UGA Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

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GEORGIA REPORT
Massaquoi demoted; Raley will start

By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/07/06 Athens — Mohamed Massaquoi, Georgia's top wide receiver a year ago, has been moved out of the starting lineup in favor of senior Mario Raley.
"[Massaquoi] is one of the hardest workers that we have," receivers coach John Eason said Wednesday. "But there were just some little things in terms of assignments and just route running effort. I felt like it could have been better."

Your Turn What do you think of the decision to bench Mohamed Massaquoi and start Mario Raley and A.J. Bryant at wide receiver? I'm all for it. Gotta shake things up for the Carolina game. Not sure. Richt doesn't have too many options at that position. Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

Massaquoi had one catch for 2 yards in Saturday's rout of Western Kentucky. Raley's one catch was an 18-yard touchdown.
Junior receiver A.J. Bryant (no catches) also has been moved into the starting lineup for Saturday's SEC opener at South Carolina. He replaces Kenneth Harris (one catch, 33 yards).
Bryant has never started a game at Georgia. Raley started one game, in 2003.
"If [Raley and Bryant] perform, they stay in the starting lineup," Eason said. "If they don't, they move down. They have been waiting for this opportunity, and you find out Saturday whether they are going to take advantage of it."
Raley's wait has been the longest. But for the longest time, the effort was not there, coach Mark Richt said.
"No disrespect to him, and I love Mario, but Mario spent more time telling us how good he was gonna do and then he finally started showing us what he was gonna do," Richt said. "And that made all the difference in the world."
Freshman Allen will return punts
Georgia will have four suspended players out: linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, cornerback/return man Thomas Flowers and offensive linemen Daniel Inman and Ian Smith.
Where the suspensions could have the biggest effect is punt returner. Mikey Henderson has been battling a hamstring issue and is doubtful, leaving the job to true freshman Asher Allen. South Carolina utilizes a rugby style punt-and-roll scheme that's difficult to prepare for.
Jacksonville takes more security steps
Georgia, Florida and Jacksonville have come together to establish more safety measures for "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party." A student "safe zone" will be established near the landing area to meet missing friends and access support services. Police will have an increased presence.
"After losing two students in the past two years during the Florida-Georgia game weekend, we have a responsibility to do all we can to make the game as safe as possible," UF President Bernie Machen said in a statement.
Kiper: Stafford will be No. 1 in NFL draft
Here is what NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. had to say about Georgia's freshman quarterbackon ESPN Radio: "Matthew Stafford eventually will be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. Write that down."

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Biding his time

Matthew Stafford

Story Photos - Click to Enlarge

With his performance in Saturday's season-opening win, Matthew Stafford showed he can help the Bulldogs win sooner rather than later.
Briana Brough/Staff
Click thumbnails to view


By Marc Weiszer | | Story updated at 2:37 AM on Wednesday, September 6, 2006
As far as debuts go for much-heralded Georgia freshmen, Matthew Stafford's 13-yard touchdown pass ranks several notches below Herschel Walker's 16-yard touchdown run in 1980.
Stafford's pass came in the fourth quarter of a home blowout of I-AA Western Kentucky. Walker's run was at Tennessee with Georgia losing.
Former Bulldogs defensive coordinator Erk Russell said that play showed the future Heisman Trophy winner "might be ready now." Stafford provided a tantalizing glimpse as well, that he could be ready to help Georgia win sooner rather than later.
"The main thing was just getting him experience and seeing how he reacted out there," quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo said. "I think he did well. He's so laid back and calm sometimes that it's hard to tell whether he's just a laid-back cat or he's not into it."
Coach Mark Richt isn't saying that Stafford will play at South Carolina. Joe Tereshinski will start, and Richt said Stafford is competing with Joe Cox for the No. 2 job.
If Georgia fans were polled, Stafford will be on the field in Williams-Brice Stadium.
If he's called on, that laid-back demeanor could serve him well in a hostile road environment.
"You go out there and you throw an incompletion, you throw an interception, me personally, I know that happens," Stafford said. "You've got to look at the big picture. I think it serves me well, definitely, on the football field, and I guess in life, too."
Stafford said his even-keel outlook came from the way he was brought up.
"He's probably the most laid-back guy I've ever seen in my life," running back Danny Ware said. "At the same time, he's so focused. It's like he's meditating when he's playing. He's really fun to watch."
"Even (David) Greene wasn't a real excitable guy either," Richt said. "To me that's not a bad thing."
Just ask Tim Williams, who saw Stafford perform at his best in high pressure moments last season. The writer/director/producer was making the documentary "Band of Champions," about the 2005 Highland Park High School state champion football team that Stafford quarterbacked.
The moment that stands out: The class 4A Division I state semifinal against Stephenville. Stafford helped Highland Park overcome a fourth-quarter deficit by tossing a 7-yard touchdown pass with 37 seconds remaining for a 41-38 victory.
"He was cool as cucumber," Williams said. "I think his maturity belies his demeanor. I was incredibly impressed with his maturity and his perspective. The things he's able to see out there, I think he knows a tremendous amount."
Williams watched Georgia's game Saturday on the Internet and isn't the least bit surprised that the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Stafford is in a position to already contribute.
"I thought he was a college quarterback last year," said Williams, a former center at Colorado State. "When you saw him on the field and the stuff that he was doing, throwing these 50-yard bullets. The thing I was surprised about was these other kids were catching them. They're basically rockets every one of them."
Williams should know. He caught passes for Stafford for the video's opening.
"I said I really want you to throw it," Williams said. "He looked at me and said you don't want me to do that. I said show me what you got. He did a three-step drop and let one go and I'd never seen anything come at me that fast. I held up my hands and it put a bruise on the inside of my right hand for about two weeks with just a football."
Highland Park receiver Holt Martin joked in 'Band of Champions' that his broken left arm was a result of trying to catch one of Stafford's throws, but Stafford and Williams said he was kidding.
Stafford learned how to throw from his father, who played baseball before he hurt his elbow.
Growing up, Stafford played shortstop, where he learned to throw the ball sidearm.
"You have to throw from every arm angle, so I can throw a football the same from any angle," Stafford said. "It just feels natural doing that."
Just like he did when he completed an 11-yard pass to Kris Durham on Saturday.
"Get it there however you can," Stafford said.
Gil Brandt, the longtime Dallas Cowboys player personnel executive, often saw Stafford in practices and games because his son was an offensive lineman at Highland Park.
"I think he's going to be a really good player," Brandt said last spring. "I think he understands football. He was in a great high school program. The guy that coached him, Randy Allen, is really good. He understands the passing game. I don't know if he's ready to start as a freshman. I would think so. There's a lot of difference starting in the Southeastern Conference then a lot of the lesser conferences."
Playing at South Carolina won't be the first time Stafford has played away from home in a large stadium. He played in Texas Stadium, home of the Cowboys, a handful of times, including before a crowd of 32,000 his junior year.
The only time he can remember getting unnerved in a game was his sophomore year in a 45-21 state semifinal loss to Denton Ryan, which was loaded on defense with players heading to Division I-A schools.
"They were rocking me every play," Stafford said. "I wasn't rattled but I'm sure I got frustrated."
Stafford now appears to be on constant cruise control.
"You can't fight it," Stafford said. "You've just got to take what they give you. Especially being a quarterback. You've got to try not to force things and let things happen and let the game come to you. That's what my dad always tells me before every game. Let it come to you."
Georgia kept things simple for Stafford in his first game, Bobo said, but Stafford said he's ready for Bobo to throw more of the offense his way.
Richt indicated he'll tread carefully with his young quarterback.
"I wouldn't get too complicated with him," Richt said. "If you've got a confused quarterback, then you've really got problems. We'll see how he studies the plan and see how comfortable he is in practice and if he can handle everything in practice, there's a pretty good chance he can handle it in a game."
Saturday: Georgia at South Carolina 7:45 p.m. (ESPN)

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Receivers demoted after subpar performances

Raley, Bryant to start against South Carolina

Story Photos - Click to Enlarge

Mohamed Massaquoi, above, who had 38 catches for 505 yards in 2005, and Kenneth Harris, struggled in the opener.
Associated Press Photo
Mohamed Massaquoi, who had 38 catches for 505 yards in 2005, and Kenneth Harris, above, struggled in the opener.
Associated Press Photo
Click thumbnails to view


By Marc Weiszer | marc.weiszer@onlineathens.com | Story updated at 2:37 AM on Wednesday, September 6, 2006
Georgia's receivers depth chart received a major shake-up after a handful of drops in the opener.
Split end Mohamed Massaquoi, who had a breakout freshman season but had a career low one catch for 2 yards against Western Kentucky, and flanker Kenneth Harris have been replaced as starters in the Bulldogs' two-receiver set.
Receivers coach John Eason said Tuesday that senior Mario Raley will be the starting split end and junior A.J. Bryant will become the starting flanker. Massaquoi will start in a three-receiver set at split end, with Raley moving to the slot position.
Eason said he was sending a "little bit of a message" to Massaquoi, who led Georgia receivers with 38 catches for 505 yards last season.
"He's picked it up a little bit," Eason said of practice this week. "In terms of effort, he's probably the best effort guy I've got of all the receivers. It's just a matter of doing the little things that we both felt that he needed to do."
Georgia coach Mark Richt mentioned that Massaquoi and Harris each should have caught passes on Saturday. Richt said Massaquoi should have caught a ball even though it was high and that Harris should have caught a pass "if he had run his route properly."
Raley scored his first collegiate touchdown on an 18-yard catch.
"Now, I'm getting the opportunity to show people what I can really do," Raley said.

Joe T. ready for season of controversy
Joe Tereshinski is taking all the Matthew Stafford chatter in stride.
The fifth-year senior from Athens was 7 of 17 for 90 yards and a touchdown in the 48-12 win over Western Kentucky and is 77th in the nation in pass efficiency.
"The quarterback controversy - I realize that's going to be the entire year," Tereshinski said. "I've kind of put that in the back of my head and not really worried about that. I can only control so much. That's not really one of the things I can control, who fans think should be in there. I'm going to go out there and play like I know I can, and, hopefully, we'll come out with the victory."

Georgia jumps three in both polls
Georgia jumped three spots in both the USA Today coaches poll and the Associated Press poll on Tuesday.
The Bulldogs moved from 14th to 11th in the coaches poll and from 15th to 12th in the AP poll. In the coaches poll, Georgia moved past Miami, California and Louisville, which beat Kentucky 59-28 but lost Michael Bush for the season with a broken leg. In the AP poll, Oklahoma fell from 10th to 15th after it defeated UAB 24-17.
Bulldogs spend time in the backfield
Georgia was credited with 12 tackles for loss against Western Kentucky. The Bulldogs are tied with Penn State for third nationally in the category, trailing only Arizona State and Ohio State.
Defensive ends Quentin Moses (21/2 tackles for loss) and Charles Johnson (two) led the way.
"We hope to do it game in and game out," Richt said. "They had some nice blitzes that penetrated and got some pressure, and we just flat out got good pass rushes. We had some guys playing hard and playing low. We did get a lot of push into the backfield, which was great."

This and that
Fullback Jason Johnson (ankle) is expected to be available play this week, Richt said. Punt returner Mikey Henderson (hamstring) is questionable. Defensive tackle Marquis Elmore (knee) returned to practice in a limited capacity and could be on the travel roster, defensive line coach Rodney Garner said. ... The 193 yards gained by Western Kentucky were the third fewest against the Bulldogs in Richt's five-plus seasons.

Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 090606

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Dogs brace for change

Gamecocks' scheme helped in shutout

By Marc Weiszer | marc.weiszer@onlineathens.com | Story updated at 12:29 AM on Tuesday, September 5, 2006
Here's some of the words Georgia players and coaches used to describe South Carolina's unconventional defense leading up to last year's game: "Funny looking," "tricky" and "crazy."
Bulldogs coach Mark Richt needed only one word to sum up the Gamecocks' new-look defense after looking at film of South Carolina's 15-0 opening victory over Mississippi State.
"Fantastic," Richt said. "What do they got, 10 new starters? It's unbelievable how many new starters they have and how well they played. Very well coached, very aggressive, very fast, very physical. They look an awful lot like our defense, to be quite frank with you - in scheme and in athletes and effort."
The Gamecocks, who Georgia will face Saturday, have just one returning defensive regular: Senior cornerback Fred Bennett. Two of his secondary mates, cornerback Johnathan Joseph and safety Ko Simpson, jumped to the NFL.
Defensive coordinator Tyone Nix is now solely running the defense after sharing the title with John Thompson last season. Thompson, a former coach at East Carolina, sometimes had players standing and moving before the snap in what Richt called "organized chaos."
Nix was the defensive coordinator at Southern Miss from 2001-04, where his defense was 14th in the nation in points allowed in 2003.
"They're doing what Tyrone did at Southern (Miss), and it hurt us a couple of times with a couple of our young offensive linemen," Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom said Monday. "We went back and looked at all the stuff they did at Southern. They stunted into a couple of things that hurt a couple of our young offensive linemen early on in the ballgame. Particularly (sophomore right guard) Mike Gates because he just hadn't seen those things. They threw a couple of things in there that had him hesitating."
South Carolina posted its first shutout since 2000, giving up just 161 yards of total offense. Middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley, a Thomson native and transfer from Georgia Military College, led the Gamecocks with 11 tackles
"They play with a lot of emotion, enthusiasm, are flying around," South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said. "I think we have a better scheme of defense maybe than what we started out with last year. We've practiced it during the spring and during preseason. I think we're coaching better and the players are maybe a little bit more active and faster than last year's team."
South Carolina is trying to hit the reality check button. After all, Mississippi State ranked 113th in the nation in total offense and scoring offense last season.
"Our defensive coaches are trying to keep it in perspective in the fact that Mississippi State was ranked at the bottom or near the bottom offensively last year," Spurrier said. "Hopefully we can build on this and try to improve from game-to-game."
Georgia rolled up 238 rushing yards on 49 carries last season in a 17-15 victory, making audibles against the Gamecocks when linemen were in standing positions.
"We did actually run it pretty good," Richt said. "We probably should have run it more last year."
Richt said the Gamecocks' win over Mississippi State was tight enough - it was 6-0 in the fourth quarter - that he doesn't think South Carolina was hiding much to use this week.
"I would think they were getting ready to show just about anything they had," Richt said. "Not to say they won't have a new twist or two for us, but I doubt it will be as radical as some of the looks as a year ago."
Saturday: Georgia at South Carolina 7:45 p.m. (ESPN)

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Richt: 2 QBs likely will play; 3 'doubtful'

By CHIP TOWERS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/08/06 Athens — Georgia is prepared to play two quarterbacks Saturday night at South Carolina. The only mystery is whether Matthew Stafford will be one of them.
On the eve of their SEC opener, the Bulldogs continue to list the freshman fan favorite and Joe Cox as "co-No. 2" on the depth chart. But coach Mark Richt made this much clear as Georgia wrapped up practice Thursday: Starter Joe Tereshinski won't be the only quarterback to face the Gamecocks.
Asked if more than one would play, Richt said, "More than likely. That's kind of the usual [routine]."
Asked if Stafford would see the field, Richt said, "Don't know. We'll let you figure it out when it happens."
Asked if three would play, he said, "It could happen, but I'd say doubtful."
Tereshinski was 7 of 17 for 90 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 48-12 win over Western Kentucky. Cox was 2 of 3 for 29 yards with an interception.
Stafford brought the crowd to its feet in the fourth quarter when he led the team on two scoring drives and completed 3 of 5 passes for 40 yards and a touchdown.
But as Georgia geared up for Saturday's ESPN game, Richt was in hype-control mode.
"There is so much attention brought to these young high school players, they become national celebrities," he said. "All of a sudden, the fans equate that into immediate stardom in college. It doesn't always happen that way."

