Bulldawg Illustrated : News Releases

Richt, Bulldogs Preview Auburn

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

ATHENS——-Georgia head coach Mark Richt and several football players addressed the media during the Bulldogs’ weekly press luncheon on Tuesday. They offered the following comments:

Head Coach Mark Richt

Opening statement…
“Nothing like a Saturday night between the hedges. We are going to get a couple of those in a row, so we are going to get revved up for it. This game this week—Auburn, coach (Gene) Chizik has done a great job of getting his team started the first 10 games into his tenure there at 7-3 and 3-3 in the league. He really has it going well. Offensively they do a fantastic job. They are No. 1 in our league in total offense, and they are probably top 10 in every offensive category. They do a very good job of mixing the run and the pass. They have multiple formations. They have a lot of motion and a lot of misdirection, but they are still going to come after you and run the ball in a very physical way. They dress it up a little bit, but it’s still power football with Ben Tate doing a great job of running the rock for them, a senior really finishing off his career in a very, very strong way.

“They also have Mario Fannin doing a great job running and catching the ball for them and (Ontario) McCalebb, who has been out a little bit as a freshman. I hear he is questionable for this ballgame, but he is lightning quick and can cause trouble when it comes to running the ball. Also Kodi Burns will get in there as the wildcat quarterback, but has the great ability to run the ball along with his ability to pass it.

“Chris Todd is a senior quarterback running the system extremely well. He has 17 touchdowns and three picks, just a tremendous ratio. He’s one of the best in the league and best in the country when it comes to touchdown-interception ratio. He’s running their system well. He’s protecting the ball. He’s been very accurate and is close to 60 percent completions. He has just performed extremely well.

“At receiver, (Terrell) Zachary and (Darvin) Adams, 81 and 89 respectively, are really doing a super job for them. Zachary is probably their fastest guy and their biggest deep threat. Adams has the most catches at this point and is doing a very, very nice job there. Tommy Trott at tight end is doing a good job for them.

“Their offensive line, they have four out of five starters that have returned. They are very solid, run and pass. To be able to throw the ball the way they do and run the ball they way they do, you have to be doing it up front. They are definitely getting the job done there. What can you say other than a first year head coach coming in and putting together an offense that leads the league is fantastic.

“Defensively they are very fast and very physical. Antonio Coleman, I was kind of surprised to see him on the depth chart. I thought he had already started four or five years for Auburn. He is doing a great job. He has 12 ½ tackles for loss, 6 ½ sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, 10 pressures, a pick, a bunch of pass break-ups and is just playing great football for them. He and (Antoine) Carter on the other end are very athletic guys who will pressure your quarterback and give your tackles all they want.

“Their interior defensive linemen are tough, rugged, big, strong guys who get after it. At the linebacker position, (Eltoro) Freeman at this point is going to be a starter for them. They’ve had he and (Adam) Herring kind of going back and forth at the will linebacker position. The top two tacklers on the team are (Craig) Stevens and Josh (Bynes), 79 and 77 tackles respectively. That’s a good sign when your linebackers are making your tackles for you and they are doing a great job in that regard.

“In the perimeter, their corners (Walter) McFadden and (Neiko) Thorpe are both doing an outstanding job. McFadden plays mostly to the field. He’ll be matched up with A.J. Green the majority of the game I would think. He has four picks. They are both very tall, lean guys who can run extremely well. They have good ball skills. At safety, I guess No. 4 (Zac Etheridge) got hurt. I don’t think he’ll play the rest of the season. He is a very fine football player. I’m sure he is a great kid and I’m sorry to hear that he was injured. They had to take (Demond) Washington, No. 14, and move him from a little bit of a corner play and move him into the strong safety spot along with (Daren) Bates. Washington is also the guy who plays their nickel most of the time when they make that transition.

“As far as their kicker is concerned, Wes Byrum is really on the same track that Blair Walsh is. I think they are both 13-of-14 kicks made, tops in field goal percentage in our league and one of the tops in the country. I think they are in the top five or so in the nation in PAT field goal percentage. Byrum does not kickoff. (Morgan) Hull, No. 37, is their kickoff guy. He is very, very accurate. He places it exactly where they want him to in either corner actually. I don’t think he’s kicked one out of bounds yet, but still does a great job of getting it close to that sideline and allowing them to just have to cover two-thirds of the field, so he’s doing a great job there.

“(Clinton) Durst, their punter, is very, very steady. He has good operation and very good hang time. He’s averaging over 40 yards a punt and has been very solid for them in that regard.

“Their punt returners, they’ve kind of been going through it a little bit in that area. (Anthony) Gulley, Fannin and others have taken turns of being the punt return man. Washington has done a little bit of it. They’ve struggled catching the ball from time to time, so I think they are trying to find a guy in there who is going to be real consistent in that area. Their kickoff return also, they’ve had six different guys return kicks, which is fairly unusual. Fannin has taken most of them, but all of them are averaging 22 yards or better, so they are doing a very nice job in that regard.

“Overall it’s a great rivalry game played for the 113th time. We’ve won 51, they’ve won 53. There are just a few points separating the two teams. We know the history of coaches who played at Auburn and coached at Georgia in Vince Dooley. Of course Pat Dye played at Georgia and coached at Auburn. You have coach (Rodney) Garner and coach (Stacy) Searels, guys who played for Auburn who are now coaching for us, and we’ve had a few of their guys who have crossed over here and there. Certainly it’s a very big game for us and another chance to play on national TV and show the nation what Georgia football is all about. We are very excited about the opportunity to play it and again glad to be home between the hedges at Sanford Stadium.”

On the Georgia-Auburn rivalry…
“I know there are at least 20 Georgia players on their roster, so I know there are a lot of guys who have a Georgia background. We don’t have nearly as many Alabama guys as they do Georgia guys, but our guys understand what this thing is all about. Auburn being so close to our border, just about every guy that we have on our team was more than likely recruited by Auburn and has been to Auburn and has seen what they are all about. I think that adds to the flavor too. Just the fact that the series is very, very close, I think our guys would love to inch a little bit close to evening that thing out without any doubt. It’s a big deal for us as a staff, it’s a big deal for us as a team. We definitely want to get ourselves in position to finish out this season in flying colors, so this game can help us do that.”

On the importance of the Auburn game to the Georgia fans…
“It is big. Of course the fans that live nearest to Auburn will feel even stronger in the Bulldog nation about the Auburn game than someone who lives in north Georgia. Everybody has their team. When I go to the Bulldog Clubs, they will say, ‘Coach no matter what happens, you have to get this one.’ You would think it’s just one or two teams, but it’s about five of them that they all feel like you’ve just got to have. It is a big deal and I think our fans will get jacked up for it.”

On Auburn’s offense…
“I think the change for this game will not nearly be as drastic as when you play Georgia Tech’s triple-option football. They do run the option in their game, Auburn does. So there is some assignment football in there. As far as having to change everything we do or the total thought process of what we do, I don’t see it in that way. It is a unique system. It’s not one that you could just flip on the film and say we are going to do exactly what we did last week. You have to get a good, strong plan and get the guys as many reps as you can because they are into creating chaos for you. That’s what they want to do; they want to create confusion and bloody your nose in the meantime. “

On Auburn’s offense being similar to another offense in the SEC…
There are some similarities between what they do and what Florida does. That might be the closest one.”

On Auburn leading the SEC in offense with a new coaching staff…
“There is something to be said for that. I’m sure some of the personnel has matured some from a year ago, but to get them in position to make the plays that they’ve been making, especially offensively, is a tribute to their staff. What happens to sometimes is if you have a couple of good things happen to you early in the year, you will gain confidence quickly and you can build on that. It looks like that’s what’s been happening for them.”

On whether Logan Gray will play in a pre-determined series…
“I wouldn’t sit here and promise it right now publicly, although we would like to continue to help him grow as a quarterback. I wouldn’t say going into this game we are going to nail it down, at least not publicly.”

On how he will handle penalties…
“They will come out of the game if they get a penalty.”

On whether Georgia’s players who are penalized will sit out the remainder of the series…
“I don’t know about that, but they know it’s coming. We’ll handle it in practice too.”

On Geno Atkins…
“I think he’s played very strong all year long. When you’re an interior defensive lineman, it’s hard to predict what kind of stats you are going to get. I always go back to Johnathan Sullivan. My first year here he was a sophomore and he had all kind of numbers. His next season, he didn’t have nearly as many tackles for loss or tackles or sacks. We thought he was playing like an All-American, and the guy that really benefited from Sullivan getting double-teamed was (David) Pollack. We had had some veteran defensive ends when Sullivan was a sophomore when he had his big numbers. Then we had three of four defensive ends leave the program, and everybody started focusing on Sullivan, then Pollack kind of took off. As it turned out, I believe the Saints moved up in the draft to get him as the eighth pick of the draft. Interior defensive linemen can be playing lights out and not necessarily get those kinds of numbers.”

On Georgia’s practices and whether the defense will tackle to the ground…
“Last year a lot of it had to do with the injury situation we had. We had been tackling in practice until about two weeks ago. We’re still going full pads, we’re still going what we call ‘thud’ which is everything but tackling a guy to the ground. I always keep an eye on it too, because if I get the tempo I want, the ‘thud’ is good, it’s outstanding. If you go from a line drill to a thud drill and somehow you lose the intensity, that’s when you have to step in there and do something about it. They’ve been practicing with a lot of intensity in those drills, still. It’s more difficult to thud a guy than it is to tackle a guy. In order to thud a guy, you have to get right up on him, get your feet under him and strike him, and wrap him up and allow him to go free once you’ve wrapped him. If you are just going to tackle a guy, you could just reach out and grab him and throw him to the ground and you could get into some fairly poor habits, even in a tackling drill. In order to get a good, solid thud, it forces you to run your feet, get in position, strike him, wrap him and let him go. It’s a true form tackle. It’s even better than some of the tackles you might get when you are actually taking them to the ground.”

On not practicing indoors…
“This day in particular, we need to get the work in. We can’t get too far behind schedule. The last time we went inside, it was in the middle of an open date and we were ahead of schedule. We didn’t feel like we were going to get behind. It was the week that we were going to have two dress rehearsal days and we actually ended up having one inside and one outside. This week we have to get it in.”

On Clint Boling…
“He’s been great for us. Of course when he was laying on the ground holding his knee the other ballgame, we were all very concerned about him first of all and about his welfare, but also what it might mean to the offensive line and what kind of juggling might have to be done if he wasn’t able to play, so I don’t think there is any question he’s been the most consistent offensive lineman throughout the year. It’s more than just consistency. He’s played consistently well.”

