbe and Akeem Dent, has started a college game.

Richt called Miller "the key to our whole defense in my opinion," noting that the senior will stabilize the center of the defense if he quickly becomes comfortable with the duties at his new spot.

"If he can get comfortable in the role of the (middle) linebacker -- we have 29 practices to get him ready -- if he can play full speed, he can make a huge difference for us," Richt said.

Numerous options

Likewise, Oliver would have anchored a Bulldog secondary that will instead rely on talented, but inexperienced, players.

Bryan Evans and Ramarcus Brown are the only cornerbacks to have started a game, but Asher Allen, Prince Miller, Thomas Flowers and Donavon Baldwin give defensive backs coach Willie Martinez numerous options.

Allen is the leading candidate to take over Oliver's boundary corner spot, while Evans led Miller for the starting field corner nod.

Senior safety Kelin Johnson said Oliver's loss is obviously significant, but he believes Allen is a star in the making.

"(Oliver) just brought so much leader attributes to the Georgia program, it's detrimental that we lost him," Johnson said. "But Allen's gonna bring so much more that Paul probably didn't bring. And Lord knows what he's gonna bring. All we know is we're gonna sit back and wait."

At the very least, there will be two new starters in the secondary -- the Bulldogs also lost all-America safety Tra Battle to graduation -- but Johnson believes the turnover doesn't mean the group will be weaker.

Turnover is a simple fact of life in college football, he said.

"Every year you get new people and every year you question the secondary and what you may have," Johnson said. "You've just got to work hard through camp and work hard through practice and just become a better player and a better leader.

"You have to know your responsibilities, rely on the younger guys so you can win. That don't change. Every year it's the same thing, you'll have somebody new in some position

reese

07-30-2007, 12:50 AM

Bulldogs love Miller's talent
By MATT COBBS, matthew.cobbs@shj.com
Published July 28, 2007

HOOVER, Ala. - By the time he left Byrnes in 2005, Prince Miller was pure football royalty.

Heading into his second season at Georgia, he hasn't quite climbed into the throne, but Miller's coach and teammates love what they see in the Duncan native.

"Oh man, Prince, he's a real humble character, a real humble guy," Bulldogs senior safety Kelin Johnson said Friday at the SEC Kickoff. "He's got lots of speed - can move left and can move right. He's the type of guy you need."

Miller, named South Carolina's Mr. Football in 2005, appeared in every game for Georgia last season, as a true freshman. He blocked a punt against UAB - which was returned for a touchdown - and was named the team's special teams newcomer of the year.

Miller will battle for playing time with sophomore Bryan Evans at one of the Bulldogs' cornerback slots.

"Prince is a very good football player. We actually redshirted nine of our defensive signees last year," Georgia coach Mark Richt said, "but Prince Miller and Asher Allen we felt like we better play at true freshmen because we knew they were going to have to play big this year."

Johnson sees a lot of resemblance with Miller and a former Georgia defensive back.

"(Miller) reminds me a lot of Tim Jennings. A lot of people didn't give (Jennings) a chance," Johnson said.

Jennings, an Orangeburg native and cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts, was recruited by former defensive coordinator Willie Martinez.

Jennings was a three-year starter for the Bulldogs, recording 170 tackles and 10 interceptions for 194 yards.

"(Martinez) went to South Carolina and said to (Jennings), 'Hey, we want you to be a Georgia Bulldog,' " Johnson said.

The Bulldogs did the same with Miller, a Duncan native.

"Prince knows he's an honor here," Johnson said. "We love him … I love him. I can't wait to see him (go) out there and do more wonderful things for us."

Bulldog Bry

07-30-2007, 08:45 AM

Jennings, an Orangeburg native and cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts, was recruited by former defensive coordinator Willie Martinez.

They fired Willie? :laugh:

Dmldawg782

07-30-2007, 06:42 PM

Good article. We need more like that. Hasn't been as much as I expected in the papers lately since the seasons getting ready to start.

Bulldog Bry

07-30-2007, 08:32 PM

Good article. We need more like that. Hasn't been as much as I expected in the papers lately since the seasons getting ready to start.

Well, we haven't been getting arrested as much, so there's little for the AJC to report.............

Dmldawg782

07-31-2007, 05:45 PM

Ain't that the truth!!!

reese

08-03-2007, 03:25 PM

Richt excited about backfield corps

By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 08/02/07

Athens — Georgia's running game has been predicated on diversity the past three seasons.

No one knew who was going to get the ball when. There was supposed to a change of pace, an element of surprise to it all.

But the truth of the matter was the pace never reached breakneck speed. Georgia's running game plodded instead of plowed.

Once again, the Bulldogs enter camp Saturday with a stable of running backs. Thomas Brown is back and healthy after missing much of last season with a knee injury. Fellow senior Kregg Lumpkin is listed as the starter. Caleb King is the heralded recruit.

Then there's Knowshon Moreno. The redshirt freshman has never played a down for Georgia, yet has received more hype than the other three combined. Not hype from the fans, mind you, but from UGA's coaches.

"Knowshon Moreno, I know when you get to watch the kid practice every day and see what he does, it gets you excited," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt said. "He is a very vibrant guy. He could be a gymnast.

"You can't hide his enthusiasm for life. He will light up his team with his energy level."

That is just what he does in the huddle. Apparently, according to Richt, Moreno can do quite a few things on the field as well.

"He will jump over a guy standing on his feet and score," Richt said of the former New Jersey high school player of the year. "He has got speed, power and agility. People have to respect his power."

Among other things. Opponents will also have to respect that agility Richt's so high on.

"If [the defense] sends a guy full-speed to try and get him, Knowshon will make them miss," Richt said.

Moreno is shifty. And, maybe more importantly, he can shift into another gear and run away from the defense.

Georgia coaches wanted to plug him into the lineup last season, but Moreno wasn't ready to handle the blocking schemes. The Bulldogs also had three other capable running backs until Brown went down with his knee injury.

Now Moreno is listed as the No. 2 running back behind Lumpkin. But he's the No. 1 choice for teammates when talking about who they're the most curious to see play.

Said center Fernando Velasco: "Everybody wants to see what he can do."

reese

08-06-2007, 05:03 AM

By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 08/06/07

Athens — Everywhere Thomas Brown walks, without a limp or any aid,
mind you, he is asked the same question: "How's the knee?"

And about 30 times a day, Brown replies the same way, "I'm ready to go."

Evidently Georgia is ready to go with him. The senior running back who
had ACL surgery in October 2006 is participating in all of fall
practice, and the only indication he even had surgery is a small
sleeve on his right knee.

"I always thought I was going to come back better than I ever was,"
Brown said. "The first chance I get, I am going to go out there at
full speed. I am going to throw my knee out there and I am going to
roll like I did before."

Brown is just 714 yards away from fifth place (2,581) on Georgia's
all-time rushing list. When healthy in his freshman and sophomore
seasons, Brown averaged 805 yards rushing.

"I have been waiting since October to come back and reprove myself,"
Brown said. "I heard all the negativity going through the process,
people telling me I needed to take a year off because I am not going
to be ready. I just felt like I was ready to go. I talked to enough
doctors who said I was ready to go. Mentally I am ready to go. I don't
have any problems with the cuts."

Cuff on the field

Vance Cuff's waiting ended Saturday. The cornerback from Colquitt
County who had to navigate the red tape of the NCAA Clearinghouse made
it to the field with the rest of the Georgia team.

"The right thing happened and he is here," defensive coordinator
Willie Martinez said.

Cuff almost wasn't at Georgia because of a disputed core class. The
class was finally accepted by the Clearinghouse on Wednesday. That
allowed Cuff to enroll at Georgia.

"Being involved with it personally, I am glad because he deserves that
opportunity," Martinez said. "It is a tremendous thing for him because
if you sit out, whether you sit out a year or two, you lose all the
reps and experience. Now just him being here is huge from the
standpoint of him understanding our package, whether he plays this
year or not."

Water girl

Georgia coach Mark Richt wasn't too terribly upset about losing his
son Jon Richt to Clemson. In fact, Clemson was the perfect fit because
Georgia will not play the Tigers until after Jon's eligibility has
expired.

"I didn't want to play against him," Mark Richt said.

But there remains a chance father and son could meet in a bowl. And if
that happens, Mark will have to fire his water girl, who just happens
to be his wife, Katharyn.

"If we do play Clemson in a bowl game, she will not be on the sideline
serving water to our defensive ends," Richt joked. "I don't want them
to have any water."

