Though the Bulldogs’ Friday night practice was canceled due to weather, they still made news with some announcements about the offensive depth chart.

Quarterback Blake Barnes is suspended for the first game, so it’s not really a surprise to see Mark Richt name freshman Logan Gray as the #3 quarterback for the season opener next weekend.  What is more interesting is Richt hinting that Gray could remain ahead of Barnes for the rest of the season.  Ideally, you’d want to redshirt Gray to give him a few years of playing time once Stafford and Cox leave.

The bigger news was receivers coach John Eason announcing that he plans to use a core group of seven receivers.  Bailey, Henderson, and Massaquoi are the starters, and Harris, Durham, Mike Moore, and Tony Wilson have earned playing time as reserves.  Some very notable names were left off that list:  A.J. Bryant, T.J. Gartrell, and Demiko Goodman for instance.  Eason addressed the situation:

“Some guys I did not name basically threw themselves out of the mix at this point. They have got to kind of earn their way back in and they have to do a better job to earn playing time.”

Veeeeeeeeery interesting, and we’ll see what effect it has in motivating those upperclassmen.  The drops and other inconsistencies that have plagued the receivers over the past couple of years are frustrating everyone, and it’s a positive sign to see the coaching staff shake things up as a result.  The ones left out of the mix are sitting due to  practice performance. ”It was close, it was based on (practice and scrimmage) grades and some of them eliminated themselves with a dropped pass,” Eason said.

Eason indicated that the others might get in the game in mop-up situations, but they shouldn’t count on it.   ”We may end up dressing about ten, but in terms of who gets in the game, basically we have just about determined that.”

Most of the  seven are familiar to fans.  Moore and Durham saw playing time last year as freshmen.  Redshirt freshman Tony Wilson is the new name in the mix, and he brings an important trait to the position.

“I think his toughness is something we missed last year and I that is something I talked about in the meeting,” said Coach Eason following team meetings. “I said Tony Wilson is the toughest guy in the room and I feel that he is and it is based on the way he blocks. He really gets after it. I think that is what we need and he does a really nice job of catching the football.”

There’s a lot of hand-wringing today over the reports from last night’s scrimmage. Though the Dawgs easily beat the scout team, many are focusing on Matthew Stafford’s impatience with the energy level.

"The thing that was missing was energy, man," Stafford said. "Maybe 92,000 sitting in the seats will spark a fire under some of these guys. People are going to find out quick, young guys what it takes to play in this league. I just hope they realize it before they go out there and play."

As others have observed, he’s really taking control of this team. Whether or not the young guys, especially the offensive line, respond in time. There is a window of opportunity with a quarterback like Stafford on campus, and the Dawgs need to make the most of it.

Another bit of news from last night is Thomas Brown emerging as the starting tailback. One one hand, it’s amazing that a guy less than a year removed from a major knee injury has risen back to the top. On the other hand, you’re not surprised by anything from Brown. I admit that I expected Lumpkin to at least start the season as the starter. We’ll see both Brown and Lumpkin as well as Knowshon Moreno rotate in. Given Brown’s reputation as a blocker, one wonders if the staff is making their decision with an eye on an inexperienced offensive line. It has to be disappointing for a guy like Lumpkin who was the starter for the second half of 2006 and into the spring, but he’ll have every opportunity during his time on the field this season to make his case.

There are certainly bigger questions on the team than the three-deep tailback position, but does that mean more of the same from the tailback position this year? With the addition of Moreno, fans were expecting a step forward.

Some familiar names are popping up in some strange places during the Tournament of the Americas Olympic qualifier currently underway in Las Vegas.

The United States national basketball team easily dispatched the Virgin Islands 123-59 yesterday. The interesting thing about this lopsided win was the heavy Georgia flavor of the Virgin Islands coaching staff. The head coach of the squad is Tevester Anderson, a well-respected former Bulldog assistant who has coached at Murray State and Jackson State. Anderson coached at Georgia from 1987-1995 and has coached the Virgin Islands team since 1983.