On Arthur Lynch…
“Arty getting two catches I know was big for him. He’s a very fine prospect. He’s going to be not a good one, but a great one. I really do believe that we have some wonderful tight ends at Georgia right now. Most of them have a great future ahead of them. Art has been doing some special teams work for us and some short-yardage goal line work for us. To let him get in there and be the guy who was the point of attack was nice. Two balls went to him and he caught them both. He had a big smile on his face coming off the field. We had a lot of freshmen get in there and do some great things. He’s just one of them.”

On Branden Smith playing offense and defense…
“I don’t know if we’ll get to Champ Bailey numbers as far as the amount of plays in a game, but I don’t think that’s out of the question. I think that our plan, even when we recruited him, I told him your first year, you have to learn defense. You have to spend most of your time in those meetings. To think you are going to spend some time here and some time there, it just doesn’t work that way. In high school, what happens is the whole team will practice offense and then the whole team will flip around and practice defense, so a kid has a greater chance in high school to do both as far as how the practices are planned. With us, when we are practicing offense, we are also simultaneously practicing defense. When we’re meeting on offense, we are meeting on defense. If he’s doing something offensively, he’s missing something defensively. We want him to get comfortable in that role and really understand it well. It may be as early as this spring that we could spend a few days exclusively learning more offensive football. This first year we wanted to give him just enough to get him lined up and get the ball in his hands. I think our coaches have done a good job with that. Hopefully it will grow as we go.”

On Marlon Brown and not redshirting him…
“He actually did play a good bit (against Tennessee Tech). He didn’t get a lot of balls thrown in his direction, but he did play a good bit. He is absolutely improving as a route-runner, as a ball-catcher, a blocker. He’s understanding what we’re doing much better. He’s so much further ahead right now than he would have been hanging around on the scout team. We think he’s going to be making a big impact sooner than later. I don’t regret that right now.”

On the matchup with Auburn’s Demond Washington…
“You are trying to find certain matchups, so if we are in a three-receiver set and they are playing some type of a man coverage scheme, he’ll be covering somebody man-to-man. He’s also their nickel guy where he ends up on the third receiver even as a nickel. Of course we’ve seen him in coverage already with the wide receivers. We’ve had some 5-9 corners that would match up with big, tall guys. The reason those guys can play is because they can leap. They have good ball skills, they are competitors. I don’t see it being all that unusual or being that big of a deal, really.”

On Georgia’s injury situations…
“(Justin) Houston, we feel, will be back for the ballgame. A.J. Green was able to practice full speed. I don’t think there is anyone else we are concerned about right now. Other than the players that we know have season-ending injuries, I think everybody else is ready to go.”

Joe Cox:
On playing against Auburn this week…
“First of all, it’s a good opportunity. They are a good team, and it’s another chance for us to have another good week of practice and prove our record. We know they are a solid football team, a top-25 team. We’re excited about the chance to play them in Athens in a night game in Sanford Stadium.”

On Georgia’s offense facing Auburn’s defense…
“Execute. When you play good teams you’ve got to execute your game plan and minimize penalties and turnovers. Those are the things that good teams will capitalize off of and turn them into points for themselves. We’re going to have a good game plan. We just have to execute it and not make mistakes.”

Shaun Chapas:
On fellow fullback Fred Munzenmaier…
“He’s having a great year. He’s gotten better every week, and it really showed against Tennessee Tech. He had some great clips and played a really good game.”

“He’s been around for a while and has gotten better every year and every practice really. He’s had a great season. He’s a really hard worker, tremendously, in the weight room and practice field. The hard work has paid off, and he’s looking good.”

Aron White:
On the Georgia-Auburn series the past few years…
“They’ve definitely had some great players in the past couple of years, and we’ve won some good games. I remember the blackout two years ago was a big game for us, and then last year, we went down to the wire and they even had a chance to win it there close to the end. Our defense came out on top, and that was huge for us to win that close game. It gave us a little bit of fight knowing we could go down to the wire with a team like that and come out with a win.”

On playing this year’s Georgia-Auburn game with the teams going to the SEC Championship game already decided…
“Auburn has reinvented itself with a new coaching staff and a high power offense, so definitely, I feel like it’s still there as far as it being kind of renewed this year. Last year, there wasn’t as much emphasis on it. This year, I feel like people are going to get up for it a little more. It’s a night game, and we are trying to redeem ourselves this season and get bowl eligible. That’s another big thing. If we win this game, we are bowl eligible, so I think the rivalry is going to be a little bigger this year than it was last year.”

Rennie Curran
On preparing for Auburn’s offense…
“Every time (Ben Tate) and I meet up, whether I am hitting him or just watching him, you can see that he is a strong runner. A couple times he gave me some pretty big licks. I thought I was coming in for the hit, but I was the one receiving the lick. In practice we are just going to have to work on great form tackling and be ready for their best shot.”

On being undefeated against Auburn the past three years and this could be the fourth time in a row beating them…
“It’s everything. There is so much riding on this game; a lot of reputation has been built on the each of the schools winning or losing and it is a game that usually results in a lot of good and bad memories for both teams. I remember playing them my freshman year when we had the blackout game, and that was my 19th birthday so there are a lot of great memories to be made in this game.”

Thoughts on if the rivalry has lost a little meaning because of two team’s rankings…
“From being on Georgia’s team and speaking for Auburn as well, the rivalry is still there. When we hit that field there’s going to be a lot of emotion, and it is going to be a huge game for both of us. If we win this game we become bowl eligible and if they win that’s another win in their column to where they can go to an even better bowl game. A lot is riding on this game.”

On Montez Robinson…
“He has worked hard, earned the coaches trust and finally got that playing time. I was in the same position when I came in my freshman year. It took me a little while for the light to come on and for me to earn the trust of my teammates and my coaches, but I always believed in myself and I feel like he is the same way. He believes in his ability and what he can do, and we need all the player makers that we can get on defense, especially at defensive end.”

Bulldogs Start Preparations For Auburn

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

ATHENS——The Georgia Bulldogs return to Southeastern Conference action this Saturday when they play host to No. 25 Auburn at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

Following a 38-0 Homecoming shutout of Tennessee Tech this past Saturday, Georgia (5-4, 3-3 SEC) began preparations for the Tigers (7-3, 3-3 SEC) Sunday.

Speaking on his weekly conference call with the media, Georgia coach Mark Richt said that the Bulldogs know it will be a great challenge going up against the Tigers.

“They are a top 25 team and everybody tracks those, so there will be a lot of attention on this game,” said Richt. “This is an opportunity for us to play well in front of the country and against the number one offense in the league. Their quarterback is doing a great job with 17 touchdowns and only three picks.”

The Tigers, under the direction of senior quarterback Chris Todd, lead the SEC in total offense at 450.3 yards per game and rank second in scoring offense at 35 points per game. Also, senior tailback Ben Tate ranks third in the SEC in rushing at 114.2 yards per game.

Richt provided an injury update on the Bulldogs and said he expects sophomore flanker A.J. Green and sophomore defensive end Justin Houston to return to the starting lineup Saturday. Both missed this past Saturday’s game with injuries.

Redshirt freshman Cornelius Washington got the start in place of Houston and had two tackles including a sack. Also, freshman defensive end Montez Robinson had his best game as a Bulldog, tallying five tackles including a pair of sacks.

“We did have some very nice play from our freshman defensive ends as well as the young guys on the interior line,” said Richt. “We did a good job of rotating players in and we’ll continue to do that.”

Richt said he has not decided on his latest course of action regarding Georgia’s penalty woes. The Bulldogs lead the SEC with an average of 77.3 penalty yards a game although Georgia’s opponents have an SEC-high of 64.2 penalty yards a game. Against Tennessee Tech, Richt made an immediate substitution for any Bulldog that was flagged for a penalty. Georgia had 11 penalties for 86 yards in the shutout of the Golden Eagles.

“I’m not sure what I’ll do in that regard, everybody is on a rampage about it,” said Richt. “I took them out for the rest of the series (on Saturday). I’m not sure if that’s wise. We may pull them for a play and then get them back. However, I’m not 100 percent sure I’ll do that either.”

Saturday’s kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET, and it will be televised by ESPN2.

Georgia Postgame Notes: Nov. 7 vs. Tennessee Tech

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Homecoming Shutout: For the first time since 1981, Georgia posted a shutout on Homecoming, blanking Tennessee Tech today 38-0. In 1981, Georgia beat Kentucky 21-0. Also, today was Georgia’s first shutout since 2006 when the Bulldogs blanked UAB 34-0. The Golden Eagles were limited to 55 total yards of offense on 47 plays. This is the second lowest output by a Bulldog opponent in school history. The record is 39 total yards by The Citadel in 1953. Today, TTU had minus 13 yards rushing on 31 carries and 68 passing yards. The TTU rushing total was the lowest since Georgia held Kentucky to a record minus 50 in 1999.

21-Point First Quarter/31-Point Half: The Bulldogs scored 21 points in the first quarter for the first time since 1998 (Kent State). Georgia won that game 56-3 after also having a 22-point outburst in the third quarter. This was the first time the Bulldogs had scored 21 points in one quarter since they scored 21 versus Georgia Tech in the second quarter of the 2008 game. Georgia’s 31 points in the first half was the most points for the Bulldogs since they scored 31 points versus South Carolina earlier this year. Georgia topped the Gamecocks in that game 41-37.

Cox Has Perfect Opening Half: Senior QB Joe Cox was 6-for-6 for 80 yards with one TD (23 yarder to Orson Charles) in the first half. He completed his first 10 passes and finished today 10-for-13 with 140 yards and two TDs.

Turnovers: Logan Gray threw an INT with 1:21 left in the first half. Opponents have scored 88 points off of 22 turnovers. For the season, Georgia is minus-16 in its turnover ratio. Sixteen of those 22 turnovers have come within Georgia territory this year with three interceptions returned for TDs.

Robinson Emerges At DE: Freshman DE Montez Robinson had three tackles and two sacks in the first half and finished with five stops. These were the first tackles of his career. Sophomore LB Marcus Dowtin led the team with seven tackles. The Bulldogs had four sacks in the opening two periods and six for the game. The Golden Eagles gained only 10 yards on 27 plays in the first half.

Smith Breaks Another Long One: With senior QB Joe Cox lined up out wide, freshman WC Branden Smith lined up at quarterback and sprinted for a 51-yard TD with 3:01 left in the first quarter. Smith finished with 69 yards rushing in the half and 72 yards on three carries for the game. This was Smith’s second TD run of the season after he ran for a 61-yard score on a reverse against South Carolina.

Ealey Has Career Half: Freshman TB Washaun Ealey scored the first two TDs of his career in the opening half. He had the first score of his career after scampering in from seven yards out midway through opening period. Ealey scored his second TD of the game on a 44-yard run on the first play of the second quarter. Ealey finished with 57 yards on four carries in the first half and a team-best 89 yards on seven carries in the game. The Bulldog scored on their first possession on a nine-play, 69-yard drive that took 4:22.

