UGA Season Long 2009 NCAA Football Thread

**Dirty** · 08-03-2009 12:10 PM

UGA Sports
The pressing issues of preseason camp

1:00 am August 3, 2009, by Tim Tucker
Georgia’s preseason practice starts Tuesday. The season opens 32 days later. I’ll have a story in Tuesday’s paper (on-line Monday PM) about the biggest issues that need to be resolved on the practice field in the interim. (For Tech fans here: My colleague Doug Roberson has a similar piece today on the Jackets, who open practice one day ahead of the Dogs.)
Some of the issues for Georgia are obvious. Who’ll win the tailback job? Who, if anyone, will step up at defensive end? Who’ll complement A.J. Green at receiver?
But there are lots of other issues, too, from who’ll win the kickoff job (Blair Walsh or Brandon Bogotay?) to who’ll be the backup quarterback (Logan Gray or Aaron Murray/Zach Mettenberger?). From how many of last year’s injured players will prove to be as good as new to how many of the incoming freshmen will be ready to contribute immediately. And some issues are more generalized, such as improving tackling and reducing penalties.
All in all, I’m looking forward to an intriguing preseason.
So what do you think? What to you are the pressing issues to be sorted out on the practice field this month?

The pressing issues of preseason camp | UGA Sports

**Dirty** · 08-03-2009 12:18 PM

Owens, Dogs return with unfinished business

By TM TUCKER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Athens — It’s been almost a year. Jeff Owens can hardly wait.
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Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com Jeff Owens’ injury, which came just eight plays into the season, resulted in a redshirt year, giving him the option of returning for one more season.

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“I think when I get out there and hit someone, the adrenaline will be rushing,” the Georgia defensive tackle said. “I just wish I could tackle quarterbacks.”
Although quarterbacks aren’t tackled in practice — a perk of the position — Owens will find plenty of people to hit when the Bulldogs convene preseason practice this week. It’ll be his first full-contact football since he tore up his right knee in the first quarter of the first game of last season.
Owens says he is 100 percent recovered, and he personifies a theme of Georgia’s preseason: The Return Of The Injured.
By the end of last season, two dozen UGA players of varying stature on the depth chart were lost to injury, and almost all of them remained sidelined or limited in spring practice while rehabbing from a variety of knee, shoulder, hip, wrist, thumb, ankle and foot surgeries. But with just a few exceptions, all are good to go now.
Key returnees to health include offensive lineman Trinton Sturdivant, who started every game at left tackle as a freshman in 2007 but missed last season after tearing three knee ligaments in the first preseason scrimmage; offensive lineman Vince Vance, who replaced Sturdivant but went down with a knee injury himself in midseason; defensive end Rod Battle, who started every game in 2007 but was slowed and eventually sidelined by neck and shoulder injuries last year; linebacker Marcus Washington, who was a starter for much of 2007 but missed all of last season after shoulder surgery; and Owens, who had started 25 consecutive games before a torn anterior cruciate ligament ended his 2008 season just as it was beginning.
“It was a tough time, having something taken away from you that you love,” Owens said last week. “But now I’m past that and looking to be successful this season.”
Owens’ plan was to be in an NFL camp, rather than on Georgia’s campus, this month. Last season was to have completed his college eligibility, and he was projected to go in the early rounds of the NFL draft. But knee injuries have a way of altering athletes’ best-laid plans.
Owens’ injury, which came just eight plays into the season, resulted in a redshirt year, which gave him the option of returning for one more collegiate season and trying to rebuild his NFL stock.
So here he’ll be Tuesday, when Georgia holds its first of 29 practices leading to the Sept. 5 opener at Oklahoma State.
Owens is in perpetual good cheer, reveling in the upside of deferring his NFL ambitions: “I love college!” Georgia expects his return to help remedy last season’s defensive doldrums.
“Jeffrey has got one of the strongest personalities and one of the most wonderful spirits on the team,” coach Mark Richt said. “We lost that leadership and spirit [when he was injured].”
Similarly, Richt looks for the return of Sturdivant and Vance to make the offensive line, which held up well last year despite injuries that forced three freshmen to start, a pillar of the team. And he looks for a healthy Battle to provide pass rush that was woefully lacking last season.
“Everybody is sort of rejuvenated and reenergized to have a clean slate again,” Battle said recently. “It was a weird situation last year, all the injuries.”
The injuries affected the team in myriad ways, from the direct hits on key positions to the trickle-down impact on depth, to Richt’s decision to back off on full-speed tackling in practice to try to preserve the healthy bodies that remained.
Richt rues that decision, figuring it contributed to the poor tackling that fueled defensive meltdowns in games, and vows not to make that mistake again.
A few injuries will carry over into this season. Most notably, receiver Kris Durham and backup offensive lineman Tanner Strickland are out for the season after shoulder surgeries, and offensive lineman Josh Davis is out until perhaps midseason after surgery on both shoulders.
Owens, meanwhile, is eager to make up for lost time, starting this week. The reward comes Sept. 5: the chance to tackle a quarterback.

Owens, Dogs return with unfinished business*| ajc.com

**Dirty** · 08-03-2009 11:09 PM

Bulldogs hit practice field seeking answers

By TIM TUCKER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia’s football team will open practice Tuesday without having to answer any questions about the pressures of a preseason No. 1 ranking. That would be so . . . last year.
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Allen Sullivan/AJC Tailback Caleb King (4) gets his shot at the starting job this season.

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But these Bulldogs, with external expectations subdued because of the departure to the NFL of Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, face an array of glaring new questions.
Here are five to be sorted out on the practice field between now and the Sept. 5 opener at Oklahoma State:
1. Who’ll win the tailback job?

Caleb King, once a celebrated recruit out of Gwinnett County, enters his third season in the Georgia program and gets his first shot at a starting job. Redshirted in 2007 and used sparingly as Moreno’s backup last season, King starts camp No. 1 on the tailback depth chart.
That’s not insignificant, but he will have to fend off competition from three teammates who weren’t in the mix during spring practice: Richard Samuel and Dontavious Jackson, both of whom were injured, and Washaun Ealey, who was still in high school. Plus, 5-foot-7 Carlton Thomas showed in the spring that he intends to command playing time, too.
Who becomes the starter for the opening game -- and the pecking order behind him -- will be decided on the practice field this month.
“If it’s one guy carrying the load, I’m fine with that; if it’s three guys sharing it, I’m OK with that, too,” coach Mark Richt said. “But we’re gonna run the ball.”
2. Who, if anyone, will step up at defensive end?