One of the newest additions to Anderson’s Virgin Islands staff is our favorite pariah, Jim Harrick.

The trip down memory lane continues. Mexico’s coach is none other than former Arkansas head coach Nolan Richardson. Other than a short stint with the Panama team, the Mexican job is his first step back into the spotlight since leaving Arkansas in 2002. He’s bringing "Cuarenta minutos de infierno" (40 minutes of hell) with him.

Receiver Joe Adams of Arkansas is expected to announce his college decision Friday night on local television.  If you believe the recruiting gurus, the decision is between Georgia, Southern Cal, and Florida with Georgia having as good of a chance as anyone.  Rivals.com rates him the #1 player in the state of Arkansas and among the better receivers in the nation.

If Georgia is Adams’ choice, it would almost guarantee the Bulldogs the nation’s top receiver recruiting class.  The Dawgs already have commitments from A.J. Green (rated the nation’s #2 receiver) and Tavarres King (rated the #15 receiver in the nation and the best in the state of Georgia).  Adding a third guy of Adams’ quality would surpass – on paper of course –  the 1999 signing of Durrell Robinson and Reggie Brown as the best group of incoming receivers at Georgia.

I know it’s hard to get into recruiting with the season just a week away, but this decision is one worth tuning in for tonight.

I was glad to see a reporter ask these questions of Mark Richt at yesterday’s practice.  They illustrate nicely what I was talking about in yesterday’s post about the importance of Gray. (Transcript courtesy of UGASports.com):

How important is it having Logan Gray around to emulate Bobby Reid for the scout team in practice?

It is very important for us. He has requested to be live tomorrow. He wants to give the defense as realistic a look as possible. We usually allow our Oklahoma State quarterback to be live to help our defense try and tackle somebody. We truly have not sacked anybody all year, so we may let him do that. He is excited about it and he is very talented. He is a hard thrower. He kind of knew on signing day that he would be a redshirt and he knew there would be a time when he would need to help us by being the scout team quarterback. He is already taking a lot of pride in it and he is helping us.

How much does it help having an athletic quarterback like Logan since in the past you had to use a defensive back or another player to emulate an athletic quarterback for the scout team?

I know at times Ramarcus Brown and others have been back there. I think he can do it.

It’s very interesting that Gray requested to be a live player for the purposes of improving the defense – “please, come hit me!”.  It’s especially significant when you are practicing against a mobile quarterback.  In a non-contact situation, you let up at the last minute.  In a game, that’s exactly when a mobile quarterback might make that one move to get himself out of trouble and into space.  Finishing through on the pursuit is a crucial concept to practice and master when preparing for a quarterback liked Reid.

Looks pretty red to me.

I hesitated about commenting on this bit from Ching’s update yesterday. No one wants to discourage enthusiastic fans – especially students. We experienced fans just need to help the next generation direct that enthusiasm and avoid bad ideas. College is all about learning and discovering life lessons, so here’s another.

Word traveling around the UGA students is a red-out for the opening home game against OSU. Many of us really want this to happen and for it to work successfully. … Please PLEASE get the word out about this red-out to as many friends and fans as you possibly can. A red-out against a visiting Big XII program on national television would give the Bulldog squad added publicity and attention, and we as students feel it would energize the team and the crowd to no end. We also feel like it would be a GREAT beginning to what could be a very promising season. PLEASE do everything you can to support this cause.

Where to begin…

1. Georgia fans generally wear red anyway. Asking Georgia fans to come to a game in red is like asking Cure concert-goers to wear black. It’s just going to happen. No one is going to look at Sanford Stadium and remark, "does it look more red in here to you, or is it just me?"
2. It’s Oklahoma State. It’s the season opener and a nationally-televised game, but I can’t wait to see what the students have in store for the Ole Miss game.
3. The Dawgs have been one of the top programs in the nation for several years and have earned national acclaim and respect with their performance on the field. They don’t need crowd gimmicks for publicity. Leave that for lesser teams.
4. Crowd gimmicks often backfire spectacularly. Don’t do this to the Dawgs.