Charles Hauls In His Second Score: Freshman TE Orson Charles recorded the second receiving TD of his career after hauling in a 23-yard TD late in the first quarter. Georgia’s scoring drive was three plays and 47 yards in 46 seconds. Charles’ first TD catch came against Arkansas. Senior SE Michael Moore grabbed a 6-yard TD in the third quarter, giving him two straight games with TD catches and four receiving TDs on the year. Charles finished with three catches for 42 yards.

Walsh Drills Another: Sophomore PK Blair Walsh connected on a 24-yard FG in the second quarter. Walsh has hit 13-of-14 this season and has drilled seven FGs of 40 or more yards in 2009. He is also 77-of-77 in PATs in his career.

Starters: Redshirt freshman DE Cornelius Washington got the first start of his career since Justin Houston is out with an elbow injury suffered against Florida. He had two stops including a sack.

Homecoming Queen, King: Christina Swoope, a senior from Alpharetta who is majoring in Microbiology, Pre-pharmacy, escorted by Andrew Swoope and sponsored by the UGA Red Coat Band, was named the 2009 UGA Homecoming queen. Darryl Tricksey, a senior from Atlanta who is majoring in Environmental Health Science, escorted by Linda Tricksey and sponsored by Kappa Alpha Psi, was named the 2009 UGA Homecoming king.

Next Week’s Opponent: Georgia (5-4, 3-3 SEC) plays host to Auburn (7-3, 3-3 SEC) on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. The game will either be televised by ESPN or ESPN2. This will mark the 113th time that Georgia and Auburn will battle in the Deep South’s oldest rivalry. Auburn leads the overall series 53-51-8, although the Bulldogs picked up a 17-3 win over the Tigers in 2008.

Drew Butler Earns Spot on ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Football Team

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

ATHENS——Sophomore punter Drew Butler has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team, it was announced by CoSIDA Thursday.

Butler carries a 3.52 grade point average (GPA) in Telecommunications Arts, and he now will be on the national ballot for Academic All-America honors. Members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) conduct the voting for ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District and All-America teams. To be nominated, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.3 GPA (on a 4.0 scale), be a starter or key reserve and reached sophomore year in athletic eligibility. The national winners will be announced Nov. 24.

Butler, who is in his first season as a starter, leads the nation with a 49.7-yard average on 38 punts, and the Bulldogs lead the NCAA in Net Punting at 44.1. He is on target to set a school record for the highest single season average. Currently, the mark is 45.4 set in 1984 by Chip Andrews. Butler was named a “Midseason All-American” by multiple outlets including Sporting News. He is on the watch list for the Ray Guy Award, which goes to the nation’s top collegiate punter. The list will be narrowed to 10 semifinalists on Nov. 13.

In his most recent game, Butler averaged 52.5 yards on four punts against top-ranked Florida. In the season opener against ninth-ranked Oklahoma State, Butler posted a 57.0 average, which ranked as the second best in Bulldog history. He has 21 punts of 50-plus yards this year including a career-best 75-yarder against the Cowboys.

Dantzler, Taylor To Call Lady Bulldog Games

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

ATHENS - Longtime play-by-play announcer Jeff Danztler and former UGA
two-sport letterwinner Maria Taylor will comprise the radio announce team
for Georgia Lady Bulldog Basketball during the 2009-10 season.

“We will have an outstanding radio crew for our Lady Dogs broadcasts," said
Alan Thomas, UGA’s associate athletic director for external affairs. “Jeff
is a veteran and is synonymous with the program. Maria adds a new element
with her experience having spent time as player for Andy and doing
outstanding work as a part of Georgiadogs.com team.”

Dantzler will be calling Lady Bulldog Basketball for the 17th season, a span
in which Georgia has reached three Final Fours, captured three SEC
Championships and won the 2001 SEC Tournament. He also is play-by-play
announcer for Georgia Baseball and co-hosts pre- and post-game shows for
Georgia Football.

Taylor, who serves as a reporter for georgiadogs.com, was a standout for the
Georgia volleyball program who also played for the Lady Bulldogs during the
2006-07 season. She was a three-time All-SEC performer in volleyball and
ranks No. 4 all-time in kills (1,729). Taylor played in 22 games for the
Lady Bulldogs during their 2007 “Sweet 16” campaign, averaging 1.2 points
and 1.9 rebounds per game.

Taylor also was a standout away from athletics. She was named to the SEC
Academic Honor Roll three times and served as the student-athlete
representative on the UGA Athletic Board during 2007-08.

ISP Sports, multimedia rights holder for UGA Athletics since 2006, assumed
management of the Georgia Bulldog Radio Network this past summer. The
company produces radio programming for nearly 40 major college athletic
programs around the country while maintaining more than 60 sales and
marketing partnerships on the collegiate level. A dozen affiliates
throughout the state will carry Lady Bulldog Basketball this season,
anchored by AM 960 The Ref in Athens and WXKT 103.7 FM throughout Northeast
Georgia.

The Lady Bulldogs were tabbed No. 21 in the pre-season Associated Press poll
announced last week. Georgia will open its 2009-10 campaign on Sunday,
November 15 when the Lady Bulldogs host Oklahoma, a 2009 Final Four
participant, at Stegeman Coliseum. The Sooners are one of four 2009 NCAA
Tournament teams – along with Rutgers, Georgia Tech and Virginia – that will
visit Athens for Sunday matinee matchups in November and December. Five of
Georgia’s eight SEC home dates also will be on Sundays.

Season tickets for the Lady Bulldogs’ 16 home games are just $25 and are
available via georgiadogs.com or at the UGA Ticket Office in the Butts-Mehre
Heritage Hall on Monday-Friday from 8:30-4:30. UGA faculty, staff and
students are admitted to Lady Bulldog games free of charge with a valid UGA
ID.

SERENA WILLIAMS, JOHN ISNER AND MELANIE OUDIN ARE COMING TO ATHENS, GA

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

SERENA WILLIAMS, JOHN ISNER AND MELANIE OUDIN ARE COMING TO ATHENS, GA

Tennis greats team up for Rock-n-Racquets benefiting the University of Georgia General Scholarship Fund

Athens, GA November 3, 2009 – Get Ready to Rock! World #1 Serena Williams and University of Georgia four-time All-American John Isner will team up on-court together in Rock-n-Racquets to be held at Stegeman Coliseum on the campus of the University of Georgia on Saturday, December 12, 2009, 4PM. Williams and Isner will be joined by U.S. Open star and Marietta, Georgia native Melanie Oudin and the 2009 Olympus U.S. Open Series champion Sam Querrey.

Rock-n-Racquets has been designed as an annual tennis exhibition like no other. The event features the world’s most exciting tennis players with a musical component woven throughout the evening’s line-up. The synergy of athleticism and music capitalizes on providing fans with the ultimate sports/entertainment experience.

Tickets will go on sale Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 8 am EST and will be priced at $37.50 for a reserved seat and $65 for a Premium reserved seat. A special offer of just $10 will be available for current University of Georgia students, faculty and staff in designated sections (Proper University Identification must be shown at the event). In addition, USTA Southern Section members will receive a 10% discount off reserved seats. A portion of ticket prices will benefit the University of Georgia General Scholarship Fund. Less than 5,000 seats (lower bowl of Stegeman Coliseum) will be sold so the event is expected to sell out quickly.

Rock-n-Racquets successfully debuted in 2002 in Miami, FL and was followed by great exhibitions in Little Rock, AR, Mobile, AL, Boise, ID, Wichita, KS, Omaha, NE, and a three city tour in 2008 which included Louisville, KY, Columbia, SC and Knoxville, TN. Now, thanks to John Isner and the University of Georgia, this tennis extravaganza comes to Athens. Isner, who starred at the University of Georgia and was the #1 singles player for the 2007 NCAA Championship team, is returning to Athens for the first time as a professional.

“The University of Georgia is proud to host these elite athletes for what should truly be one of the best events for Athens in 2009,” said Damon Evans, University of Georgia Athletic Director. “Hosting an event like this on campus is a unique opportunity and we are excited to have our former Bulldog John Isner, who did so much for our tennis program back as a pro.”

“Rock-n-Racquets is so much fun and I am really excited to be a part of it once again,” said Serena. "I am looking forward to playing with John where he had so much success, close to Melanie’s hometown and in a market that is so passionate for tennis”.

“I’ve wanted to bring an event to UGA since I turned pro in 2007 and after I played in Rock-n-Racquets last year I knew it was the event to bring to Athens,” said Isner. “I am so excited to be playing on campus once again where I have such great memories. I know the Georgia community will pack the coliseum to create a big-time atmosphere for great music and great tennis!”

Showcasing the best in men’s and women’s professional tennis, the format for the evening consists of three components:

Men’s and Women’s Singles- 6’9” John Isner will take on 6’6” Sam Querrey in a battle of two of the biggest servers in tennis. Serena Williams, the World’s current #1 ranked player takes on Melanie Oudin as the present takes on the future of American women’s tennis

Mixed Doubles – Rock-n-Racquets exclusive – Isner and Serena will team up against Querrey and Oudin to compete in a mixed doubles match.

The evening will be complemented by music and an atmosphere of high-energy and fun unlike any tennis event seen before. Wayne Bryan, father of the world’s #1 doubles team Bob and Mike Bryan, serves as the event emcee and will entertain the crowd through fan interactive activities.

Doors will open at 2:30PM with an autograph session at Stegeman Coliseum with play scheduled to start at 4PM (Format, time and order of play subject to change).

Tickets can be purchased through the University of Georgia Ticket Office, Mon-Fri. 8:00AM – 4:30PM, online at www.georgiadogs.com or by calling toll free 877-542-1231.

For additional information, please visit www.rocknracquets.com.

Bulldogs Enjoy Productive Workout Wednesday

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

ATHENS——The Georgia Bulldogs enjoyed a productive two-hour workout Wednesday as they continue preparations for their Homecoming contest with Tennessee Tech.

“The coaches were coaching hard and the players were working hard and competing,” said Georgia coach Mark Richt. “It was a good, physical day, and I liked what I saw. They got after it, and I saw no signs of giving in, there was a lot energy.”

Richt praised the play this season of sophomore specialists Drew Butler and Blair Walsh. Butler leads the nation in punting with a 49.7 yard average while Walsh is 12-for-13 on field goal attempts and is 72-for-72 in PATs in his career.

“They have done a fantastic job for us,” said Richt. “They decided they wanted to be great, they are focused and have worked their tail off. They could be the best tandem in the country, and they are both sophomores.”