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Richt catches Spurrier’s drift

By Carter Strickland | Thursday, September 7, 2006, 03:55 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Make sure you are sitting down people because Georgia finally made a move I am going to applaud: Shaking up the receivers.
With Mohamed Massaquoi and Kenneth Harris moving to the bench, it sent a clear signal to that group of players and the rest of the team that Mark Richt is not going to tolerate a lack of effort or mistakes on the field. In the past, I don’t think Richt has been quick enough in pulling the trigger on such moves.
Of course, he does have plenty of depth at this position, so he’s afforded the luxury of making such a move. What is somewhat strange is how, earlier this week, Richt was talking about Steve Spurrier and how quick he is to move the roster to motivate. Then the next day, he goes out and does the exact same thing.
Richt readily admitted he has learned a ton of things from Spurrier, and it again looks like he is taking a page from his book.
Back to the wide receivers. I still think Massaquoi is the best of the group. But he cut some routes short Saturday and was not crisp. Mario Raley probably is not the answer at that spot and I would expect to see Massaquoi back in the starting lineup soon.
I’m intrigued by A.J. Bryant’s bid for time at a position that is clearly up for grabs. Bryant’s biggest problem, aside from injuries, has been putting too much pressure on himself. He has all the physical tools. But even Bryant said Wednesday the last time he felt comfortable playing was back in high school. If he can get over the mental hangups, which is not easy, Bryant could be the threat Georgia is looking for. He’s big, strong and fast with pretty decent hands, which seems to be rare among these wide receivers.
If Bryant doesn’t pan out, I like Mikey Henderson to eventually be a threat at wideout. The hamstring is a problem and from the sound of things will continue to be a problem. But if he can get over it, Henderson has that brand of fearlessness it takes to be a very good receiver.
Now if we could just figure out who should throw the ball to these guys.
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GEORGIA REPORT
Freshman Allen inherits return duty

By CHIP TOWERS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/08/06 Athens — There will be no happy returns for Mikey Henderson this weekend.
Henderson, who wowed the Sanford Stadium crowd with two long punt returns last Saturday, won't be available for Saturday's game at South Carolina.The dynamic junior from Buford was unable to practice Thursday, the fourth straight day he's missed because of a pulled hamstring aggravated during a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown against Western Kentucky.
"When guys don't practice, they don't play," coach Mark Richt said. "He's out."
That means the job will fall into the hands — Georgia hopes, at least — of true freshman Asher Allen. Punt returns are a particularly challenging skill against the Gamecocks.
The line-drive, rugby-style punting of Ryan Succop is designed to avoid returners and roll for distance.
"The ball comes so different from other balls," Allen said. "It may start off on the left and end up on the right. It just hits the ground and bounces weird. You got to make sure you are on top of it.'"
Henderson believes his replacement can handle it.
"It is all really about just catching the ball," Henderson said. "You have to field it. If you don't, most of the time it is going to roll 15 or 20 yards past you."
Thomas Flowers, the veteran returner, is suspended. Behind Allen (two punts for 28 yards last week) is sophomore Ramarcus Brown. Freshman Prince Miller is also available but has a broken wrist bone and is wearing a cast. Richt said Miller could still field punts if needed.
Bulldogs go loud during practice
Georgia practiced for two hours Thursday at Sanford Stadium with crowd noise and music turned up loud in anticipation of the raucous atmosphere at Williams-Brice Stadium.
"It was good," Richt said. "They have to concentrate and be intentional in seeing the hand signals and passing down information to each other."
Richt was excited about what figures to be a championship-type environment Saturday night.
"You don't get used to it," he said. "Maybe as the year goes on, but for the first road game to be of this magnitude and the noise, it's all new."
Johnson, Elmore cleared to return
Fullback Jason Johnson (ankle) and defensive tackle Marquis Elmore (knee) have been cleared to play Saturday. ... Defensive end Charles Johnson injured his right thumb in a collision with teammate Quentin Moses on Wednesday and practiced with his hand wrapped Thursday. "He's fine," Richt said.

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Dogs hope to stick to Rice

South Carolina sophomore WR is 'just a great player'

Story Photos - Click to Enlarge

Coming off his 70-catch freshman season, wide receiver Sidney Rice struggled in the opener, finishing with only two catches for 13 yards.
Special
Click thumbnails to view


By Marc Weiszer | marc.weiszer@onlineathens.com | Story updated at 1:32 AM on Thursday, September 7, 2006
This week, inside the Butts-Mehre Building, home of Georgia's football offices, defensive coordinator Willie Martinez is putting the finishing touches on a plan he hopes will slow down a South Carolina offense that features dangerous Sidney Rice.
Coaches in Martinez's position had little success last season stopping the wide receiver, who had a freshman year to remember.
"He's certainly a guy that you better circle," Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said this week. "We circled him, and he buried us the first half. We were fortunate to get it under control the second half. He's just a great player."
Rice broke school records with 12 catches for 191 yards against Missouri in the Independence Bowl, a game the Tigers rallied to win 38-31.
Those types of performances were routine for Rice last year, when he led South Carolina with 70 catches for 1,143 yards and 13 touchdowns, ranking first in the SEC with 103.9 yards per game. He set school records with touchdown catches in eight straight games and with six 100-yard receiving games.
"I don't know if anybody can just cover a guy like Sidney Rice down-after-down by themselves," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "We'll certainly play some man coverage. I don't think there will be much doubt of that. We'll play some man coverage with help, some man coverage without help, a lot of zone. We hope to pressure the quarterback enough to help coverage, too"
Mississippi State limited Rice to career lows of two catches for 13 yards in the Gamecocks' 15-0 victory last Thursday. The Gamecocks gave up four sacks and Blake Mitchell had little time to drop back to find Rice, who told reporters this week that Mississippi State was "mostly rolling coverages to my side, stuff like that."
The last time Georgia went up against a marquee wide receiver, it limited Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson to two catches for 14 yards last Nov. 26.
Cornerback Paul Oliver helped shut Johnson down, and the 6-foot, 208-pound junior will try to contain the 6-4, 200-pound Rice.
"They're comparable just in the fact that they're both big-play guys that are consistent," Oliver said. "They're two of the best in the nation doing what they do, but they play two different games. Calvin is a lot more physical. Sidney is a lot more pure athletic. He was a good basketball player, a jump-ball, go-up-in-the-air and get it kind of guy."
Rice, a native of Gaffney, S.C., played his first college game in a 17-15 loss to Georgia last year, finishing with five catches for 70 yards and a 4-yard touchdown.
"When the ball's in the air, he's got unbelievable ball skills," Martinez said. "He's got a knack for coming back, a knack for catching the tough catch. Then you throw on top of it he's a great competitor and he's got very good size, perfect, ideal size for a wide receiver. They can mismatch on you. Making sure that we don't have a small guy on him. That's big."
Oliver has drawn raves this preseason for making interceptions on a daily basis. His best chance for an interception against Western Kentucky was foiled by safety Tra Battle.
"The one ball I did get my hands on, Tra cleaned me up," Oliver said. "He knocked both me and the receiver out of bounds."
Oliver figures to get more chances with Rice on the field. The game will be a showcase not only for Rice on the national stage but for Oliver, too.
"Paul, to me, I don't think he's being talked about as a corner around the nation," redshirt freshman defensive back Bryan Evans said. "Teammates realize what kind of player he is, that he's a great player. If anybody can compete with (Rice) and his body size, I think Paul can do it."
Saturday: Georgia at South Carolina 7:45 p.m. (ESPN)

Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 090706

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Reunion for Dogs linebacker

Notebook

By Marc Weiszer | marc.weiszer@onlineathens.com | Story updated at 1:32 AM on Thursday, September 7, 2006
Georgia linebacker Danny Verdun Wheeler was walking and typing this week as he fired off another text message to Columbia, S.C.
That's where former high school teammates, twins Jasper and Casper Brinkley, start on South Carolina's defense. There will be a Thomson High mini-reunion Saturday when Georgia plays South Carolina at 7:45 p.m. Saturday.
Both visited Verdun Wheeler in Athens last Saturday night.
"They're like my brothers," Verdun Wheeler said. "We grew up together. We spend a lot of time together. We talk to each other every day."
Jasper Brinkley, a middle linebacker, led South Carolina with 11 tackles in a 15-0 win over Mississippi State last Thursday. Casper Brinkley, an end, was credited with three tackles.
Both came to South Carolina from Georgia Military College. Georgia recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner said the twins wanted to play at the same school.
Getting them accepted at Georgia would have been difficult, Garner said.
Georgia hasn't signed a junior college player since 2001, when Kareem Marshall and Brandon Williams came from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Nic Clemons from Georgia Military College.
"It's just tough for us to find a curriculum here that we can get them into where they will meet initial eligibility and they will have enough credits to transfer," Garner said.
Georgia has an interest in two defensive linemen and one offensive linemen at Georgia Military who have been offered by the likes of Florida, Auburn, Alabama and South Carolina.
Garner said he received the players' transcripts earlier than in past years for assistant athletic director for academics/eligibility Glada Horvat to evaluate.
"There are definitely a lot of need positions that we wish we could address through the junior college route," Garner said. "It's just hard for us to get them in school."

Bryant ready for starting job
When wide receivers coach John Eason shook up the depth chart this week, he let his players know that he could shake it up again next week.
A.J. Bryant and Mario Raley are in the starting lineup in place of Mohamed Massaquoi and Kenneth Harris mainly because of "assignments and route running," Eason said.
"The thing I told them when they go to South Carolina, they'll call their names," Eason said. "The question is whether or not they call their names when they return to Sanford Stadium."
Coach Mark Richt praised Bryant's effort, saying he couldn't remember him missing any assignments.
"I guess it's kind of semi-sweet," said Bryant, who will get his first college start. "This is what I've wanted since I've been here, but I've got to do something now."

Henderson move gets thumbs up
Richt's decision to give punt returner Mikey Henderson a second chance against Western Kentucky was the right move, Tony Kornheiser and Jason Whitlock agreed this week on ESPN's "Pardon The Interruption."
Richt let Henderson return another punt last Saturday after he fumbled near the goal line when his premature celebration resulted in a touchback. Henderson got another chance and scored on a 67-yard return.
"It's college, not the pros," Kornheiser said. "In the pros, I might have cut him especially when he showboats at the end of this thing or I probably would have sat him down for the rest of this game. In college, coaches try to uplift an entire team, so you give the guy a second chance and, voila, he gets a touchdown so it works out for everybody."
Henderson left the game with a hamstring injury and is doubtful for Saturday. He ran on Wednesday but didn't practice.

Tough day for Fabris
Defensive ends Quentin Moses and Charles Johnson collided during practice Wedensday on a quarterback rush but turned out unscathed. At first, the two were on the ground "moaning and groaning," Richt said," in a scene he termed "sickening and frightening. ... I don't think they got another rep. I was more worried about (defensive ends coach Jon) Fabris having a cardiac arrest."

Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 090706

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Tough situation for Tereshinski

By Mark Bradley | Saturday, September 2, 2006, 06:17 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Mark Bradley

• Tip your cap to the Braves
• How soon we (choose to) forget
• Talented roster puts heat on Mora
• Tough situation for Tereshinski
• A game not as good as advertised

Athens — Poor Joe T. Here he’d done the thing he’d waited all his life to do — start for the team of his dreams and win a game between the hallowed hedges — and it wasn’t enough to satisfy his constituency or stifle all inquiries. Afterward, he kept being asked if he still felt like Georgia’s No. 1 quarterback, and finally someone asked if Joe Tereshinski III wasn’t tired of that question.
“I’m ready for it to be set,” said Joe T, meaning his depth-chart status. “I’m ready for it to be set in stone.”
But it isn’t yet, and it might never be. If anything, Saturday’s game rendered it a bit less likely that Joe T will make it through the season as the starter. Matthew Stafford played against Western Kentucky, and now that Stafford can’t be redshirted there seems little reason not to play him more as the season unfolds. And such is the curious hold Stafford has thrown over Georgia fans that the flash memory of this game wasn’t of Joe T making his first home start but of Stafford’s last drive — long scramble, three completions, the last a touchdown pass.
Before Saturday, Stafford still wasn’t sure he was going to play this season, let alone this day. Being redshirted had, he said, crossed his mind, and 13 days ago Mark Richt was leaning toward shelving the heralded rookie. But the coach changed his mind after watching Stafford respond to being named co-No. 3 — Richt: “He didn’t pout; he didn’t mope” — and there seems a chance Stafford will be No. 2 when the Bulldogs arrive in Columbia.
“I don’t know what we’ll do,” said Mike Bobo, the quarterbacks coach, “whether we’ll go co-No. 2s or whether Joe [Cox] will be No. 2 or Stafford will be.”
Said Richt of Stafford: “From the time we made the decision [Aug. 20], he’d probably practiced second-best. I think he’ll help us win. And we know Joe T is a senior, and we know somebody besides Joe T is going to play next season, so we just thought it was in [Stafford’s] best interest to get reps now.”
You’d have thought Joe T — a third-generation Bulldog — would be the people’s choice in his hometown, but no great ovation greeted Georgia’s No. 1 quarterback when he took the field Saturday. The ovation was saved for Stafford, who took the first snap of his collegiate life on the first play of the fourth quarter. His first two passes were incomplete. His last three were not. All were delivered with a zip Joe T cannot approximate.
For the record, Tereshinski completed 7 of 17 passes for 90 yards and one touchdown. At least three of his deliveries were dropped. “I thought I threw better than my statistics will probably show,” he said, “but I need to speed up my footwork and my decision-making. I need to give the receivers a better ball to catch.”
Understand: Joe T hasn’t lost the job he’d waited so long to win. He’ll start against South Carolina, but you wonder how long Georgia’s coaches can go with this process of re-evaluation. Another month? Three more months? Said Bobo: “We’re not going to sit here and announce who’s going to be where week-to-week.”
“You can never close the door on competition,” said Tereshinski, but Stafford’s heartening drive only served to open the door of uncertainty even wider.
“Even if I was going to be redshirted,” Stafford said, “I’ve kept the same attitude. I was going to prepare like I was going to be the starter.”
A prediction: If Georgia uses two quarterbacks in Columbia, Stafford will be the second, Stafford as opposed to Cox. And if Georgia needs a fourth-quarter rally, Stafford will be designated to lead it.
Funny how things change. As of noon Saturday, the smart money was on Stafford being redshirted. With one mop-up appearance, a quarterback controversy was stoked anew. Asked if Stafford might start before the season is done, Bobo said: “I can’t answer that right now.”
But he didn’t say no. And he didn’t offer anything that could be taken as a blanket endorsement of the incumbent. Poor Joe T. He waits 23 years to be Georgia’s quarterback, and here comes Matthew Stafford, already closing ground.
Permalink | Comments (87) | Post your comment | Categories: Mark Bradley, UGA / SEC

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Updated Thursday, September 7 at 11:03 PM

Bulldogs Ware looking for more playing time by The Associated Press ATHENS - Remember Danny Ware? You know, the speedy, powerful runner who was going to follow in the footsteps of Herschel Walker, Garrison Hearst, Rodney Hampton and Terrell Davis as Georgia's next great back. The guy who could run past defenders or just run over them. Whatever happened to him? Well, Ware is still playing for the Bulldogs, but he's the third runner in a three-back rotation. Not exactly the place he expected to be as a junior after starting his very first college game. ``I had a chip on my shoulder when I came out of camp as th ``I had a chip on my shoulder when I came out of camp as the number three running back,'' Danny Ware e number three running back,'' Ware admitted this week. ``It was kind of hard, kind of frustrating. I just tried to stay focused and tried to be ready when it was my chance to go out and play.'' Unlike most schools, No. 12 Georgia (1-0) splits up the playing time among three backs, though starter Thomas Brown and second-stringer Kregg Lumpkin are going to get on the field ahead of Ware. In the season opener, a 48-12 blowout of Division I-AA Western Kentucky, Ware was actually the team's top rusher with 68 yards on just six carries, the bulk of it coming on a 41-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. ``It was very exciting to break a long run,'' Ware said. ``The line opened it up and I saw the hole and just wanted to get into the end zone. Hopefully we can keep that going all year long.'' But it's going to take time to work his way back up the depth chart. Asked whether he expected to get more carries in Saturday's Southeastern Conference opener at South Carolina, Ware replied with a smile, ``Nah. I'm sure ol' D-Ware is still number three.'' The 6-foot-1, 223-pound Ware made quite a first impression on the Georgia coaching staff after he arrived on campus in January 2004, having spent a semester at Hargrave Military Academy getting his grades up. When Lumpkin went down with a season-ending knee injury in practice, Ware was handed the No. 1 tailback job. He became the first freshman runner since 1943 to start the Bulldogs' opener (Walker, for those who were wondering, didn't start until his second game). Ware did little to dampen the hype with a 135-yard, three-touchdown debut against Georgia Southern, leading the Georgia faithful to believe that they had found their go-to guy for the next three or four seasons. ``I can't really think of anyone to compare him to,'' coach Mark Richt said at the time. ``He's just a big back who is really fluid, has a great balance, changes directions well and is a tackle breaker.'' Ware was a cocky freshman who didn't mind being compared to those who came before him, especially Walker. ``I want to be known as a Herschel Walker-type runner,'' Ware said after his first game. ``If I can come close to being the type of runner he was, that would be great.'' Ware hasn't come close, not by a long shot. He was plagued by all sorts of injuries that first season lung, knee, ankle and hand and the coaches began to loose faith in him when he fumbled several times in crucial situations. Brown, also a freshman at the time, claimed the starting spot late in the season and has held it ever since. Ware started only two games in 2005 (once when Brown was injured, the other in a two-back set) and his rushing yards plummeted from 724 to 492. Lumpkin got off to a slow start coming back from his injury, but he played well late in the season and moved past Ware on the depth chart, as well. And that's where things stand today. Ol' D-Ware is still No. 3 but getting encouragement of those around him, such as running backs coach Tony Ball. ``Coach Ball tells me all the time that it doesn't matter who's one, two or three,'' Ware said. ``When you get in, you're the guy. I try to use that. I realize that when I go in, I'm the go-to guy.'' The Bulldogs rushed for only 136 yards in their first game, but Richt wasn't too unhappy with the production. Pointing to the timing changes that are designed to speed up the game, he noted that Georgia had 52 offensive plays, ran the ball 27 times and averaged 5 yards per carry. ``You've got to realize that the rules changes are a factor on the number of plays each team runs,'' Richt said. ``There's less of everything, so you've got to play more attention to the yards per carry and the number of yards per pass.'' Ware hopes to get his share of those runs. ``If all of us get 10 carries apiece, one of us might have a chance to break 100 yards,'' he said. ``Ten carries that's a nice, round number. It's not 20 or 25, but 10 to 15 isn't too bad.''

©Copyright 2006 AccessNorthGa.com / WDUN News/Talk 550.

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Updated Thursday, September 7 at 11:02 PM

Spurrier's Gamecocks looking for sixth straight SEC win by The Associated Press ATLANTA - Steve Spurrier was accustomed to putting together long Southeastern Conference winning streaks when he was dominating the conference during his tenure at Florida. Surprisingly, he's doing it again, and it's only the start of his second season at South Carolina, where last week's triumph over Mississippi State was Carolina's sixth SEC victory in a row. It's the longest string of conference victories since the Gamecocks joined the SEC. ``Gosh, we've got another chance to win another one,'' Spurrier said. ``It won't be nearly as easy as the prior six in a row we've won, but we do have a chance to win another one.'' The Gamecocks aren't listed among the favorites in the SEC East race, where Florida, Georgia and Tennessee figure to finish ahead of Carolina. No. 12 Georgia, the defending SEC champ, is a 3-point favorite to extend its winning streak over the Gamecocks to five games Saturday night in a game to be televised by ESPN. Beating Carolina has seldom been easy for the Bulldogs, who had it easy only once in the last four, winning 31-7 three years ago in Athens. The other victories were by two, four and six points. ``Our players know this game is crucial,'' Georgia coach Mark Richt said. ``We have respect for South Carolina and respect for what coach Spurrier is doing there.'' There may come a day when Spurrier has the same success with South Carolina that he had with Florida. That day hasn't come yet. Georgia's defense will end any hopes the Gamecocks have of posting an upset. Georgia 21-10. Elsewhere around the SEC this weekend: Vanderbilt (plus 15.5) at Alabama: Both the Commodores and Crimson Tide are operating with new quarterbacks Chris Nickson for Vandy, John Parker Wilson for 'Bama. Wilson will get the better of this meeting, mainly because he has more talent with which to work. Alabama 28-7. Utah State (plus 28.5) at Arkansas: This will be the Aggies' 11th game against current members of the SEC, and only once were they successful, beating Kentucky 35-6 in 1970. Two of those losses were to Arkansas, before the Razorbacks joined the SEC. Arkansas 28-7. No. 4 Auburn (minus 20) at Mississippi State: State's defense will keep this fairly close for a while, but with no offensive threat, the Bulldog stoppers will tire and Auburn will get on a roll in the second half. Auburn 28-3. Central Florida (plus 23) at No. 7 Florida: Coach George O'Leary knows what to expect from the Florida Gators speed. He says that's the biggest difference between the Gators and other teams on his schedule. Florida 31-7. Texas State (no line) at Kentucky: The Bobcats are a Division I-AA power quite capable of giving the Wildcats a stiff test. They are especially strong on defense. Kentucky will be pressed to keep from going 0-2, but they will survive barely. Kentucky 14-10. Arizona (plus 15) at No. 8 LSU: The Tigers have reeled off eight victories in a row against teams from the Pac 10 Conference and are solid favorites to extend that streak against the Wildcats. Arizona won't be easy, fielding a solid defense to go with a pretty good passing combo of Willie Tuitama to Syndric Steptoe. The 'Cats will keep it close, but LSU will prevail. LSU 28-14. Mississippi (plus 10) at Missouri: The Tigers lost star quarterback Brad Smith at the end of last season, but apparently haven't noticed it yet. Sophomore Chase Daniel made his first start for the Tigers, completing 23 of 32 passes for 320 yards and five touchdowns in a 47-7 victory over Murray State last week. Don't look for those kind of numbers against the Rebels, but he will do enough to give the Tigers their second victory, Missouri 20-14. Air Force (plus 20) at No. 11 Tennessee: Erik Ainge seems to like this idea of knowing who actually is Tennessee's starting quarterback. He'll have his second good day of the season on Saturday, this time against the Falcons. Tennessee 35-10. Last week's totals on opening week of season: 11-0 straight, 7-2 vs. spread.

©Copyright 2006 AccessNorthGa.com / WDUN News/Talk 550.

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SATURDAY'S GAME
Huge game for Gamecocks, too

By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/09/06 Saturday night's showdown is important to the Bulldogs, who have gone on to win at least 10 games the past four times they've won it. But it's the biggest game of the year to the Gamecocks, according to coach Steve Spurrier.
"They're the closest to us, and we play them early in the season. So I've got to believe Georgia is our biggest conference rival," Spurrier said. "Now I know we're not their biggest conference rival. They've got Tennessee and Florida way ahead of us."
The Bulldogs were always the biggest rival for Spurrier when he was at Florida because of where the game fell in the season and what it usually meant to the conference race. Now that he's at South Carolina, beating Georgia is not the end-all it once was for Spurrier.
"It seems that there's a lot of despising that goes on between those two schools and those two teams," he said of Georgia-Florida. Comparatively, "I think South Carolina and Georgia have always had a pretty healthy competition with each other," Spurrier said.
Tereshinski needs to make big plays
Joe Tereshinski wants to be perfect. Mike Bobo wants him to know that is not going to happen. Somewhere in the middle, the quarterback and his position coach must meet.
"He is a perfectionist, and we strive for perfection," Bobo said. "But sometimes we have got to get him to just relax."
Sounds easy, but like the game plan, the execution can be difficult.
"You have got to be careful not to overcoach him because he is going to do exactly what you tell him to do," Bobo said. "It's a fine line."
Last week, Tereshinski did just about everything the coaches told him to do — and still walked away from the game frustrated. Receivers dropped balls, blocks were missed and the offense was adequate but not exciting.
This week, Georgia will be looking for an extra dimension in Tereshinski's game.
"They still have got to be a playmaker," Bobo said. "They have got to be trained and rep what we think they are going to see, but you still have got to react out there in the game and you have got to make plays. To be a quarterback in this league, you have got to make plays. Everything is not going to be how we draw it up."
Suspension bowl
Both sides will be missing key players today because of suspension:
GEORGIA
Dannell Ellerbe, LB (three games)
Thomas Flowers, CB (two games)
Daniel Inman, G (two games)
Ian Smith, C (two games)
SOUTH CAROLINA
Ty Erving, S (three games)
Brandon Isaac, S (three games)
Noah Whiteside, WR (three games)
James Thompson, G (four games)
Note: Isaac was declared ineligible by the NCAA. The others were suspended by the coaches for violating team rules or university policy.
Did you know?
• Among the Gamecocks' 13 players from Georgia is Brookwood grad and walk-on kicker/punter Nate Spurrier, who's no relation to you-know-who.
• Steve Spurrier teams are 11-2 all time against Georgia and have scored 30 or more points in nine of the 13 games.
• Georgia has kicked off its SEC schedule with South Carolina every year since 1992, when the Gamecocks joined the SEC. Georgia is 10-4 in those games.
• Mark Richt's first loss as Bulldogs coach was at the hands of South Carolina — 14-9 in 2001 at Sanford Stadium.
Coach wants Brown to be more patient
Thomas Brown said he got faster, stronger and quicker over the summer in an effort to break more tackles.
His numbers last weekend against Western Kentucky: 10 carries, 26 yards. Not the start — or stats — anyone expected.
"There is a little bit of luck of the draw," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "That is part of it. He was pretty anxious to run hard and sometimes running super hard and fast is not exactly what you need when you are running some zone schemes and draw schemes. You have to have a little more patience and a little more vision and then stick it at the right moment. There were a couple of times where he missed a couple of opportunities."
But blame cannot be squarely pinned on Brown. The five guys up front didn't exactly move mountains, or even Hilltoppers. There were breakdowns in communication, and the holes weren't as big as they could have been.
Now comes South Carolina, which allowed only 79 yards rushing to Mississippi State and will be going up against a Georgia offense with only six scholarship linemen available. Tackle Daniel Inman and center Ian Smith both finish out two-game suspensions tonight.
Richt's form of flattery
Ever since the first forward pass was thrown — 100 years ago this week, by the way — coaches have been watching and copying. For all of his innovation, Georgia's Mark Richt is no different.
The coach he watches the most? None other than Steve Spurrier.
"I have probably copied more things that Steve has done, maybe more than anyone else," Richt said.
Series history
• Last game: Sept. 10, 2005, in Athens
• Score: Georgia 17, South Carolina 15
• Star of the game: Georgia's Thomas Brown had a career-best 144 yards rushing and scored what proved to be the decisive points on a 5-yard run with 11:24 left. South Carolina's Sidney Rice, until then a relatively unknown receiver, had five catches for 62 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown.
• Stats that matter: Georgia rushed for 238 yards and controlled the ball for 33 minutes. South Carolina threw two interceptions and missed a point-after attempt, a field-goal attempt and a two-point conversion try.
• It's history: Four of the past five games between these schools have been decided by six or fewer points. Georgia is 3-1 in those games and has won the past four in a row overall.
• Coachspeak: "It was there to be had." – Steve Spurrier
• They said it: "You know what? Coach Spurrier brings excitement to the game. He gets fired up, and you can't argue with that." – Georgia center Russ Tanner
< Sneaky Spurrier
Steve Spurrier most likely will have on short sleeves tonight. But that doesn't mean he won't have something stuck up there.
The South Carolina coach's reputation is predicated on throwing out some sort of trick play here or there. This game probably won't be any different, especially considering how both offenses aren't expected to produce many big plays.
"Every game, a trick may be thrown," Georgia freshman cornerback Asher Allen said. "That is just a part of the game. You just keep your head in the game, read your keys and make sure you are on top of your game. Sometimes you can feel it coming."
That still might not help.
"He has been doing it so long and got so many things up his sleeve, you just don't know which ones are coming," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "Coach Spurrier, he understands defense so well that if you are doing certain things, he will do something quick. He is one of the quickest minds to react. He is outstanding.
"I don't know where he gets [all his trick plays]. I don't know if he invents them all. I'm sure he invented a lot of them."
Star receivers
A coach is never supposed to look past the next opponent, but Georgia defensive coordinator Willie Martinez couldn't stop himself this week from looking ahead to next year.
That's when South Carolina wide receiver Sidney Rice will be eligible to enter the NFL draft. So will Georgia Tech's star pass catcher, Calvin Johnson.
"That would be great, wouldn't it?" Martinez said.
No more 6-foot-4 wide receivers with soft hands and fleet feet to deal with.
Ah, but that's next year. This is this week. And here comes Rice, a 2005 freshman All-American who had more than 1,100 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns last season.
"I don't think there are that many weaknesses to him," Martinez said. "He has seen it all for a year and he has made a ton of plays, whether he is pressed or whether you are playing off or whether you are doubling him. I've seen him get doubled, and he still makes the play. He is going to be tough to defend."
Mississippi State managed. Rice had only two catches for 13 yards in the Gamecocks' 15-0 win Aug. 31. But that happened in large part because Mississippi State's defensive line got into the South Carolina offensive line and didn't allow quarterbacks Blake Mitchell and Chris Smelley much time to throw.
"That was part of the problem," South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said. "It was a good part, and obviously we didn't go back there a lot after we found out it wasn't working much to try to make any seven-step throws.
"It was just a combination of things. They covered pretty well, too. Maybe we could have had some better plays on at different times. The quarterback could have done this, that or the other when he did have time, but it's just the way it worked out."
Georgia would like it to work out much the same way this week.
Cornerback Paul Oliver will get most of the coverage duty on Rice. But he will by no means be alone.
"There is not going to be a thing where it is Paul vs. Sidney," Martinez said. "It is us being able to execute our defense. There will be times when [Oliver] will be on [Rice] and times when somebody else will be on him."
When Oliver gets the job, the junior knows it's not about stopping Rice, but containing him, much like Georgia did last year with Tech's Johnson. Neither Johnson nor Rice were the leading receivers for their teams against Georgia last season. But both had a touchdown catch.