The position was an injury-ravaged and unproductive mess last season, and little has happened since to brighten the picture. Justin Houston had a big spring, then was suspended from the first two games for violating team rules. Demarcus Dobbs was having a good spring, too, then broke his foot.
Georgia clearly must get more pass rush from the ends and will be looking for take-charge preseasons from senior Rod Battle (back from shoulder surgery) and junior Dobbs (back from foot surgery). Asked if he can be difference-maker, Battle said: “Of course I would like to say that, but I need to go out and work hard and actually make it happen.”
Others in the mix: Kiante Tripp, who returned to defensive end from the offensive line in the spring; Cornelius Washington, a redshirt freshman who missed the spring with injuries; and Montez Robinson, an incoming freshman who was rated the No. 1 prospect at the position in Indiana.
“Defensive ends, I feel like they’re hungry,” Richt said. “They feel like they’ve got something to prove.”
3. Who’ll complement A.J. Green at receiver?

Part of the answer is fifth-year senior Michael Moore, who quietly caught 29 balls for 451 yards in the shadows of Green and Mohamed Massaquoi last season. But with the loss of Massaquoi and two other seniors to graduation and Kris Durham to shoulder surgery, Georgia must rebuild the receiver rotation behind Green and Moore.
It’s an important preseason for Tavarres King, redshirted as a freshman last year after a September ankle injury, and Israel Troupe, used sparingly last year after a redshirt season in 2007.
“I’ve got a long way to go, but I feel more comfortable,” King said. “The speed of the game has slowed down for me.”
Wide receiver is a position conducive to immediate playing time, and expectations for incoming freshmen Marlon Brown, Rantavious Wooten and Orson Charles (also a tight end) are elevated because of Green’s extraordinary success last year.
4. Who’ll kick off?

Georgia struggled badly with kickoffs last season -- a deficiency that often compromised the defense’s field position. At one point, Richt said he might have to look as far as Poland for a kickoff specialist. Turned out, he found one in southern California.
Brandon Bogotay, a San Diego native who kicked last season at an El Cajon, Calif., junior college, signed with Georgia and will battle incumbent Blair Walsh for the kickoff job. Georgia signed Bogotay based entirely on what it saw of him on film, an unusual step that underscored a degree of desperation.
Richt says he remains confident in Walsh’s handling of field goals and extra points and says that whoever wins the kickoff job, “I know the competition will make us much better.”
5. Can the team tackle its injury problem?

You’ve heard ad infinitum about last year’s injury epidemic and the myriad ways it affected the season, including causing the coaches to back off on full-speed tackling at practice.
This preseason opens with most of the major injuries healed and such key players as defensive tackle Jeff Owens and offensive linemen Trinton Sturdivant and Vince Vance back on the field. Now, the question is whether the Bulldogs can stay reasonably healthy while, as Richt put it, “practicing the way you got to practice.”
Improving tackling and reducing penalties will be preseason practice priorities. And while injuries inevitably will occur, last year’s quantity and severity surely won’t be repeated. Right?

Bulldogs hit practice field seeking answers*| ajc.com

**Dirty** · 08-05-2009 10:59 AM

Dogs' Geathers not cleared to practice

By The Associated Press

ATHENS -- Freshman defensive lineman Kwame Geathers of Georgetown, S.C., is not among the Georgia players on campus for the Bulldogs' first practice.

Coach Mark Richt said Tuesday the NCAA is reviewing Geathers' academic eligibility but said Geathers has "jumped through every hoop that's been in front of him successfully at this point."

Richt said he didn't know how long the review might last for Geathers, a 6-foot-6, 320-pound lineman who is the brother of former Georgia player Robert Geathers and current South Carolina defensive end Clifton Geathers.

"We're very confident everything is going to go through," Richt said.

Georgia opened preseason practice on Tuesday.

Dogs' Geathers not cleared to practice | AccessNorthGa

**Dirty** · 08-05-2009 11:00 AM

Georgia players report, ready for fall camp

By staff reports

Georgia football coach Mark Richt

ATHENS -- The University of Georgia welcomed its football student-athletes to campus Monday as they officially reported for the start of fall camp.

On Monday, the team’s activities included physicals, meetings, freshmen orientation and a team dinner. Fall practice begins Tuesday following the team’s first media session of the season.

All 104 players expected to report arrived. Bulldog freshman signee Kwame Geathers of Georgetown, S.C., is slated to report once he receives clearance from the NCAA Clearinghouse, according to Georgia coach Mark Richt.

“We’re ready to start camp and begin the next phase of preparation for another season,” said Richt. “It’s good to see everybody together again.”

Georgia’s first five practices will serve as the NCAA-mandated acclimation period. The acclimation period went into effect by the NCAA in 2004 with the intent to lessen injuries and heat-related illnesses. The period is free of multi-practice days that were common in college football prior to the legislation.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the team will practice in helmets and shorts, while on Thursday and Friday the squad will wear shoulder pads as well. After a Saturday practice in shells, the first two-a-day practice will take place on Monday, Aug. 10 with a full-pads practice during the morning session.

The fall semester begins Monday, Aug. 17. The annual Fans Picture Day will be held Saturday, Aug. 22 at Sanford Stadium. The Bulldogs open the season with a Top 25 contest at Oklahoma State on Saturday, Sept. 5. Kickoff against the Cowboys is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET. The game will be televised by ABC.

Georgia players report, ready for fall camp | AccessNorthGa

**Dirty** · 08-05-2009 11:07 AM

Bulldogs' first practice 'great'

By TIM TUCKER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Athens -- Georgia’s football team practiced for three hours in 95-degree heat Tuesday, and there was nowhere Jeff Owens would have rather been.
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Brant Sanderlin/bsanderlin@ajc.com Georgia running backs take part in a conditioning drill during the first day of football practice in Athens.

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“It feels great to be out here again,” he said.
Owens, the fifth-year senior defensive tackle, made it through his first practice since tearing up his right knee in the first quarter of the first game of last season.
He said the knee gave him “no trouble” during the practice, the first of Georgia’s preseason, but he admitted it was “a little sore” afterward, and he had ice on it.
Overall, Owens thought the opening practice went well for the Bulldogs.
“The first day is always tough,” Owens said. “But ... I think the guys competed.”
The Dogs practiced in shorts, jerseys and helmets and will do so again on Wednesday. They’ll hold the first two-a-day practice Monday, with the morning session in full pads.
This type of practice phase-in was mandated by the NCAA five years ago in an attempt to reduce injuries and heat-related illnesses.