Rushing to conclusions

Georgia's 2006 run production was off by 35 yards from 2005. Richt
said the reason for the dip might not be as obvious as the injury to
Brown, the depth of the offensive line or even the sharing of the
football among backs.

Instead, it was the rule change with the play clock last season that
cut several plays from the offense.

"You subtract seven to eight plays per game; if you are running and
running that is 20 or 30 yards right there," Richt said.

On top of that, there were the 31 turnovers.

"We would lose entire drives just by virtue of the fact that we turned
it over," Richt said.

reese

08-06-2007, 05:08 AM

Georgia's receivers set to impress

By CHIP TOWERS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 08/06/07

Athens — To see them huddled around Georgia wide receivers coach John
Eason is to witness a who's who of blue-chip prospects.

Among the dozen are five consensus high school All-Americans, two that
were top-ranked at their position in North Carolina in back-to-back
years, one that was ranked No. 1 in the nation and one that was an
All-American in football and track. All 12 were at least first-team
all-state, all of them are fast and lean and most of them, at this
point, are experienced.

The wide receivers, impressive credentials aside, are the most
questioned and criticized group of players on the Bulldogs' football team.

Over the past couple of seasons, Georgia's receivers have been
vilified for dropping passes and condemned for not living up to their
billings. Even the Bulldogs' head coach is somewhat baffled by their
lack of production to date.

"I do expect our receivers to play better," Mark Richt said as the
Bulldogs opened preseason camp this weekend. "They expect to play
better. We have four seniors coming back, three juniors. I mean it's
time for them to play not only good but great."

That's the attitude of the wide receivers themselves.

"We've got a lot to prove this year," senior flanker A.J. Bryant said.
"We want to get everybody off our backs."

When the subject turns to the criticism that they endured last season,
the wideouts' emotions range from concern to disbelief to anger to
dogged determination.

"We're looking at it as 2007," junior Mohamed Massaquoi said tersely.
"New season, new beginning. Let's leave it at that."

Said senior Mikey Henderson: "We're all competitors. [The criticism]
has only brought us closer together. We know fans are going to get on
us if we don't perform. That's fine; that's the way it's supposed to
be at Georgia. But we aim to change it."

Here is the raw data: Georgia passed for 2,397 yards last season. Of
those yards, sophomore quarterback Matthew Stafford passed for 82
percent of them. Sixty-nine percent of those receiving yards are back
this season, including Massaquoi, who tied for the team lead with 30
receptions. Six of the Bulldogs' top eight receivers are back.

Added to that group is senior split end Sean Bailey, who missed all of
last season with a torn ACL. Before that Bailey had seven career
touchdown catches and was the Bulldogs' No. 1 deep threat.

"We definitely have the talent," said Bailey, who had two long
touchdown receptions in the 2005 SEC championship game before being
sidelined with a knee injury. "We're extremely, extremely deep. I
think that's going to make us that much better because we're going to
be competing every day for a starting job.

"We're hungry. We're ready to go out there and prove ourselves and get
all these people off our backs."

The whole group has been in Athens for voluntary workouts this summer.
There they ran routes and caught passes several times a week from
Stafford and Georgia's other quarterbacks.

"I think they're going to have a breakout year, to be perfectly
honest," Stafford said Saturday. "I've seen what they can do. I think
they're welcoming the pressure. They had a great spring. We didn't
drop one ball in the spring game. They're playing with a ton of
confidence and I have total trust in those guys. They've grown up a
lot this offseason, and I'm ready to watch them make some plays for us."

That goes double for the receivers.

"There's definitely a chip on our shoulder," Bailey said. "Any time
you have critics out there saying things, you want to go out and prove
them wrong. We use it as motivation. But we still have to play within
ourselves and can't let it get to us. We just want to be consistent
and have fun."

There's a good chance they'll get to display their wares. Despite
their past woes, Richt views them as a team strength. And with a
combination of a lack of depth and experience at tight end and talent
at quarterback, the Bulldogs are considering utilizing four-receiver
sets often this season.

The receivers are hoping to force Richt's hand.

"That's what we're shooting for," Henderson said. "Not to knock our
tight ends, because we have great ones and have always had great ones
here. But we'd love to have four wides out there getting open for
Matthew. He has an unbelievable arm and we want him to use it."

reese

08-07-2007, 03:48 AM

UGA's Flowers eager to blossom
Sports
Marc Weiszer | Monday, August 6, 2007 at 12:30 am
GEORGIA FOOTBALL NOTES

ATHENS - Thomas Flowers' dreadlocks are gone and so is the lofty spot he found himself on the depth chart last summer.

Flowers was penciled in as a starting cornerback and held the punt return job before a suspension knocked him out of the first two games last season.

In his first game back, his season was over because of a broken left foot.

"I just feel sorry for the whole situation because he was on top," senior Mikey Henderson said.

Now Flowers is backing up Asher Allen at the boundary corner and will have to overtake Henderson for the punt return job.

"Everybody wants to be the main guy and right now I'm taking it one day at a time," said Flowers, who says he's pain-free. "I'm trying to feel my back through and get back in the groove of things and prove myself to me, the coaches and my players that I can be that guy again."

Flowers gives Georgia an experienced player who can play both corner positions as well as nickel back.

"It's huge for him to come back," defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said.

Flowers wore dreadlocks for three years but ditched the look when he showed up for summer workouts in June.

"It's a new look, feeling good," Flowers said. "Ready to go."

ADVICE FROM DAD: KEEP IT REAL

Freshman Drew Butler took part in his second college practice on Sunday.

Georgia might not settle on who will be its punter until the final scrimmage of the preseason. Butler will have to beat out junior Brian Mimbs for the job.

"I told him to keep his expectations real," said Kevin Butler, a former Georgia kicker and Drew's father. "He has to get through the first five days to get used to the game and to get comfortable. I'm sure his heart is beating real good."

JUMPING INTO SCRAPS A NO-NO

Receiver Tony Wilson and cornerback Ramarcus Brown got into a tussle at the end of Sunday's practice, but other players didn't get involved.

"I like toughness, I like guys to be physical, but we can't afford penalties," coach Mark Richt said. "We have a rule that if you get in a little scrap that doesn't belong to you that you're going to get your butt up at the crack of dawn and do a little extra running."

reese

08-11-2007, 04:05 AM

By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 08/09/07

Athens — The fight Tony Wilson got into with teammate Ramarcus Brown
was for his mom, Lisa.

The block the Georgia wide receiver leveled at an unsuspecting
defensive back was for his brother, Vince.

Wide receiver Tony Wilson has turned into a more physical
player. 'Regardless of what I do, if I am going up for a pass I am
going to get drilled. So I might as well catch it. I have got to
sacrifice my body for the team.'

The pass he caught and held onto after being smacked to the ground
that was for his son, Tony.

This life he leads is for all of them.

"You got to give up your body for somebody," said the redshirt
freshman from Daytona Beach, Fla.

That's what Wilson has done every day since his redshirt season
ended.

"Fire," said UGA tight end Tripp Chandler. "He is so electrifying
out there. It doesn't matter who he is going up against out there.
If he is going against [linebacker] Brandon Miller, any of our
defensive ends or our smallest corner, he is going to through them.
It is fun to see that sometimes. It stinks going up against those
bigger guys, but to see someone a little bit smaller than you going
up against those bigger guys, it's motivating."

"He plays with a lot of energy," offensive coordinator Mike Bobo
said of Wilson. "He has brought an attitude to the receivers of
being more physical. You've got to have guys like that that are not
afraid to put their face in there."

Fear left Wilson 14 years ago. That's when he remembers a fight
erupting in front of his eyes between his mother and her former
boyfriend.

"He hit her in the head with a fire extinguisher and cracked her
brain open," Wilson said. "That stays on my mind. I felt like he
took something from me when that happened. So when somebody goes off
at the mouth with me at practice, I feel like they are trying to
take something from me and I feel like I have to defend myself."

Call it a chip on the shoulder or a grudge in his heart. Whichever,
it has worked. And Wilson has worked his way into some possible
early playing time in Athens.

"He is determined to play," said senior wide receiver A.J.
Bryant. "He is determined he is going to do whatever he has got to
do to get on the field and do what he has to do to do it."

He's determined because three years ago he watched his brother get
recruited to North Carolina as a running back. A year later, Vince
Wilson had left the Tar Heel program.

"He got into some of the wrong stuff," Tony Wilson said.