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Tough place to play

Dogs brace for Williams-Brice

By Marc Weiszer | marc.weiszer@onlineathens.com | Story updated at 3:44 AM on Friday, September 8, 2006
The annual South Carolina State Fair won't be held in Columbia until next month, but recent experience has taught Georgia that its trip to adjacent Williams-Brice Stadium every other year can be as stomach-churning as any carnival ride.
The 12th-ranked Bulldogs are prepared to buckle up and brace for another bumpy night at the place where they escaped with victories in two previous trips under coach Mark Richt but were pushed to the limit.
"We go to Columbia, and we struggle mightily," Richt said. "We've been very fortunate to win the last two times we've been there."
The third and fourth largest crowds in Williams-Brice Stadium history came to the last two Georgia games, with more than 84,000 on hand at each, making the seventh-largest SEC stadium rival LSU or Tennessee for pumping up the volume.
"It was so loud in there one time that it seemed like the building was swaying," said Georgia defensive end Quentin Moses, who played as a sophomore in 2004.
"It's pretty crazy," running back Danny Ware said. "The stadium's really not that big, but there's so many people in there the way it's built they can get to you and scream at you even better. It seems like the sidelines are right behind you. No matter if you're in the game or on the sidelines, they're always screaming at you and you can hear them clearly."
It gets cranked up with the music of "2001: A Space Odyssey," considered by some among the best entries in college football.
"The atmosphere there is electric," Richt said. "The way they open the game gets people real riled up."
Georgia fell behind 16-0 in 2004 before rallying with two second-half touchdowns to pull out a 20-16 victory. The Bulldogs did not score an offensive touchdown in 2002 in a 13-7 victory. David Pollack made a play that will live in Georgia lore with his end zone interception.
"We will have to match their intensity," Richt said. "If we give them any kind of excitement early on, whether we turn it over or they get a touchdown pass or whatever it might be, it will light them up even more."
South Carolina's history is one of mediocrity as coach Steve Spurrier pointed out this summer when he cracked: "Our trophy case has got an Outback Bowl championship in it, and that's the biggest one."
No matter, Gamecock fans show up faithfully.
"It doesn't matter if they're 10-0 or 0-10, their fans are always going to be excited and really loud," said quarterback Joe Tereshinski, who will make his first start in an opponent's stadium. "Going into that environment, it is hostile for that team and then you throw Coach Spurrier into the mix. He's the guy you want to beat when you're growing up in Athens."
Georgia has won four straight in the series, but the Gamecocks have given Georgia fits home and away under Richt, except for a 31-7 Bulldogs win in 2003 at Sanford Stadium. The Gamecocks dealt Richt his first loss at Georgia, 14-9, in 2001, and Georgia was pushed in a 17-15 victory last year in Athens.
Georgia is 19-2 in an opponent's home stadium under Richt, losing only to an LSU team that won the BCS national championship and an Auburn squad that went 13-0.
The Bulldogs haven't lost in Columbia since 2000, when the Gamecocks broke an 18-game SEC losing streak with a 21-10 win.
"It's one of those games that's going to come down to the wire every year," Moses said. "It's going to come down to the last couple of series. That's just the mentality we have. We're just trying to going out and prepare for it and get ready to fight a long battle."
At a glance
Georgia is 6-4 in its last 10 visits to South Carolina's Williams-Brice Stadium. The average margin in the span is 9.4 points.
Date Result
2004 W, 20-16
2002 W, 13-7
2000 L, 21-10
1998 W, 17-3
1996 L, 23-14
Date Result
1994 W, 24-21
1992 W, 28-6
1988 L, 23-10
1986 W, 31-26
1984 L, 17-10
Saturday: Georgia at South Carolina 7:45 p.m. (ESPN)


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STAFFORD: READY OR NOT?

By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/12/06 Athens — First things first: Don't expect a national title from Matthew Stafford.
Not this year, anyway. Not as a true freshman playing at college football's highest level, where youth surfaces and inexperience is exploited.
"I coached against Danny Wuerffel when he was a true freshman," former Auburn coach Terry Bowden said of Florida's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. "He had about two or three interceptions and we won. Even when the best of the best are freshmen, they are just that — freshmen.
"They are good for one or two losses a year just because they are freshmen."
OK, so put down a loss or two for Georgia, according to Bowden's logic. Here's a look at what else we should — and shouldn't expect — from the Bulldogs with Stafford, who makes his starting debut Saturday against UAB in place of the injured Joe Tereshinski.
Expect ...
The running backs to get a workout. "Matthew has a tremendous amount of potential, but the Dogs are loaded at running back and the offense will continue to revolve around establishing that running attack," former Georgia quarterback Eric Zeier said.
That means Thomas Brown left, Kregg Lumpkin right and Danny Ware up the middle.
"I personally would like to see our great halfbacks and fullbacks get a bulk of the offense," fan Adam Scott of Atlanta said. "I'm talking 40-50 carries a game the next few weeks until Stafford can become a little more comfortable with being 'the man.' "
Don't expect ...
• The offense to stand still. Mark Richt was still calling plenty of deep passes in Saturday's 18-0 win over South Carolina, which Stafford entered in the first quarter. Stafford also used his feet to make things happen.
"He can hurt you with his athleticism," UAB coach Watson Brown said. "I was very surprised with his maturity when he had the ball in his hands."
Expect ...
• The NFL to start watching. So says NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., who predicts Stafford will someday be the No. 1 overall pick.
"Stafford has a great arm and excellent mobility," Kiper said Monday. "His decision-making needs to improve, and it will with more game experience. ... Assuming he makes the expected progression, the sky is the limit for how good he can be."
Don't think sports agents haven't figured that out, either.
"It would not surprise me if Matthew has not already been contacted by agents, based on his high school career," Atlanta sports agent Pat Dye Jr. said. "... Then you have Mel Kiper say this young man 'will be the first pick in the draft, write that down.'
"The good news for Matthew, from everything I have heard about him and about the family, they are not a family that is going to get caught up in that."
Don't expect ...
• Perfection. Remember, Stafford is 18 years young. He has played the equivalent of one full game at the college level.
And UAB is no Western Kentucky; the Blazers gave Oklahoma a Week 1 scare before falling 24-17.
"Expect behavior characteristic of a talented teenager," former college coach and ESPN analyst Bill Curry said. "Matthew will have great moments, and he will make some mind-boggling mistakes, the kind that prevent most freshmen from being starters. Patience is the proper response."
Expect ...
• A feeling-out process. Nobody really knows Stafford just yet. His teammates and coaches are still trying to figure out just what makes him tick. Quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo has had to adjust his pulse because Stafford's always pumps at a slow pace.
"It's not just the X's and the O's," said Texas-El Paso coach Mike Price, who played Drew Bledsoe as a true freshman at Washington State. "It's how you relate to your teammates and the fans out there, how you carry yourself and that charisma and enthusiasm."
Don't expect ...
• The same quarterback you saw Saturday. Zeier doesn't expect Stafford to suddenly become Brady Quinn, but he does predict progress from week to week. In other words, no more three-interception, no-touchdown efforts.
"Stafford has the ability to be a dominant player in this league," Zeier said. "His confidence and comfort level will grow every time he is out on the field."
Expect ...
• Great expectations. "I hope that Stafford will at some point in his career at Georgia be able to bring to UGA the national title that has so slightly eluded us the last few years," fan Tim Todd of Atlanta said.
Fellow fan Greg Bowen is buying Kiper's No. 1-pick prediction.
"Stafford has the best arm I have ever seen from a college freshman, an NFL arm already," he said. "He has presence in the pocket, great timing and a coolness about him that seems to lift the entire team when he enters the game."
Don't expect ...
• Traditional defenses. That was a lesson Texas' Mack Brown and his first-time starter, redshirt freshman Colt McCoy, learned in Saturday's loss to Ohio State.
"It's a lot more complicated because you see more disguises on defense," Brown said Monday.
Things are made to look one way, then turn out to be another. Take, for instance, a play in the second half Saturday.
"Colt McCoy drops back and there is a perfect square end coming across the middle," Bowden said. "The QB leads him perfectly but doesn't see the middle linebacker drop directly back in front of the wide receiver."

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Dogs look like Sooners to UAB

By CHIP TOWERS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/12/06 Athens — On Sept. 2, UAB went to Norman, Okla., to play an Oklahoma team with a new quarterback and a stout defense.
Speaking to reporters at his weekly media luncheon Monday, UAB coach Watson Brown said his Blazers team is experiencing feelings of déjà vu. The similarities between the Sooners and No. 10 Georgia, which they face Saturday, are amazing.
"[It is] similar because of the defense and Georgia has just lost their starting quarterback," Brown said. "We have been in this situation before so we are just going to have to react to what is thrown at us."
Oklahoma was breaking in first-time starter Paul Thompson after incumbent Rhett Bomar was ruled ineligible in August. The Bulldogs lost starting quarterback Joe Tereshinski to an ankle injury Saturday and will start true freshman Matthew Stafford against UAB.
But the biggest similarity between Oklahoma and Georgia, Brown said, are the defenses.
"Georgia has an unbelievable defense," he said. "I said two weeks ago that Oklahoma may have the best defense that we will play all year, but here I am two weeks later saying that Georgia is probably better, and I really do believe that. They are unbelievably physical and they can run."
The Blazers led Oklahoma 17-14 before Adrian Peterson scored on a 69-yard screen pass late in the third quarter of a 24-17 Oklahoma win.
UAB has made a habit of giving SEC teams fits. It won at LSU in 2000 (13-10) and at Mississippi State in 2004 (27-13). It gave Georgia a scare in 2003 (16-13 loss).
Quick kicks
Tereshinski, out 4-6 weeks, was in an air cast and on crutches Monday. Defensive lineman Ray Gant was in a walking cast. His status for Saturday isn't known. ... Georgia's game with Colorado has been set for 12:30 p.m. and will televised locally by WATL. ... Defensive end Charles Johnson was named SEC defensive player of the week for his one-sack, one-safety effort at South Carolina.

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Tereshinski sidelined 4-6 weeks
Freshman Stafford will get his first start

By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/11/06 Athens – Joe Tereshinski is out.
Matthew Stafford is in.

Curtis Compton / AJC (ENLARGE)

Georgia QB Joe Tereshinski suffered a high ankle sprain against South Carolina and will not play this week vs. UAB.