Bulldogs' first practice 'great'*| ajc.com

**Dirty** · 08-05-2009 11:07 AM

Bulldogs' first practice 'great'

By TIM TUCKER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Athens -- Georgia’s football team practiced for three hours in 95-degree heat Tuesday, and there was nowhere Jeff Owens would have rather been.
Enlarge photo

Brant Sanderlin/bsanderlin@ajc.com Georgia running backs take part in a conditioning drill during the first day of football practice in Athens.

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“It feels great to be out here again,” he said.
Owens, the fifth-year senior defensive tackle, made it through his first practice since tearing up his right knee in the first quarter of the first game of last season.
He said the knee gave him “no trouble” during the practice, the first of Georgia’s preseason, but he admitted it was “a little sore” afterward, and he had ice on it.
Overall, Owens thought the opening practice went well for the Bulldogs.
“The first day is always tough,” Owens said. “But ... I think the guys competed.”
The Dogs practiced in shorts, jerseys and helmets and will do so again on Wednesday. They’ll hold the first two-a-day practice Monday, with the morning session in full pads.
This type of practice phase-in was mandated by the NCAA five years ago in an attempt to reduce injuries and heat-related illnesses.

Bulldogs' first practice 'great'*| ajc.com

**Dirty** · 08-05-2009 11:08 AM

The Bulldogs say we’ll again see the real Bulldogs in 2009

1:29 pm August 4, 2009, by Mark Bradley
Mark Richt meets the media, and off-the-field issues aren't an issue. (Photo by M. Bradley)

Athens — What we saw last season? That wasn’t Georgia. The Georgia Bulldogs don’t get pushed around. They don’t play silly football. They don’t collapse under duress.
Said Rennie Curran, the mighty linebacker: “That wasn’t Junkyard Dawg defense.”
Said Reshad Jones, the gifted safety: “We were hitting, but we weren’t hitting together. We weren’t a unit. We weren’t a band of brothers.”
Said A.J. Green, the splendid receiver: “The way we lost three games — three big games — it couldn’t have been a successful season.”
A year ago Georgia was ranked No. 1 in the land. This time it didn’t receive a single first-place vote to win the SEC East from the assembled media in Birmingham 10 days ago. The Bulldogs themselves see this as a good thing — Green: “Last year we expected things to be handed to us” — but is it really? And the bigger question: Has the program that spent the first half of this decade moving from strength to strength begun to lose momentum?
Speaking at Georgia’s Media Day on Tuesday, Mark Richt said: “Oh, no. Georgia’s been playing football for what, 125 years? Georgia’s a very prestigious, well-thought-of, powerful football program. Georgia was that way before I got here, and I hope we’ll stay that way for a long time.
“And really, preseason rankings are a lot like preseason All-SEC teams. What do they really matter? It’s about how you finish. And we have finished well. We’ve not finished at the very top — No. 1 [in the nation]– but a couple of times we’ve gotten as close as you can get. And if you keep banging away at the top, we’ll end up on top.”
There was a time when a BCS title seemed Richt’s manifest destiny, but the disappointment of last season left a few raised eyebrows. After winning the East three times in four seasons, Georgia hasn’t graced the SEC title game since 2005. Each of the past three seasons has featured something un-Georgia-like: The October slide of 2006, the early struggles of 2007, the three big-game flops of 2008.
So: Has Georgia topped out? Was last season the closest these Bulldogs will get to being the class of the nation? No real answers were forthcoming on Media Day — no real answers ever are — but it’s clear nobody was happy with the way 2008 played out.

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For one thing, Richt has gotten tougher. Georgia stopped hitting in practice last season due to the spiral of injuries, and it showed. A program based on ferocity went slack. The Bulldogs returned to their regimen before the Capital One Bowl and kept at it during the spring. “We did practice with more of an edge,” Richt said. Then this: “We’re practicing the normal Georgia way — with an edge.”
For another, Richt’s players have gotten the idea. At Media Day 2008, 16 of the first 20 questions directed toward the coach of the nation’s No. 1 team involved off-the-field issues. This time only the final question addressed the matter, and then only by way of contrast.
Richt: “Have we been a more disciplined team from January to August? The answer is yes. Hopefully that will translate to being a more disciplined team on the field.”
Curran: “If you’re not a dependable guy in the film room or in your academics, you’re not going to be a dependable guy on the field.”
According to the Bulldogs, last season was an aberration. This year, they believe, we’ll again see Georgia as we’ve grown accustomed to seeing Georgia — as a tough team, as a clever team, as a team that has lost none of its edge and only a bit of momentum. Now all they have to do is go to Stillwater, Okla., and prove the point.

The Bulldogs say we'll again see the real Bulldogs in 2009 | Mark Bradley

**Dirty** · 08-05-2009 11:10 AM

UGA's back-up QB still undecided

By Tim Tucker

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ATHENS — Sophomore Logan Gray isn’t a lock to be Georgia’s backup quarterback but is “in a strong position right now” to win the job over freshmen Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger.
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That was coach Mark Richt’s assessment Tuesday.
“It just takes a while to get enough reps to start getting a feel for it,” said Richt, referring to the freshmen. “Until they can step in that huddle with some confidence and convince their coaches and teammates they are ready, they may be still ‘potential’ guys instead of guys who are ready to move up on the chart.”
Better off-field record
After infamously having eight players arrested in the off-season last year, the Bulldogs reached preseason camp with no players known to have been arrested this year.
“Amen,” Richt said.
Said quarterback Joe Cox: “We knew we didn’t want to come into camp and be embarrassed like we were last year, [when] we had to hear it from everybody how undisciplined we were and how we had a bad group of guys. I mean, these are the same guys. They have grown up.”
Richt: “Have we been a more disciplined team from January to August than we were a year ago? To this point, we have. We hope that will translate to being a more disciplined team on the field.”
Impressive freshman
Freshman tight end Orson Charles impressed in the opening practice.
“He loves to play,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “He didn’t want to sit out a single play. And when the ball was thrown to him, he made some catches. He didn’t know everything that was going on, but neither did A.J. Green last year.”
Still no Geathers
Georgia started practice without defensive tackle Kwame Geathers, a February signee.
The NCAA must certify all incoming student-athletes’ academic eligibility, and that process has not been completed in Geathers’ case.
“He’s still jumping through hoops,” Richt said. “Every hoop that’s been in front of him, he’s jumped through successfully to this point. We’re still very optimistic he’ll be here soon, but you can’t really predict how long [the process] will take.”