The biggest thing that the students can do to energize the team and the crowd is to show up to the game an hour before kickoff and welcome the team as they come out for warm-ups. A full and loud student section starting well before kickoff matters infinitely more than the choice of wardrobe.

Eric Zeier in younger days. Photo: Dawgbone.net

Ever since the topic of Larry Munson’s semi-retirement came up, I’ve thought that the question isn’t so much, "who should replace Munson?" as it is, "who should replace Scott Howard?" It just made sense to me that Howard would slide into the lead role of the broadcast team, essentially taking Munson’s place. It’s a role he has earned on the basketball broadcasts, and it’s natural that he’d make that transition for football. The question of replacing Howard is a lot less emotionally-charged than a discussion about replacing Munson.

Athletic director Damon Evans and flagship radio station AM750 WSB announced today that my contemporary at UGA, former Bulldog legend Eric Zeier, will join Howard in the broadcast booth for road games this season. Munson has already announced that he will skip road games.

This might ruffle a few feathers given Munson’s popularity, but I the Howard-Zeier team will be an improvement from an informational standpoint. The game should be easier to follow, and the quality of information should be richer. As anyone who listens to Georgia basketball games knows, Howard is at home doing play-by-play with all of the passion that Georgia fans want. He has worked as part of the football broadcast team since 1993 and is familiar to fans. He is comfortable enough in a Georgia broadcast booth to avoid the temptation to imitate Munson or to be intimidated by Munson’s legacy.

Although Zeier is a relatively inexperienced broadcaster, he seems like a great choice as a color analyst. In his career as Georgia, he was known as an intelligent quarterback with an above-average understanding of the game, and his college and professional experience should add quite a bit of insight to the broadcast. As a fan favorite from 1991-1994, Zeier should find quick acceptance from the Bulldog faithful.

The rest of the broadcast team, including Loran Smith and Hondo Williamson, will remain unchanged. We’ll miss Munson’s distinctive style and cherish the remaining broadcasts during home games, but the future seems to be in very good hands.

Zeier’s first broadcast will come against Alabama on Sept. 22 in Tuscaloosa. Tuscaloosa was also the site of Zeier’s first road game as a Georgia quarterback in 1991. Hopefully this Zeier debut will have a better outcome than that 10-0 loss.

Coach Bobo watches his latest star pupil. Photo: UGASports.com

Most programs would love to have quarterback Logan Gray in camp right now.  Anywhere else, the true freshman from Missouri might even be in the mix for playing time.  Rivals.com rated him among the top ten dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation.  With those credentials and aware of Georgia’s quarterback situation, it was quite an accomplishment by the coaching staff to get Gray’s signature.  It’s also a mature decision by Gray to accept his current role with an eye towards starting in a few years.

If there was one thing besides turnovers that gave Georgia trouble last season, it was a mobile quarterback.  From Colorado to Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Florida, the ability of a quarterback to move the pocket and scramble if necessary gave the Bulldog defense fits.  It was a happy coincidence that two of the quarterbacks involved in Georgia’s season-ending winning streak were basically potted plants.

To make matters worse, the Bulldogs couldn’t do much to work on the problem.  All of the quarterbacks on the roster were more traditional drop-back types.  You really couldn’t take a guy like A.J. Bryant and have him run the scout team - he needed the work at receiver.  So the Bulldogs were left to get most of their lessons defending the mobile quarterback on the field.  You can break down assignments and talk theory, but there’s nothing like experience.

This year, the Bulldog defense will have a high-quality player on the scout team to simulate that kind of quarterback.  Gray is already at work playing the Bobby Reid role as Georgia prepares for Oklahoma State.  Reid is a quality and experienced quarterback, but Gray should at least be able to approximate some of the challenge. The mobile quarterback might still be a nuisance for Georgia this year, but it won’t be because the defense hasn’t been prepared in practice.  With Stafford and Gray, the Bulldogs have both quarterbacking styles covered, and the defense should be better for it this year.  You won’t see Logan Gray on the field this season, but know that he’s already helping the team.