More coverage QB forum: Season now in Stafford's hands BLOG More on Georgia

How long it will remain that way is yet to be determined. But Stafford, a true freshman, will start against UAB on Saturday and against Colorado. And at Ole Miss. And then maybe again at home against Tennessee.
By that time, four weeks from now, Tereshinski, a senior, might be healthy enough to play. Then again, he might not. Tereshinski suffered a high ankle sprain against South Carolina on Saturday. Georgia coach Mark Richt said he could be out "four to six weeks."
"Knowing Joe, he will be ready a little bit sooner than normal," Richt said. "[But] I would have to doubt very seriously he could play the next three games anyway."
So Stafford, who was 8 of 19 for 171 yards with three interceptions in a win over South Carolina, will play. So will Joe Cox.
Richt plans to at least get the No. 2 quarterback some reps in the game. But just like in the first two games, when those reps could come will not be made public. Richt said he did not want to pigeon-hole himself by announcing when and how much Cox will play.
The coach also is not backing himself into a corner by naming only one player as Tereshinski's replacement. Stafford's got the nod now, but if he causes too many heads to shake back and forth instead of up and down, Cox might get a shot.
"I don't think anybody has established themselves as a solid No. 1," Richt said. "Quite frankly, we haven't had the performance or a string of performances that make me feel that way. I think we do have more than one good [quarterback], and maybe one guy will settle this thing and we will move on from there."
What Richt is in search of is that "defining moment" he so often talks about. David Greene had his as a redshirt freshman against Tennessee. It was Greene's fourth game in Richt's system. Georgia won 26-24.
"[Stafford and Greene] are relatively close to the same place [in their progression of learning the offense]," Richt said. "The difference is Greene had that defining moment in that Tennessee game that really kind of set him in there really solid."
As for the 18-0 win at South Carolina being Stafford's defining moment: "To some degree it was," Richt said.
But there were too many careless plays with the ball. Two of Stafford's three interceptions could have been avoided had he eschewed downfield glory and thrown the ball out of bounds. This time the interceptions didn't swing the balance of the game. But Richt is aware that if Stafford continues to be careless it could come back to hurt the team.
With that in mind, the game plan, while not as simple as it has been, will not push the young quarterback into areas where he is not comfortable.
"Until the other guys get a chance to do it and show that they can do it, I would still feel more comfortable giving Joe [Tereshinski] more to think through out there," Richt said. "With all the other guys, I would still be spoon-feeding them little by little.
"The more they handle, the more we will give," he continued. "But we don't want them to hit overload. Once you hit overload, that is not a good thing. I didn't see any of that happen [with Stafford]. He did a nice job with what we gave him."
This week, Georgia might be able to give Stafford slightly more. The No. 10 Bulldogs are hosting UAB. The Blazers (1-1) have thrown a scare into some bigger teams in recent years — Tennessee, Oklahoma and even Georgia. But the talent edge tilts in favor of Georgia, particularly on defense. Georgia has allowed only 12 points in two games, including a safety against Western Kentucky.
Injury update: Offensive lineman Seth Watts (knee) is probable this week. Offensive lineman Michael Turner (ankle) is questionable. Wide receiver/punt returner Mikey Henderson (hamstring) is day to day. Georgia will have offensive linemen Daniel Inman and Ian Smith and punt returner/cornerback Thomas Flowers back from suspension.

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Blazers aiming for upset

Football

Story Photos - Click to Enlarge

Despite this hit from former Georgia player Robert Geathers, UAB quarterback Chris Williams, right, kept the Blazers close in 2003.
File/Staff
Click thumbnails to view


By Marc Weiszer | marc.weiszer@onlineathens.com | Story updated at 12:23 AM on Tuesday, September 12, 2006
It's a showcase weekend for SEC football with a pair of heavyweight national TV tilts between Florida-Tennessee and LSU-Auburn.
Tucked away on pay-per-view, Georgia plays Alabama-Birmingham at Sanford Stadium. It's the kind of game that probably will be an afterthought for many unless the Blazers pull an Akron or a Troy and topple a team from a BCS conference or at least scare the daylights out of one.
UAB senior quarterback Chris Williams knows it's possible.
He had his first college start in place of injured Darrell Hackney against Georgia in 2003, a game in which the 29-point underdogs hung with the Bulldogs. Georgia needed a 31-yard Billy Bennett field goal with 12:47 to play to pull out a 16-13 victory.
UAB (1-1) pushed another bigwig in its season opener Sept. 2, losing at Oklahoma 21-14, and lost 17-10 last season at Tennessee.
"It gives us a lot confidence knowing that we can play with them, but we want a chance to try and beat one of them," said Williams, who came off the bench to complete 12 of 16 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns in a 17-15 victory over East Carolina Saturday. "We play close with every big team we've played, but we haven't beaten them. That's our goal."
Akron of the Mid-American Conference did it over the weekend. The Zips went on the road and upended ACC member N.C. State 20-17 Saturday.
Sun Belt conference member Troy, which upset Missouri in 2004 and plays at Georgia next season, was tied with No. 9 Florida State with under two minutes to play until the Seminoles pulled out a 24-17 victory.
"They really are good football teams," Georgia coach Mark Richt said of the UABs and Troys. "They have talent. You watch and see, they'll have guys getting drafted and guys getting free agent shots. They've got guys that can play. Both of those programs are especially tough because they usually can run with you pretty well."
UAB had first-round picks in 2005 in receiver Roddy White by Atlanta and in 2002 in defensive end Bryan Thomas by the New York Jets. That's two more first-rounders than Alabama had in that stretch, but when the Crimson Tide comes to town, teams snap to attention.
"Maybe we sneak up on them, but we also have a little bit of talent also," Williams said. "Maybe it's a combination."
UAB is just in its 11th season playing on the Division I-A level and its trip to the 2004 Hawaii Bowl is its lone bowl appearance. The team was picked fifth in the six-team Conference USA East Division.
"They're well-coached." Richt said. "Those guys can definitely beat you. Shoot, it happens all the time, so we've just got to be ready."
So far the big upset hasn't happened this year for Conference USA teams. Florida pounded Central Florida 42-0, BYU cruised over Tulsa 49-24, UCLA defeated Rice 26-16 and Texas Tech ripped SMU 35-3 and edged UTEP in overtime 38-35.
"We sure give it our best shot because we play enough of them," UAB coach Watson Brown said. "We got close. A lot of our teams have, but we still this year haven't gotten one of those. I think we do need to do that. The perception of the league is getting better and better, but until you get that true perception that you want, you're going to have to knock off some of those folks."
Near misses
UAB has visited big-name foes and been an unruly guest in recent years. Here are three close calls:
YEAR OPPONENT RESULT
2003 Georgia 16-13,L
2005 Tennessee 17-10,L
2006 Oklahoma 21-14,L
Saturday: UAB at Georgia 1 p.m. (Pay-per-view)

Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 091206

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Kaltefleiter: SEC title game an unlikely odyssey

Story Photos - Click to Enlarge

South Carolina's Cory Boyd (3) tries to plead his case for a touchdown in the third quarter of the Gamecocks' 18-0 loss to Georgia.
Briana Brough/Staff
Click thumbnails to view


| | Story updated at 7:44 AM on Monday, September 11, 2006
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Mixed in between the political conjecture and the cocktails, the chatter percolating among some South Carolina pre-game revelers early Saturday was the Gamecocks' reasonable chances of winning the SEC East.
The sober reality - as Georgia proved in its 18-0 win hours later - is that reaching the SEC title game is still a far-fetched notion for a program with just three bowl wins in its long history.
The talent disparity between South Carolina and the rest of the SEC's elite teams (Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Auburn, LSU) is as wide as ever. The Gamecocks have Sidney Rice, whose all-around talents are as good as anybody. But the marquee teams each have five or six Rice-like players.
It's no secret that it goes back to recruiting, which in a state like South Carolina is more difficult than finding a trash bin outside of Williams-Brice Stadium.
The state is small and not only does Clemson battle South Carolina for the state's best, Georgia, Florida, Florida State and the North Carolina schools pluck some of the top talent. It's been that way for a while now.
This situation is much different for coach Steve Spurrier. At Florida, he had top-flight recruits galore at his disposal, and even coaxed a few top guys out of South Georgia. At South Carolina, he's lucky if he can land one five-star player within the state.
Spurrier was furious following Saturday night's loss to Georgia, which was the first time he'd been shut out in 193 games dating to 1987 during his first year at Duke. Two years into this gig, Spurrier must realize that matching Florida, Tennessee and Georgia in the East, at least for more than a couple of consecutive seasons, is a task wrought with little chance of success.
If he doesn't know that, maybe he's had one too many cocktails.

John Kaltefleiter more Kaltefleiter columns

Here's a tip for Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom: Leave the defense on the field the entire game. Sounds crazy, but it sure couldn't hurt after the Bulldogs' offense was shut out for the second straight week.
Consider this: In Auburn's 34-0 romp in Starkville, Tigers receiver Courtney Taylor had more receiving yards (103) than six Bulldogs combined. Kenny Irons had only 12 fewer yards than eight Bulldogs runners, and Irons (68 yards) didn't play most of the second half.
Offensively, the Bulldogs are just plain putrid, and fairly or unfairly, the cow-bell handlers are bound to start pointing the finger at Croom. Since his arrival in 2004, the Bulldogs have been shut out five times, including the last two years to Auburn. The finger-pointing likely isn't limited to outside the locker room either. Can't imagine the defensive unit has much love for the offense right now. Can't imagine that the criticism will curtail if that scoreless streak continues.
Alabama needed a 47-yard field goal from a freshman walk-on midway through the fourth quarter to beat Vanderbilt. You don't say?
The Crimson Tide's offense hasn't been as crisp as expected in wins over Hawaii and the Commodores. What has to be troubling for coach Mike Shula is Kenneth Darby's drop-off in production. The senior tailback suffered from a hip pointer during training camp, but has said he's fine. The numbers don't support it. He's averaging just 2.4 yards a carry and hasn't reached the end zone since the third quarter against Utah State last year, a six-game stretch.
To challenge LSU and Auburn for the West title, the Tide needs Darby touchdown runs, not field goals from freshman walk-ons.
Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry might be pushing 70, but he's as courageous as ever.
DeBerry's brazen call to disregard a game-tying extra point and go for two with 1:43 left in the Falcons' 31-30 loss at Tennessee was both foolish and brave.
"It's probably the most disappointing game I've ever been involved in," he told the Associated Press. "It's a game that I felt we should have won, a game we could have won."
What somewhat got lost in the post-game shuffle was how Air Force's triple-option attack dominated the Volunteers defense. The Falcons rushed for 276 yards, almost four times as much as the rushing yardage that Tennessee finished with. They also had two more first downs and were 9 for 13 on third down.
What also got lost a bit was Erik Ainge's outing. Tennessee's quarterback had the best performance of his career, going 24-for-29 for 323 yards and three touchdowns.
Let's see if he can replicate that type of efficiency against Florida on Saturday. Something tells me it won't go so smoothly.
John Kaltefleiter is a Banner-Herald sports writer. E-MAIL: john.kaltefleiter@onlineathens.com. PHONE: 706-208-2213.

Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 091106

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GEORGIA REPORT
Tereshinski vows to be out just four weeks

By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionSubhead goes right here
Published on: 09/13/06 Athens — Doctors have told Joe Tereshinski he'll be out four to six weeks with his high ankle sprain.
Tereshinski is telling everyone who'll listen four weeks — "maximum."

MORE COVERAGE • More UGA news

"It doesn't matter how much pain it is on the fourth week. I am out there," Georgia's senior quarterback said Tuesday night.
Whether he's the starter Oct. 7 against Tennessee is another matter. Freshman Matthew Stafford will start in Tereshinski's place Saturday against UAB
"I have got to take this like I have got a month to prepare, like it is pretty much the preseason for me," Tereshinski said.
Coach Mark Richt said no one has done anything to lock up the starting job, and nothing is set in stone. But Tereshinski had done enough to win the job during preseason camp and was doing enough to keep it. He was hurt on the first scoring drive Saturday against South Carolina.
"The ball never felt better in my hands before the game and even in that drive," Tereshinski said. "It stinks that it happened right now at the time. But I have got to face it and go after it.
"I do have a leadership role on this team and continue with that and get these guys ready to play."
Ware performing better than billing
Junior Danny Ware, who remains listed as the co-No. 2 tailback on the depth chart, has performed the best of the Bulldogs' top three ball carriers, with 111 yards, two touchdown runs and a 7.4-yard average. Thomas Brown, still listed as the starter, is averaging only 3.7 yards on a team-high 26 carries.
Backup Kregg Lumpkin is averaging 4.8 yards on 13 carries. Ware's production is particularly impressive considering he began the season as the No. 3 back.
"I like what he's done," Richt said. "I think at first, you feel down and sorry for yourself maybe a little bit. I think Danny maybe went through a little bit of that. But then after he did a little soul-searching. It looks like he decided, 'You know what? I'm just going to bust my tail and make them play me more.' "
Richt points out that Brown, who also returns kicks, has shown exceptional versatility. He leads the team in catches (four) and all-purpose yards (101 a game).
"We've never had an effort problem with him. Ever," Richt said. "He's going to run hard and he's going to run fast. Sometimes he's just got to be a little more patient."
Massaquoi listed as No. 1 receiver
Mohamed Massaquoi is back in the starting lineup at split end. Technically, he never left. He was on the field for the first play from scrimmage Saturday as the Bulldogs opened in a three-receiver set. But Mario Raley was listed as the No. 1 starter. Now, it's Massaquoi again. "He played very hard and blocked extremely well," Richt said. A.J. Bryant, who bypassed Kenneth Harris as starting flanker last week, will start again Saturday.
Gant questionable for UAB game
Defensive tackle Ray Gant is questionable for Saturday with a mid-foot sprain. Gant expects to play, but redshirt freshman Kade Weston is set to start.
— Staff writer Chip Towers contributed to this article.

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GEORGIA FOOTBALL
3 suspended Dogs set to return

By CARTER STRICKLAND
Published on: 09/13/06 Athens — Invariably, another Georgia football player will get in trouble and another suspension will be handed out.
Mark Richt knows it. His players do, too.

MORE COVERAGE • More UGA news

"They want to eliminate all the extracurricular stuff. We are here to play ball," Georgia defensive tackle Ray Gant said. "But it's definitely impossible."
After serving two-game suspensions, three Bulldogs players are ready to return to the lineup. Cornerback Thomas Flowers and offensive linemen Daniel Inman and Ian Smith will be back Saturday when the Bulldogs host UAB.
"To sit back and watch was sickening," said Flowers, who was benched for violating team rules that weren't made public.
The wait continues for Georgia linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and defensive back Antonio Sims. Ellerbe has one more game to go before his suspension, following alcohol-related charges and theft of a teammate's vehicle, is lifted. Sims, arrested on DUI charges, is out all season after being dismissed from school. He has re-enrolled and is working with the scout team.
Inman, Smith and Flowers were welcomed back with open arms.
Inman, suspended for violating unknown team rules, is the team's top offensive tackle and is expected to get the start Saturday in place of an injured Michael Turner.
Smith, suspended after being charged with public intoxication, is needed in a backup capacity because Georgia is thin along the line.
Flowers' starting job at cornerback might be lost to Ramarcus Brown, but he will play significant minutes Saturday. If Mikey Henderson isn't healthy, Flowers will be the starting punt returner, Richt said.
"I just want to play," Flowers said.
Ditto for Inman.
"It has just been torture knowing at the end of the week that I couldn't play," Inman said.
That's how Richt wanted his players to feel after their off-the-field actions.
"He told us the other day: 'You fail a drug test or anything like that, it is three games starting off,' " linebacker Danny Verdun Wheeler. "[The punishment] is getting harsher and harsher. I remember when I first got here, it was a one-game suspension. Then it went up to two games."
Said Gant: "If you have got a harsh penalty, you are going to think twice about what choice you make. You know when Coach Richt is not playing with you. It is something to think about if you are going to have a drink and you are not 21."