He is determined whenever he sees the photos of his 7-month-old son,
also named Tony.

"I have only see him four times since he was born," Wilson said. "It
is hard seeing my son growing up just through camera pictures. All
the money I get I send back to him because I want him to have a
better life."

And Wilson is determined to play because of the phone calls he gets
every day from his mom.

"She calls me every day crying," Wilson said. "Every time she goes
to get a checkup, the doctor tells her she only has so much time to
live. That stays on my mind a lot. She is my momma and even though I
am up here, I am still being strong for her."

Lisa has five blood clots in her cranium. She has lived that way
ever since the attack 14 years ago. Wilson, who doesn't know what
became of his mom's ex-boyfriend, has watched her struggle. As a
result discovered, he's discovered that no matter what struggle he
faces, he can overcome it.

Last year, his first at UGA, his attitude turned sour and he wanted
to leave every day.

"I kept telling Coach [Mark] Richt, 'This ain't for me,' " Wilson
said.

But he stayed. He stayed, watched, learned and readied himself for
an opportunity.

"I learned you can be talented but if you ain't got that
physicalness and want it, [Richt] is going to take that dude that is
not as talented as you but is more physical than you and put him on
the field," Wilson said. "Either way, regardless of what I do, if I
am going up for a pass I am going to get drilled. So I might as well
catch it. I have got to sacrifice my body for the team."

He also learned that success on the field is not a guarantee and
that his priority should never just be football but instead the
future.

"I bust my butt in the classroom to get my degree because I know
regardless, no matter what I do, I have to take care of my son,"
Wilson said. "When I leave here, I am going to have that degree and
go back and do something with it."

reese

08-11-2007, 04:18 AM

Thomas Brown eager to return to Georgia backfield
Print this | E-mail this | Comments on this article: 0

Posted: August 10, 2007

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- Less than 10 months removed from a serious knee injury, Thomas Brown claims he never felt better.

He's backing it up on the field, too.

Georgia's senior running back is making a strong bid to reclaim the starting job in his final college season. If nothing else, he's likely to play a significant role in the Bulldogs' backfield-by-committee approach.

"I feel stronger, faster, quicker, more confident -- everything," Brown said. "I'm ready to roll like I did before."

Brown tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while returning a kickoff against Vanderbilt last October, knocking him out of the final six games. After getting over the initial feelings of anger and disappointment, he got back to work.

He also did a little research. While the recovery period for such an injury can be a year or longer -- and some players never make it all the way back -- Brown focused on the reports that called for a shorter recuperation when there's no other damage beyond the ACL.

"You can go into it thinking negatively all through the rehab, thinking about what's going to happen when you come back: Am I going to be timid or not?" he said. "I never thought like that. I just thought I was going to come back better than I ever was before."

The Bulldogs will be looking for improvement in their running game after averaging just 127.4 yards per game -- a drop of nearly 35 yards from the previous season. Georgia hasn't had a 1,000-yard rusher since Musa Smith in 2002.

Coach Mark Richt insists that he's not concerned about individual stats, only the cumulative numbers. The running game should improve if the Bulldogs cut down on their turnovers (they had 31 last season) and sophomore quarterback Matthew Stafford builds on the progress he showed at the end of the season, which would loosen up opposing defenses.

"I don't think the problem is not having a 1,000-yard rusher," Richt said. "The problem is when you don't have enough production at the running back position. But we're not too far off from some other years."

In keeping with the theme since Smith left, the Bulldogs are unlikely to have one player emerge from the pack. Brown is contending for handoffs with fellow senior Kregg Lumpkin and a couple of highly touted freshmen, redshirt Knowshon Moreno and top recruit Caleb King.

Of course, Georgia's fans are eager to get a look at the new runners.

"I really don't pay much attention to that type of stuff," Brown said. "Anytime someone new comes in, that's always going to be a hot topic. I just want to prove to myself that I can come back from an ACL."

And, if he needs any advice, there's always Lumpkin, who missed the entire 2004 season with a similar injury.

"I told him it's going to take time," Lumpkin said. "Every body heals differently. He may be feeling great, but it just depends how it heals. I told him to just go out there and don't even think about it. Just play ball."

Lumpkin put his redshirt year to good use, working toward a degree that he received on schedule in the spring. Now, he can try to keep the starting job he had coming out of last season while working toward a second degree.

"It takes a lot of the burden off," said Lumpkin, who led the team in rushing with 798 yards. "That's one thing that coach Richt always stresses: go ahead and graduate while you're here. It's hard to come back and graduate after you go to the (NFL). I was able to take advantage of the opportunity when I had to redshirt."

While Lumpkin would love to get enough carries to rush for 1,000 yards, he has gotten used to the idea of sharing the load.

"We recruit a lot of good running backs each year, and you just kind of have to make everybody happy," he said. "You want to let everyone prove to themselves that they can play at this level."

When healthy, Brown knows he can play at this level, though he has yet to fulfill the promise he showed as a freshman. He appeared to be a star in the making when he rushed for 875 yards right out of high school, but he actually lost the starting job for a couple of games even before his injury last season.

Brown attributes his problems to a lack of patience. Instead of waiting for holes to develop, he often barreled right into the middle of the defense. While recuperating from his injury, he had plenty of time to think about what he had done wrong.

"I'm kind of thankful that it happened," he said. "I got to start all over again, work on some of the problems I had before, and get bigger, stronger and faster."

Yep, he's never felt better.

reese

08-11-2007, 04:23 AM

Georgia program top-tier by any measure
By Chip Towers | Friday, August 10, 2007, 01:52 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

OK, I tried to resist but I just can’t anymore. CNN/SI’s Stewart Mandel came out this week with a “formula,” using Georgia as its basis, in which he ranks football programs by prestige. By his measure, he places the Bulldogs in the second tier, not top-tier. Now I’m not going to debate his determinations because, well, it’s his opinion and opinions are like, um, elbows. You know, everybody has a couple. And believe me, I’m just a beat guy. I’m not a Georgia homer by any stretch of the imagination. But I do know a LOT about Georgia and the facts just don’t back up Mandel’s findings, in my opinion.

I’ll offer just a few I know off the top of the head (and from just inside the Georgia media guide) that I believe contradict Mandel’s logic.

I: History

A: Georgia is 11th all time in victories and is one of only 11 to have recorded more than 700 victories in the program’s history.

B: There are only five teams in the nation that have been to more bowls than the Bulldogs: Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, Southern Cal and Nebraska.

C: Georgia officially lists only two national championships, 1942 and 1980, it was the consensus champion. But it could claim five, as Alabama and Georgia Tech do, in which recognized polls of the day named them national champions.

D: As for all-time SEC championships, it goes, Alabama (21), Tennessee (13), then Georgia (12).

E: Granted, the Dogs haven’t won a national title in 27 years. But they have been winning big and been in the mix since Mark Richt has been the head coach. He’s one of only nine Div. I coaches in history to record 60 or more wins in his first six seasons.

II: Present

A: Richt is one of only four SEC coaches to record four consecutive seasons of at least 10 wins.

B: Richt is No. 4 on the list of winningest active D-I coaches. 1, 2 and 3 are Pete Carroll, Urban Meyer (which includes stints at Bowling Green and Utah) and Bob Stoops.

C: Georgia has, of course, been in three SEC championships in the last six years, winning two of them.

III: Recognizability

A: Two years ago, Georgia ranked No. 3 in the nation in sales of Collegiate Licensed merchandise. It’s No. 5 this year, with Texas, Michigan, Notre Dame and, for the first time in history, Florida, ahead of Georgia (the Gators have gotten a big boost from those football and basketball national titles). That means there’s a lot people buying stuff with “Georgia” on it.

B: Georgia was the most profitable athletic program in the country two years ago. It was No. 2 this past year.

C: According to marketing czar Alan Thomas, Georgia has been in the top five each of the last five years, including No. 1 and No. 2 in consecutive years, in fastest-growing licensing rights. Texas is at the top at the moment.

D: The ultimate say-so: EA Sports, which makes all those video games, categorizes Georgia football as “elite.”

So anyway, there’s some fodder I’d offer if I was arguing with Mandel about this over a beer at a bar. But I’m not going to do that. So let’s hear what you guys think about it.

C_hris

08-11-2007, 04:24 PM

^^^^^.......yup

Bburton86

08-11-2007, 05:00 PM

D: The ultimate say-so: EA Sports, which makes all those video games, categorizes Georgia football as “elite.”

