FOOTBALL
Coach Mark Richt
On whether tailback Ken Malcome will play Saturday:
We’ve been getting Ken ready for probably the last month or so. I don’t know if we had him with the varsity the very first week. We might have had him on the scout team. We were watching him in drill work and we feel like he has great potential.
Sometimes a kid isn’t ready out of camp. Sometimes it becomes a little overwhelming all the things you have to learn. Then when you break camp and the focus maybe is off of you for just a minute it gives you a chance to catch your breath and just kind of be free to make plays.
We saw him making some plays, doing a good job of running behind his pads and knocking people back on contact in some of our inside drills. We were very encouraged by what we saw, so we said let’s get him up here and just keep spoon-feeding him and get him to a position to where if we need him he’ll be ready to go.
That’s where he’s at right now. Is he going to be perfect if he gets in there on assignments and everything? Probably not, but he’s been practicing with us for at least a month, so he does know what to do.
On whether Fred Munzenmaier will work at tailback:
Absolutely. Fred definitely will be working at tailback. There may be some short-yardage goal line stuff that he gets at fullback still, and we want him to be ready.
Dustin Royston has been getting more work at the fullback position too, so he might be able to step in along with Zander Ogletree, who has also been working the fullback position. Dustin has been more of our jumbo group guy, the big guy you bring in to plow ahead for the fullback.
I’ll say this while I’m on that subject, I know it was the touchdown that Shaun Chapas scored, Dustin (#39) was the wham guy. He was kind of the lead blocker for that play. Something happened in the game that we didn’t practice as far as their lineman had been in a certain gap the entire time, so he was going to run into what we call the B gap between the guard and tackle and take on that linebacker to lead the way for Chapas.
Then right before the snap the inside lineman or the nose guard in this particular case, he shot into the B gap and the linebacker played the A gap or in between the guard and the center. So Royston’s thinking all week I’m going to be blasting through this B gap because that’s where that linebacker is going to fit in there. Then in the game, the B lineman jumped in the gap and the linebacker came inside, so Royston did a really good job of redirecting his attack and knocking the guy out of the way to pave the way for Chapas.
It showed us that not only is he physical, but he can think and he can react quickly and change direction if need be. That just gives more confidence that he’d be a pretty good fullback prospect for us, so he’s been working hard there.
On Carlton Thomas status:
Carlton’s hamstring is still bothering him, and I would say he is questionable today. He won’t practice today.
On whether A.J. Green’s presence has been beneficial to Georgia’s tight ends:
I think so, yes.
I think that A.J. is drawing the double teams that we thought he would and the tight ends are definitely benefitting from that. They are getting more coverage's that are just linebacker-coverage related, but the other thing too is I think it also has to do with Aaron Murray growing up. I think it has to do with it just so happened the times we called those plays, the protection was there that time. When he progressed, maybe the No. 1 receiver vs. Colorado is covered so you go to the secondary guy. It’s the same play, this time the tight end got it. A little bit of it has to do with the coverage's being played and who they decide to cover. A.J. being there is a tight end’s best friend.
#16 Split End Kris Durham
Aaron prepares extremely well and plays with heart. I have full confidence in him and the coaches have full confidence in him. He does everything you could ask for and more. He gets up there and makes plays to win the game. He never sits back and plays not to make a mistake. He plays to win.
On the Tennessee game and momentum:
It’s a game of momentum and a game of inches. It’s a little bit of a breath of fresh air. We had a lot of balls bounce our way [on Saturday] so you just have to take that and roll with it.
#61 Center Ben Jones
On the mood after Tennessee:
There’s always things to work on and improve on each week. You can always fix things and be working on things.
On Trinton Sturdivant’s health:
It’s big for Trinton this year to be back after a lot of injuries and to play a whole game. You now can see what we can do. I think now he has the confidence to play. He looks back to normal and he plays hard. He’s working out there. He looks like what they say he always used to look like.
#11 Quarterback Aaron Murray
On the Tennessee game:
We hadn’t been playing a complete game and this past weekend we did. The offense was definitely there and making plays. The first five game we did some good things and other times weren’t making plays. This past weekend was nice.
On A.J. Green’s impact:
Teams will send safeties over the top or put a corner on him and things like that, which frees everyone else up. Maybe there’s one less defender on another guy or one less in the box so it’s nice to open things up for everyone else.
On Orson Charles:
They are both threats and playmakers, probably two of the more athletic tight ends in the country.
Teams have to respect them.
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