UGA's back-up QB still undecided*| ajc.com

**Dirty** · 08-05-2009 11:11 AM

Bulldogs moving on without past stars

By TIM TUCKER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Athens — The players responsible for 96 percent of last season’s passing yards, 75 percent of the rushing yards and 51 percent of the receiving yards were not on the premises when Georgia’s football team opened preseason practice on a sweltering Tuesday afternoon.
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Brant Sanderlin/bsanderlin@ajc.com Georgia head coach Mark Richt watches his team during the first day of football practice Tuesday.

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You’ll find those guys in the NFL.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs who are left behind took the practice field with a palpable sense of determination and defiance, conceding nothing to the departed star-power.
Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno and Mohamed Massaquoi are remembered fondly here. But, hey, they’re not here. Time to move on.
“You never heard about anybody else because those guys were always getting the ball, but it’s not like they’re the only guys we had,” quarterback Joe Cox said Tuesday. “There are going to be some new faces and some new guys to get a lot more opportunity.
“That’s how football is: Somebody graduates, and somebody else has to fill their shoes. That’s how it’s always been, and that’s how it’ll be this year.”
The Bulldogs can’t ignore all the firepower lost from last season — Stafford’s 3,459 passing yards; Moreno’s 1,400 rushing and 392 receiving yards; Massaquoi’s 920 receiving yards. So the Dogs’ strategy, from the top down, is to try to turn those departures into emotional fuel to overachieve expectations.
“Without those guys ... Coach [Mark] Richt has been putting in our head that we’ve got to come together and play as a team,” defensive tackle Geno Atkins said. “We’re a band of brothers.”
Linebacker Rennie Curran: “We’re a real focused team right now. We feel like we are on a mission.”
Cox: “When people say you’re not going to be able to do something, you just want to prove them wrong. I think it’s a good way to start the season and a good attitude to have.”
Attitude notwithstanding, Georgia must also physically replace last year’s playmakers.
While Cox, the fiery fifth-year senior, is entrenched as Stafford’s successor, the competition began in earnest Tuesday for Moreno’s and Massaquoi’s old roles.
Five scholarship tailbacks will compete over the next month to see who — or how many — will play in the Sept. 5 opener at Oklahoma State. The contestants have different strengths and weaknesses, Cox said, “and now it comes down to who can be the most consistent in the all-around game.”
Similarly, a group of talented young receivers will compete for prominence behind returning star A.J. Green and underrated fifth-year senior Michael Moore. (It should be noted that, in keeping with this year’s approach to the star system, Richt said: “A.J., we all know, is a really fine player, but he’s just part of the team.”)
While last year’s preseason was dominated by buzz about the No. 1 national rating and megastars Stafford and Moreno, this year’s preseason focus is resolutely on The Team.
“We’re not interested in individual stars right now,” Richt said. “We’re interested in the team shining.”

Bulldogs moving on without past stars*| ajc.com

**Dirty** · 08-05-2009 11:12 AM

Bulldogs hit practice field seeking answers

By TIM TUCKER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia’s football team will open practice Tuesday without having to answer any questions about the pressures of a preseason No. 1 ranking. That would be so . . . last year.
Enlarge photo

Allen Sullivan/AJC Tailback Caleb King (4) gets his shot at the starting job this season.

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Related UGA stories »

But these Bulldogs, with external expectations subdued because of the departure to the NFL of Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, face an array of glaring new questions.
Here are five to be sorted out on the practice field between now and the Sept. 5 opener at Oklahoma State:
1. Who’ll win the tailback job?

Caleb King, once a celebrated recruit out of Gwinnett County, enters his third season in the Georgia program and gets his first shot at a starting job. Redshirted in 2007 and used sparingly as Moreno’s backup last season, King starts camp No. 1 on the tailback depth chart.
That’s not insignificant, but he will have to fend off competition from three teammates who weren’t in the mix during spring practice: Richard Samuel and Dontavious Jackson, both of whom were injured, and Washaun Ealey, who was still in high school. Plus, 5-foot-7 Carlton Thomas showed in the spring that he intends to command playing time, too.
Who becomes the starter for the opening game -- and the pecking order behind him -- will be decided on the practice field this month.
“If it’s one guy carrying the load, I’m fine with that; if it’s three guys sharing it, I’m OK with that, too,” coach Mark Richt said. “But we’re gonna run the ball.”
2. Who, if anyone, will step up at defensive end?

The position was an injury-ravaged and unproductive mess last season, and little has happened since to brighten the picture. Justin Houston had a big spring, then was suspended from the first two games for violating team rules. Demarcus Dobbs was having a good spring, too, then broke his foot.
Georgia clearly must get more pass rush from the ends and will be looking for take-charge preseasons from senior Rod Battle (back from shoulder surgery) and junior Dobbs (back from foot surgery). Asked if he can be difference-maker, Battle said: “Of course I would like to say that, but I need to go out and work hard and actually make it happen.”
Others in the mix: Kiante Tripp, who returned to defensive end from the offensive line in the spring; Cornelius Washington, a redshirt freshman who missed the spring with injuries; and Montez Robinson, an incoming freshman who was rated the No. 1 prospect at the position in Indiana.
“Defensive ends, I feel like they’re hungry,” Richt said. “They feel like they’ve got something to prove.”
3. Who’ll complement A.J. Green at receiver?

Part of the answer is fifth-year senior Michael Moore, who quietly caught 29 balls for 451 yards in the shadows of Green and Mohamed Massaquoi last season. But with the loss of Massaquoi and two other seniors to graduation and Kris Durham to shoulder surgery, Georgia must rebuild the receiver rotation behind Green and Moore.
It’s an important preseason for Tavarres King, redshirted as a freshman last year after a September ankle injury, and Israel Troupe, used sparingly last year after a redshirt season in 2007.
“I’ve got a long way to go, but I feel more comfortable,” King said. “The speed of the game has slowed down for me.”
Wide receiver is a position conducive to immediate playing time, and expectations for incoming freshmen Marlon Brown, Rantavious Wooten and Orson Charles (also a tight end) are elevated because of Green’s extraordinary success last year.
4. Who’ll kick off?

