FOOTBALL
Coach Mark Richt
On Georgia’s run defense…
I think our run defense is better for a lot of reasons. Number one, we are big. We are big up front. A year ago our nose guard was DeAngelo Tyson. Tyson is a pretty big man, but compared to what Kwame Geathers is and what Jonathan Jenkins is, it’s just a little bit different. Now at the end position, to be able to take DeAngelo and move him out along with Abry Jones, they are pretty big, stout guys up front.
They’ve taken a lot of pressure off of some young linebackers and inexperienced linebackers throughout the year. If you can get those guys eating up a couple of blockers, all of a sudden your linebackers start doing extremely well. I think we’ve also grown at the linebacker position. Mike Gilliard has been outstanding. The guy gets his opportunity and does well. You hate to play a freshman, but Amarlo Herrera has gone in there and done very well also. Getting Alec Ogletree back has been big. The other thing is the support from the safeties has been big. I just think we understand what we’re doing better. I think Coach Todd Grantham, being in his second year, it’s been very, very good.
On whether Georgia’s run defense is the most striking difference from last year…
Our third down conversions might be the most striking difference from a year ago statistically. We weren’t very good at getting people off the field, and now we are. That’s really another reason why you don’t see as many rushing yards because we are getting them off the field, and when you do that they aren’t scoring. I think offensively we’ve scored enough early enough to get people a little bit concerned about staying with the game plan. If their plan going in was to run the rock, once you get behind a little bit it’s harder to do that. You feel like you are less patient. I think you have to score points offensively too to get people to feel like they have to throw the ball more than they would like to. All those things together I think have been a big reason.
On whether Georgia will rotate players at kicker again this week…
I’m not going to divulge that right now because I’m not 100 percent sure. I will say I thought it went well. I’m glad we scored touchdowns and all we kicked was extra points, but it would have been a little more interesting to me to see guys attempt field goals under that rotation. We’re going to go through practice too and see how everybody does throughout the week. It’s a highly competitive situation, and I think that’s healthy. I think it’s good for them.
On the team's chemistry after an 0-2 start…
Basically, you try to build team. You try to build togetherness. You try to build family. You try to build trust. That's how you handle adversity when you have trust, when you have unity and when you have guys that believe. But you never for sure until it hits you in the mouth how you are going to react. I wasn't shocked that they guys reacted in a real positive way.
Again, if you back up to game one we just weren't as ready for that game as they were. That's just the way I see it, and they are a very good football team. Game two was our first SEC game, so we still knew we had a shot to win our league which is the only thing we can control. When the game was over I don't think anybody left there thinking 'my gosh, we've got no chance in this league, we can't do it.' We left there feeling like if we would be more disciplined and take care of the ball better and not allow certain big plays from happening we had a very good chance to win that game.
We felt like as the season progressed we didn't feel like there wasn't any team on our schedule that we couldn't beat I guess is the best way to say it. There wasn't a whole lot of 'woe is me' in the there, it was more of 'if we get our act together we together we can be really good.
On how Richt has personally handled criticism this year…
I know you never know what tomorrow is going to bring, so it's not like we've arrived or anything like that. But we have played well lately and we've won lately so that's a big deal. Quite frankly, I love the game of football. I love my job. I love Georgia. But what I do is not who I am. I've said that before. I think sometimes if we become what we do, and then things aren't going just right, then all of a sudden our entire world falls apart. I've got a faith in my Lord and savior Jesus Christ, and I know that God loves me and is going to take care of me. I just truly believe that. When all the games are done and all the life is lived, I know where I'll be for eternity.
Not to say I don't care about what happens in this world because that's not true. Colossians 3:23 says 'whatever you do, do your work hardly as unto the Lord,' so that's what I was doing on a daily basis. I was doing my job as best I could and trying to do it for his glory and try not to worry about anything else. That's kind of how I navigated that time and there will be more tough times I'm sure. That's the way life is.
On if he felt any relief when Arkansas beat South Carolina…
No. Not at all because now the fact that we are in control of our own destiny really all this is on us. Before we really didn't have control, and we could only control trying to keep pace. Now that we have control of our destiny I would say that's even more of a reason to heighten your work ethic and prepare maybe even a little harder."
On the BCS championships possibly being an LSU-Alabama rematch and having played Boise State if he thinks the system is fair…
The system hasn't played out. It's just a bunch of people talking about it with what might happen and all that kind of thing. I think Boise State can line up against anybody in America and have a realistic shot of winning. I do think that.
Defensive End Abry Jones
On playing against Auburn’s offense…
I think it’s going to be a little harder to defend against Auburn than a traditional offense. I am fortunate to have to see too much of the motion since I am a defensive lineman. My job is to control the line of scrimmage so that the linebackers and defensive backs can see where the ball actually is. I try to keep the offense corralled so that the other guys can come in and make plays.
On Auburn’s offense without Cam Newton…
I don’t see a huge difference in Auburn from last year to this year. Auburn still has a good offensive line that is really physical up front. They work really well together. Even though Cam was a big part of their offense last year, they are still the same time and run the same plays and still have some great playmakers.
On Auburn quarterback Clint Moseley…
I think Clint Moseley does a good job for them. They don’t ask him to do too much because of all of the playmakers he’s got around him. He does a great job of not giving the game away and giving the ball to his playmakers.
Middle Linebacker Mike Gilliard
On Auburn’s offensive playmakers…
Auburn has a lot of weapons on their offense like Michael Dyer, Onterio McCalebb and Philip Lutzenkirchen. Dyer is a good player who gets down and runs fast and can make you miss and McCalebb is a speedster and very shifty. Lutzenkirchen can block well and catch well also. One of the main things that we have to do is run to the ball and tackle well. Those guys can make you miss and if you miss, they have the ability to take it to the house.
On Georgia’s defense versus Auburn’s offense…
This is the SEC, you can’t look at where the offense and defense ranks because every team is good and every team can get beat any given Saturday. I’m not focusing on that. I’m just trying to focus on getting better and go out there and make plays on Saturday because Auburn is a really good team with a lot of playmakers on their offense.
On Auburn’s offense under Gus Malzahn…
That offense can trick you. For instance you can be running one way and the ball is going the other way. We have to go out and play assignment football against an offense like Auburn’s.
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