Sunday Practice Notes

FOOTBALL

The Dawgs continued preparations for their upcoming bowl game with Texas A&M by conducting a 90-minute evening workout today.

Coach Mark Richt said that the Dawgs practiced with a lot of energy and enthusiasm.

“We had a fantastic practice, the scout team did a great job,” said Richt. “They played with a good tempo, forced us to get lined up, to move quickly and make calls. It was a great effort and attitude. There was a lot of hustle out there, it was the kind of practice you hope for.”

The Dawgs will contend with an Aggie offensive attack that averaged 33.9 points a game and 465.3 yards per game this season.

“They want as many plays as possible, they are fast, and they figure the more plays, the more yards and the more points, that’s what they want to do,” Richt added.

The Dawgs aim to establish a running game to help control the pace of the game, something they were able to do in their last contest, a 30-24 road win over seventh-ranked Georgia Tech. The Dawgs rushed for a season-high 339 yards against the Yellow Jackets.

Meanwhile, the Aggies played a fine game in their regular season finale, pushing third-ranked Texas to the limit, before falling short 49-39.

“It’s late in the year and you could see them at their best, and they looked pretty darn good against Texas who is playing for the national championship,” said Richt of the Aggies against the Longhorns. “We know it was a rivalry game and that brings the best out of you, and we have plenty of respect for Texas A&M.”

While bowl practices do provide time for younger players to make an impression with the coaches for next season, Richt said the team has spent 90 percent of this year’s workouts geared towards preparation for the Aggies. He mentioned a trio of freshmen who have looked good during the bowl practices, highlighting the play of defensive tackle Kwame Geathers and quarterbacks Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger.

BASKETBALL

The No. 11-ranked Lady Dawgs defeated the 19th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers 72-54 in Stegeman Coliseum this afternoon and remain undefeated with a record of 10-0.

The Lady Dogs united as a team, allowing nine players to score and out rebounded the Cavaliers 48-36 with 17 offensive rebounds. Porsha Phillips put on an all-star performance early in the second half, scoring 10 points in the first five minutes.

“Today was a great team effort," said head coach Andy Landers. "We had a lot of people play well."