Where do they say this?

reese

08-12-2007, 11:40 PM

Richt has 'no fun' watching offense
UGA coach see blocking "issues"

By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 08/11/07

Athens — Georgia went through its first scrimmage and then went
through 135 pizzas late Saturday night.

But it was two hours prior to that feast that the defense was playing
like starved men going after red meat. This, after all, was a group
of players hungry for redemption ever since a disappointing effort in
the spring game.

"I'm smiling now," linebacker Brandon Miller said after the
scrimmage, which was closed to the media. "We got a lot of guys
running to the ball. We may not know where we are going but everybody
is running hard."

Some of his teammates weren't as quite as enthused with the efforts
on their side of the ball.

"We looked rough," said quarterback Matthew Stafford, who was 13 of
20 for 125 yards with a touchdown. "We just had a lot of missed
assignments and a lot of mental mistakes."

"It was no fun for the offense today," coach Mark Richt said.

The No. 1 offense produced one long touchdown drive and one long
field goal drive, Richt said. Redshirt freshman Knowshon Moreno led
the way rushing with 36 yards on five carries. Thomas Brown, Kregg
Lumpkin and Caleb King combined for just 22 yards on 10 carries.

"Overall, we are having some issues up front," Richt added.

Right tackle Chester Adams was already out with a sprained ankle.
Scott Haverkamp, one of the starting guards, went out with a sprained
ankle.

That left Georgia with one senior, Fernando Velasco, and four
freshmen playing on the first-team offensive line. Three of those
were true freshmen, including tackles Clint Boling and Trinton
Sturdivant. Another, Justin Anderson, moved into the starting guard
spot in place of Haverkamp.

"It was a little bit of musical chairs out there," Richt said.

The shuffling continues at linebacker, as well.

Miller, the team's middle linebacker, is now being cross-trained on
the strong side, too. Dannell Ellerbe is working in the middle and at
the weakside spot. Darius Dewberry is working at both outside
positions.

Richt said some of that is so everyone will know all of the
positions, but coaches are also attempting to find out who's
comfortable where.

reese

08-13-2007, 12:21 AM

Massaquoi anxious to put lousy sophomore season behind him
Sports
Marc Weiszer | Sunday, August 12, 2007 at 12:30 am | (see enhanced version)
Georgia needs more production from receivers this season

ATHENS - The guy who threw passes to Mohamed Massaquoi during an undefeated run to a North Carolina state championship in 2002 believes there are still plenty of big catches ahead for the Georgia wide receiver.

"He's a fighter; he's a warrior," said former Florida quarterback Chris Leak, a teammate of Massaquoi at Charlotte, N.C.'s Independence High School. "He's going to have a great and successful career."

Massaquoi went from promising up-and-coming freshman to slumping sophomore last season.

From sure-handed to drop-prone. From cheered at home to booed. From starter to backup.

"I play this game for the love of it and just for the fun of it, and I didn't have fun last year," Massaquoi said. "This year I'm going to have fun no matter what."

Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo saw a more upbeat attitude and more smiles from Massaquoi this offseason when he crossed paths with him.

"He's got a different bounce in his step going into that third year," Bobo said.

Georgia coaches say Massaquoi has embraced his new role as an inside receiver in three-receiver sets with Sean Bailey and Mikey Henderson. They believe the 6-foot-2, 198-pound junior is better suited lining up in the slot.

"Mohamed Massaquoi is a guy who's ready to have a great year," coach Mark Richt said. "It fits him better, maybe, then being an outside receiver."

Added Bobo: "He's a big body. He's not afraid to be physical. It seems like he's got a renewed energy about himself practicing through the spring and into the fall. I'm excited about it. He's going to cause some mismatch problems and he understands coverage in zone and man."

Wide receivers coach John Eason said coaches had concerns with Massaquoi's releases coming off of the ball last season.

"With Massaquoi inside, I feel like it's maybe more suited for his talents, being inside and working in traffic," Eason said. "The dropped balls, I just don't see that being him. I know he did it last year, but he was not completely healthy. You cannot make excuses, you still have to catch the football."

Massaquoi is not making excuses. He missed one game because of a hamstring injury, but pressed about health-issues that held him back last season, he preferred to change the subject.

"Just different things," Massaquoi said. "I'm not going to go into details. Everything is healed up, so I feel good. I'm very positive about this year and how it's going."

Even with his troubles catching last season, Massaquoi still tied for the Georgia lead in receptions with 30. Still, his production dropped from his breakout freshman season when he had 38 catches for 505 yards and he was relegated to second string at one point last year.

"You constantly try to challenge him," Eason said of a player that set North Carolina state records for career receiving yards and touchdown catches. "He knows he's good. The fact that he lost his job really struck a chord with him. The thing we talked about is, this is the first time in his career he's been challenged like this. He's always been the man. It's been an awakening for him. He works extremely hard. There's no qualms about his work. It's just a matter of transferring it to the ballgame and catching passes."

Like the game-winning 4-yard touchdown catch from Matthew Stafford against Georgia Tech with 1 minute, 45 seconds remaining.

"I think he's a guy that can play anywhere," Stafford said. "None of our receivers are guys that are strictly slot guys. When we go four wide, Mikey Henderson moves in and plays the slot. We can rotate them, which is good. I think Mohamed had a great spring at inside receiver. I think he's going to do great."

Massaquoi is ready to find out.

"There's endless opportunities with what we can do with this offense," Massaquoi said, "and I'm eager to see what happens."

reese

08-13-2007, 12:23 AM

UGA's Allen the heir apparent
Coaches, teammates expect Allen to become Bulldogs' next great cornerback
BY DAVID CHING - dching@ledger-enquirer.com --
Photo by Robin Trimarchi/Ledger-EnquirerGeorgia freshman cornerback Asher Allen runs drills during Saturday's practice.
ATHENS, Ga. --Asher Allen has yet to start a game at Georgia -- he's not even lining up as a first-team player now -- but many around the Bulldogs' program expect him to be the team's next shutdown cornerback.

Although only a sophomore, Allen's speed and physical play have teammates buzzing about how he'll inherit the role from Paul Oliver, who was declared academically ineligible in May and has since joined the NFL.

Senior safety Kelin Johnson voiced such an opinion at SEC Media Days last month and explained why he has such expectations for Allen this week during preseason practice.

"I've seen him -- how he works in the weight room, how he studies film. Coach (Willie) Martinez is leaning on his shoulders a little more than he has in the past, so you know,"Johnson said. "You pretty much know when coach Martinez tells me, 'Hey look, you're gonna want that guy to go to battle with you. On Saturdays, you're gonna want that guy on your side.' "

That's a lot to expect from a player with all of 24 tackles and no interceptions to his credit. After all, before bad grades cost him his senior season, Oliver was generating buzz as a possible first-round pick in next year's draft and likely would have been a preseason all-American.

But Allen responds with one of his most frequently uttered responses -- "most definitely"-- when asked if he's ready to fill Oliver's shoes.

"The plays he made on the field were something that we all needed and all I can do is go out there and do what these players expect me to do -- that's make plays and do things I know I can do,"Allen said. "Hopefully, I can fill those shoes and hopefully do better."

Allen enjoyed a successful spring and came into preseason camp as a starter, although he's now listed as second-string behind Thomas Flowers. Martinez, Georgia's defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach, said that has less to do with anything Allen has done wrong than that Flowers is a senior with a better understanding of the Bulldogs' defensive system.

"Experience shows,"Martinez said. "You can really see it early on in camp."

But there's a reason why Allen, 19, played in all 13 games and was named the team's top defensive newcomer last year. Georgia's coaches have high hopes that Allen will be worthy of a starting spot sooner rather than later.

The same can be said of Prince Miller, another true freshman who played in all 13 games last year. Martinez threw the youngsters into game action before they were ready -- Allen said it was late in the season before he felt confident -- but he believes they acquitted themselves nicely.

That has raised the coach's expectations for what they can do as sophomores.

"The games last year where I was a little worried about Asher and Prince, they performed over my expectations. Not that I was low with them, I just thought that they played well in that arena, that atmosphere,"Martinez said. "Obviously (Allen is) gonna have to play better from that standpoint. There's more expected of him and he's gonna have to do it more often."

Quarterback Matthew Stafford is already seeing a change in Allen. Stafford has to throw against him every day in practice and is noticing the guile you'd expect from a quality cornerback rather than the uncertainty of a player who's struggling to learn his position.