Looks like Tennessee is in for a lesson in big-time football:

As if they needed any more reason to make noise, Cal will be passing out 50,000 mini-megaphones before the season opener against Tennessee at Memorial Stadium. "It’s going to be loud," said Jackson. "Everyone’s been waiting to play Tennessee. Just like Tupac said, it’s going to be ‘all eyes on me.’ "

If only Tennessee had experience playing in front of large, loud crowds in meaningful games.

Since this is Cal-Berkeley we’re talking about, Phil Fulmer will eschew the usual tactic of blaring loud music at practice to simulate crowd noise. He will, however, invite 500 anti-war protesters and Karl Rove to practice.

We’ll wait to see if we can record the mini-megaphones alongside other notorious crowd disasters.

(h/t CFR)

With so many young players battling for playing time and so much need at some key positions, the redshirting question seems to have above-average importance this year. Lots of new names are, for one reason or another, mentioned frequently in practice updates as the coaching staff continues to evaluate the depth chart. I tend to get skeptical that true out-of-nowhere newcomers like Boling and Cuff will really see much time unless there is a long-term injury ahead of them, but you continue to hear their names as the season draws near.

Based on the most recent practice reports and comments, it looks as if we can group the newcomers as shown below. I included all newcomers, just not the true freshmen. It wouldn’t surprise me to see anyone in the top three groups play, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see anyone in the bottom three groups redshirting.

Likely (+90%) to play:

• LB Rennie Curran
• OL Justin Anderson
• P Drew Butler
• OL Scott Haverkamp
• DL Corey Irvin
• OL Trinton Sturdivant
• OL Vince Vance
• DL Jarius Wynn

Leaning towards playing:

• OL Clint Boling
• CB Vance Cuff
• TE Bruce Figgins

Leaning toward redshirting:

• RB Caleb King
• TE Aron White
• LB Charles White
• OL Ben Harden

Likely (+90%) to redshirt:

• S John Knox
• LB Justin Houston
• WR Israel Troupe
• WR Walter Hill
• QB Logan Gray
• DE Neland Ball
• OL Chris Little
• OL Tanner Strickland

UGA has updated the 2007 ticket cutoff requirements, and 25,501 points were required for Georgia Tech tickets. You see now why so many of us go for Tech’s three-game pack.

Still no word on the Florida cutoff, and this is starting to get a bit ridiculous. They’ve known the number of ticket requests since April. Is there a question about the number of seats available at Alltel Stadium? Maybe one of our intrepid beat reporters could start asking these questions of the athletic administration today while they wait for football practice to end.

Odell Thurman is currently sitting out his second straight NFL season. After a DUI arrest and a missed drug test, Thurman was suspended for the 2006 season. That suspension has been extended without explanation for a second season, though Thurman has been in the news since that original suspension. Now his quest for reinstatement is trying a new tactic. The Orlando Sentinel reports,

Tampa Bay Buccaneers CB Torrie Cox and Cincinnati Bengals LB Odell Thurman have filed discrimination claims with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to have their NFL suspensions overturned. The players contend they have been viewed as alcoholics by the NFL, and that perception is the basis for the action imposed by Commissioner Roger Goodell, ESPN.com said.

You see? They contend that their "alcoholism" is a disability. They are leaning on a case from the 1990s where the "EEOC ruled that NBA violated the Americans with Disabilities Act when it did not reinstate (Roy) Tarpley even though he apparently passed drug screenings for four straight years."

There seems to be a genetic component to alcoholism where the condition is passed through heredity, but scientists may be shocked to learn that DUIs can also be transmitted.

Kara Braxton, Thurman’s girlfriend and mother of his child, recently plead no contest on a charge of "operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol." It shouldn’t be a surprise that Braxton’s charge came as a result of "a Sept. 25, 2006, arrest in Cincinnati." Braxton’s not a stranger to the wrong kind of headlines – the WNBA all-star was dismissed from the UGA basketball program several years ago – but DUI is new territory for her. She was suspended for just two games by her league and did not seek any EEOC sanctuary.