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Holding that line

Senior tackle Inman returns to bolster patchwork unit that has played surprisingly well

Story Photos - Click to Enlarge

Despite being short-handed the first two games, the offensive line has helped Georgia average 167 yards rushing a game and has allowed only one sack.
Briana Brough/Staff
Click thumbnails to view


By Marc Weiszer | marc.weiszer@onlineathens.com | Story updated at 1:13 AM on Wednesday, September 13, 2006
There was doom and gloom for some Georgia fans last spring when they pondered the prospect of an SEC opener without senior offensive tackle Daniel Inman.
The concern centered on how a line that had already lost three starters would hold up with Inman serving a two-game suspension.
Inman watched from his room in East Campus Village as Georgia's offensive line not just survived, but thrived without him in an 18-0 victory over South Carolina on Saturday night.
The unit paved the way for an offense that averaged 5.1 yards per carry and did not surrender a sack to the Gamecocks, who had five against Mississippi State.
"I could see it in their eyes before the game," Inman said. "When they came out, they just had this swagger about them. I think they've improved from week to week, and that's what you have to do. I was very proud of them and really surprised that we improved up front."
Georgia is welcoming Inman back with open arms for Saturday's game against Alabama-Birmingham. The Bulldogs used just six scholarship offensive linemen in their first two games and were down to four in the second half against South Carolina, when offensive tackle Michael Turner injured an ankle and guard Seth Watts sustained a knee injury.
"Lack of depth is something where I shouldn't have put the team into a situation that they had to have," Inman said.
Georgia used walk-on Chris Abbott and was scrambling for healthy bodies near the end of the game.
"We were getting ready to throw somebody in there if something happened," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "I started getting ready to grab (tight end) Coleman Watson, and a little later (defensive tackle) Dale Dixson popped up in my view, and was ready to jump in there if we needed help."
Georgia also gains the services of redshirt freshman Ian Smith, who will make a delayed debut after his two-game suspension related to his arrest on public intoxication and underage possession.
"Having Daniel and Ian back just makes us that much better and that much more confident because we have more numbers," center Nick Jones said.
Smith will be the backup at center and guard.
"It was rough, but I'm finally getting the weight off my shoulders and able to get in there and play a little bit," Smith said. "I think I'm way more physically ready than mentally ready. I think I'm definitely as mentally ready as far as I can be."
Georgia should have at least seven scholarship offensive linemen available this week. Watts is probable, but Turner, who started at tackle the first two games, may not be able to play.
Offensive tackle Ken Shackleford played all 61 snaps against South Carolina and 51 of 52 against Western Kentucky.
"You always have to take more pride when you're doing the majority of the work," Shackleford said. "In the past, we rotated and had a little more rest."
Inman sent text messages to Turner and Shackleford before the game, wishing them well.
"They did what I wanted them to, and that's get the 'Ws'," Inman said.
Offensive line coach Neil Callaway said Inman worked hard during preseason camp. Inman said he continued to get quality practice repetitions, but there's no substitute for the real thing.
"It's game week," Inman said. "I actually get to play at the end of the week. It's been torture knowing at the end of the week you couldn't play."
Inman started 25 consecutive games before his suspension, but felt nervous watching film on Monday.
"I was like, 'You've been here for four years. What do you have to be nervous about?'," he said. "You still kind of lose your nerves when you ain't been out there. Just getting back out to Sanford (Stadium) is going to be a great experience."
Saturday: UAB at Georgia 1 p.m. (Pay per view)

Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 091306

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ATHENS, Ga. --- In a move designed to keep the Bulldogs fresh for their upcoming game against the UAB Blazers, 10th-ranked Georgia held a 90-minute indoor workout Wednesday at the Ramsey Student Center.
"We were struggling a bit, and I felt like we needed some rest because UAB runs well, they will be excited to play and I want us to match it," said Georgia coach Mark Richt.
He added the lack of an open date until Nov. 18 was a factor in the decision, as Georgia will play 11 straight games before an off week.
"If we had an open date earlier in the season, then maybe we would've practiced outside today, but I'm thinking about four or five weeks down the road and putting us in position to make it through."
The Bulldogs (2-0) are preparing for a UAB squad that is 1-1 on the year, falling to nationally ranked Oklahoma and then bouncing back with a win over East Carolina this past Saturday. Richt said the Blazers look physical on film and are very versatile on offense. He said he expects it to be a great matchup.
Also on Wednesday, it was announced that Georgia senior defensive end Quentin Moses was among the 11 student-athletes nationally to be selected to the American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team. He is the 10th Bulldog in school history to be honored by the organization for his dedication and commitment to community service.
"It was great news about Quentin (Moses) making the AFCA Good Works Team," said Richt. "He is an outstanding young man and very deserving. You have to have the community service and be a pretty good football player for the people to recognize you."
Kickoff Saturday between Georgia and UAB in Athens will be 1 p.m., and Comcast Sports Southeast/Charter Sports Southeast (CSS) will produce the game as a pay-per-view broadcast. Contact your local cable provider to order the contest for $29.99. All Georgia games are broadcast live on the Bulldog Radio Network on AM 750 WSB in Atlanta and on both 106.1 FM and 960 The Ref in Athens. The radio audio can be heard on georgiadogs.com, the official website of the UGA Athletic Association.

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GEORGIA REPORT
Dogs' Stafford shows he can run

By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/14/06 Athens — Before Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford took off running Saturday night in Columbia, he had to do a double take.
"When [the coaches] gave me the quarterback draw [call] from the goal line," Stafford said, "I was waiting for the real play to come in. 'Come on. You guys are kidding? What's the real one?' "

Brant Sanderlin / AJC (ENLARGE)

Georgia freshman quarterback Matthew Stafford has scrambled for key yardage in the first two games.

That was it: a draw up the middle from just outside his end zone. The freshman, who last week was told by his position coach he'd be tracked down from behind more times than not on running plays, took off running. He finished with 23 yards and a first down.
Add that 23 yards to his 11-yard scramble and the 19-yard run against Western Kentucky, and you have the top rusher on the team. OK, not in overall yards, but in yards per rush. Stafford, who'll readily admit he isn't exactly fleet afoot, has averaged 17.7 yards per carry in two games.
"I guess I can move a little better than I thought," he said.
Let's not get carried away, lest he get carried off the field. Stafford won't remind any fans of D.J. Shockley when it comes to running the ball.
"He will never be a running quarterback," quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo said. "A lot of [his running] depends on the situation and the looks that the defense is giving us. But playing quarterback in this league [with] the defensive fronts and the different things that they do defensively, you have got to be able to move in the pocket. And there are a few times you are going to have to scramble for a first down."
Henderson likely to miss UAB game
When it comes to when Georgia's punt returner might return, coaches are listening to Mikey Henderson. And Henderson is listening to his body.
"It's kind of like a pull," Henderson said of his hamstring. "Basically, my body's natural reaction is to just stop. I can feel it just like tell me, 'Hold on.' "
And until his body says "Go on," Henderson will continue to be on the sideline.
"It is basically on me," said Henderson, who returned two punts for 133 yards and a touchdown in the opener against Western Kentucky but sat out last week against South Carolina.
Thomas Flowers, back from suspension this week, will be the return man if Henderson is out. Freshman Asher Allen returned punts in Henderson's absence.
Moses honored for his good works
Georgia's Quentin Moses was selected to the American Football Coaches Association's 11-man National Good Works Team, which honors players for their commitment to community service.
Moses has participated in Habitat for Humanity, St. Mary's Hospital's visitation program, reading programs at local elementary schools, a Hurricane Katrina relief project and Athens/Clarke County Project REACH. He also volunteers at the East Athens Community Center.

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Coutu is Dogs' Mr. Automatic
Being more fit helps kicker stay on target

By CHIP TOWERS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/15/06 Athens — The object is to kick a football through a target 18 1/2 feet wide, 10 yards off the ground and 40-something yards away.
Easy enough, right?

Brant Sanderlin / AJC (ENLARGE)

Georgia coach Mark Richt says he's confident kicker Brandon Coutu can take a shot at the school record for longest field goal (60 yards) at some point in his career.

Throw in a through-the-legs spiral snap, a catch-hold-and-place by a second party, 20 moving obstacles and 80,000 or so screaming noisemakers.
Oh, and do it all in less than two seconds.
Piece of cake, if you're Brandon Coutu.
Georgia's kicker has made such a task seem as automatic as flicking on a light switch. He's perfect this season (5-for-5 on field goals, 7-for-7 on extra points) and nearly perfect his entire career from 40 to 49 yards.
Coutu has made 11 of 13 (.846) attempts from what's considered the premium distance in college football. Included in that total were kicks of 46, 46 and 42 yards in Saturday's 18-0 win at South Carolina.
The three-point daggers have become quite a weapon for the No. 10 Bulldogs, whose defense is allowing just six points a game.
"Whenever the offense is on the field and we get past the 40-yard line, we know we're getting points," tight end Martrez Milner said.
Added defensive tackle Ray Gant: "You feel good whenever you see him on the field. You know it's in the bag."
Coutu is confident in himself, too, but he knows there's so much more to it than that. In addition to snap and hold, there are many things to consider.
"I'm never content," said Coutu, a Lawrenceville native and Collins Hill High grad. "I always want to hit it better, hit it longer, hit it higher, hit it more down the middle. There's always room for improvement."
Coutu believes kicking is as much about strength as it is mechanics. So he could be found alongside the rest of his Georgia teammates going through offseason "mat drills." During the summer, he enlisted the help of Georgia's strength and conditioning staff to design a workout regimen that would emphasize his midsection.
"I worked on strengthening my core — everywhere from the hips up to the abs and lower back — and just getting in good overall physical shape," Coutu said. "Even though being a kicker is not the most demanding thing physically, I figure the better shape I get in the more advantage I'll have over other kickers."
He was the man in the SEC last season, leading the conference in points scored (114) and setting the record for longest field goal without a tee (58 yards vs. Louisiana-Monroe).
Not bad for a guy who wasn't offered a scholarship by Georgia, or any other BCS conference school, for that matter.
"I don't think coaches really looked at my leg strength in high school," said Coutu, who beat out a kicker on scholarship, Andy Bailey, in 2004. "I only had a long of like 47 or something in high school. So I think since I didn't have a 50-yarder, they didn't know how strong my leg was and didn't want to take a chance on me.
"I kind of took that and it made me work a little harder. It pushed me in the weight room."
Coutu made three kicks of 50 or more yards last season, including a 56-yarder against Kentucky and a 51-yarder against LSU, the longest ever in an SEC championship game.
Coach Mark Richt figures he has even more in him. The Georgia and SEC record is 60 yards.
"I think he can make them even farther back than he has so far," said Richt, who asks Coutu before each game what he thinks is his optimum range that day. "I know he can. It's just a matter of timing and getting an opportunity. He's definitely capable of 60 and maybe even farther than that."
Piece of cake.

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GEORGIA REPORT
Flowers returns at good time for Dogs

By CHIP TOWERS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/15/06 Athens — A bad break for Mikey Henderson is turning out to be a big break for Thomas Flowers.
Henderson, who had 133 yards and scored a touchdown on his first and only two punt returns of the season, will miss his second consecutive game with a pulled hamstring.
That's the bad news for the Bulldogs, who host UAB on Saturday. The good news is the return of Flowers, who had to sit out the first two weeks due to disciplinary suspension.
Flowers, a junior from Austell, was second in the SEC and 15th nationally last season with a 13.7-yard return average. He had a 54-yard touchdown at Tennessee last year and set up the game-winning score with a 33-yard return against Georgia Tech.
"Fresh legs," Georgia coach Mark Richt said excitedly.
Richt admitted that, in a way, it's good Henderson can't go this weekend.
"It would've been tough if Mikey had not gotten hurt and kept doing his thing," Richt said. "There's always competition at all positions. When a guy produces like Mikey did, you've always got to consider him."
Georgia leads the nation in punt return average at 30.7 yards.
Richt gets more national exposure
Richt, who just this week landed the cover of the Wheaties box, will be profiled on an ABC Sports special series at 2 p.m. Sept. 23. He's one of six coaches who'll be featured during a three-week period on the show, hosted by former sportscaster Keith Jackson. The series is being held in conjunction with the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award.
Cox expected to play, but details uncertain
Joe Cox will play quarterback Saturday. This much we know.
When and how much is another question.
"We want to get him in there," Richt said of the redshirt freshman. "That's all I'll say for certain. Preferably we'll get him in the first half, but I'm not going to guarantee that. It would be nice to get him in sometime in the first half."
Cox began the season as the No. 2 quarterback behind Joe Tereshinski and played in the opener against Western Kentucky, completing 2 of 3 passes for 29 yards with one interception. Cox has since been bypassed by Matthew Stafford, who became the starter when Tereshinski was lost with an ankle injury.
Gant, Turner likely to miss game vs. UAB
Defensive tackle Ray Gant (foot) and offensive tackle Michael Turner (ankle) are likely both out. "[Gant] is trying to convince everybody he can [play]," Richt said. "He might still, but I'd say he's doubtful at best." ... Offensive guard Seth Watts, who had to leave the South Carolina game with a sprained knee, went through Thursday's practice and is probable for Saturday. ... Split end Mohamed Massaquoi (hamstring) rode a stationary bike for much of Thursday's practice but will be able to play.