Georgia struggled badly with kickoffs last season -- a deficiency that often compromised the defense’s field position. At one point, Richt said he might have to look as far as Poland for a kickoff specialist. Turned out, he found one in southern California.
Brandon Bogotay, a San Diego native who kicked last season at an El Cajon, Calif., junior college, signed with Georgia and will battle incumbent Blair Walsh for the kickoff job. Georgia signed Bogotay based entirely on what it saw of him on film, an unusual step that underscored a degree of desperation.
Richt says he remains confident in Walsh’s handling of field goals and extra points and says that whoever wins the kickoff job, “I know the competition will make us much better.”
5. Can the team tackle its injury problem?

You’ve heard ad infinitum about last year’s injury epidemic and the myriad ways it affected the season, including causing the coaches to back off on full-speed tackling at practice.
This preseason opens with most of the major injuries healed and such key players as defensive tackle Jeff Owens and offensive linemen Trinton Sturdivant and Vince Vance back on the field. Now, the question is whether the Bulldogs can stay reasonably healthy while, as Richt put it, “practicing the way you got to practice.”
Improving tackling and reducing penalties will be preseason practice priorities. And while injuries inevitably will occur, last year’s quantity and severity surely won’t be repeated. Right?

Bulldogs hit practice field seeking answers*| ajc.com

**Dirty** · 08-05-2009 11:13 AM

Bulldogs hit practice field seeking answers

By TIM TUCKER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia’s football team will open practice Tuesday without having to answer any questions about the pressures of a preseason No. 1 ranking. That would be so . . . last year.
Enlarge photo

Allen Sullivan/AJC Tailback Caleb King (4) gets his shot at the starting job this season.

Related

Related UGA stories »

But these Bulldogs, with external expectations subdued because of the departure to the NFL of Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, face an array of glaring new questions.
Here are five to be sorted out on the practice field between now and the Sept. 5 opener at Oklahoma State:
1. Who’ll win the tailback job?

Caleb King, once a celebrated recruit out of Gwinnett County, enters his third season in the Georgia program and gets his first shot at a starting job. Redshirted in 2007 and used sparingly as Moreno’s backup last season, King starts camp No. 1 on the tailback depth chart.
That’s not insignificant, but he will have to fend off competition from three teammates who weren’t in the mix during spring practice: Richard Samuel and Dontavious Jackson, both of whom were injured, and Washaun Ealey, who was still in high school. Plus, 5-foot-7 Carlton Thomas showed in the spring that he intends to command playing time, too.
Who becomes the starter for the opening game -- and the pecking order behind him -- will be decided on the practice field this month.
“If it’s one guy carrying the load, I’m fine with that; if it’s three guys sharing it, I’m OK with that, too,” coach Mark Richt said. “But we’re gonna run the ball.”
2. Who, if anyone, will step up at defensive end?

The position was an injury-ravaged and unproductive mess last season, and little has happened since to brighten the picture. Justin Houston had a big spring, then was suspended from the first two games for violating team rules. Demarcus Dobbs was having a good spring, too, then broke his foot.
Georgia clearly must get more pass rush from the ends and will be looking for take-charge preseasons from senior Rod Battle (back from shoulder surgery) and junior Dobbs (back from foot surgery). Asked if he can be difference-maker, Battle said: “Of course I would like to say that, but I need to go out and work hard and actually make it happen.”
Others in the mix: Kiante Tripp, who returned to defensive end from the offensive line in the spring; Cornelius Washington, a redshirt freshman who missed the spring with injuries; and Montez Robinson, an incoming freshman who was rated the No. 1 prospect at the position in Indiana.
“Defensive ends, I feel like they’re hungry,” Richt said. “They feel like they’ve got something to prove.”
3. Who’ll complement A.J. Green at receiver?

Part of the answer is fifth-year senior Michael Moore, who quietly caught 29 balls for 451 yards in the shadows of Green and Mohamed Massaquoi last season. But with the loss of Massaquoi and two other seniors to graduation and Kris Durham to shoulder surgery, Georgia must rebuild the receiver rotation behind Green and Moore.
It’s an important preseason for Tavarres King, redshirted as a freshman last year after a September ankle injury, and Israel Troupe, used sparingly last year after a redshirt season in 2007.
“I’ve got a long way to go, but I feel more comfortable,” King said. “The speed of the game has slowed down for me.”
Wide receiver is a position conducive to immediate playing time, and expectations for incoming freshmen Marlon Brown, Rantavious Wooten and Orson Charles (also a tight end) are elevated because of Green’s extraordinary success last year.
4. Who’ll kick off?

Georgia struggled badly with kickoffs last season -- a deficiency that often compromised the defense’s field position. At one point, Richt said he might have to look as far as Poland for a kickoff specialist. Turned out, he found one in southern California.
Brandon Bogotay, a San Diego native who kicked last season at an El Cajon, Calif., junior college, signed with Georgia and will battle incumbent Blair Walsh for the kickoff job. Georgia signed Bogotay based entirely on what it saw of him on film, an unusual step that underscored a degree of desperation.
Richt says he remains confident in Walsh’s handling of field goals and extra points and says that whoever wins the kickoff job, “I know the competition will make us much better.”
5. Can the team tackle its injury problem?

You’ve heard ad infinitum about last year’s injury epidemic and the myriad ways it affected the season, including causing the coaches to back off on full-speed tackling at practice.
This preseason opens with most of the major injuries healed and such key players as defensive tackle Jeff Owens and offensive linemen Trinton Sturdivant and Vince Vance back on the field. Now, the question is whether the Bulldogs can stay reasonably healthy while, as Richt put it, “practicing the way you got to practice.”
Improving tackling and reducing penalties will be preseason practice priorities. And while injuries inevitably will occur, last year’s quantity and severity surely won’t be repeated. Right?