The Offense Strikes Back

The weekend started with a bang. After the defense looked strong in the first scrimmage of the preseason, the offense showed up in Friday night’s scrimmage. Quarterbacks combined for six touchdown passes, and three of the passes went for over 30 yards. Excuse my optimism over hitting the deep pass. "You know we had a lot more success offensively today than the other day," remarked Coach Richt. He credited the improvement in part to a better effort from the offensive line. "The number one unit blocked really well," he said.

Other than a few individual plays (like Geno Atkins’ 40-yard fumble return), the big news from the scrimmage is that 1) there were no serious injuries and 2) the coaches haven’t had much time to go over and make changes to the depth chart based on the scrimmage. Any changes might come early this week, though several positions are still very much up in the air.

One-headed Monster?

I can’t be the only one who’s noticed that, despite fewer carries, Knowshon Moreno has led both scrimmages in rushing yardage and YPC. Scrimmage stats might be as relevant as G-Day stats, but no one would be dismissing these stats if it were Brown or Lumpkin putting them up. The running backs only got carries in the first half of Friday’s scrimmage.

Richt made it clear though that the tailback rotation would continue. "Whether people like it or not, they’re all very talented and they all are ready to play and they’re gonna play." Meanwhile, Caleb King’s nagging hamstring injury makes his chances of redshirting greater and greater with each practice missed.

Fine Line Between Dedication and Insanity

I consider myself a pretty big fan – I think that’s obvious, right? I’ll concede there are more devoted fans. I’ll also concede that having children can and does change your priorities. But none of that should involve camping out overnight for a chance at a picture with Uga and/or Mark Richt. Ching writes,

I always enjoy the details on picture day of who showed up first for the guaranteed tickets for photos with Uga VI and Mark Richt and WHEN. This year’s Uga winner was Athens’ Joe D’Angelo, who got in line for the first of 120 guaranteed tickets at 8 p.m. Friday night (the dog’s time at the stadium was between 1 and 3 p.m. today). Jackson’s Wayne Parker started the Richt line at 4:30 this morning. He got the first of 250 Richt tickets. Demand again was pretty high. A little more than seven minutes after UGA staff began distributing the tickets at 9 a.m., they were all gone.

There are lots of reasons to attend Picture Day even on an extremely hot day like Saturday. Kids seem to love it, and the players enjoy the interaction. But there are literally dozens of better opportunities for getting a snapshot with Richt or Uga. I hope it was worth it for those gentlemen.

Man Down

Our best wishes to D.J. Shockley for a quick recovery after sustaining a knee injury on Friday night that will keep him out for the 2007 NFL season. Shockley tore his ACL and injured his MCL against Buffalo.

Spotlight on the Receivers

Everyone in the world seems to be sensitive to (or at least aware of) the issue of dropped passes. Whether you believe it’s a question of talent, coaching, scheme, or some combination of them, it’s the 800-lb. gorrila in the room when the subject of receivers comes up.

You even have other players sticking up for the receivers. Thomas Brown said,

The receivers were making plays. They’ve received a lot of criticism in last season and in the spring about not being able to catch the ball. But they’ve made a lot of great steps. They’ve been doing it all camp long in practice, making diving catches and things like that, so they’re gonna be fine.

Matthew Stafford added,

Their effort is up. Their confidence is up. That’s what you want from any position.

We’ve seen several articles now with this slant. "Massaquoi forgets the past." "Georgia receivers have something to prove." "UGA wide receivers are sticking together."

There are two ways that this kind of spotlight can affect the situation. Right now, everyone’s happy. Us vs. the world. "We’re all in it together, no matter who is catching the ball, no matter who it is thrown to, no matter who has the touchdowns," said Mikey Henderson. That’s a great attitude, and fellow senior A.J. Bryant has echoed it. If that kind of prove-everyone-wrong approach is what it takes for the receivers to step forward this year, great.