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Dogs will honor past champions

By TONY BARNHART
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/15/06 On Saturday, Georgia will honor its SEC title teams of 1946, 1966 and 1976. Each holds a special place in UGA history.
1946
• The stars: Hall of Famer Charley Trippi, who still calls Athens home, finished second in the Heisman Trophy race behind Army's Glenn Davis. Quarterback Johnny Rauch and end Joe Tereshinski Sr., grandfather of current Georgia quarterback Joe Tereshinski, also made names for themselves.
• The season: The Bulldogs went 11-0 and brought home Georgia's second SEC title. Georgia went on to beat Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice and North Carolina 20-10 in the Sugar Bowl. UCLA was the only other unbeaten team, but The Associated Press poll awarded the national title to Army, with Notre Dame No. 2 and Georgia No. 3. It was one of three undefeated teams in UGA history, joining Pop Warner's 4-0 squad of 1896 and Vince Dooley's 12-0 title team of 1980.
1966
• The stars: Dooley's first two recruiting classes began to shine as this team was led by a group of sophomores that included 1968 Outland Trophy winner Bill Stanfill; Billy Payne, who played tight end before moving to defense; tailback Kent Lawrence, one of the fastest players in football; and offensive tackle Edgar Chandler.
• The season: Vince Dooley was 34 and in only his third season in Athens when he won the first of six SEC titles. Georgia clinched it on a muddy field in Auburn, roaring back from
13-0 down to win 21-13. But the players of that era will tell you the biggest win that season came against Florida and Steve Spurrier, the 1966 Heisman winner, 27-10 in Jacksonville. Georgia finished 10-1 and No. 4 in the AP poll, and beat SMU 24-9 in the Cotton Bowl.
1976
• The stars: All-America linemen Mike "Moonpie" Wilson, Joel "Cowboy" Parrish and George Collins protected quarterbacks Ray Goff and Matt Robinson.
• The season: Georgia went 10-2, giving Dooley his third SEC championship and the school its first since 1968. The most memorable win in a season full of them came Oct. 2, when the Bulldogs blanked Alabama
21-0, touching off one of the wildest celebrations ever in Athens. The No. 5 Bulldogs lost 27-3 to Tony Dorsett and eventual national champion Pitt in the Sugar Bowl.

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Johnson the Bulldogs' 'big bully'

Football

By Marc Weiszer | marc.weiszer@onlineathens.com | Story updated at 12:32 AM on Friday, September 15, 2006
Ramarcus Brown could tell early on that Charles Johnson had a chance to be a special kind of defensive end.
It wasn't when the cornerback hit Georgia's practice field for the first time with his new teammate in 2004. No, it was a few months earlier, about 15 miles north in Jefferson, at of all places, the Georgia High School Association boys state track meet.
"I used to always read about him in the papers, and him being from Hawkinsville," said Brown, a Tri-Cities High graduate. "I never knew about him, but I'm running in the state track meet and I'm watching the relays and I see this huge guy running the fourth leg and I'm like, 'Dang!' This guy is like 230, 240 (pounds) running the last leg of a relay."
"Dang!" figures to be a common refrain from opposing players this season, if Johnson continues to blow up plays like he did against South Carolina.
Living up to the buzz that surrounded him this spring and preseason, Johnson had four tackles for loss, a sack, a pass breakup, a quarterback hurry, and oh yeah, he dropped Gamecocks tailback Mike Davis in the end zone for Georgia's first safety in two years. No wonder Georgia coach Mark Richt calls the junior a "big bully."
"I'm totally expecting a whole lot more from him," linebacker Danny Verdun Wheeler said. "He's a phenomenal athlete. He's a beast. He's unstoppable. Next week, the week after next, the whole season, we look for Charles to really become a leader and make a lot of plays for this defense."
With preseason All-American Quentin Moses on the other side, Johnson figures to be a feared playmaker. He already has six tackles for loss, tied for first in the NCAA.
"With Quentin on one side and Charles on the other, it's just an unbelievable blessing for us," Richt said.
Georgia's defensive coaches are tempering their comments about Johnson heading into Saturday's game against Alabama-Birmingham. They want to see the junior string together several more performances like he did in last week's win.
"He's played well the last couple of ball games, and we'll leave it at that," defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said. "We have 12 more games. We've been pleased with his play, and we think he can get better. We feel he's got a tremendous amount of room for improvement."
The 6-foot-2, 265-pound Johnson slimmed down in the offseason and entered the season in peak condition. That has allowed Johnson to improve his play and remain on the field more than last season, when he had 23 tackles and four sacks.
"I just wanted to work harder," Johnson said. "The coaches keep telling me I have the talent but I've got to be consistent with it. Last year, I might do something, then I might drop off. I was an up-and-down guy. I'm just trying to be consistent with it now. I did a couple of things this game, but how am I going to be during the next couple of games?"
The longer Johnson is on the field, the more chances he has to make the kind of plays he did Saturday, when he held his position and dropped Davis for a safety.
"Charles read the play very well," defensive ends coach Jon Fabris said. "He was sitting there doing his responsibility and not running over where it was going. It came back to him, and he was doing what was supposed to be doing. It's good to see a guy play with his head and play with his eyes before the ball's ever snapped."
Saturday: UAB at Georgia 1 p.m.

Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 091506

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Sagarin rates Blazers high

Notebook

Story Photos - Click to Enlarge

Coming off a two-game suspension, Thomas Flowers will resume his punt-returning duties.
Diane Cebula / Staff
Click thumbnails to view


By Marc Weiszer | marc.weiszer@onlineathens.com | Story updated at 12:32 AM on Friday, September 15, 2006
There's been plenty of talk this week from Georgia about how the Bulldogs aren't underestimating Alabama-Birmingham heading into Saturday's 1 p.m. game at Sanford Stadium.
If you believe one computer ranking, that's a wise thing for the Bulldogs.
No team that No. 10 Georgia will face from now until November is rated higher in the Sagarin Computer Ratings, except for Tennessee and Florida.
The Blazers are rated 56th in those ratings, one of six computer rankings used in the BCS formula.
"They've got a lot of guys that could very easily step in and play on this team," Bulldogs quarterback Matthew Stafford said. "They've got a whole bunch of talent. I know for a fact that nobody on this team is thinking this is going to be any kind of a pushover. We know this is going to be a big challenge for us."
UAB lost to Oklahoma 24-17 and beat East Carolina 17-12. Coach Mark Richt said Georgia is expecting a game "like a Southeastern Conference battle."
"When you watch that film and you see them get after Oklahoma the way that they did, it helps you motivate your players," Richt said. "You don't have to make up a bunch of stuff and try to convince them of anything."
Henderson out; Gant doubtful for UAB
Thomas Flowers, coming off a two-game suspension, will return punts Saturday because Mikey Henderson will miss his second straight game with a hamstring injury.
Henderson returned two punts for 133 yards against Western Kentucky. One, a 64-yarder, was nullified after Henderson fumbled as he headed into the end zone. The other was a 67-yard scamper that counted.
Richt said Flowers, second in the SEC last season with a 13.7 average, has looked good in practice this week.
"Fresh legs," Richt said. "It would have been tough if Mikey never got hurt and Mikey kept doing his thing. When a guy produces like Mikey did, you always got to consider him."
Backup defensive tackle Ray Gant "is doubtful" to play, Richt said. Gant sustained a mid-foot sprain against South Carolina. Richt said offensive tackle Michael Turner (ankle) is very doubtful. Guard Seth Watts (knee) will play.
Richt hopes to get Cox early playing time
Joe Cox, who has moved up to the backup quarterback position behind Stafford, could get playing time in the first half.
"We want to get him in there," Richt said. "That's about all I'd say for certain. Preferably in the first half, but I'm not going to guarantee that."
O-Line matchup could favor Blazers
UAB's offensive line averages a hefty 314 pounds from tackle to tackle, which is why Georgia's coaches are concerned about the matchup in the trenches.
"We're playing against an offensive line that is the most physical offensive line we've played against since Arkansas," defensive line coach Rodney Garner said of a game from Oct. 22 last season. "A lot of coaches would like to have their offensive line."
This and that
Richt will be one of the coaches' featured on an ABC Sports one hour program in conjunction with the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award, which honors responsibility and excellence on and off the field. He will be spotlighted on Sept. 23 at 2 p.m. along with Notre Dame's Charlie Weis. Fan votes will help determine the winner. "Notre Dame, there will be people voting in Japan and stuff," Richt said. "We won't have a chance." ... Georgia apparently won't go up against star Mississippi recruit Jerrell Powe on Sept. 30. The NCAA student records review group on Thursday upheld an NCAA staff decision that Powe, a defensive tackle, has not successfully completed initial eligibility requirements. The NCAA expressed concern that Powe, a learning disabled student, completed work with significant assistance.

Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 091506

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QBs' interceptions buck recent trend

Football

By Marc Weiszer | marc.weiszer@onlineathens.com | Story updated at 1:33 AM on Thursday, September 14, 2006
With D.J. Shockley and David Greene at quarterback the past two seasons, Georgia protected the ball like gold at Fort Knox.
A mere seven interceptions in 2005 and only five in 2004 tied for the sixth lowest total in the nation each of those seasons.
Through two games this season, freshman Matthew Stafford and redshirt freshman Joe Cox have combined for four interceptions. Only North Carolina and UTEP have thrown more.
The Bulldogs can shrug off the turnovers because they cruised by Western Kentucky 48-12 and South Carolina 18-0, but they know too many giveaways could come back to haunt them.
"If we keep turning the ball over like we're doing, we're going to lose football games," quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo said. "That's the bottom line. We've got to learn to take care of the football."
Since Mark Richt has been at Georgia, the Bulldogs have been in the top 32 nationally for fewest passes intercepted each season except 2003, when the Bulldogs' 12 interceptions tied for 47th.
"That's pretty good," Richt said. "The ball's precious, and you've got to protect it. There are going to be interceptions. I know that. There are a lot of reasons why interceptions happen, but it doesn't need to be the quarterback's fault. If we're just throwing it up for grabs or making bad choices and not respecting the ball like we should, then I've got a problem."
Stafford will make his first college start against Alabama-Birmingham on Saturday after going 8 of 19 for 171 yards with the three interceptions against South Carolina.
He chalked up one interception near the goal line as a great play by the defense on a pass that was deflected.
His other interceptions were plays on which he could have made different decisions, Stafford said. On a crossing route to A.J. Bryant, Stafford said he could have dumped a short pass to Danny Ware or run it himself. On a deep pass to Mohamed Massaquoi, Stafford said he probably should have thrown short or out of bounds.
"We've got to get it in their mind that sometimes there's nothing wrong with punting or hitting a check-down and getting 7 yards and field position," Bobo said. "They've got to learn to throw the ball away. If on their series, it didn't happen for them to make a big play, or they weren't able to move the offense down the field, the defense did a good job on a certain coverage, you've got to burn a ball."
In the opener, Cox was intercepted when he misread a coverage.
"There's just some throws that you think you can make and you find out the hard way that you can't," Cox said. "You try to take certain shots that you think are going to be there, and the speed is different. It's something that you learn."
Stafford threw for 4,018 yards and 38 touchdowns last season in leading Highland Park High School in Dallas to its first state title since 1957.
"I only threw five picks my entire senior year," Stafford said. "It's a big step coming in, but the plays I made were just stupid and foolish. I expect myself to improve drastically."
Stafford will head into Saturday's game with checks he can make at the line of scrimmage, like he did on Danny Ware's 9-yard touchdown run, but probably not as many as Joe Tereshinski, who is in his fifth year in the system.
Richt said improved fundamental footwork will help Stafford improve his accuracy.
"He needs to be more disciplined in his footwork," Richt said. "That's just part of getting used to playing. I think he would have been a little more accurate if he had set his feet a little bit better. He's one of the few guys that can really still put a lot of velocity on the ball while being off balance. I don't want to turn this guy into a robot, either, because he's got such special ability. We just need to discipline his talent."
Saturday: UAB at Georgia 1 p.m. (Pay-per-view)

Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 091406

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Football comes naturally to Stafford

By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/16/06 Athens
Like a father and son are supposed to, John and Matthew Stafford watched the game together.

Brant Sanderlin / AJC (ENLARGE)

Saturday against UAB, Matthew Stafford will become the first true freshman to start at quarterback for Georgia since Quincy Carter.

Like future college quarterbacks are supposed to do, Matthew broke down the play for his dad.
"I remember [John] Madden was one of the announcers, and we were sitting there, and there was sweep to the left side. It went nowhere and got blown up," John Stafford said. "Matthew looked at me and said, 'The tackle didn't pull.'
"Two seconds after that, Madden comes on and starts breaking down the play and says, 'If you can see here, the tackle was trying to get out but there is penetration and the play just got blown up.' Matthew was able to see that. He just saw it."
Matthew Stafford was 5 at the time.
So it began for this football prodigy with the preternatural ability to see things on the field and beyond his years. And so, too, began Stafford's feeding of his new habit.
By the seventh grade, Saturday sleep-ins, a cherished right of any adolescent, were gone. Stafford spent those mornings in the film room of his middle school, breaking down his game tape from the day before. By high school, his fingerprints were all over the game plan.
"I feel like I have a pretty decent idea on how to attack a team," said Stafford, a Texan who earned one honor after another during his high school days at Dallas' Highland Park. "I was always in on the plan for the team we played."
When Highland Park coach Randy Allen wanted to split his tackles out as wide receivers, stack the receivers behind them and leave just three down linemen in the state championship game, Stafford saw how that would work, too.
Next came Georgia. Stafford, who Saturday will become the first true freshman to start at quarterback since Quincy Carter, has been one step ahead since arriving on campus.
"When we had our little [football] tests that we have to take home, I might get stuck on something, and he just walks up behind, glances over my shoulder and is like, 'This, this and this,' " freshman wide receiver Kris Durham said. "I write it down. I know it is going to be right."
What has been so right for Stafford for so many games went wrong last weekend. Sure, Georgia won 18-0 at South Carolina. But Stafford, who came on in relief of an injured Joe Tereshinski, flogged himself afterward.
"That game is probably the worst game I have ever played," he said of his 42 percent completion rate and three interceptions.
"We are really very detailed on how we coach these guys, and he has got to be more detailed," coach Mark Richt said. "To think that he was going to do everything perfect was not very realistic at all."
But to expect improvement is. Last week in practice, Stafford estimated he got fewer than 20 percent of the snaps with the first-team offense. With Tereshinski injured this week, Stafford received the majority of the snaps in preparation for UAB.
"It just makes you raise your level of play, being around players like that that are all big-time players and knowing that you have got a big-time job to do," Stafford said. "... I am sure the numbers will improve. And our offense will improve."
As for his decision making, it doesn't take a ton of film study to know it must improve as well. Quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo said much of this week's preparation has been devoted to better managing the game.
Come Tennessee, Florida or Auburn week, the Bulldogs know three-interception efforts won't cut it.
"We were lucky last week," Bobo said. "We turned it over three times and we were still able to win that football game. We keep turning it over like that and we are going to lose."
The thing is, young players have that invincible feeling about them. They believe they can make any throw any time. Mainly, because they were able to against high school competition.
"Every play does not have to be a successful play," Bobo stressed. "We have got to get it into their brains that sometimes you have got to throw the ball away and sometimes you have got to punt. And especially with the way our defense is playing, a punt is not a bad thing.
"If it is not open, get rid of the football."
It didn't take a film session or the 12 "gassers" coaches made him run after Monday's practice for that lesson to be learned, Stafford said.
"I knew those were bad decisions right when I made them," he said.
See, he's learning already.
"I really believe he will play better," Richt said. "And he will probably run less gassers, I would hope."