"He's baiting me to throw balls. We look at each other and we know what's about to happen. We're just waiting to see what the other guy's gonna do,"Stafford said. "He's gonna be good in this league for a while."

That guile is a product of the sometimes illogical confidence a cornerback has to have. As frequently as a corner is left to his own devices to prevent a receiver from making a catch, he has to believe he'll win the battle each time.

"I always feel like no matter what I do in life, whether it's grades or on the field, I feel like I'm the best player,"Allen said.

That's an attitude that was reinforced by playing with Oliver, who is now with the San Diego Chargers. Oliver was rarely faster than the players he was covering. He ran the 40-yard dash in the mid 4.5s at his NFL pro day, where someone like Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson -- whom Oliver held to two catches for 14 yards last season -- ran in the low 4.3s.

It was the combination of physicality, technique and confidence that helped Oliver hold Johnson and South Carolina's Sidney Rice in check. Allen hopes he can add his superior speed to that formula to produce similar results.

"(Oliver) always felt like he's the best one. He obviously did that against some of the top receivers that we played against every week,"Allen said. "Playing with him taught me technique-wise how he wasn't the fastest dude, but his technique put him in the spot he needed to be in.

"That's something that hopefully with my speed, if I can just have some of the technique that he had, that'll be a blessing for me and more importantly for the team."

reese

08-13-2007, 12:24 AM

Coutu's return a big boost for Bulldogs
By Josh Kendall - Kendall_J@bellsouth.net

ATHENS --The return of Georgia place-kicker Brandon Coutu isn't a big deal everywhere in the SEC, but for the Bulldogs, there could hardly be a bigger addition.

"It gives you some peace that you've got a guy who can make any kick," head coach Mark Richt said. "If it's 55 yards, we are sitting there believing he's going to make it. If it got to 62 yards, we'd sit there and go, 'You know, this guy has got a chance to make it.' "All the kicks in between, you almost take for granted with a guy like Brandon."

Who knows how the Bulldogs' disappointing 2006 campaign might have been different had Coutu not suffered a freak leg injury attempting an on-sides kick prior to the Tennessee game? Backup Andy Bailey missed three of seven attempts in place of Coutu, including one in a two-point loss to Vanderbilt and two in a four-point loss to Kentucky.

Having Coutu back in the lineup will change the look of Georgia's offense as much as the maturation of Matthew Stafford or the change in play-callers. Without Coutu, Richt had fewer decisions to make about when to attempt a field goal and when to try to convert a fourth down.

"In some ways, he adds pressure because if you're sitting at a 52-yard attempt, and it's fourth-and-1-, it's not a no-brainer anymore," Richt said. "You say, 'Well, we can go for it, but the kid can probably make it.' More than likely, I'd kick it with him, but when he wasn't there, we knew for sure we were going for it. We didn't have to sit there and have that moment of, 'What are we going to do?' "

What Georgia probably will do is win more games. It was 6-0 last year when Coutu was in the lineup, 3-4 when he was on the sideline.

Richt is so comfortable with his kicker that he will discuss his decisions about when to kick with Coutu on the sideline during games.

"Sometimes the wind is different or my leg doesn't feel as strong. I've always been pretty honest with them so far," Coutu said. "I don't want to tell them something and come up short, but so far it has worked out pretty well."

So far, however, Coutu has never told Richt he couldn't make a kick. Richt has overruled Coutu at least twice, Coutu said, including on what would have been a 55-yard attempt during a 27-14 win over Tennessee in 2005.

"I told him I definitely thought I could make it from there, and he called a timeout and thought about it," Coutu said. "We were about to kick it, and then he decided against it, and we punted and downed it on the 1, so I think he made the right choice."

Usually, however, the right choice is to let Coutu bomb away. He is 35-for-43 in his career with only two misses from fewer than 40 yards, and he is 16-for-22 from beyond 40 yards. His 58-yarder against Louisiana-Monroe in 2005 is the longest kick in school history without a tee, and he has hit from 55 and 56 yards as well.

The strength of his leg hasn't been a question since the Chick-fil-A Bowl, when he returned to hit three field goals, including a 51-yarder, against Virginia Tech.

"I really honestly haven't felt any kind of pain since well before the bowl game," he said. "It has definitely healed. It's not a question. I feel as strong as I ever have, and I feel like I'm getting stronger. I've done everything on my leg that I could possibly do, and I have never said one time, 'I need to back up or stop doing this.' I've had an MRI. I've checked it out. It's 100 percent healed, if not 105 percent healed."

Coutu is less concerned about range than about accuracy.

"The most important thing to me is making field goals from 45 yards and in," he said. "Some people tell me that I have a big leg. I don't feel I have a big leg by any means. Probably half the kickers in the nation kick it as far as I can, but I just feel as long as I keep it between the goal posts, everything else will work out."

Although he enters the season a leading candidate for the Lou Groza Award and is listed by ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. as the country's top NFL prospect at the position, Coutu wasn't voted to the preseason All-SEC first team last month at the SEC Media Days. That went to South Carolina's Ryan Succop.

"I don't look at the preseason stuff or that type of thing," Coutu said. "Really the only thing I control is how hard I work. In my position, I don't know how many attempts I'll get. I might have one all year. All I can do is work on the things that I can control and put myself in position to help the team win. Everything else will take care of itself."

lacene

08-13-2007, 02:04 AM

reese

08-13-2007, 03:17 AM

Dewberry playing faster than last year
Dawg Post Reporter
Posted Aug 10, 2007

ATHENS – Darius Dewberry has always been fast, but he wasn’t quite as fast as he wanted to be last year.

Georgia’s sophomore linebacker, a graduate of Peach County High School, played in 10 games and made six tackles as a reserve on the strong side in 2006.
“I hustled to the ball pretty well, but as far as knowing the plays and the knowledge of the defense, I needed a lot of improvement, which I got during the spring,” Dewberry said.

That’s a good thing because Dewberry is expected to start this year at strongside linebacker, where he’s trying to hold off redshirt freshman Akeem Dent. Dewberry, 6-foot-3, 236 pounds, was considered the eighth-best linebacker in the nation when he came out of Hargrave Military Academy, and the biggest reason for that is his speed.

His increased knowledge of Georgia’s defensive scheme is allowing him to use that speed to his full advantage this year.

“I’m playing a lot faster than I did last year because I know what’s going on,” he said. “Everything is moving a lot slower. It was moving kind of fast last year. There’s still room for improvement, but I feel a lot more comfortable than I did last year.”

There’s still work to be done, but Coach Mark Richt has seen the improvement, he said.

“I don’t know if he knows everything yet, but I think he’ll be able to play fast this year,” Richt said.

reese

08-13-2007, 07:17 AM

Bowman defender isn't set
Saturday, August 11, 2007

By David Paschall
Staff Writer

Three weeks from today, the Georgia Bulldogs open their football season against Oklahoma State.

Georgia defensive coordinator Willie Martinez knows that. What he doesn't know is which cornerback will match up most of the game with OSU star and former Notre Dame High receiver Adarius Bowman.

"Fortunately we don't have to decide that right now," Martinez said Friday night. "We've had guys who've had good camps, and obviously Bryan Evans getting injured has hurt, because he really came back pretty strong. He's probably the taller one of the corners.

"You try to match up size with size, and I'm not saying Bryan right now is who I'm thinking, but it also depends on what you want to do scheme-wise."

The 5-foot-11 Evans pulled a hamstring last Sunday and missed the rest of the week. The sophomore could be back next week and should be full strength when Georgia begins game-week preparation for the Cowboys.

Senior Thomas Flowers and sophomore Asher Allen, a 5-10 tandem, are vying for the other corner spot.

The 6-4, 220-pound Bowman has been rated by The Sporting News as the top NFL prospect in the Big 12 Conference. He had 60 receptions last year for 1,181 yards and 12 touchdowns, three times as many touchdowns as Georgia's wideouts combined.

"We've spent a lot of time watching film of him," Martinez said. "I think he's outstanding. He presents a problem to us because of his height and athleticism, and he's not the only one. They've got other good receivers and a great tight end in (6-6, 260-pound Brandon) Pettigrew.

"We'll definitely try to match up and play to our strengths, whether that's quickness or size or zone."

reese

08-13-2007, 07:22 AM

Curran comfortable in Bulldogs' defense
Strong attitude, studying film help freshman linebacker improve

ATHENS, Ga. --BY DAVID CHING

dching@ledger-enquirer.com

----

Rennie Curran experienced an unfamiliar sensation last Saturday when Georgia's football team held its first official practice. It was a feeling he didn't much care for.

