FOOTBALL
Coach Mark Richt
On John Jenkins…
I think he's done well. I think he's in good shape now. I think he's still learning to play a little bit lower. He's still learning to play with the use of his hands a little bit better, but he is effective in what he's been doing. We did get him some playing time at end with DeAngelo Tyson being hurt last week and part of the reason is because of the condition he's in and part of the reason is that Kwame Geathers is doing very well also. We think Kwame and John are both being productive. Abry Jones has been very productive. DeAngelo has been very productive. Garrison Smith got some good quality playing time, and Garrison is doing well. Our 'D' line is playing pretty stout. Our biggest issue has been being able to generate a lot of pass rush pressure with just a four man rush. That's still a concern for us, but we have got pressure on the quarterback through blitz packages and things of that nature. We've lost contain too often. If you run certain stuff and have your outside guys go in and your inside guys go out or you're stunting or you're twisting or whatever you want to call it up front, sometimes our guys are having a hard time getting off of the offensive linemen to actually contain. Some guys are getting away with stuff as far as holding inside I think, but I'm not complaining about the officiating. Just a statement that its part of the reason. I think those guys are doing a good job overall.
On the best way of gauging how a defensive line is performing…
Really and truly it's watching film and just seeing what they are doing. Are they doing their job? Are they creating some penetration into the line of scrimmage? Are they forcing linemen to stay on them a little bit longer and not get up on a linebacker? Then all of a sudden your linebackers are making some free hits inside the box and things of that nature. You watch the film and if you got a contain rush from the outside and they push the pocket in the quarterback's face and he's uncomfortable because he can't see or he can't follow through well and he feels their presence and he doesn't throw it as well or maybe throws it sooner than he wants to. Those things are so hard to put down on paper as far as the stats are concerned. Certainly, you would like to see a guy make a tackle in the backfield or sack a quarterback and all that. But I remember Johnathan Sullivan having one of his best years. His sophomore year he had all kinds of stats, and the next year, he didn't get the stats but I think the Saints traded up to get him with the eighth [sixth] pick of the draft because of how he played. Those guys are hard to put stats on them and say whether they are doing great or not.
On the status of DeAngelo Tyson and Kenarious Gates this week…
We are very hopeful that DeAngelo Tyson will be back. I can't remember exactly, but I think we are hoping for him to get a little scout team work today if I'm not mistaken. He won't do the inside drill and the 11-on-11 stuff. I think that's where he is at today. Gates we are hoping to get a little scout team work today. I don't think we are ready to get into the other action, and where he'll plug in is a good question. We always try to get him some reps at guard and at tackle. If he was 100-percent healthy and something happened to one of our tackles, he'd be the guy that would probably play tackle first. Fortunately for us, he is a very sharp guy and moving him around a little bit doesn't blow him up. He could end up at guard or tackle.
On how big it was for the defense to get the shutout…
I think a shutout is big. Anytime you get a goose egg it makes everybody feel like they did a good job. I’m not sure but they might not have even crossed the 50. Again, shutouts have a lot to do with defense for sure but it also means your offense did a good job too. It means they didn't have a turnover deep in territory. It means they didn't have a turnover that caused a touchdown or a special teams play didn't cause a touchdown or really bad field position. They were having to drive the long field the entire time, and our defense did a good job of holding them there. I'm sure it gave them more confidence. I'm sure that it also gave more confidence to the young men that have played a lot of scrimmage downs. A lot of times when you have a shutout going you are a little reluctant to pull your defensive guys out if you are fighting for a shutout. You put young guys in there and you hope they don't make a bone-headed mistake that will cost you the shutout, cost some points. Our young guys actually did a nice job, so all those things were very positive.
Let me just back up a little bit on the defense. You hate to go back and open up the wounds of the South Carolina game, but the mistakes that were made in that game cost a lot of points. At least directly responsible for 21, and getting the ball on the five-yard line on another turnover – basically 28 points were hard to pin on the defense. Twenty-one they weren't on the field. The one time on the five, they could have forced a field goal, so you could say four points was on those cats. But they had a chance if everything went well offensively and special teams wise they might have held South Carolina to 17 points that day. It didn't happen that way and it was 45 points and that looks pretty bad. The defense is the one that when people start looking at stats they're 'ah geez, they're not doing very good,' but in reality they're doing better than the stats prove that's for sure.
On the plans for Shawn Williams to remain at linebacker...
Until we can get another answer there with guys coming back from injury and younger guys maturing and things like that. I don't see it as a permanent spot for him.
On his feelings regarding Houston Nutt's situation at Ole Miss…
I hate that for anybody. I've always hated that. I guess I could maybe just talk about it this way. As an SEC head coach, when we go to our meetings in Destin or our meetings at the national coaches' convention, and you all get in that room together -- whether we get mad at each other or not, get in these competitive situations whether its recruiting or on the field -- when you all sit in that room together and we start discussing the reality of our jobs and our responsibilities and just the things that we can control and the things we can't control, there's a heavy dose of respect for everybody in that room. I don't think anybody enjoys another guy going through something like that. We all know that we are pretty darn good coaches, and there's 12 of us in the league and somebody is going to have a good year and somebody is going to have a bad year.
On Cornelius Washington…
Here's one thing about Cornelius – I think he's playing harder than I've ever seen him play. I'm really proud of his effort, and the more he plays with that kind of intensity, the more hurries and sacks and tackles for loss and all that kind of stuff is going to happen. He's practiced hard, he's played hard, and he will reap the benefit as will Georgia.
On if he is offended by the characterization of this week's game being called the "hot seat bowl"…
I knew that would happen. No. That was pretty easy to predict. You think they could have thought of something better than that. I think a couple of kindergarteners could have figured out that one.
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