Bulldogs hit practice field seeking answers*| ajc.com

**Dirty** · 08-05-2009 11:13 AM

Two-minute drill: Richt on Joe Cox’s inexperience

3:55 pm August 4, 2009, by Bill King
Total UGA has some quotes up from Mark Richt’s press conference in Athens today, and I think some of Richt’s remarks on the starting quarterback are interesting. Asked if he’s worried about Joe Cox not having as much game experience as D.J. Shockley did when he took over, Richt said: “A little bit, but Joe milks every moment and opportunity in practice. He’s been through a bunch in practice and [offensive coordinator] Mike [Bobo] has done a really good job of allowing him to take reps with the [first team] so it’s not like it’s the first time Joe has stepped in the huddle with the No. 1 unit.”
As for Bobo having said Cox is a more accurate passer than Matthew Stafford, Richt said: “Accuracy depends on a lot of things: protection, how a wide receiver separates from a defender and then the fundamentals take over. Are you on balance and can guys catch your ball? So Mike making that statement doesn’t surprise me.”
Also from Total UGA, Richt confirmed he sees Michael Moore starting opposite A.J. Green at wide receiver in the base set and Tavares King joining them “if we go to a three-set.”
New kick returners?
The Macon Telegraph looks at the Dogs’ depth-chart battles and notes that whereas last year Georgia primarily used Prince Miller and Richard Samuel as kick returners, “Neither is likely to reprise their role in 2009, leaving the door open to second-year players like [Brandon] Boykin and [Carlton] Thomas or freshman speedsters like [Branden] Smith or Jordan Love.”
No more ‘mystery meat’?
I know from the two years my son spent on the UGA meal plan that the dining hall food is much improved over my days there (when we tried our best to avoid the fare at what was known as revoltin’ Bolton), but as our Meridith Ford points out, the school actually placed 12th in the 2010 Princeton Review’s list of “best campus food.” (Yes, these are the same folks who do the “best party school” ranking.) Virginia Tech came in first.

Two-minute drill: Richt on Joe Cox’s inexperience | The Junkyard Blawg

**Dirty** · 08-06-2009 10:50 AM

Second day of Georgia football practice 'outstanding'

By staff reports

Georgia offensive lineman Trinton Sturdivant, right, works on his blocking skills as Jonathan Owens holds a dummy during the team's preseason camp in Athens. / photo: Associated Press

ATHENS -– The Georgia Bulldogs held the second practice of their 2009 football camp on Wednesday at the Woodruff Practice Fields working out for just over two hours.

Following Wednesday's practice session head coach Mark Richt reflected on the first two days of camp.

"Yesterday overall was a little bit of a struggle," Richt said. "It was very hot and very humid. Although, today wasn't cool by any means, but I think there was a difference. First day nerves, getting coached again for the first time and first day excitement too accounted for some of that, but it really wasn't up to our standards of hustle the entire practice. Today was very outstanding."

For the first two practice days, the team worked out in jerseys, shorts and helmets while on Thursday and Friday the squad will wear shoulder pads as well. After a Saturday practice in shells, the first two-a-day practice will take place on Monday, with a full-pads practice during the morning session. Georgia’s first five practices will serve as the NCAA-mandated acclimation period. The acclimation period went into effect in 2004 with the intent to lessen injuries and heat-related illnesses.

Richt went on to state that after just two days of practice the defense had already created several turnovers.

"The balls aren't hitting our hands and dropping on the ground defensively," Richt said. "That's a great sign to continue to catch the ball when an opportunity presents itself. Most of the picks happened because of a quarterback throwing the ball where he shouldn't have thrown it and making a bad decision. They've got to take better care of the ball."

Richt also noted that his initial reaction of the freshmen was very positive.

"Yesterday, I saw Marlon Brown going up strong for a catch and a defender trying to rake the ball out of there and couldn't do it." Richt said. "He's got such strong hands. I saw Rantavious Wooten running routes looking like he'd been doing it for quite a while, and he's got outstanding hands. Orson Charles made some outstanding catches. He needs much more precision in his route running of course, but he's getting a pretty good feel of what to do. Arthur Lynch made a couple of plays in our skeleton drills, and I like how Washaun (Ealey) looks. He's good looking player, he runs with a great center of gravity and he looks like he isn't going to get knocked off his feet very easily."

Richt added that the freshmen linemen are athletic; the freshmen linebackers are learning, defensive back Brandon Smith is "lightning quick" and has "good ball skills," and that defensive back Shawn Williams practices very hard while learning what to do.

The fall semester begins Monday, Aug. 17. The annual Fans Picture Day will be Saturday, Aug. 22, at Sanford Stadium. The Bulldogs face Oklahoma State in Stillwater on Saturday, Sept. 5. Kickoff against the Cowboys is slated for 3:30 p.m. and ABC will televise the game.

Second day of Georgia football practice 'outstanding' | AccessNorthGa

**Dirty** · 08-06-2009 11:17 AM

Freshmen receivers catching on

2:00 am August 6, 2009, by Tim Tucker

Athens — Mark Richt really likes his freshmen receivers. The Bulldogs are really serious about reducing penalties. And the radio broadcast team is really large.
Those were my take-aways from Day 2 in Georgia’s preseason camp.
Only a small portion -– about 20 minutes -– of a two-hour practice was open to the media Wednesday, but Richt was pretty animated afterward in discussing his very, very early impressions of the incoming freshmen.
On WR Marlon Brown: “I saw him going up strong on a catch and guys were trying to rake the ball out of there and couldn’t do it because he’s got such strong hands.”
On WR Rantavious Wooten: “I saw [him] running routes, looking like he had been doing it for quite a while. Got outstanding hands.”
On TE Orson Charles: “He made some nice catches. He needs much more precision in his route-running, of course, but . . . he’s getting a pretty good feel for what to do.”
On TB Washaun Ealey: “I like how Washaun looks. He runs with a great center of gravity. Looks like he’s not going to get knocked off his feet very easily. . . . Got such a long way to go, learning what to do.”
On DB Branden Smith: “Very, very lighting quick. Got good ball skills.”
In general, Richt said the freshmen “don’t look lost” — a fact he attributed to the mentoring they got over the summer (and continue to get) from the returning players.

On penalties, Richt made it clear that no one, least of all him, has forgotten last year’s fifth-worst-in-the-nation ranking in that category. Several players agreed it’s an important issue and is being treated as such on the practice field. Here’s more on that.

By my count, Georgia will have eight on-air folks involved with its football radio broadcasts, from pregame show through postgame show. More on that here if you missed it yesterday.

And a few other quick notes:
– Linebacker Darryl Gamble had two interceptions and two fumble recoveries in practice No. 1, while Sanders Commings, Bacarri Rambo and Prince Miller had interceptions in the mostly closed practice No. 2, according to Richt. But while Richt was pleased the DBs are holding on to the ball –- too many potential picks were dropped last fall –- he acknowledged the flip side: Someone on his team also is throwing those balls. “Most of the picks happened because of a quarterback throwing the ball where he shouldn’t have thrown it, making a bad decision. They’ve got to take better care of the ball.”