It was uncertainty. The true freshman, who seemed to always know where to be as an all-state linebacker at Brookwood, was often lost and unclear where he was supposed to be on a given play.

"It was a rough day," Curran said. "I didn't understand at all. I just looked lost."

So he reverted to the tenaciousness that made someone who's generously listed at 5-foot-11 a four-star linebacker recruit who received scholarship offers from several SEC and ACC programs. He worked in Georgia's film room on his own. He feverishly studied the Bulldogs' defensive playbook.

And now, a week into camp, he's already growing comfortable in the defensive system.

"If you go in there in the film room on your own and go out and work when everybody's sleeping, you're gonna get it. That's what I realized," Curran said. "I spent a lot of time by myself and just getting in the playbook as much as I could and it just started clicking. Now it's like second nature."

That's an example of the attitude that could make Curran and fellow signee Charles White into contributors as true freshmen. Curran lined up as the No. 2 weakside linebacker at Friday's practice and White is battling Marcus Washington for backup duties in the middle.

"We talk about we want our linebackers to hunt. We want our linebackers to go hunt and strike somebody," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "Some guys do it better than others, and (Curran has) got a nice knack for that. The sooner he gets comfortable with the system, the more he'll play."

As with almost any incoming freshman, playing this year is the No. 1 priority for the young linebackers. They reported this summer and quickly turned heads with their work ethic, particularly in the weight room. Neither player is especially tall -- White is listed at 6-foot-1 -- but both have impressive physiques for players who have spent only a few months working out with the team.

"Both of them are just two muscles," laughed senior linebacker Brandon Miller. "They lift too much for me."

They view being in top shape as a way to see the field quickly. And part of what's expected of them as new members of Georgia's program.

"That's what the University of Georgia's all about -- that workout warrior mentality, but also that mentality on the field," White said. "There's a tradition here at the University of Georgia for excellence. We know excellence is the expectation for us."

If that comment didn't give it away, White is a living, breathing motivational poster, responding to each question with how he plans to listen to his teammates and coaches, give 110 percent and work hard every day.

It doesn't seem to be an act, as his attitude has already impressed his coaches.

"Those are guys that we're actually excited about (for) the future, and they're working," defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said. "They're noticed because they do things as good as they can do it, and they get noticed by a lot of coaches."

It's not a given that either player will avoid a redshirt this season, but the quicker they pick things up at their positions and on special teams, the more likely it becomes that they will play.

"I've definitely improved 10-fold, but I still have a long way to go," White said. "I think everybody has a long way to go."

As for the possibility of redshirting, White said he's focusing on getting his assignments straight first. That shouldn't be hard for the former National Honor Society member, who led his Blytewood (S.C.) High team to a state championship in its first varsity season last year.

"My main focus is every single step that I take, every drill that I do, to do it the right way and be a perfectionist from that standpoint." White said. "Do everything that the coaches ask me to do and everything else will take care of itself.

"All I have to do is worry about playing and I know the coaches will make the right decision."

That's the attitude that can get the duo on the field quickly, right?

"That's right," Martinez said. "That's exactly right."

reese

08-14-2007, 03:14 AM

Richt defends Dogs' defense

By CHIP TOWERS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 08/13/07

Athens — Georgia coach Mark Richt has answered a lot of questions
regarding his team's defense so far this season. Finally, he had
fielded about one query too many.

"I think our defense has caught way too much flak, to be honest with
you," he said this past week. "They were the eighth-ranked defense in
the United States of America last year. Everybody saw one performance
in the spring and thought it was the end of the world. Well it wasn't.
It was just one day.

"I'm not ready to say they're going to whip everybody's tail yet, but
they're a good bunch."

Georgia's first-string defense was on the White team for the G-Day
Game, the annual end-of-spring intrasquad contest. They fell behind
the Red team 27-0 through three quarters and gave up 373 yards in the
40-minute game. But that's not where criticism of Georgia's defense
started.

It began midway through last season. That's when the Bulldogs gave up
37 second-half points in a home loss to Tennessee, failed to execute
late stops in last-minute losses to Vanderbilt and Kentucky and fell
behind Florida 21-0.

However, a closer look reveals those breakdowns may have been more
hiccups than gags. And while football is ever a team game, Georgia's
offense did its defense no favors.

As the Bulldogs struggled to make the transition to freshman
quarterback Matthew Stafford, they made costly mistakes. The Bulldogs
committed 31 turnovers, which ranked 106th out of 119 teams
nationally. Georgia had never committed more than 23 in a season and
only 18 the season before.

To make matters worse, many of those miscues came deep in Georgia
territory.

Nowhere was this more evident than in the Tennessee game on Oct. 7.
The Bulldogs threw three interceptions and had a fumble in the second
half alone, all of them in Georgia territory. Three led to Tennessee
touchdowns.

The Bulldogs also had a third-quarter fumble that led to a Vanderbilt
touchdown and three interceptions and a fumble against Kentucky.

Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez wasn't about to use those as
excuses.

"We just go by results and we had some ballgames where we didn't
finish," Martinez said.

"Defense is about emotion and playing hard and creating an atmosphere
where you're changing the momentum of games, even when you have
turnovers. We didn't do a good job with those sudden changes of
momentum, of changing it back in our favor. The games that we lost, we
weren't able to re-establish what we gave up, and that was the
disappointing thing about it."

The raw defensive data on Georgia is this: The Bulldogs' 258 yards per
game allowed were the fewest in the Richt era. Even former coordinator
Brian VanGorder's defenses — which finished fourth and eighth
nationally in total defense in 2003 and 2004, respectively — gave up
more yards than the one Georgia fielded last season.

The Bulldogs also were second in the SEC in pass defense (150 ypg),
third in the league in rush defense (108) and fourth in scoring (17.6
points per game).

"I came out of last season thinking we played good, sound ball,"
strong safety Kelin Johnson said. "We didn't play great like Georgia
defenses have played in the past, but I thought we played pretty good."

Said defensive tackle Jeff Owens: "We did a lot of good things. I
thought we had a good year. You couldn't say we had a bad year."

But that was then and this is now: The Bulldogs return only three
defensive starters. They're replacing both ends and all three
linebackers and much of the secondary.

However, from the confines of the defensive meeting room at
Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall there emanates only confidence.

"This is going to be another great Georgia defense," middle linebacker
Brandon Miller said. "We're going to be hard-hitting, fast to the
ball, hustling all the time. ... I think we're going to be faster. I
think we have more athletic guys all the way around.

Said Johnson: "We're going to be the same defense but better," Johnson
said. "This young bunch we have, they're prideful and they're
talented. They care what people say, they care what the coaches think
and they listen."

Martinez has been around way too long to make any predictions, but he
clearly likes what he sees.

"There's inexperience this year and you're always concerned about
that, but I think we have talent," he said. "We've got some youth that
we redshirted that we're excited about. But obviously they haven't
been in a game, and you just don't know what they're going to do and
how they're going to play."

============

reese

08-14-2007, 03:17 AM

Dogs’ defense need defending?
By Chip Towers | Monday, August 13, 2007, 02:45 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

I’m sure most of you have probably seen my story on the Georgia
defense. If not, you can find it still up on our UGA page.

In a nutshell, I broke down the numbers from last season and
determined that the Bulldogs were actually pretty darn good on defense
last season. In fact, the 258 yards a game they gave up was the fewest
of the Mark Richt era, fewer even than the stoutest of Brian
VanGorder’s units. The problem was the turnovers the offense was
committing which often put the defense in difficult situations either
deep in its own territory or from a sudden switch of momentum.

To his credit, defensive coordinator Willie Martinez would not use any
of that as an excuse. He said it’s the defense’s job to get momentum
back when the offense uses it and his unit didn’t react well to sudden
adversity. Players also admitted to losing some “leadership” and
“confidence” in the middle of the year when problems arose against
Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Kentucky and Florida. They said they got it
back and then some at the end of the year.

Anyway, all but three of that group is being replaced this season. As
it stands at the moment, and it’s subject to change daily, I’d say the
Dogs’ D will look like this: CB Asher Allen, CB Bryan Evans or Thomas
Flowers, FS CJ Byrd, SS Kelin Johnson, LBs Brandon Miller, Dannell
Ellerbe and Darius Dewberry, DEs Rod Battle and Marcus Howard and DTs
Jeff Owens and Geno Atkins.

