Thursday, January 31, 2013

Lady Dawgs Win 23rd Game Consecutive Against Alabama

BASKETBALL

Six different Georgia players scored eight or more points to lead the 13th-ranked Lady Dawgs to a 65-59 victory over Alabama on Thursday evening at Stegeman Coliseum.

Khaalidah Miller and Jasmine Hassell led the Lady Dawgs with 11 points and 10 points, respectively, while Merritt Hempe tallied nine points to go along with three rebounds and a steal. Anne Marie Armstrong, Tiara Griffin and Jasmine James each chipped in with eight points apiece, and Griffin pulled down a career-high eight rebounds on the night.

With the win, Georgia (18-3, 6-2 SEC) notched its 850th victory in program history, becoming just the 10th school in Division I history to accomplish the feat.

"We did what we needed to do to win, and that's the way it goes in the record book, even though the process wasn't pretty,” said coach Andy Landers. “There were some good decisions and some bad decisions made. A lot of makeable shots were not made tonight."

The Lady Dawgs opened the game with a strong defensive effort, holding the Crimson Tide (12-9, 2-6 SEC) without a point for the first three and a half minutes of the game. The two teams traded baskets throughout much of the next 10 minutes before Georgia reeled off an 8-0 run to open up a 20-11 lead.

A jumper from Hassell and a three-pointer by Griffin in the final minute of the first half helped give Georgia a 32-25 advantage entering the break.

The Lady Dawgs began to pull away early in the second half, opening up a 14-point lead with just over 12 minutes remaining. Georgia led by as many as 15 points, but Alabama mounted a comeback effort in the final minutes to narrow the lead for the Lady Dawgs.

The Crimson Tide used an 8-0 run in the final four minutes to come within four points, but two free throws each by Armstrong and Miller helped seal the victory for Georgia.

Georgia finished the game shooting 34.3 percent from the field and 77.8 percent from the charity stripe. The Georgia bench contributed 25 points compared to just 11 points from Alabama’s reserves. Georgia’s defense also forced 23 Crimson Tide turnovers while holding Alabama to 35.1 percent shooting from the floor, including 25.8 percent from three-point range.

The Lady Dawgs return to action on Sunday when they travel to Lexington, for a 2 p.m. tip with Kentucky.

Georgia will return home on Thursday, February 7th, to host Auburn at Stegeman Coliseum at 7 p.m.

Notes

• With tonight’s 65-59 victory over Alabama, Georgia improves its record to 18-3 (6-2 SEC).
• UGA is now 36-9 all-time against the Tide, with a 16-3 mark in Athens. The Lady Dawgs have now won 23 consecutive meetings with Alabama dating back to 1998.
Andy Landers is now only five wins shy of his 900th career victory.
• The Lady Dawgs’ all-time record is now 850-356.
• The Lady Dawgs used their seventh different starting lineup of the season and the fourth different set of starters in the last four games.
• Freshman Merritt Hempe made her first career SEC start.
• Georgia started three freshmen – Shacobia Barbee, Tiaria Griffin and Merritt Hempe. It marked the first time the Lady Dawgs started a trio of freshmen since Ashley Houts, Christy Marshall and Angel Robinson did so in an 82-69 victory over Brown on December 30th, 2006 at the Surf ‘N Slam Classic in San Diego, California.
• After tallying 10 points, Jasmine Hassell has 1191 points for her career, passing Angel Robinson for the No. 24 position.
Khaalidah Miller is now No. 3 in career three-point attempts in Lady Dawg history. With her five attempts tonight, she now has a total of 467 3FGAs.
• With two steals tonight, Jasmine James now has 239 career steals, passing Carla Green for the No. 8 position among UGA’s career leaders.
Anne Marie Armstrong’s two blocks tonight ties her at No. 10 among UGA career block leaders with 104.
Tiara Griffin collected 8 rebounds tonight, besting her previous career-high of six.

Lady Dawgs In Double Digits

Jasmine Hassell tallied 10 points, her 14th double-digit performance this season and 57th of her career.
Khaalidah Miller scored 11 points, her 10th double-digit performance this season and 47th of her career.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Dribble Dawgs Beat Auburn

BASKETBALL

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 20 points and pulled down ten rebounds, leading Georgia to a 57-49 win over Auburn Wednesday night at Stegeman Coliseum.