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Ralphie IV vs. Uga VI may best game
Colorado's real-life buffalo to make trip to Athens

By MICHELLE HISKEY
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/20/06 The scouting report on the University of Georgia's football opponent Saturday starts with one big buffalo.
Ralphie IV, all 900 pounds of her, will stampede with the University of Colorado team into Sanford Stadium on Saturday.

see caption/ University of Colorado (ENLARGE)

Ralphie's handlers bring the University of Colorado mascot onto the field. She got her vaccinations up to date for the trip to Athens.

Your Turn Do you like the idea of Colorado's real-life 'Ralphie' mascot making a visit to Athens Saturday? As long as it doesn't mess with Uga, it doesn't bother me. There's room for only one animal Between the Hedges, and it's not a buffalo. Who cares? I'm going to watch the football game. Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

RELATED LINKS: • Pollack 'lucky' to avoid paralysis • Q and A: Matthew Stafford • Ralphie IV meets Uga VI • Bradley: Auburn's BCS shot • More UGA coverage

She's one of the most beloved mascots in the country, as is Uga VI, the 60-pound bulldog whose mug covers the UGA campus. On Saturday, the mascot throwdown between the hedges may be more memorable than the mismatch of the undefeated Bulldogs and winless Buffs.
Even top dog Mark Richt, the UGA coach, has weighed in on the possible impact.
"Surely they are not going to let him stomp all over the field," Richt said Tuesday, unaware the buffalo is female. "I would imagine he is going to do a little damage."
Not so, say Ralphie IV's keepers.
Buffalo don't hurt turf because their split hooves don't dig into the ground.
"It's not like a horse hoof that digs into the ground," said Ben Frei, the lead handler of Ralphie IV and a former steer wrestler. "Her weight is on four legs, and the ones that are on the ground are not really digging in. It's more like she's light on her feet."
Ralphie IV runs so fast she rarely leaves anything to scoop. Her two stadium jaunts — three minutes before the game and at halftime — each last 30 seconds, from her entrance to her exit.
"Their team will come out of the northeast corner of [Sanford] Stadium and go right to their sideline on the north side, pretty much a direct shot," said UGA athletic marketing director John Bateman. "Ralphie will steer clear of any pregame groups on the field such as our band, cheerleaders and players — and Uga, too."
University of Georgia officials extended the invitation to Ralphie IV this summer as a way for two of the nation's most popular live animals to promote this game. A Ralphie has been a fixture at Colorado football games for 40 years. An Uga has been at Georgia for 50.
Ralphie IV, a bottle-fed orphan, rarely road trips this far. She did go to Orlando in December for the Champs Sports Bowl, where the Buffs lost to Clemson. She'll step into her custom black-and-gold trailer around lunchtime today to travel the 1,500 miles to Athens.
Ralphie already has a Georgia connection. Longtime Atlantan and CNN founder Ted Turner, who has raised and promoted bison, donated the Montana-born Ralphie IV to Colorado after reading an article in Bison World magazine about the school's search for a replacement for Ralphie III.
The location of Ralphie's ranch home in Colorado is kept secret because she's been a target before.
Once she was spray painted with another school's colors. That part of her coat was shaved, Frei said.
After the Buffs played in one Big 12 championship game, opposing fans tried to run Ralphie's trailer off the road. She's easy to pick out. The 20-foot trailer is painted black, with gold lettering for her name and sponsors Coors Light and Outback Steakhouse.
To come South, she got her vaccinations up to date. She's got plenty of room to lie down and sleep, and piles of munchies (bales of alfalfa) for the trip. She will spend a night at an Illinois farm owned by an alumnus, Frei said.
She's expected in Athens late Thursday and will stay at an undisclosed location off campus.
"They considered staying on campus," said Bateman, with a nod to UGA's College of Veterinary Medicine, "but with any kind of animal, especially that size and it's very, very popular, similar to Uga, they went with some contacts in the area as a possible host."
One Georgia football player wants his picture with Ralphie, because buffaloes have been nice to him in the past.
"We used to go feed them," said linebacker Danny Verdun Wheeler, of the buffalos on a ranch near his hometown of Thomson, in east Georgia. "They like hard corn. You put that in your hand and they eat out of it."
Ralphie IV will have a practice run Friday at Sanford Stadium. On Saturday, she will be applauded by the Colorado fans who bought up their school's allotted tickets for the game. She'll spend the game in her trailer, parked under the east end zone bleachers at Sanford Stadium, Bateman said.
Ralphie IV's handlers want to spread a message to those who think passion for this sport begins and ends with an English bulldog.
"Football tradition in the West is just as alive as it is in the South," said Frei, whose budget for the trip is roughly $2,500. "For us, the Ralphie tradition is so well known and it's one of the big things our fans want to see. We love to carry it on, and we love to support college football."
Uga enjoys similar treatment when traveling. He flies on the team's charter flights, travels among the team's caravan with a police escort and stays in his own hotel room, Bateman said. And he's used to the spotlight being on him.
So with a symbol of the Wild West encroaching on his turf, Uga likely won't take it sitting down — though he still may slobber over his spiked collar.
"It's David and Goliath," said Bateman of the mascots' sizes. "But what's that old saying, 'It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog'? Uga's going to stand up tall on Saturday."
—Staff writer Carter Strickland contributed to this article.

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UGA FOOTBALL
Q and A: Matthew Stafford
Freshman QB loathes fear, likes pasta

By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/20/06 Athens — Matthew Stafford could sleep in the huddle.
No kidding. Nothing rattles Georgia's freshman quarterback.

RELATED LINKS: • Pollack 'lucky' to avoid paralysis • Q and A: Matthew Stafford • Ralphie IV meets Uga VI • Bradley: Auburn's BCS shot • More UGA coverage

D.J. Shockley barely slept a wink before his first start. Ditto for Joe Tereshinski.
And Stafford? "Not a problem," he said of the night before his first start Saturday against UAB.
The true freshman has stayed calm with the storm of expectations swirling around him. As the season progresses, no doubt that storm will only intensify.
But for now, Stafford is in full control and has walked through his first three games with an even-keeled demeanor that has startled even the coaching staff.
Now, quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo says he can finally read Stafford. So can you. Here are a few thoughts from Stafford on a few subjects:
Fear is ... "Not acceptable. Can't have it."
Success is ... "The best."
The one thing I should always do with the ball is ... "Throw it away if it is not there."
The one thing Coach Bobo continues to tell me is ... "To carry out your fake."
My best play so far was ... "Probably that touchdown run last week."
My worst play so far was ... "One of the three picks I threw at South Carolina. Take your pick on which one."
Being named the co-No. 3 quarterback after camp was ... "Tough, but it also kind of set a fire in me."
Being No. 1 now is ... "Enjoyable, but still requires a lot of work."
The one team I always like to watch is ... "Florida State. My parents went there. It is a childhood thing."
The one quarterback I used to watch in college last year was ... "[Vanderbilt's] Jay Cutler. I really liked the way he played and led his team."
The one thing I always want for dinner when I go home is ... "Rigatoni."
The best thing about Athens is ... "The fans."
The worst thing is ... "Never getting to go home [to Texas]."

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GEORGIA REPORT
Receivers deploy in human waves

By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/20/06 Athens — Georgia had six healthy wide receivers against UAB, and all six played.
If Georgia happens to have eight healthy receivers against Colorado on Saturday, all eight might play. That's the way it goes these days at the Bulldogs' turnstile position.

RELATED LINKS: • Pollack 'lucky' to avoid paralysis • Q and A: Matthew Stafford • Ralphie IV meets Uga VI • Bradley: Auburn's BCS shot • More UGA coverage

The Bulldogs have tried to employ more no-huddle looks with Matthew Stafford at quarterback and, as a result, have needed more receivers.
That means players such as Michael Moore and Kris Durham are getting more reps, especially while Mohamed Massaquoi's and Mikey Henderson's hamstrings heal. It also means defenses have more to prepare for and more to stop.
"We are building depth, and the thing I like is if you're a defense, you can't say, 'This is the guy we have got to stop,' " Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "You can take it away, but then all of the sudden you are doing things you don't want to do.
"If you are a defensive coordinator, you are going to look at us and say, 'I am not sure there is not one guy that you can plan to stop.' "
The stats reflect that. Twelve Georgia players have at least one catch. Kenneth Harris leads the receivers with 27.3 yards per game. Not far behind is tailback Danny Ware (26.7 yards a game). Then there are five receivers with catches of 20 or more yards.
All this from an offense that hasn't thrown the ball much. In fact, Georgia has thrown 66 passes compared to 104 rushing attempts.
Massaquoi and Henderson were back in practice Tuesday but remain day to day. Wide receiver Mario Raley (elbow contusion) is questionable for Saturday.
Ely-Kelso dreams of punts at altitude
Georgia punter Gordon Ely-Kelso is skeptical of some of Colorado's kicking numbers. After all, the air is thin up there near the Mile High City, the ball travels farther, and the stats might be slightly inflated.
So an asterisk could be in order.
"Like a Barry Bonds thing," Ely-Kelso joked.
Pumped up or not, there's no denying some of the stats, which Ely-Kelso was quick to point out.
"They make it a big point in their media guide to say [Mason Crosby's] 58-yard field goal was at Miami," Ely-Kelso said. "I think it was like the longest field goal at the lowest field level."
Yep, it was. The 58-yard kick was the longest field goal at sea level not off a tee. Miami's Orange Bowl is 7 feet above sea level.
As for Georgia's field goal kicker, Richt is confident in Brandon Coutu's ability from 50 yards and way beyond.
"I have as much confidence in Coutu than I ever did with Sebastian [Janikowski]," Richt said, thinking back to his Florida State days. "Coutu is just as accurate as Sebastian was back in his day."
Ellerbe's return ignites defense
Linebacker Dannell Ellerbe returns from his three-game suspension this week. Even though he won't be in the starting lineup, linebacker Danny Verdun Wheeler said his teammate would make an impact.
"Oh, well for the opposing teams," Verdun Wheeler said. "He can play a lot of positions. He has got great speed and is an athlete. We will have his help on special teams. Good luck to Colorado, but we are just adding more wood to the fire."

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Richt fine with co-No. 1 tailbacks

By CARTER STRICKLAND ctrickland@ajc.com and CHIP TOWERS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/19/06 Athens — Back before the season began and expectations and experience were all that Georgia had to go on in terms of building a depth chart, coach Mark Richt was confident where the running backs had been placed.
Thomas Brown, the leading rusher in 2005, was a solid No. 1. Kregg Lumpkin, who came on late after an injury, was No. 2, and Danny Ware, who struggled down the stretch, was third.
"We've got them right where they should be," Richt said of the running backs back then.
Now, three games into the season, Richt says, "If we put them all as co-No. 1s, it's about how I look at them."
On paper at least, Brown remains No. 1. Richt said the depth chart — which still lists Lumpkin and Ware as co-No. 2s — remains unchanged because is he is trying to avoid another run of depth-chart generated stories like those the quarterback issue created in the preseason.
"Sometimes it is too big of a deal to make a depth chart move," he said. "It becomes big news. I don't think it is worth making a story of it."
The story so far has been Ware. The preseason third-teamer has been the most productive back, averaging 53 rushing yards per game and, more importantly, 6.9 yards a carry. Meanwhile, Brown has gotten more carries but fewer yards. He has averaged just 3.4 yards per carry, has not broken many tackles and was topped short on a fourth and inches against UAB.
Lumpkin, who like Ware has 13 fewer attempts than Brown's 36, is in the middle at 5.0 yards per carry.
Against UAB, Brown and Lumpkin each had 10 rushes and Ware had eight. That was an adjustment from the South Carolina game in which Brown's 16 carries were nearly twice Ware's (9) and Lumpkin's (8).
"Right now everybody is getting about the same amount of carries," Richt aid.
SHUTOUT NO. 3?
The Bulldogs' defense, ranked No. 2 in the nation in scoring defense, has a decent shot to make it three shutouts in a row.
Colorado, winless under new coach Dan Hawkins of Boise State fame, has scored just two touchdowns and 23 points in its first three games, the fewest for the program since 1964. The Buffaloes (0-3) rank 114th out of 119 Division I-A teams in scoring (7.67) and 115th in total offense (193.67).
The last Georgia team to pitch three consecutive shutouts was in 1971. That team went 11-1. The last Bulldogs team to shutout three teams in a season was the 1980 national champions.
HENDERSON RETURNS
Mikey Henderson returned this week, but not to return punts.
The junior from Buford was out of a green, non-contact jersey for the first time in three weeks on Monday after missing most of the last three games and practices with a strained hamstring.
Henderson said while he anticipates getting snaps at wide receiver, Asher Allen will continue to field punts.
Henderson returned two punts for 133 yards and a touchdown before suffering his injury. Thomas Flowers, who was second in the SEC last season, returned two for 40 yards before tearing a ligament in his foot this past Saturday. He's out for the year.
ELLERBE BACK
Linebacker Dannell Ellerbe anticipates playing a lot Saturday despite coming off a three-game suspension.
"It feels like I've been gone all season," he said after getting a lot of work at weakside linebacker and on special teams Monday. "I've got a little pep in my step today. I hated not being a part of those shutouts. Hopefully we'll get some more."
OLE MISS GAME AT 9 P.M.
The good news for Georgia is its Sept. 30th game at Ole miss was picked up by television. It will be carried by ESPN 2. The bad news is the game won't kickoff until 9 p.m. ET.