– Linebacker Christian Robinson practiced with his hand wrapped because of a left thumb injury, but it’s apparently nothing serious.

– No setbacks in Jeff Owens‘ and Trinton Sturdivant’s comebacks. “You see no ill effects,” Richt said. “You don’t see them favoring anything.” You’ve heard from Owens on how he’s doing, and if you wonder why you haven’t heard from Sturdivant, it’s because, once again, at least for now, Georgia’s offensive linemen aren’t doing media interviews except for the group’s designated spokesman Clint Boling.
– After practicing in shorts, jerseys and helmets the past two days, the Dogs add shoulder pads this afternoon. More then. . . .

Freshmen receivers catching on | UGA Sports

**Dirty** · 08-06-2009 11:19 AM

5 key moments of 2009 season

7:00 am August 6, 2009, by Bill King
You don’t have to be clairvoyant to know even now that these will be five key moments of the 2009 football season for the Dogs:
1. The first defensive series against Oklahoma State. Remember back in 2006 when underdog Georgia’s defense knocked Auburn QB Brandon Cox silly from the first play and rattled him? And then there was the last time the Dogs faced one of those heavily hyped non-SEC offenses — Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl. Willie Martinez’s defense threw all-everything quarterback Colt Brennan off his game from the very beginning. That’s what Georgia needs to do right away with the Cowboys’ Zac Robinson: Announce to him in no uncertain terms that this is not one of those Big 12 defenses he’s accustomed to. This is an SEC defense.
2. The first offensive series against Oklahoma State. Mike Bobo has had success, most recently in the Capitol One Bowl, opening the game aggressively in a no-huddle offense. Unfortunately, Bobo then has had the tendency to go conservative once they get into the red zone. Against the Cowboys, who have a suspect defense, particularly the secondary, the Dogs need to strike early — minus the turnovers and penalties that so often have gotten them off-track. When he’s on his game, Bobo is a master of mixing run and pass. He just needs to do it more consistently.
3. The first time the Dogs’ offense is backed up deep in its own territory this season. Long scoring drives not only eat up clock and keep the other team’s offense on the sideline, they establish momentum. Back in 2005 in Knoxville, when Georgia got the ball in the shadow of its own goalposts and D.J. Shockley, having just thrown an interception that led to a Vols touchdown, calmly took his team down the field to score, we knew that he was a quarterback to be reckoned with. When Joe Cox gets that opportunity, he needs to take command of the game.
4. The first time the Dogs fall more than 10 points behind, as they no doubt will at some point during the season. Georgia didn’t respond well to adversity last year in big games. If they’re going to get out of that rut, they’ve got to play with confidence even when the breaks go against them. A two-possession lead should never feel insurmountable. Fortunately, Cox has been there before in the Colorado game of 2006.
5. The first time they kick off after having scored. Last year, whether it was kicking it out of bounds or just poor coverage, the Dogs too often gave their opponent a short field to work with, putting additional stress on the defense and losing some of the momentum from the score. If that’s still the case this year, it’s going to be a long season.
What do you think? Any other litmus test moments you can foresee?

5 key moments of 2009 season | The Junkyard Blawg

**Dirty** · 08-12-2009 03:48 PM

Samuel shines in UGA scrimmage

No. 2 tailback has strong showing in quest for starting position

By TIM TUCKER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Athens - Sophomore Richard Samuel, competing for Georgia's starting tailback job, put up big numbers in the Bulldogs' first full scrimmage of preseason camp today in Sanford Stadium.
Related UGA stories »

Samuel ran for 108 yards and two touchowns on five carries, with a long run of 63 yards for a TD. He also caught a 70-yard touchdown pass.
Samuel entered the scrimmage No. 2 on Georgia's tailback depth chart, behind Caleb King. But King's numbers in the scrimmage paled by comparison to Samuel's. King had 5 carries for 18 yards, with a long run of 12 yards.
Samuel "ran the ball well," coach Mark Richt said afterward. "He definitely had more space to work with than any other back, there was no question about that, but he broke some tackles also. He finished some runs strong. He did have a fumble . . . so he's got to make sure that doesn't become a problem for him."
Richt did not declare immediate changes in the depth chart afterward, but indicated they could be forthcoming.
"We'll probably re-rack it and see where everybody is," he said. "Like I told them before we started, this is as close as we can get to a game. When we evaluate, we will put more on a scrimmage than any other grading system. It's as live as we can get, as real as we can get, so scrimmages mean a lot.
"But we do understand when one guy has got a lot of space and other guys don't. You just can't let the amount of yards [Samuel] got fool you, but he was impressive today. No doubt, he was impressive."
Richt said both King and Samuel ran with the Nos. 1 and 2 offenses, but mostly with the No. 1 offense, which went against the No. 2 defense.
"I think [King's] hamstring is bothering him a little bit," Richt said.
Among other competitors for the tailback job, Carlton Thomas had five carries for 60 yards (with a long run of 28), Washaun Ealey five carries for 13 yards and Dontavius Jackson four carries for minus-six yards.
Starting quarterback Joe Cox completed 9 of 13 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns. Logan Gray completed 6 of 12 for 93 yards and two touchdowns. Aaron Murray completed 5 of 16 for 52 yards and a touchdown. Zach Mettenberger was 1 of 10.
"I'd say [Gray] is still a solid No. 2" at quarterback, Richt said.
Freshman tight end Orson Charles caught three passes for 55 yards and two touchdowns. A.J. Green had four catches for 69 yards and a touchdown.
In a good sign for the team's much-criticized pass rush, defensive end Rod Battle had 3 1/2 sacks.
Discussing possible depth-chart changes after the scrimmage, Richt said: "I don't particularly care who's No. 1 today or tomorrow. I'm looking for guys who are ready to play. I'm not even looking for starters. I'm looking for guys that if we put them in the game, they can function and play winning football. That's really and truly all I'm concerned about right now."
The scrimmage was closed to the media. Richt provided the statistics, which he described as "official unofficial," afterward.
The scrimmage was originally scheduled for late afternoon, but moved up to mid-morning because of the afternoon weather forecast.