On the injury front, Richt said junior offensive lineman Clint Boling is fine and practicing at full speed. However, Richt announced that redshirt sophomore defensive end Neland Ball has been medically disqualified due to a chronic back issue.

Ball, a 6-6, 236-pound native of Jackson, Ga., had not played this season. After a redshirt season in 2007, he saw action in five games in 2008. Then, he missed spring drills following patella tendon surgery this past January. The Bulldogs will have junior defensive end Kiante Tripp back this Saturday. He has played in just one game this year, seeing action against South Carolina.

“I’ve seen a lot of energy and effort from Kiante this week,” said Richt.

Saturday’s kickoff is set for 1:06 p.m. ET, and it will be televised on a pay-per-view basis. Cable and satellite systems in both Georgia and Tennessee will be offered the telecast with an individual subscription price of $29.95. For fans in Georgia and Tennessee, the telecast will also be available on the UGA Athletics official website (www.georgiadogs.com) for $19.95.

Regular “GXtra” subscribers to the website may view the contest for $14.95. The game will be a College Sports Southeast (CSS) production, and it will feature the familiar broadcast team of Matt Stewart (play by play) and Buck Belue (color analyst) plus sideline reporter Sandra Golden.

Bulldogs Start Preparations For Tennessee Tech

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0400

ATHENS——The Georgia Bulldogs return to Sanford Stadium this Saturday for a Homecoming date with Tennessee Tech.

Georgia (4-4) spent most of October on the road, traveling to Tennessee twice and to Jacksonville this past Saturday. When the Bulldogs play host to the Golden Eagles (5-3) Saturday, 35 days will have passed between home games. The Bulldogs had a stretch of 42 days between home games in 2008.

Speaking on his Sunday conference call with the media, Georgia coach Mark Richt said the Bulldogs have returned to work with their focus on the upcoming game with Tennessee Tech.

“We’re 4-4, and we need to win the game,” said Richt. “If we’re truly men of integrity like we try to be, when things don’t go well, we have to work as hard just like when things are going great, and we plan to work hard. There have been teams over the years that give in, and we’re not going to be one of those, we’ll keep fighting and practicing hard each week like we have been. That’s our goal to keep chopping wood.”

Richt was asked about any potential lineup changes and said he and his staff evaluate everybody at every position each week.

“We just got done looking at the film, and there’s nothing to report now,” said Richt. “Any time a young guy is playing, it bodes well for the future. Any decision I make or we make as a staff, it’s based on the best chance we have to win this year. We owe that to our seniors, our fans, to everybody who bust their tail every day.”

The Bulldogs are minus 15 in turnover margin and part of that has been Georgia missing out on recovering fumbles. Georgia has forced 10 fumbles and only recovered one.

“We went in to this last game (Florida) with nine forced fumbles and we’d had gotten one, and some of that is just the way the ball bounces,” said Richt. “There was one yesterday around the 30, we forced it and Florida got that one back. We have not been able to get on it, and that’s been a problem.”

Georgia has 14 fumbles and lost eight of them plus have thrown 13 interceptions while the Bulldog defense has recorded five interceptions. Opponents have scored 88 points off Georgia’s 21 turnovers this season. Sixteen of those turnovers have come inside Georgia territory. In the loss to top-ranked Florida, the Gators scored 17 points off four Bulldog miscues.

Saturday’s kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET, and it will be televised on a pay-per-view basis. Cable and satellite systems in both Georgia and Tennessee will be offered the telecast with an individual subscription price of $29.95. For fans in Georgia and Tennessee, the telecast will also be available on the UGA Athletics official website (www.georgiadogs.com) for $19.95.

Georgia Postgame Notes: Oct. 31 vs. #1 Florida

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Boykin Sets Single-Season Kickoff Return Record: Sophomore Brandon Boykin now owns the school record for kickoff return yards in a season with 714 on 28 returns. He finished with 114 kickoff return yards on six returns against Florida. Boykin set the mark on his first KOR of the second half, which gave him 691 yards on 26 returns. The previous record holder was Asher Allen (690 yards on 28 ret. in 2007).

Points Off Turnovers: Georgia had four turnovers and the Gators converted them into 17 points. Senior QB Joe Cox threw three INTs and sophomore Logan Gray had one INT. Opponents have scored 88 points off of 21 turnovers. For the season, Georgia is minus-15 in its turnover ratio. Sixteen of those 21 turnovers have come within Georgia territory this year with three interceptions returned for TDs.

Walsh Drills Another: Sophomore PK Blair Walsh connected on a 49-yard FG at the beginning of the second quarter. Walsh has hit 12-of-13 this season and has drilled seven FGs of 40 or more yards in 2009. Sophomore Drew Butler, the NCAA leader in punting, had four punts for a 52.5 average including a 61-yarder. He now is averaging 49.7 for the year.

White Continues Success Versus Florida: Sophomore TE Aron White had a 26-yard TD grab in the second quarter. It was his fourth career TD catch and his second against the Gators. White had a 19-yard score against the Gators in 2008, which was the first TD of his career. Sophomore A.J. Green, the SEC leader in receiving, had three catches for 50 yards. Senior SE Michael Moore gave the Bulldogs’ a second receiving TD after snagging a 4-yarder in the third quarter. It was his only catch today.

Ealey Produces Again: Freshman tailback Washaun Ealey got his second career start and had his first career reception (20 yards) in the first quarter. Ealey finished with 70 yards rushing on 17 carries.

Sizzling At Kickoff: Temperature at game time was 84 degrees, which is the hottest it has been at kickoff for a Bulldogs’ game this year. The previous high was the season opener at Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla. The temperature was 81 degrees.

Starters: Sophomore Nick Williams started for the first time in his career after lining up at SLB. Freshman defensive back Branden Smith also got his first start after lining up in the Bulldogs’ offensive backfield. The Bulldogs had their fifth different starting lineup on the offensive line as junior Clint Boling (LT), sophomore Cordy Glenn (LG), sophomore Ben Jones ©, junior Chris Davis (RG), junior Josh Davis (RT). Also of note, junior LB Akeem Dent returned to action after missing the last five games with a hamstring injury.

Injuries: Sophomore SLB Nick Williams left the game in the fourth quarter with a back injury and did not return. Sophomore DE Justin Houston injured his left elbow in the fourth quarter and did not return.

Black Helmets, Pants: The Bulldogs came out against the Gators in black helmets and black pants. This is believed to be the first time in program history that Georgia has worn black helmets. The Bulldogs have worn black pants on occasion, but the first time in the Mark Richt era. The first time the Bulldogs wore black pants was during a 33-6 win over Wisconsin in the 1998 Outback Bowl. Georgia also wore red jerseys and black pants during the 1998 Florida game.

Next Week’s Opponent: Georgia (4-4, 3-3 SEC) has its homecoming matchup with Tennessee Tech on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 1 p.m. The Bulldogs have played the Golden Eagles only once, topping Tennessee Tech 67-0 between the hedges in 1943. This will be the first time Georgia will be back at Sanford Stadium since hosting LSU on Oct. 3.

Richt, Bulldogs Preview Florida

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

ATHENS——-Georgia head coach Mark Richt and a delegation of football players met with the media Tuesday during the Bulldogs’ weekly press luncheon. They offered the following comments:

Head Coach Mark Richt
Opening statement…
“We have Florida this week. They are No. 1 in the nation, 17-game winning streak. No one’s had a lot of success versus Florida lately. Coach (Urban) Meyer has done a great job with that program, no doubt.”

On changes on the offensive line…
“We really don’t have a lot of choices, so I don’t see a lot of change there. The guys that have been playing will continue to play. We may move them around a little bit, but I’m not even sure of that. But the same guys will play that are playing—the two Davises (Josh and Chris), Cordy (Glenn), (Vince) Vance, (Clint) Boling, Ben Jones and (Justin Anderson). They will all play.”

On Florida’s defensive line…
“They are outstanding. It’s probably not a one-man job to block those guys. We will do what we do against a lot of the great pass rushers and try to get some help from backs, get some help from tight ends, get some help by just sliding a protection toward a certain guy and know that if a tackle gets beat inside there will be a guard there hopefully waiting to help out. All those types of things will have to be considered. Then we just hope we don’t get into too many situations where we just flat out have to throw the ball. We hope to be in downs and distances that will afford us not to get into that type of situation.”

On playing in the warm weather on Saturday…
“The heat and humidity can certainly become a factor in the game. We know early in the season it does become a factor, so we have to make sure we are ready to substitute, no doubt.”

On the comparison of Tim Tebow to Herschel Walker…
“I think they are both legends. One is still playing and the other one of course hasn’t played in quite some time. There is no question that Tim Tebow has made his mark on Florida football, on Southeastern Conference football and on the entire nation. He’ll be one of those guys who will be remembered as long as people care about college football. Herschel is the same way.”

On Herschel Walker…
“He was the man. You’d see him running guys over and diving over the top. He was just such a big, strong man to be able to do some of the things that he could do physically. I do recall him getting interviewed some where along the way and thinking that he was very, very humble and pretty country. He just looked like a Georgia boy. He was something special.”

On whether there is carryover from the 2007 and 2008 games into the game on Saturday…
“I don’t know. I think every season has its own issues. We certainly have ours and they don’t have many. Any issues they have, they’ve been able to solve with victories. I think we are most concerned about what it’s going to take to win the ballgame more than anything else.”

On whether the era of big, fast tailbacks like Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson is ending…
“I just think one day another guy will come along that fits that description and somebody will probably decide not to let him play linebacker in high school and let him run the ball. I think Herschel was one of a kind. Not to say Bo Jackson wasn’t special, because he was. They were a little bit different in their type. I wouldn’t be surprised to see another big, giant guy become the thing again. They just don’t come along that often period, I don’t think.”

On whether Mike Bobo will coach from the field again…
“I didn’t even ask him, but I’m assuming yes.”

On whether the team made strides against Vanderbilt…
“We did. We definitely got better. I thought we got better as a team in general. We ran the ball better than we’ve been running it offensively. We didn’t have the big turnover issues. Defensively I thought we played very sound really all but one drive. I thought they played dominating football other than the first drive of the second half. I thought our special teams overall played very well that day. I think if you look and see what everyone has done against Vanderbilt this season, we performed pretty well against them when you look at what other people have done. Vanderbilt, I know their record isn’t all that great right now, but they’re in just about every ballgame they play.”

On Joe being a first-time starter in the Georgia-Florida game…
“The only thing that is really unique about it and it doesn’t really affect the quarterback as much because he’s only in there half the time, but it is live the whole game. When you have half-and-half as far as the fan base, you have enough people to create enough noise to cause problems. When we have the ball we know Florida is making all the noise they can, and when Florida has the ball we know Georgia fans are making as much noise as they can. What’s different about it is the constant volume of the noise throughout the entire ballgame, where if you were playing at Alabama, they are going to be loud, LSU is going to be loud, but when they have the ball they are going to be quiet. There is really no quiet time, maybe on a punt or something or at the commercial breaks, but the fans will definitely get a workout.”