The question is, do you think this group and their backups can be as
good as or better than the 2006 defense? What, in your opinion, will
the strength and weaknesses be? And do you have confidence in Martinez
as the coordinator.

Meanwhile, I’ve been off today to tend to a bunch of personal
business, so I didn’t get out to practice this morning as the Bulldogs
went in full pads. Carter Strickland was there, of course, and said
nothing of major significance took place. He’ll have a practice report
in tomorrow’s paper and I’ll see if he has time to throw a practice
update onto the blog. Things will be back to normal tomorrow and I’ll
try to let you know what’s going on.

reese

08-14-2007, 09:45 PM

Notebook: Brown has the edge at tailback
By Josh Kendall - kendall_j@bellsouth.net

ATHENS --If the season started today, senior Thomas Brown would be the starting tailback, running backs coach Tony Ball said Monday.

"If we had to play tomorrow and the game was on the line and we had to throw the ball, I would put Thomas in the game because he's got experience," Ball said after the first of the Bulldogs' two Monday practices. "He understands the defensive scheme, and he understands protection. If it was on the line tomorrow, he'd be the guy, but you've got to get them all to that point."

Georgia opens the season Sept. 1 against Oklahoma State at Sanford Stadium. Brown, who missed the second half of the 2006 season due to a knee injury, is the Bulldogs' leading returning rusher with 1,867 yards on 381 carries in his career.

Ball also indicated that true freshman Caleb King would have to insert himself deep into the depth chart to play this year.

"We're not going to play him if he's not going to get enough (carries)," Ball said. "We wouldn't do that."

King is fourth in line behind Brown, senior Kregg Lumpkin and redshirt freshman Knowshon Moreno.

INJURY UPDATE

Georgia limped through its third day of two-a-days Monday with several regulars on the sideline.

Redshirt freshman safety Reshad Jones suffered a bone bruise in his knee during Saturday's scrimmage. An MRI taken Monday morning revealed no structural damage, but it's unclear when Jones will return.

Head coach Mark Richt expects him back at least in time for the week of practice before the first game.

Safety Antavious Coates, who has missed the past two years due to knee injuries, was out due to swelling in his knee from the volume of work recently. He's day-to-day.

Offensive lineman Josh Davis (shoulder), cornerback Thomas Flowers (shoulder), wide receivers Kris Durham (heat, concussion) and T.J. Gartrell, fullback Jason Johnson (heat) and defensive lineman Tripp Taylor (heat) all missed Monday.

And that's just the new injuries.

Offensive linemen Chester Adams (ankle) and Scott Haverkamp (ankle) walked around the fields during practice without limping. Both players said they hope to be back any day. Offensive lineman Tanner Strickland (foot) rode a stationary bike. Chris Little still is limited due to a hand injury, and defensive lineman Ricardo Crawford missed his second day for heat-related reasons.

Wide receiver Mikey Henderson (hip) and tight end Tripp Chandler (rib) were still in a green, no-contact jersey, but defensive tackle Brandon Wood, whose injury was never disclosed, was back in participating full speed.

Cornerback Bryan Evans (hamstring) could be back next week.

FIERCE BATTLE

It appears one of the closest competitions at this point is for the backup middle linebacker spot. Junior Marcus Washington, who is coming back from a knee injury, is listed as the top reserve, but true freshman Charles White, who was rated the sixth-best

outside linebacker in the nation by ESPN.com, is making a strong push.

Fullback Brannan Southerland said he has seen a lot of White with the second team in practice, but Washington remains the No. 2, Richt said.

"I haven't even given that any thought," White said of his spot on the depth chart. "I just do the things that (linebackers coach John) Jancek asks me to do. I know everything else will take care of itself."

• WHICH WAY DID IT GO?

Defensive end Jarius Wynn, a transfer from Georgia Military College, is close to knowing all he needs to know, he said, but there's still one problem. Play-action passes are still giving Wynn fits.

He's struggling to tell when the play is a run and when the quarterback still has the ball.

"It's still kind of hard," he said. "I'm still learning."

OUT OF NOWHERE

Walk-on Bo Stansell, a redshirt freshman, is in the running for the kickoff job, Richt said.

DEEP MAN

Moreno, Brown and Asher Allen remain in the running to be Georgia's lone deep man on kickoff returns, said Ball, who coordinates that unit.

"I'm trying to see who handles the communication part well, who understands the best about setting up the blocks and who sees it better," Ball said. "I'm kind of looking at those three things and seeing who actually handles the responsibility the best. The first thing you have to do is communicate and field the ball, so I want to make sure we have the right guy back there for that."

reese

08-14-2007, 09:49 PM

No surprise in Caleb’s redshirt
By Chip Towers | Tuesday, August 14, 2007, 02:41 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Let’s preface this discussion by saying that decisions regarding redshirts are not firmly made until about the third week of the season and even then they are subject to change. But, for the most part coaches have a good idea who’s going to play and who’s going to redshirt by this point in the preseason. Anyway, I was surprised by the reactions of a lot of people regarding the “news” that Caleb King was likely eyeing a redshirt season. It seemed to have come as a surprise to more than a few folks and I’m not sure why.

King will be an excellent college football player and he has displayed as much in his couple of weeks of camp. But, viewing the big picture, unless it was readily apparent early on that he was the second coming of Herschel Walker, it was never a very strong possibility that he’d play this season. And I’m not sure it wasn’t always in King’s best interest to watch the game from the sidelines this season.

Some of you (Buck in the Northwest chief among them) contend with me on this but I tend to believe redshirting is the best scenario for all players if you can afford it. But I think it’s especially good for King. You’ve got four capable players ahead of him on the depth chart (don’t forget Jason Johnson is on scholarship and very schooled on the Bulldogs’ system) and, as has been well documented everywhere, King had a hard time attaining his freshman eligibility. It’s hard enough to handle college coursework and the demands of SEC football without that unbridled expectations of a passionate fanbase.

To me, the bigger surprise might be that Thomas Brown at this moment is the leading candidate to start at tailback this first game. Heck, it wasn’t so long ago nobody was sure if he’d even be able to play this season because of his recorvery from knee surgery. I thought for sure Kregg Lumpkin would be No. 1, Knowshon Moreno 2 and they’d get whatever out of Brown they could. That said, again, nothing is set at this moment.

So let’s hear from you guys regarding a likely redshirt for King and the hierarchy at tailback. Meanwhile, stayed tuned for practice updates later.

Thanks for hanging out.

Seppeh

08-15-2007, 12:05 PM

Moreno right in the middle of the RB race

“I just think we all have to work hard,” Georgia’s redshirt freshman tailback said. “We have to push each other and compete, and the best man is going to be in there. Whoever is in there is going to get the job done anyway so it doesn’t matter.”

Hardly an electrifying comment considering the competition to be starting tailback probably is the most intriguing of the Bulldogs’ fall camp. Despite competing with two seniors, Moreno is very much in that race it seems.

“There’s no denying that he’s special with the ball in his hands,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “He’s very competitive. He does not like to lose at anything. He doesn’t like to get tackled. He goes full speed at everything.”

Moreno was the leading rusher in the Bulldogs’ first fall scrimmage, gaining 36 yards on fivecarries in Sanford Stadium on Saturday night. Seniors Thomas Brown and Kregg Lumpkin had only 16 yards combined, but nothing should be read into those numbers, running backs coach Tony Ball said.

Moreno was listed as Scout.com’s No. 9 running back in the country coming out of Middletown South High School, where he became New Jersey’s all-time leading scorer, and he impressed his Georgia coaches and teammates throughout his redshirt season.

“He’s very athletic, explosive,” Ball said. “He’s very intelligent, has good football sense. He has a tremendous personality. He’s very competitive. All those things you want your son to have, he’s got them.”

What Georgia fans want him to have is big-play ability. The Bulldogs have had just one run longer than 50 yards in the Richt era. They had four rushes longer than 25 yards last year, and one of them was by quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Moreno could bring the sizzle back to backfield.

“He’s got that ability, yes,” Ball said. “It’s the package, not only do you have to have the top end speed, but you also have to have the ability to set up blocks, to break tackles, to maintain balance, and he has those things.”

Moreno is noncommittal.

“I think all four (running backs) can be a home run threat,” he said. “I can see (Brown) going for a 90-yard run; I can see Lumpkin going on for a 90-yard run. It just depends on what’s going on up front and defensive wise.”

