FOOTBALL
Coach Mark Richt
I can’t say that all the recruits are excited about what’s happening, but most of the guys we have committed love Georgia and want to be at Georgia. Sometimes kids even see that maybe this presents a better opportunity for me to come in and make a difference. I think guys want to do that.
I think guys want to be at a certain school. Some of them know what certain schools they want to be at. The other thing that attracts them is the ability to feel like they can come in and make an impact for that team as early in their career as they possibly can, so I would think that’s been good in that regard. The bottom line is we want to show them that we re a good football team and hopefully Saturday we’ll get that done. We’ll have a good many recruits in this weekend, so we’ll want to have a good experience for those guys.
On who would return punts against Tennessee:
Carlton Thomas is getting reps there. A.J. Green is getting reps there. Logan Gray of course has been getting reps there. I’m not even 100 percent sure on who would start the game but they are all capable.
We’re getting there. I can’t sit there and say they are 100 percent certain on everything that shows up exactly what to do and how to do it. We’re at least to the point where they are comfortable doing it where they can really play with the speed that you need to play with. As you learn something, you just can’t cut it loose like you do once it’s yours.
It’s not an indictment on the coaching or even the players. It’s just a fact of life that as you install things from scratch, there is a learning curve for them. There is a learning curve for our coaches. There are certain situations we put our guys in we thought they would handle and afterwards realized maybe they can’t handle that as well as we thought. You have to make sure you don’t do it again the next time around. The point I’ve made about some of these opening drives, some of these situations where maybe something new popped up that wasn’t prepped for. There is just no experience to draw from to say this is how we would handle that. We are having still a little bit of that from time to time.
The thing about collegiate offenses is they are all so different. When you are in the NFL you have the same offense over and over and over pretty much. There is some variance, but you have people running the option, you have the quarterback run, everybody just has a little bit different style. We understand the style, we know how to prepare for the style, but it’s so different as you go. I guess it’s the first time through, and you play the next game and maybe game four, but it’s the first time through on this particular scheme. I think that’s hurt us some, but the bottom line is we have to line up and play football and play good assignment football and make tackles and make plays.
On Sanders Commings:
I think he’s been one of the bright spots as far as a guy who maybe wasn’t sitting in a position where the coaches might have thought he was going to get a ton of playing time going into camp or even into game one. But he has steadily improved. He listens to what Coach Lakatos says. He takes it to heart. He reps it everyday in practice and now he is starting to see more playing time. He’s earned it.
That tackle he made out in the open field on that third down play, that was one of the finest open field tackles we’ve had here in a while. A guy out in space, a guy he had to get up on him, he had to wrap him and he had to run his feet and drive him back or it’s going to be a first down.
That was just one play, but the other thing I think really helps Sanders is on this kickoff coverage team he really took off from game one making plays. That I think helped his confidence and it also helped our coaches confidence to watch him play and play physical and make plays. He’s done a really good job. I’m really happy for him.
On the fourth quarter fumble against Colorado and whether Georgia’s defense is making enough disruptive plays:
If they would just not block us I think we would make more plays like that. That’s what happened, we didn’t block him. We absolutely need more plays like that. I think there were three fumbles that they had. I think they had three fumbles and we got zero. I think that’s right. I hate to say it but it’s looking a little bit like a year ago. Fumbles are getting caused but they are landing next to their guy.
Why? I don t know.
I wish they would land closer to us, because I do believe we’ve had enough reps at recovering fumbles that we would get it. Once we got it we wouldn’t let go, but the ball doesn’t always bounce to you. Most balls on the ground seem to be bouncing closer to the opponents than they are to us right now. But I think we are getting some of that, we are getting some of those balls getting knocked, but we have to get on it.
On Branden Smith having two concussions:
We do have to be very careful. (UGA Director of Sports Medicine) Ron Courson has been on some committees to even talk about on a national level how to handle concussions and what are the signs to say that a young man is concussed and what are the signs to say that a young man is ready to go back and play safely.
There is no question we have to be careful. Ron has his procedures that he does and we are going to follow that protocol. When Ron says he is safe to play, then he’ll play. If he says he’s not, then he’s not. Right now we don’t think it’s going to be this week for sure and probably not any time soon. I can’t predict that. There are certain factors that are tested and gauged and whenever he meets that criteria to go play, then he’ll play.
On Garrison Smith and whether Georgia’s record impact what freshmen might play:
Not the record, no. It was just a matter of feeling like we needed a little more punch up front. He’s a very strong player, very powerful guy. He’s still playing too high as rookies tend to do. He has to learn that he’s in a different league and that he’s going against much bigger, stronger, more physical people. He has the ability, and it was good for him to get that under his belt and learn and I think he’ll get better in a hurry.
There is a chance that other guys will play. There are some other freshmen we have looked at to do that.
#51, LB, Akeem Dent
I feel like we responded well. We went out full pads on a Monday, something that we're not used, and we went out and had a lot of fun. It was real exciting. Guys were upbeat and up-tempo and just ready to compete.
It kind of sparked a little more fire and a little more energy throughout the guys in the locker room. Even after practice, we were still in there talking about practice because guys were out there having fun and guys were out there flying around. I think it was something that we needed.
#45, LB Christian Robinson
It's difficult when you've done so well on first and second down and then on third down you don't get off the field. But with coach Richt and coach Grantham, what we do in the offseason practice with mat drills it's not fun. It's painful, and you know that sometimes you might get set back when you know you did it perfect.
It's about finishing in the face of adversity and continuing to do what you're taught on the next play. Once the play is over you have to move to the next one because if you dwell on it that's when offenses are going to get you.
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