On Georgia’s recent practices…
“I thought we practiced real fast and with a good demeanor. I mentioned the scout team the other day; they did a really good job, but the harder and the faster they go, the better practice we have because maybe 50 percent of our practice is versus our scouts whether it’s kicking or offense and defense. When the scout team, especially the offensive scout team has good tempo, it allows the defense to play at a good tempo, you can probably only play at about as fast as those guys go. I was real pleased at what they did. Today was supposed to be a Wednesday-type practice, a shells practice with the same kind of tempo and energy, and it may be that we have to go inside today and treat tomorrow, Wednesday, as a true Wednesday practice. Thursday we will get into the stadium and get as much noise as we can.”

On Florida’s success…
“Any time success is happening close to home, it’s certainly right in front of you all the time. You know if you have to compete against that team every year and you have to beat that team to get where you want to go, it drives you. There are a lot of other teams in this league that drive us too. It’s just such a competitive league. But Florida, as of late, has set the bar.”

On whether last year’s game is a factor in preparing for the game on Saturday…
“I don’t know about the guys individually. There may be some guys who are more worried about that. I’m more concerned about this game, this plan, this team. I’ve been focusing on the preparation for this game. I will say motivation, I don’t think this game needs anything extra from that past to get anybody excited to play. I just don’t think we need that.”

On who is playing Tim Tebow on Georgia’s scout team in practice…
“We’ve had about three guys. I don’t think one guy could beat Tebow all by himself.”

On this being his last time preparing for Tim Tebow…
“He’s a very unique guy. He’s special.”

Joe Cox:
On what Georgia needs to do in order to be successful against Florida…
“Execute in every phase of the game. We know they are a great team all the way across the board and that’s why they are number one in the country. We know that there is really small room for error in this game, and we have to know our plan better than any plan we’ve had all this year to be successful and have no mental errors or turnovers. We know what we are up against, and we know that we are going to have to play a great game.”

On what Georgia’s offense facing Florida’s defense…
“I think we definitely need to lean on the run game. That helps us out in every other aspect of our offense. We have to get something going there and keep it going the whole game to keep them off balance and not know that we are just going to throw ball every down.”

On the 50-50 crowd split at the Georgia-Florida game…
“I think it’s the best part about the game. I know that there are people who say this game needs to come to Atlanta sometimes, but it doesn’t matter because wherever you are it’s going to be a 50-50 crowd. It’s always really cool to see it like that. Two teams that are big rivals get to share the stadium. It’s one of the best games in college football, and it’s always a fun game to be a part of.”

Aron White:
On making his first-career touchdown reception against Florida last year…
“It’s definitely bittersweet to score a touchdown like that. I hadn’t got a whole lot of playing time up to that point in the season, and to get put in with about two minutes left you want to go in there and play hard. At the same time, it’s hard to come in and have a lot of fire and fight when you already feel the game is beyond your control and you can’t do a whole lot. Luckily, I got a chance to get in there. Joe (Cox) put a great ball up and I made a play. To catch that ball meant a lot to me.”

Bryan Evans
On playing Florida after Urban Meyer called two timeouts with one minute to go last year…
“It is a big motivating factor. We have it hanging up in the locker room and every time we see his hands in that time out position it reminds us of what happened last year and hopefully that can drive us as a team. We will never forget that image and that is something that we don’t want to experience again.”

On the game being in Jacksonville, Evans hometown…
“I do like it. I wouldn’t say it’s a neutral site on both sides just because of the distance, but I think it’s a good atmosphere for the game and it’s big down there.”

On the constant stadium noise…
“It is never quiet at this game. It is a game that just has so much emotion in the crowd and on the field at the same time. It is just a different atmosphere and it is something that we cant experience at any other game but this one.”

Rennie Curran
On Tebow’s potential to break Herschel Walker’s rushing touchdown record this game…
“Just knowing the type of player that Herschel was and the type of guy that he is now, we just want to represent for the guys who played before us. That would be huge for us to hold their offense and Tebow and not let them score. We know they like to put the ball in his hands on the goal line so that is going to be our main goal. Not just because it is going to be a record but because as a defense we just want to play our best game.”

On being motivated after Urban Meyer called two timeouts with one minute to go last year…
“It’s huge. In 2007, they used our celebration as motivation for them. We just have to go out and play our best game without worrying about the past. We use our motivation from what’s happened this season as a means to play well.”

On the game in general…
“It is a game we look forward to playing each year. It’s a game you want to play in on a national stage against the top athletes. There is no bigger stage than this on college game day, especially with the fans. It is a game I love to play in and a game I love to make big plays in.”

Bulldogs Finish Fourth In Isleworth Collegiate

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

WINDERMERE, Fla. - The Georgia men’s golf team shot the lowest round of
the day on Tuesday to finish fourth in the Isleworth Collegiate
Invitational.

The Bulldogs fired a 4-over-par 292 in the final round to wind up at 29-over
893, 12 shots behind Oklahoma State’s 881. Georgia opened the tournament in
ninth place with a 304, and then improved to seventh with a second-round
297.

“We did not get off to the start we had hoped for, but we improved each day,
and that makes me proud,” Georgia coach Chris Haack. “We’ve had to juggle a
lot of things this fall due to injuries, but I feel like the chemistry is
coming together and that we’ll be a tougher team in the spring. I am proud
of the guys for their effort in this one.”

On Tuesday, the Bulldogs counted an even-par 72 from Harris English, a
1-over 73 from both T.J. Mitchell and Wills Smith, and a 2-over 74 from
Russell Henley. Georgia dropped an 86 from Brian Carter.

Mitchell had the best finish of his young career as he came in sixth at
3-over 219, eight shots behind Alabama’s Bud Cauley. Henley, the 2009
Isleworth medalist, placed seventh at 4-over 220. English, who won the
Isleworth in 2008, finished at 12-over 228, followed by Smith at 14-over 230
and Carter at 25-over 241.

The Isleworth Collegiate was Georgia’s final competition of the fall. The
Bulldogs will return to action in February in the Puerto Rico Shootout.

Georgia 34 Vandy 10 Rewind

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Georgia enjoyed its second trip to Tennessee much better as the Bulldogs awakened an offense that had sleep-walked the past three games and shipwrecked the Vanderbilt Commodores 34-10 on Oct. 17 at Vandy’s Dudley Field.

The Bulldogs, following their much-needed open date, will now head for Jacksonville on Oct. 31 (3:30-CBS-TV) sporting a 4-3 season record and 3-2 SEC chart as they attempt to loosen the severe stranglehold the Florida Gators have held on Georgia over the past two decades.

Not only did the Bulldogs’ offense come to life on a cold, windy day in Nashville as Georgia totaled 399 yards via 226 passing and 173 rushing while tallying more points than any Commodore opponent this season (LSU, Ole Miss had 23), but the much-maligned UGA defense stepped up as well by limiting the struggling Vandy offense to the one touchdown, 122 yards rushing and 174 passing.

Snapping back from consecutive losses to LSU and Tennessee, the Bulldogs tuned up for the Gators by surging to a 17-3 halftime lead on a 65-yard touchdown run by A.J. Green after Green had pulled in a short hitch pass from Joe Cox, a 2-yard run by Caleb King and a 42-yard Blair Walsh field goal.
After the Commodores responded with their only touchdown drive of the day early in the third quarter to pull within 17-10, the Bulldogs then reeled off 17 unanswered points to run away from Vanderbilt on the Commodores’ annual Homecoming celebration. Georgia’s second-half scores came on another Walsh field goal, this time from 43 yards, a 21-yard screen pass from Cox to King and fullback Fred Munzenmaier’s 9-yard run.

After it was over, head coach Mark Richt called it “probably the best all-around game we’ve played this year.
“It was a tough grind this week but everybody stayed focused,” said Richt. “We said all week our No. 1 goal was to win this game against Vanderbilt. It’s always good to win but we won in a fashion today where our offense, defense and special teams all played well, and we hadn’t done that all year.”

What Worked

After being checked to a measly 27 yards on the ground in the first half, Georgia finally got the run game in gear in the final two periods to post the season-high 173 infantry yards.
“I’m glad we stuck with it and as you can see, it wears people down,” said Cox. “It didn’t do a lot at first but if you keep driving the ball, it opens up play-action and then you’ll start getting big runs and that’s how you put teams away. We needed a good run game today.”

And for once, the Bulldogs’ defense didn’t surrender big play after big play, in contrast making the Vanderbilt offense earn every single yard it got. Georgia also got outstanding pressure on Commodore quarterback Larry Smith, chalking up three sacks of Smith. And, once again, the Bulldogs’ kicking game staged another A-plus performance with Drew Butler averaging 47 yards on five punts and Walsh improving to 11-for-12 on the season with his two field goals.

What Didn’t Work

Not much to complain about here as the Bulldogs came up with a sorely-needed victory and a dose of confidence as they got ready to face the hated Gators. Still, let’s keep in prospective that this was a Vanderbilt team that had beaten only Western Carolina and Rice and had fallen to Army. And, no matter whom they’re playing, the Bulldogs can’t avoid making a bundle of penalties. This time, Georgia committed eight infractions for 71 yards.

Top Performers

Plenty to mention in this game. Green had three catches for 95 yards—all in the first half—including his career-long 65-yard TD reception, Cox was 16-of-31 for 226 yards and a touchdown, with one pick, freshman Washaun Ealey ran for a game-high 71 yards on 13 carries, including a 33-yard dash, and Caleb King rang up his first two-touchdown day at Georgia. And then there was the kick returning of Prince Miller and Brandon Boykin. Miller set up Bulldog scores by hauling back two punts for 95 yards, including a 55-yard return and Boykin continued his fine kickoff returning by running three back for 71 yards. Defensively, there was linebacker Rennie Curran again with his nine total tackles and tackle Geno Atkins and safety Reshad Jones with eight stops each. Jones also picked off a Smith pass while Justin Houston, Demarcus Dobbs and Kade Weston registered sacks of the Vandy QB.

Any chance in J-Ville?

After being blown out in Knoxville and then enjoying a blowout of their own in Nashville, these enigmatic Bulldogs will undoubtedly be a sizable underdog Saturday against the top-ranked, unbeaten Gators of Urban Meyer. But at the same time, Florida hasn’t exactly been a point machine this season, scoring 13 at Baton Rouge and then having to rally late to escape with a 23-20 win over an Arkansas team that the Bulldogs scored 52 points against. So if, and that’s a huge IF, Georgia were able to finally bring its offense and defense together against a quality opponent, then things could get right interesting Halloween evening on the banks of the St. Johns River.