Moreno’s aw-shucks act doesn’t make it on the playing field, his coaches and teammates say.

“He kind of gets himself psyched up,” Richt said. “He gets the defense a little jacked up sometimes, too.”

Moreno mostly doesn’t know what he’s saying or that he’s saying anything on the field, he said. When his legs move, his mouth does too, and the talk is not disruptive at practice, Richt said. In fact, it’s a good thing for the team.

“He’s got a bounce in his step every day,” Richt said. “He’s ready to compete every day. He enjoys (football). It’s good for us.”

“I wouldn’t call him a wild stallion,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said, “but he’s got a lot of energy.”

Moreno’s wild side doesn’t get the best of him, Richt said. His pass protection and ball security skills, areas associated with a hard-nosed discipline, are progressing very well in camp, Bobo said.

Moreno was listed as the third team tailback heading into fall camp, but the running back rotation is constantly in flux and could be all season.

“He’s going to play,” Richt said. “We’ll just see what he does when he gets the ball.”

http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/44/447097.jpg

Bburton86

08-15-2007, 01:01 PM

I just hope he is as good as they're saying.

reese

08-15-2007, 05:44 PM

Stafford named to Manning watch list
Eight SEC QBs cited for preseason consideration

By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 08/14/07

Athens— Georgia sophomore Matthew Stafford was one of eight SEC quarterbacks to be named to the preseason watch list for the Manning Award, which goes to college football's top signal caller.

Others who made the cut: Erik Ainge (Tennessee), Brandon Cox (Auburn), Matt Flynn (LSU), Blake Mitchell (South Carolina), John Parker Wilson (Alabama), Tim Tebow (Florida) and Andre Woodson (Kentucky).

The Manning Award was created by the Sugar Bowl to honor the college accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. The award will be presented to the recipient following the holiday bowl season. It's the only quarterback award that takes into consideration the candidates's bowl performances.

The winner will be determined by a selected panel of national media covering college football, as well as each of the Mannings. The first three winners of the Manning Award were Matt Leinart of Southern Cal (2005), Vince Young of Texas (2006) and JaMarcus Russell of LSU (2007).

Finalists for the Manning Award will be announced prior to the beginning of the bowl schedule.

Stafford was 6-2 as a starter last season. Included in that win total was a season-ending stretch in which he went 3-0 against three straight nationally ranked teams: Auburn, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.

Stafford completed 53 percent of his passes and averaged 134 passing yards per game. He had seven touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

reese

08-18-2007, 08:11 PM

Massaquoi forgets the past
Georgia WR says he's only looking forward

By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 08/18/07

Athens — Mohamed Massaquoi has turned a deaf ear and a corner.

Georgia's junior wide receiver will no longer listen to talk about
what was. He no longer thinks about what could have been. Instead,
his focus is all about what will be.

"I don't see last year," Massaquoi said. "I don't see my freshman
year. I don't see high school. I just see this year, 2007-2008. And I
am going to take it as far as I can go."

But let's take it back a bit and take a look at how Massaquoi got to
this point. Two years ago, the highly recruited freshman from
Charlotte led all Bulldogs receivers with 38 catches. He caught
everything that came his way from D.J. Shockley, complementing tight
end Leonard Pope on an SEC championship team that reached the Sugar
Bowl.

A standard and expectation level had been set. They were not met.

"Last year he had some really rough spots," said quarterback Joe Cox,
a longtime friend of Massaquoi's. "I think he was worrying more about
messing up than trying to do good."

Massaquoi still had an adequate 2006 season with 30 catches. He again
led all UGA receivers in that department. But there were drops, a
benching and boos from the home crowd.

"He used to look online at articles, which was really different for
him," said Cox, who roomed with Massaquoi. "He never did that before.
He wasn't one to do that in high school. He never worried about what
people were saying. ... It was one of those things where he never
really had a bad game or a bad season, and he would have a bad game
and he wouldn't know how to handle it."

"He's human," receiver Mikey Henderson said, "and it got to him."

Time started to give Massaquoi perspective as the winter turned to
spring. His sophomore season had robbed him of the joy of football.
He didn't want that to happen again in 2007.

"I just have to make sure I have a lot of fun," Massaquoi said. "Last
year I didn't have as much fun as I wish I did.

"You have to go through something like that just to be able to grow
from it. This year, if things don't go well, I think I will be able
to handle it."

This year, those around Massaquoi have said, there is little question
whether things will go well. It started months ago when Massaquoi
went to UGA's strength staff and asked what he could do beyond the
team workouts to make himself a better player.

"He worked his tail off this summer and this camp," said Cox, also a
teammate of Massaquoi's at Charlotte's Independence High. "I have had
a lot of chances to talk to him about how he was doing this summer
and how he was doing this camp, and I feel that he is really
confident."

"He is not worrying about anything that has happened," Henderson
added. "He is starting right now and moving forward and you can see
it with his attitude and work ethic."

To help Massaquoi with his confidence, the coaching staff has moved
him to the inside slot receiver position. That leaves Sean Bailey and
Henderson on the outside.

"It has afforded him the opportunity to not worry about press
coverages much," wide receivers coach John Eason said. "He moves more
freely and he seems to be a better inside receiver."

Not only should that benefit Massaquoi personally, but the offense
now has a better chance to distribute the ball and not be as
predictable in its routes and personnel.

"Something we were maybe missing a little bit last year was the
inside receiver to work the middle of the field," quarterback Matthew
Stafford said.

Because of his experience and knowledge, Massaquoi should be able to
exploit linebacker and safety coverage down the middle. If a defense
pays too much attention to him down the middle, it can free up a
threat on the outside.

"The sky is the limit for him playing slot," Cox said. "He is a good
target in there and it looks like he has gotten faster.

"If he plays the way he has been practicing, he is going to get a lot
of balls in the middle and he is going to open up a lot of holes for
other people on our offense."

reese

08-18-2007, 08:14 PM

UGA wide receivers are sticking together
By Josh Kendall - kendall_j@bellsouth.net

ATHENS --
The heat Georgia's wide receivers have taken in the Mark Richt era has forged a tight bond among the group.

No longer is the chief goal to win playing time. After years of hearing its collective name dragged through the mud, sometimes rightfully, the corps now works with a common sense of purpose - make its detractors eat their words.

"We're all in it together, no matter who is catching the ball, no matter who it is thrown to, no matter who has the touchdowns," senior Mikey Henderson said. "We're behind every guy, trying to pick every guy up."

The receivers need a pick-me-up. They haven't had a breakout season in Richt's six years, and last year was no different. The wide receivers caught four touchdown passes and at least tripled that number in drops.

"I do expect our receivers to play better," Richt said. "It's time for these guys to play not only good but great."

Georgia's receivers combined to catch 97 passes last year, 15 more than Vanderbilt's Earl Bennett. The only way to turn things around, they have decided, is to do it together.

"There is no jealousy among the bunch," said junior Mohamed Massaquoi, who had 30 catches for 366 yards last year and is the team's leading returning receiver. "We're all brothers. We all hang out. I feel that we're one of the closest positions based on what we've gone through. Everybody has a similar story."

That story: loads of talent, brief flashes of ability and head-scratching bouts of ineffectiveness.

"Yeah, we're ready to prove something," said senior A.J. Bryant, a Peach County product. "Yeah, we're so ready to prove everybody wrong, to prove that we can play with anybody in the country."

Quarterback Matthew Stafford can "absolutely" see a difference in the wide receivers this fall.

"Their effort is up. Their confidence is up," he said. "That's what you want from any position."

The receivers haven't reached the great level established by Richt, Massaquoi said.

"We're not there by a long shot. Saying that, we've had a good camp," he said. "We're not quite where we want to be, but the future is bright for us. We're starting to grow, not to say we might not do a couple of the same things, but we're able to deal with it a little better this year."

As many as 10 receivers have performed well enough this fall to earn playing time, senior Sean Bailey said. Bailey and Henderson are penciled in as Georgia's starters, but Michael Moore and Tony Wilson also have been singled out by Richt for their performance. Massaquoi, Bryant, Kenneth Harris and Kris Durham also are in the mix. True freshmen Aron White, Walter Hill and Israel Troupe also have a chance, Bailey said.

Whatever the combination ends up being, there will be only one goal, the players said. Stop all the talking.

"It's something we have a chip on our shoulder about," Bailey said. "We get tired of hearing it, but the only way to shut it up is to go out there and show it on the field. We're ready to do that. We're ready to step up to the plate."