Samuel shines in UGA scrimmage*| ajc.com

**Dirty** · 08-13-2009 10:24 PM

Caleb King's injury could cost him starting job

By Tim Tucker

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ATHENS — Caleb King’s chances of being Georgia’s season-opening starter at tailback diminished Thursday, when an injured hamstring put him on the sidelines.
Related UGA stories »

King missed Georgia’s practice, and coach Mark Richt said such injuries usually keep a player out of action for seven to 10 days.
For now, Richt said, Richard Samuel “obviously” will work as the No. 1 tailback.
“It’s hard to compete when you’re not there,” said Richt, referring to King. “Luckily, Caleb has been here long enough that he does know what to do. If he was a true freshman, it would hurt him a lot more than it happening right now does.
“There is a lot of time between now and the [Sept. 5 opener at Oklahoma State], and there’s a lot of season, too. So there will be plenty of time for Caleb to get back in it, but right now he can’t get any work.”
King, a star at Parkview and Greater Atlanta Christian, had entered preseason camp No. 1 on the tailback depth chart, with Samuel No. 2. In a scrimmage Wednesday, the first of preseason camp, Samuel ran for 108 yards on five carries, while King gained only 18 yards on five carries.
King injured the hamstring during the closed-to-the-media scrimmage, according to Samuel and another tailback, Carlton Thomas. King was not available for comment.
“Caleb was having a good camp, and we’re disappointed he got hurt,” quarterback Joe Cox said. “But someone else has to step up.”
While Samuel now appears to be the front-runner, he is taking nothing for granted.
“We’ll still continue doing what we were doing when [King] gets back; we’ll still be competing for the position,” Samuel said. “So, we just keep on moving.”
Said Thomas, who ran for 60 yards on five carries in Wednesday’s scrimmage: “I feel sorry for Caleb. Caleb has been working hard. Hopefully he’ll be back for the Oklahoma State game. I think he’ll work hard and get back.”

Caleb King's injury could cost him starting job*| ajc.com

**Dirty** · 09-11-2009 01:34 AM

Richt: Joe Cox is UGA starter

By TIM TUCKER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ATHENS — Georgia coach Mark Richt reiterated Thursday that Joe Cox will start at quarterback against South Carolina on Saturday, poking fun at Internet reports to the contrary, but sidestepped the question of whether Cox’s arm or shoulder is ailing him.
Related UGA stories »

Richt began a pre-practice briefing with reporters by saying: “Well, there’s a rumor that Logan Gray was going to start at quarterback for Georgia, but that’s not true. Aaron Murray is.
“I’m just kidding,” Richt added after pausing for effect. “No, Joe is the quarterback. So we’re good. ... No cause for a three-alarm fire or whatever everybody is trying to portray.”
While unequivocal about Cox’s status as the starter, Richt said only this when asked if Cox has a sore arm or shoulder, as has been rumored:
“What we have been doing with Joe is giving him ... off Wednesday as far as throwing the ball. And then Thursday — today — he’ll work. But the guy has been here five years. He’s getting old.
“Nah, we want to make sure his arm is as fresh as it could be. And that’s why we do it. ... We want Joe to have as much pop as he can have.”
Cox was not available for comment Thursday. Georgia makes its players off-limits to the media on Thursdays and Fridays.
Cox has said in the past that his arm and shoulder are fine. After one August practice, he had an ice pack on his shoulder, but called it “precautionary” when asked about it by a reporter.
Asked about Cox’s arm strength on his radio call-in show earlier this week, Richt said: “Joe can throw [the ball] plenty far enough. ... The goal is just to put it in [the right] place. ... Joe can easily throw it 55 yards, and you don’t throw it farther than that almost ever in a ballgame.”
Cox played all but two plays at quarterback in Georgia’s season-opening loss at Oklahoma State last week, completing 15 of 30 passes for 162 yards and one touchdown. He also threw an interception and lost a fumble on a sack.
Cox played that game after battling flu-like symptoms for two days. Richt said Thursday that Cox is showing no after-effects from last week’s illness. “He’s fine,” Richt said.
Richt has said consistently that Gray, the No. 2 quarterback, could get playing time when Georgia’s offense is in the red zone, as he did for one snap last week. Richt also has left open the possibility that Gray could play at other times as well.

Richt: Joe Cox is UGA starter*| ajc.com

**Dirty** · 09-11-2009 01:35 AM

Richt: Joe Cox is UGA starter

By TIM TUCKER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ATHENS — Georgia coach Mark Richt reiterated Thursday that Joe Cox will start at quarterback against South Carolina on Saturday, poking fun at Internet reports to the contrary, but sidestepped the question of whether Cox’s arm or shoulder is ailing him.
Related UGA stories »

Richt began a pre-practice briefing with reporters by saying: “Well, there’s a rumor that Logan Gray was going to start at quarterback for Georgia, but that’s not true. Aaron Murray is.
“I’m just kidding,” Richt added after pausing for effect. “No, Joe is the quarterback. So we’re good. ... No cause for a three-alarm fire or whatever everybody is trying to portray.”
While unequivocal about Cox’s status as the starter, Richt said only this when asked if Cox has a sore arm or shoulder, as has been rumored:
“What we have been doing with Joe is giving him ... off Wednesday as far as throwing the ball. And then Thursday — today — he’ll work. But the guy has been here five years. He’s getting old.
“Nah, we want to make sure his arm is as fresh as it could be. And that’s why we do it. ... We want Joe to have as much pop as he can have.”
Cox was not available for comment Thursday. Georgia makes its players off-limits to the media on Thursdays and Fridays.
Cox has said in the past that his arm and shoulder are fine. After one August practice, he had an ice pack on his shoulder, but called it “precautionary” when asked about it by a reporter.
Asked about Cox’s arm strength on his radio call-in show earlier this week, Richt said: “Joe can throw [the ball] plenty far enough. ... The goal is just to put it in [the right] place. ... Joe can easily throw it 55 yards, and you don’t throw it farther than that almost ever in a ballgame.”
Cox played all but two plays at quarterback in Georgia’s season-opening loss at Oklahoma State last week, completing 15 of 30 passes for 162 yards and one touchdown. He also threw an interception and lost a fumble on a sack.
Cox played that game after battling flu-like symptoms for two days. Richt said Thursday that Cox is showing no after-effects from last week’s illness. “He’s fine,” Richt said.
Richt has said consistently that Gray, the No. 2 quarterback, could get playing time when Georgia’s offense is in the red zone, as he did for one snap last week. Richt also has left open the possibility that Gray could play at other times as well.

Richt: Joe Cox is UGA starter*| ajc.com

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