Georgia PostGame Notes Versus Vanderbilt

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

*Starters: Freshman TB Washaun Ealey and junior FB Fred Munzenmaier made their first career starts today. Also, junior Josh Davis made his 2009 debut with a start at RT. He started four games last year including the final three before a shoulder injury in the Capital One Bowl and missed spring drills. With Davis in the lineup, junior Clint Boling slid over and started at RG. He started the first six games at RT. Ealey finished with 71 yards on 13 carries (a 5.5 average). Munzenmaier had 10 rushing yards on two carries and his first 3 receptions of his career for 21 yards.

King Registers Two Touchdowns: Sophomore TB Caleb King had one career TD before today (last year vs. Central Michigan) and scored one rushing and his first career receiving TD, a 21-yarder from Joe Cox. King finished with 14 yards on five carries.

Special Teams: Walsh Boots A Pair: Sophomore PK Blair Walsh improved to 11-for-12 on the year in Field Goal Attempts, making a 42-yarder and a 43-yarder today. He was 4-for-4 in PATs to remain perfect in his career at 70-for-70. Senior Prince Miller had two big punt returns for a total of 95 yards (47.5 avg.) while sophomore Brandon Boykin averaged 23.7 on three kickoffs. And returning to action, junior safety Quintin Banks who made his 2009 debut in the second half, returning from a knee injury. Sophomore Drew Butler, the NCAA leader in punting average, had five for a 47.0 average today.

Points Off Turnovers: Georgia managed 7 points off one Vanderbilt turnover (Reshad Jones INT). Vanderbilt failed to convert an INT by Joe Cox in to any points. For Jones, it was his first this year and eighth of his career. It was the fifth INT for the Bulldogs this year. The Bulldogs have a turnover margin of minus 11 this year. Georgia has forced six turnovers this year and turned them in to 21 points.

Big Play A.J. Green: Sophomore A.J. Green took a screen pass from Joe Cox and turned it in to a career-long 65-yard TD catch to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. He finished the game with three catches for 95 yards, all coming in the first half. Cox finished the day 16-for-31 for 226 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT.

Red Zone: Georgia returned to the Red Zone today, capping an eight-play, 64-yard drive with a two-yard TD by Caleb King, his first of the year. Last week at Tennessee, Georgia did not reach the Red Zone for the first time since the 1990 Clemson game, a span of 232 contests.

Trio Of Sacks: After not having any sacks last week against Tennessee, the Bulldogs had three in the first half against Vanderbilt as Demarcus Dobbs, Kade Weston and Justin Houston posted one each. The season high for sacks for the Bulldogs this year is six against LSU. Georgia finished with three sacks today.

Georgia-Vanderbilt Series: With today’s 34-10 win, the Bulldogs improved to 50-18-2 in the series including 23-7-1 in Vanderbilt stadium.

Up Next: The Bulldogs (4-3, 3-2 SEC) have an open date and return to action Oct. 31 against #1 Florida in Jacksonville. Kickoff will be at 3:30 p.m. ET and be televised by CBS.

Quotes from Georgia-Vandy

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

UGA Player: Joe Cox (14)

On the running game
“I’m glad we stuck with it and as you can see, it wears people down. It didn’t do a lot at first but if you keep driving the ball, it opens up play-action and then you’ll starting getting big runs and that’s how you put teams away. We needed a good run game today. It wasn’t our best day running the ball, but it was effective when it needed to be, especially at the end when we had the drive where we only threw the ball one time. It put 7 points on the board and took a lot of time off the clock.”

On importance of having something good happen
“It’s huge. I don’t want to know what it would have been like if we came out and lost three games in a row and then had an off week to think about it. We know we still have a lot of tough games left and luckily we’re getting a break and luckily we ended our seven game streak on a good note. We can go into the break, get refreshed, and get ready for the next team.”

UGA Player: A.J. Green (8)
On putting together a good performance with rivalry game coming up
“It felt good coming into the game and going into the bye-week with a win. We have nothing to lose. Going into the Florida game, we’re just going to walk in, play hard, and see what happens.”

On career high reception
“I just do what I’m supposed to do whenever my number is called. I don’t really focus on things like that.”

UGA Player: Prince Miller (23)
On red-zone interception
“Well, you would like to see the guys throw it into the end-zone, but we have to just go back out and play defense and keep driving”

On watching team get first touchdown
“I was happy. I do all I can to get my team good field position. Coach worked us hard and it paid off. ”

Georgia Head Coach Mark Richt

On the game:
“We’re thankful for a great victory today. I thought the team played extremely well on all facets and this was the best we’ve done at this point in a game. I’m proud of the way that they approached the game and the preparation for this game.”

On preparations for Vandy game:
“The team was emotionally ready to play this game. They were able to battle through the week of outside distractions that can take your focus off. Before the game, I liked how they prepared mentally and I felt their energy today. I’ve had weeks like this in my career, but I don’t pay attention to the outside influences. I was convinced that the best thing for us to do was to put blinders on and put on a good performance today for Georgia football.”

On play of running backs:
“I thought that Washaun (Ealey) ran the ball well in the second half. He’s still a young back and improving. All of the backs ran well today and protected well against the blitzes by Vandy’s defense.”

On playing with a lead:
“It was big for us to get three points at the end of the half, but to Vanderbilt’s credit, they came out with a fire to start the second half but we were able to settle in and control the game the rest of the way. Towards the end, we wanted to get some young players in and let them play.”

On A.J. Green:
“I want to look at the tape again to see his touchdown. Good thing happen for us when we get the ball to him.”

Georgia’s Rennie Curran Named Semifinalist For Rotary Lombardi Award

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

ATHENS, Ga. - Georgia junior linebacker Rennie Curran has been named one of 12 semifinalists for the Rotary Lombardi Award, according to an announcement from the award’s committee late Wednesday.

On Nov. 11, the four Lombardi finalists will be named. All of the finalists will travel to Houston for the ceremony and the winner will be announced on Dec. 9.

Curran, a 5-11, 222-pound native of Snellville, Ga., leads the Southeastern Conference with 63 tackles, including 3.0 tackles for loss. He is the only player in the league to be averaging 10+ tackles a game at 10.5, which is tied for 15th in the NCAA. Curran has had nine games with 10 or more tackles during his career.

Curran set a career high with 16 tackles versus #4 LSU this season and has led the Bulldogs in tackles every game this year. He also tallied a game-high 15 tackles and had a game-saving pass break-up to help clinch the win over South Carolina earlier this season.

Former Bulldog two-time All-American David Pollack, also a Snellville native, is the only Georgia player to ever win the award after being named the 2004 recipient.

The Lombardi award is named after Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers who first made a name as the smallest but toughest member of Fordham University’s famed “Seven Blocks of Granite.”

A selection committee of over 400 coaches, writers, broadcasters and previous finalists participate in a three-tiered balloting process. Each year, the selection committee selects 12 semifinalists, four finalists and the winner.

The Rotary Lombardi Award goes to the college football lineman – offensive or defensive – who, in addition to displaying outstanding performance and ability, best exemplifies the character and discipline of Vince Lombardi. The young man must have the following qualifications:
• Be a down lineman, end-to-end, either on offense or defense, setting up no farther than 10 yards to the left or right of the ball at the time of the snap.
• Be a linebacker on defense, setting up no farther than five yards deep from the line of
scrimmage.
• Does not come out of the offensive backfield and set up on the line of scrimmage as a
blocker or receiver, or listed in the program as a back or receiver.
• Shows leadership, courage, desire, respect for authority and discipline.
• Need not be a senior.

Bulldogs Make Final Preparations For Encounter With Commodores

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

ATHENS, Ga. – The Georgia Bulldogs made final preparations to their game plan for this weekend’s Southeastern Conference encounter with the Vanderbilt Commodores by holding a 90-minute practice at Sanford Stadium on Thursday.

Following the team’s normal protocol on Thursday’s prior to road contests, the Bulldogs held the practice Between the Hedges with crowd noise being played over the stadium speakers for half of the workout to simulate game day atmosphere.

Georgia (3-3, 2-2 SEC) will travel to for Nashville, Tenn., to meet Vanderbilt (2-4, 0-3 SEC) on Saturday at 12:21 p.m. ET at Vanderbilt Stadium. The game will be televised by the SEC Network with Dave Neal calling the play-by-play, Andre Ware providing color analysis and Cara Capuano reporting from the sidelines. All Georgia games are broadcast live on the Bulldog Radio Network on ISP Sports with Scott Howard (play-by-play) and Eric Zeier (color analysis). The radio audio can also be heard worldwide on both georgiadogs.com, the official website of UGA Athletics, on XM Satellite Radio channel 141 and on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 121.

Prior to Thursday’s practice, Georgia head coach Mark Richt talked about how the team has done in this week’s preparation.

“They’re showing up, they’re going to work and they got a reasonable amount of enthusiasm considering what’s been going on,” said Richt, who has won seven of eight meetings against Vanderbilt during his tenure at Georgia. “You don’t want them to just be out there having the best time of their lives during practice because Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s are pretty tough work days anyway. I would say they are still grinding, they’re still battling and they still want to prepare well.”

Saturday’s contest is the second of three consecutive road games for Georgia. The Bulldogs fell to Tennessee in Knoxville, 45-19, on Oct. 10 to open the road swing. After this week’s game against VU, Georgia will have a bye on Oct. 24 before meeting top-ranked Florida in Jacksonville on Oct. 31. The Bulldogs will have gone 35 days without playing a game at Sanford Stadium when they return home to face Tennessee Tech on Nov. 7.

“We need momentum,” Richt said in regards to the importance of the game against Vanderbilt prior to the bye week. “You gain momentum by executing well and by ultimately winning the ball game. It’s like I said Sunday to the team – priority one. There’s no priority but to focus on the preparation of this football game. The best thing that can happen to us right now is to win this game, but we got to earn it. This game is crucial. It’s big.”

The last time Georgia played in Nashville in 2007, the Bulldogs defeated the Commodores, 20-17, with a Brandon Coutu field goal as time expired. Last year, UGA won its second-straight game over VU by a score of 24-14 in Athens. Vanderbilt’s only win against UGA during the Richt era came in 2006 in Sanford Stadium by a 24-22 margin. In the all-time series between the schools, Georgia leads 49-18-2 overall including a 22-7-1 mark in Vanderbilt Stadium.

Bulldogs Conduct Full Pads Practice

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

ATHENS, Ga. - The Georgia Bulldogs (3-3, 2-1 SEC) practiced in full pads for two and a half hours on Tuesday afternoon as they worked to install their game plan for this weekend’s game with Vanderbilt (2-4, 0-3 SEC) in Nashville.