But as Mark Richt likes to say, you never really know how good a team is until it is tested by adversity. The receivers seem focused and a close-knit group now, and I hope they can keep that attitude after the first inevitable drop and the simultaneous groan of 92,000 fans. There has been a lot of self-doubt and a lack of confidence in the passing game (and, to be fair, the receivers are far from the only group affected by drops). With an emerging star in Matthew Stafford, the receivers should have the talent, experience, and the quality passes they need to have the kind of year they are talking about. All they need now is for that attitude to show up on the field.

Picture Day descends on Athens tomorrow. Hundreds of parents will make their families suffer in the blistering heat for a chance at getting a picture of their kid with Uga. Fans with great tact will blow past reserves and other Georgia teams to hobnob with a handful of football players. The lines for Matthew Stafford, Uga, and Mark Richt started forming in June. To top it off, message board psychos will attempt to evaluate this year’s team based on how someone looks. It’s really great family fun.

Here are some of the particulars:

Saturday April 17th at Sanford Stadium

The Georgia football players and coaches will be on hand for photographs and autographs from 3-5 p.m. Uga VI will be available from 1-3 p.m. inside Sanford Stadium on the 200 Level near Section 213. Interactive events, concessions and merchandise sales will take place from 1-5 p.m. through the 100 level concourse of Sanford Stadium.

Fans will be able to enter Picture Day through Gate 6 located off East Campus Road and Gate 2 located on Sanford Drive across from the UGA Bookstore and Tate Student Center. Parking is available to the general public in the following campus lots: any lots along East Campus Road, Psychology-Journalism, Clarke Howell, Legion Field and Tate Center lots and the North Campus and Hull Street parking decks. Handicapped parking will be available in the Tate Center lots.

Fans may bring in just one item to be signed, and Picture Day event staff will enforce this number at the entrances.

The Georgia offensive unit and Coach Mark Richt will be located throughout the North side concourse of Sanford Stadium between Sections 109-101 while the defense will be located on the Gate 6 Plaza between Sections 125-121.

Other Georgia sports teams will be located between Sections 119-113 and the fan interactives, concessions and merchandise will be located throughout the event. The UGA Cheerleaders, National Champion Gym Dogs, Baseball, Track & Field, Softball, Women’s Basketball, Equestrian, Women’s Golf, Swimming & Diving, Soccer, Volleyball teams will also be in attendance.

Fans can pick up their tickets to reserve their place in line for a photograph with Uga VI beginning at 9:00am at the East End Ticket Windows located off East Campus Road. The first 120 groups in line will receive a ticket and be guaranteed a photo with Uga VI, with additional groups receiving standby tickets. The Athletic Association will attempt to accommodate as many standby fans as possible within the time Uga VI is available from 1-3pm.

Fans can pick up their tickets to reserve their place in line for the opportunity to meet Coach Richt beginning at 9:00 am at the East End Ticket Windows located off East Campus Road. The first 250 individual fans in line will receive a ticket and be guaranteed an opportunity to meet Coach Richt between 3:00-5:00 pm.

Fans’ cooperation is appreciated in not bringing other pets or animals into the area with the Georgia Bulldog mascot, Uga VI. Also, all fans are encouraged to bring your own camera to take your group’s photo with Uga VI. Groups with tickets to have their picture made with Uga VI, can enter through Gate 6 only beginning at 12:30pm. All other fans will be allowed to enter Sanford Stadium through Gates 2 or 6 beginning at 1:00pm.

Let’s just hope this preseason event goes better than the one that an English soccer team had recently:

Norwich City’s preparations for the new second division season have been hit by vomiting and diarrhoea following a social event for players, staff and their families.

Four players were among some 30 people taken ill following a barbecue at the club’s training ground on Sunday. The club said in a statement it had contacted the local environmental health authorities about the incident.

Pitchers Josh Fields and Stephen Dodson have decided to return to Georgia after being selected in June’s Major League Baseball draft. Fields has been Georgia’s closer for two seasons, and Dodson led the SEC for most of the season in ERA as Georgia’s Friday night starter.

Meanwhile, pitcher Trevor Holder was named playoff MVP in the Cape Cod summer league.

Georgia’s pitching should be outstanding next spring.