“Practice today was good,” head coach Mark Richt said. “We got a lot of good work in. I’m continued to be impressed with the progress of (Bacarri) Rambo. He’s playing with a lot of confidence, and I really think he’s going to help us out.”

During his pre-practice talk with the Bulldogs, Richt named this week’s team captains. Three of the four captains will be tackles — Geno Atkins and Kade Weston on defense and Clint Boling on offense. Redshirt freshman Sanders Commings earned the first captain’s “C” of his career to represent the special teams.

“Sanders played really well on special teams last week,” Richt said. “He’s a guy who has been close to making a lot of plays. Last week, he took it to another level. I’m pleased we were able to reward him by naming him a captain.”

At lunchtime on Tuesday, Richt and selected players took part in the
Bulldogs’ weekly press conference. There he discussed the matchup with the Commodores in detail.

“We have to get back on the winning track against Vanderbilt, that’s our
hope,” Richt said. “Coach (Bobby) Johnson has done a really fine job there. Since we’ve been playing them for so many years, we’ll go back years on the video and it seems like every year you progress, they are getting faster and more athletic. They are really playing extremely well, especially on defense. They have had their struggles on offense, but defensively they are really giving everybody a bunch of grief. Overall they are a very well-coached team. It is a team that I’m sure is just as hungry for a victory as we are. We are looking forward to getting over there and getting back on the winning track.”

This week’s contest will be televised on the SEC Network and will be
broadcast on more than 80 affiliate stations from coast to coast. Kickoff is slated for 12:21 ET.

Richt, Bulldogs Preview Vanderbilt

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

RICHT, BULLDOGS PREVIEW VANDERBILT

UGA Sports Communications
Oct. 13, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ATHENS——-Georgia head coach Mark Richt and several football players met with the media Tuesday during the Bulldogs’ weekly press luncheon. They offered the following comments:

Head Coach Mark Richt

Opening statement…
“We certainly had a disappointing loss last week. We have to get back on the winning track against Vanderbilt, that’s our hope. Coach (Bobby) Johnson has done a really fine job there. Since we’ve been playing them for so many years, we’ll go back years on the video and it seems like every year you progress, they are getting faster and more athletic. They are really playing extremely well, especially on defense. They have had their struggles on offense, but defensively they are really giving everybody a bunch of grief. Overall they are a very well-coached team. It is a team that I’m sure is just as hungry for a victory as we are. We are looking forward to getting over there and getting back on the winning track.”

On Georgia no longer controlling its destiny to win the SEC East…
“I told them (the team) that. I said we don’t control it. I said we aren’t mathematically out of it by any means, but we can’t sit here and say that is the goal. It may become the goal again depending on what happens with us and everybody else in the east. The main focus really is beat Vanderbilt. That’s it, and that is what it is on a weekly basis anyway, but there is no lacing in of hey let’s keep pace for control of the eastern division. That is not in our control anymore, so we are not really focusing on that right now. No one is happy. No one is excited about what happened by any means, but these guys are resilient. They are pretty tough guys, and it’s never easy to get it going again after a tough loss like that, especially one where you end up losing control of your destiny in the league. Those things are not easy to deal with, but they lifted hard, they ran hard. I think they’ll be able to focus on what’s important and start moving this thing in the right direction again.”

On having promise going forward similar to 2006…
“That’s our goal. That’s what we are shooting for, that’s what we are fighting for. (Matthew) Stafford was a true freshman that year and I redshirted (Knowshon) Moreno that year. We were scrambling, fighting, scratching, clawing back then and dealing with some of the things we are dealing with now in regards to trying to keep a positive focus on the future. We’ve been there before. We don’t like being there, but that’s where we are at, so we are looking to have a very strong finish.”

On Vanderbilt’s defense…
“When you watch the film and you watch Ole Miss struggle like mad to get it in there, no one is just driving the field on these guys. If they are making something happen, a guy is making a play. Some where along the way, some guy makes a play. They get themselves in position to score touchdowns, but they’ve held people out of the end zone a good bit in the red zone. They’ve forced a bunch of field goals. The LSU game was very close at the half. Same thing with Ole Miss. They did a very good job defensively in the last game dealing with an offense that is not normal for them to participate against. They are doing a good job defensively. You’d like to say we are going to line up and methodically move it down the field, but I haven’t seen anybody do it yet. Guys are going to have to make plays, guys are going to have to get in situations and do something to kind of break the dam. The one thing as you watch those games, you’ll watch the defense play, and the next series you’ll see the scoreboard and a lot of times there wasn’t a lot of offensive production from Vanderbilt. It helped the teams that were struggling against them. It helped Ole Miss, it helped LSU as they were trying to get some points on the board that their defenses were playing extremely well that day. I think they are underrated to answer your question.”

On the team dealing with increased negativity…
“On Sunday I just talked to them about making sure they stay focused on the important things. There are certain things you can control in life and certain things you can’t control. What people say about you or your team or your coaches, you can’t control that. All you can control is how you focus, how you prepare and how you keep your mental frame of mind. We have control over that, so those are the things that I talked about and really helped them understand that the only thing we can do that can be the most productive thing for us right now is to really focus on this ballgame. Everyday that we come in, whether it’s lifting, running or practice, whatever it might be, let’s focus on what’s important and that’s the only way we’ll move in the right direction here.”

On players who might see more playing time…
“We mentioned Reshad Jones is probably getting too many reps. To get every rep is not good for anybody in my opinion. I think there needs to be a time when you are not on the field every single down. Prince Miller is getting a ton of reps. He’s getting a ton of defensive reps, he’s been the gunner just about every play on the punt team. He’s been the punt return man, he’s the safety on the kickoff team. He’s playing a lot of reps, and we need to get Branden (Smith) in there more. Once we get in the nickel, we get Branden in there a good bit because Prince moves to the nickel. Again, I think he could use a break in there. Right now, offensive line I don’t see any options other that what we’ve been doing right now. At receiver, I think our two freshmen have earned more playing time. I don’t think there is any doubt about that.”

On whether Logan Gray will see more playing time…
“He’s been practicing well the past two weeks, I know that. I wouldn’t say that’s out of the question.”

On Caleb King…
“I think Caleb is going to be OK. Caleb is going today in a non-contact situation. If everything goes well, which we expect it to, he would be able to go tomorrow and get any contact that we get. I’m not sure with this weather forecast what’s going to happen. We may end up inside. Thursday, even though we don’t put the shoulder pads on, we can still simulate some contact and actually get some contact with him to see how he responds to it. Everything is pointing thumbs up on him and Tavarres King for that matter. Vance Cuff is ready to go. He was really ready last week. He didn’t get much playing time because of the amount of work that he had going into it. He should have a full week of practice. (Marcus) Dowtin, we thought would have a chance this week, but it’s pretty doubtful. I think it’s pretty much out of the question for Dowtin if I remember correctly. (Akeem) Dent, we are very hopeful for the next game for both of those linebackers.”

On Joe Cox…
“Joe has been a little bit up-and-down these last couple of games. I would say that yes he is still our starting quarterback. A lot of things go into the quarterback’s ability to play at his peak level. I think quarterbacks get maybe a little more blame than they deserve and maybe a little more credit than they deserve. I think if we all played together as a unit, I think Joe’s productivity will rise like it has in other games.”

On Georgia’s running backs…
No one has really stood out. No one has really asserted himself to the point where he’s our guy. Part of Caleb’s issue has been messing around with injuries all the way throughout. Richard (Samuel) has been solid. I think they’ve all been kind of solid, nothing spectacular. No one really has made the offensive line look better than maybe they are blocking at times. We have pretty much been getting what we’ve been blocking for, which statistically hasn’t been a whole heck of a lot. I do see improvement. Guys don’t get better until they get experience. I think there’s improvement. Washaun (Ealey) has shown some sparks here and there. He’s still learning what to do on all the little things. Carlton (Thomas) did a nice job this last ballgame. We may see a little bit more of him. It has been a situation where no one man has really separated himself.”

On Damon Evans…
“I think he said he had concerns about the season if I’m not mistaken. I have concerns about the season of course with the way we’ve played. As far as the program, we have a very strong program, finishing in the coaches’ poll No. 10 last year and No. 2 in the AP the year before and six out of seven years in the top 10, that’s not bad. That’s the past, I understand that. But when you start talking about a program I think you have to start looking at where we’ve been in the recent history here. The other thing is the season is not over, it’s just not over. When some of your main goals not necessarily fall by the wayside, but become less attainable, it’s tough on everybody. We are very concerned about how this season has gone, and we are battling as hard as you can possibly battle to get things moving in the right direction this year.”

On Marlon Brown…
“Marlon is smoothing out his game, I guess is the best way to put it. He is a very good worker, he has a very good attitude. He is a talent, he just needed to get more reps to become a smooth competitor, a smooth receiver. He has proved to be a pretty tenacious blocker. You can tell he wants it, you can tell he’s getting better. He has earned a right to play more snaps for us and hopefully he’ll get more opportunities to catch the ball because he has good hands. He’s big, he’s strong, it’s just taking him just a little while to get used to college football. He came from a relatively small program. When I say that I’m not trying to demean where he came from because they’ve done a wonderful job, but I guess the competition level that he played against was an awful lot different from the Southeastern Conference. I think he’s just learning how to play with the caliber of athletes on our team and in our league.”

On drawing from the 2006 team and they way it finished the season…
“It’s hard to measure a team’s ability to withstand pressure. I think a lot of teams fold under that kind of pressure. A lot of coaching staffs fold under that kind of pressure and we never did. We were very resilient. We were very persistent. We stayed the course. We didn’t make a bunch of wholesale changes, whether it was players, coaches or anything like that. We just kept grinding, we kept banging away. You just never know how close you are to success until you live it out. I was pretty proud of that team considering what they went through and how we finished. Even that last ballgame I think we were down 15 or 18 at the half to the No. 1 defense in America. It didn’t look like we had much of a chance, but we found a way and there is a lot to be said about that. I might be as proud of that team as I was any team at Georgia considering what everybody went through.”

On his role in playcalling…
“What I do, and again I think it’s the way to do it right now, I will watch film separate from the staff because if you sit in there with the staff you are all kind of thinking on the same line sometimes. One guy might want to look at one thing and another guy might want to look at another thing. I have the ability to look at film without having to put all the nuts and bolts together of the run checks and the protections. I can just basically be a resource for Mike (Bobo) for ideas. If it’s base or certain personnel groups or field positions or down-and-distance tendencies, if there is something I see that I like I will jot it down and hand to him and say if you like it, use it and if you don’t, don’t. I understand being in his position. There are always good ideas but you have to decide how many of these ideas do we use in this game plan that we can execute properly. I don’t want to get him off of the train of thought that he has too. I’ve had times when coach (Bobby) Bowden, especially game day, would want to insert this or that idea. It was difficult sometimes to keep my focus on where I was going. We laugh about it now and we’d laugh about it on Sunday, but there were a couple of times I went into the office and said, ‘Coach, if you would like to take this thing back over I’ve got no problem or if you want this series or that series it’s fine with me. If we are going to have some of these suggestions, let’s at least get them in between series.’ He would always say, ‘I wasn’t trying to mess you up, buddy.’ I can understand where Mike is in the heat of the game, he’s in the heat of the battle. If I do make a game suggestion, I try to make it in between series. There are many times where we are crossing the 50 and I’m saying, ‘Mike you have four downs to get this thing or you have three downs to get this thing.’ He needs to know on third down if he has two plays to get this thing or one. A lot of things like that happen even to decide should we try to move the ball down the field on a two-minute drill before the half or should we just let the clock run or whatever it may be. I’m heavily involved in those types of things. I might say if it’s fourth and less than a yard we are going, if it’s more than a yard we are punting, so I have to alert those guys too. Those are more of the decisions that I’m making game day.”

On Georgia’s defense…
“I think when we get people in the third and long situations, the possession down, we need to nail it more often. We need to get off the field when we get them there. There are a lot of things we have to improve on all the way across the board with the entire football team. We’ve gotten ourselves in that position on enough occasions where if we could just finish it I think the outcome of a couple of our games would have been different too.”

Joe Cox
On Vanderbilt…
“They’re a good team. You hear about them struggling and think they are having a down year, but they’re not. You watch them on film, especially on defense, and they are a real hungry team that’s really played well against everybody. They played LSU well, they played Ole Miss well, and they lost a couple of close games that could have gone the other way. They are a well-coached team, and they are every year. They’re always disciplined and have really smart players. This year they’re hungry. I know they are going to want to get a win versus us more than anything, and we need a win versus them. It’s going to come down to who executes the game better and who really wants it more.”

On the importance of big plays…
“It’s huge to have anybody make big plays. Big plays build momentum, and we didn’t have any this past game. It’s definitely something that we need in this weekend’s game against Vanderbilt. Big plays turn the momentum for both sides of the ball, especially big plays in the running game. If you run the ball well, a play-action pass works out a lot better. It just helps out everything about your offense, so we know what needs to be done and we know we need to put a lot more big plays up this weekend.”

On the running game…
“That’s probably been the most frustrating thing is that we know it’s there but it hasn’t been working. It’s something that we got to just keep chipping away at. We know we have good backs, we know we have a good line and we just got to get it going so we know we can do it.”

Aron White
On the team’s focus…
“We can’t be thinking about what’s happening with everybody else with the SEC, what bowl we are going to get in or if we are going to get a bowl. Coach Richt said our main focus has to be our next opponent. He’s always big on saying take one game at a time because right now the only thing that should be on our minds is Vanderbilt because that’s our next opponent. He said nobody likes to lose and you should feel bad about it and sick to your stomach, but come your next practice you have to get in there and start working on the next team. You’ve got to forget and move on. Every season is not going to perfect and obviously not live up to your expectations, but right now we just got to focus on making the best out of the rest of our season. We’ve still got a lot of games to play.

Bryan Evans
On feelings after the loss on Saturday…
“Kind of struck. We are 3-3 now, so we are 500. Last time I remember being 500, was in ’06 when we went 4-0 then we lost four games straight. We had a pretty strong finish so that is just something that we have to get turned around.”

Comparing the ’06 season to this season…
“In ’06 it was worse than this. We lost 4 straight including losses to Vanderbilt and Kentucky. We just have to go out and win against Vanderbilt and try to get this win streak going.”

On contributions that helped turn around the ’06 season…
“Just never giving up. There were a couple of days where you felt like throwing in the towel, but it’s just not our nature to give up so anytime that we can go out and try to get a win and get our win streak up that’s what we are going to do.”

On not being a front runner in the SEC East…
“It’s very strange. This loss really set us back a lot. The way the SEC is played it can change at any minute, so you can never say it’s not going to happen. Right now, it just feels very weird.”

Rennie Curran
On feelings after the loss in Knoxville…
“Everybody is just ready to get back to work. We all realize what we need to do to get better. Getting in the film room more and doing everything that it takes. We realize as players that our time is limited being college students. At the same time, we have worked so hard this season, and in the off-season, so we can’t just let that go for nothing. We just have to continue to fight hard and bounce back, and that is what everybody is doing. We are staying optimistic, not getting down and realize that there are going to be failures, but we just have to continue to fight hard.”

On playing smarter and having less mental errors as a defense…
“We all want to win, we are all fighting hard and playing our hearts out every single game, but at the same time we have to focus on playing smarter and that starts with our preparation. Coach Martinez could coach his heart out, but it’s up to us to stay in the film room for an extra 30 minutes or whatever it may take to learn those formations and those tendencies that will help us on the field when the offense comes out and does something that you haven’t seen before. That is only going to come with the time you put in as a player and being a student of the game.”

Football: Bulldogs Begin Work On Vanderbilt

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

ATHENS——Speaking on his weekly Sunday conference call with the media, Georgia head coach Mark Richt said the number one goal this week is to put a team together that has the best shot of beating Vanderbilt.

The Bulldogs (3-3, 2-2 SEC) continue Southeastern Conference action Saturday when they travel to Nashville to face the Commodores (2-4, 0-3 SEC). The Bulldogs have dropped two straight after falling 45-19 Tennessee this past Saturday in Knoxville. Vanderbilt is coming off a 16-13 loss in overtime to Army in West Point, N.Y. The Commodores are looking for their first SEC win of the season after losses to LSU (23-9), Mississippi State (15-3) and Ole Miss (23-7) earlier this year.

Richt said the Bulldogs most improve in all areas.

“We’ve got to get better period, on offense, defense and coaching,” said Richt. “As coaches, we have to make sure when we put a plan in, that it’s not too much and that our team is capable of doing what we want to do. We have to motivate them, these are all the things that coaches do. The point I’m making is where we are, it’s a culmination of everything and I’m not pointing at someone individually, we all have to improve.”

Richt added that it was a frustrating day all around this past Saturday but dismissed the notion that there would be a lot of personnel changes on the field this week.

“It’s always going to be a fight for a position and playing time and the reason why we have guys in certain spots is that they have proven to be best man for the job,” said Richt. “We evaluate from week to week, and if guys are not getting the job done, he may move from his spot. It’s not going to be open tryouts. We’ll get back to work and prepare for Vanderbilt and try to get the best man at every position.”

Richt was asked questions on the overall play of the offense and defense this season and maintained it was all part of the big picture for the team.

“Everybody has got issues and problems, whether it’s injuries, youth, whatever, but the bottom line is we have to perform, and we haven’t performed as well as I would like,” said Richt.

Saturday’s kickoff is set for 12:21 p.m. ET., and the SEC Network will televise the contest. This will be Georgia’s second straight appearance on the network this season.   The broadcast team will be Dave Neal (play-by-play), Andre  Ware (color analyst), and Cara Capuano (sideline).

Georgia Post-Game Notes: Oct. 10 at Tennessee

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Taking It To The House Again: Sophomore cornerback Brandon Boykin had the second 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown this season today to even the score at 7-all in the second quarter. Boykin and former Bulldog Gene Washington share the mark now with two kickoff returns for touchdowns in a season. In 1973, Washington’s two covered 96 yards vs. Clemson and 86 yards vs. N.C. State. Boykin had already broken the school record after taking a kickoff 100 yards back for a touchdown versus South Carolina. He is the first SEC player to have two 100-yard kickoff returns in one season in SEC history. He finished the day with 128 returns yards (32.0 avg) on four kicks to give him 529 kickoff return yards this season.
Boykin’s return versus the Vols also ties the longest scoring play on the road in school history. Georgia had a 100-yard punt return for a touchdown in 1952 at Vanderbilt by Jimmy Campagna and a 100-yard INT return by Charlie Britt in 1959 versus Florida in Jacksonville. Since 1941, the NCAA put a maximum length on all plays at 100 yards.

Points Off Turnovers: Opponents have now scored 71 points off 16 Bulldog turnovers this year. The Bulldogs are -11 in turnover ratio. Georgia has converted five turnovers into 13 points after Rambo returned his INT for a TD against the Volunteers. Georgia gave up one interception in the first quarter on a tipped pass from Bulldog quarterback Joe Cox. Cox threw another pick early in the second half. Senior SE Michael Moore fumbled a catch in the fourth quarter, which led to a TD. Moore had six catches for 49 yards.

NCAA Leader Drew Butler On Target Once Again: Sophomore punter Drew Butler had to punt six times for a 49.8 average with four covering 50+ yards and one inside the 20. His first punt was his longest at 61 yards. He came in today leading the nation with a 49.8 average.

Rambo Tallies INT, TD: Redshirt freshman safety Bacarri Rambo caught a tipped passed for an interception and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. This was Rambo’s second career INT and the first defensive TD for the Bulldogs this year. Georgia has had four INTs this year with Boykin also having two. This was the first INT return for a TD since Darryl Gamble returned a pair of picks for scores at LSU in 2008.

Renner Blocks A Punt: Redshirt sophomore split end Zach Renner blocked a punt with :23 seconds left in the opening half to give the Bulldogs two points on a safety as it went through the endzone. This was the third blocked punt of his career after he tallied one against Alabama and Arizona State in 2008. Renner tied the school record for blocked punts in a career along with Corrie Collier, Kendrell Bell and David Pollack. Renner’s latest punt block was the 17th for the Bulldogs in the Mark Richt era.

Walsh Drills Another 50+plus: Sophomore PK Blair Walsh drilled a 52-yard field goal late in the second quarter. He is 5-for-8 from 50 yards or more in his career and 3-for-3 from that distance in 2009.

A.J. Leading The Way: Georgia sophomore FLK A.J. Green led the Bulldogs with 60 yards receiving and tied his career-high with eight catches. It was the third time he had eight receptions in a game. Freshman WR Marlon Brown had his first career reception on a 9-yard catch in the 2nd quarter.

Starters: Freshman TE Arthur Lynch started the first game of his career. The Bulldogs started two tight ends on offense, six linemen and no wideouts after starting their first drive on their own 1-yard line.

Next Week: After today’s 45-19 loss, Georgia (3-3, 2-2 SEC) travels to Nashville, Tenn., for an SEC matchup with Vanderbilt on Saturday, Oct. 17. Vanderbilt plays Army today. The Bulldogs have won 13 out of their last 14 games versus the Commodores, including a 24-14 homecoming win in 2008.