The performance is Caldwell-Pope’s third double-double of the season. Freshman guard Charles Mann also contributed ten points.

The win is Georgia’s (9-11, 3-4) third conference win of the season, and second in a row.

“That was an SEC Dawg fight,” said coach Mark Fox. “Both teams played really hard and it was an extremely physical game. We were really gritty defensively. I thought offensively we got a little careless and turned the ball over too much. We just kept fighting, and Auburn kept fighting too. It was a physical, physical game. We feel that’s a good win, and we feel fortunate to get it.”

After both teams traded the lead in the first half, the Dawgs went on an 8-2 run to end the half, taking a 26-22 lead into the locker room.

With just under four minutes remaining in the game and the score tied 43-43, the Dawgs scored five straight, capped off by senior forward Donte’ Williams converting an three-point play.

After Auburn (8-12, 2-5) fought back to trail UGA 48-46, Caldwell-Pope pulled down a rebound on a missed three-pointer and found senior guard Sherrard Brantley on a long outlet pass. Brantley missed the contested lay-up, but Caldwell-Pope followed with a put back to put Georgia up 50-46.

After Auburn was forced to foul with under two minutes to play, Georgia shot five-of-six from the free throw stripe to secure the win.

Auburn never led during the second half, and the last tie came with just under five minutes remaining at 43-43.

“In our last eight halves of basketball, we’ve played winning in seven of them,” Fox continued. “We are becoming more consistent, still making some mistakes, but there is a lot of room to grow here. They just keep battling and trying to get better, and I am really proud of our team. These kids have worked really hard and have been fully committed to the process.”

Georgia held Auburn to just 28 percent shooting from the field, including 20 percent from three-point range.

Auburn was led by Allen Payne and Frankie Sullivan who each had 13 points.

Georgia will hit the road for a conference bout against South Carolina on Saturday at 1:45 p.m. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.

NOTES

Worth Noting...

• Caldwell-Pope picked up his third double-double of the season with his 20-point, 10-rebound performance.

• Georgia outscored Auburn off the bench, 22-6.

• Georgia has won three of its last four games.

Career-highs...

Charles Mann had a career high six assists

Sherrard Brantley tied a career-high (and set a season-high) with four rebounds

The Series: Georgia improves to 90-88 all-time versus the Tigers and 59-22 in those games played in Athens. In the last 22 years, the home team has won 18 times.

Next Up: Georgia hits the road to take on South Carolina Saturday at 1:45 p.m. Georgia leads the all-time series 50-48. The Dawgs will be looking to improve upon a 30-17 mark in those games held in Columbia.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Fifty Seven Dawgs Make Honor Roll

Fifty-seven student-athletes from the University of Georgia have been named to the 2012 Fall Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll according to a recent announcement by SEC Commissioner Mike Slive.

Georgia’s 57 student-athletes named to the honor roll is the second-highest total of any SEC institution. To qualify for the SEC Academic Honor Roll, student-athletes must: maintain a 3.00 grade point average for the preceding academic year or have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 at the nominating institution, if the student-athlete is enrolled in summer courses, the GPA for those courses must be included in the calculation for cumulative GPA, have completed 24 semester hours of non-remedial academic credit toward a baccalaureate degree, and have been a member of a varsity team for the sport’s entire NCAA Championship segment.

The following UGA students were named to the Academic Honor Roll:

Football:

Faton Bauta, West Palm Beach, Florida, Arts & Sciences; Greg Bingham, Columbus, International Affairs; Taylor Bradberry, Winder, Health Promotions; Christopher Burnette, LaGrange, Finance; Corey Campbell, Hephzibah, Biological Sciences; Luis Capella, Augusta, Finance; Christian Conley, Dallas, Journalism; Watts Dantzler, Dalton, Health & Physical Education; Scott Eichler, Oakwood, Agricultural Engineering; Michael Erdman, Merritt Island, Florida., Management; Adam Erickson, Athens, Real Estate; Reuben Faloughi, Martinez, Psychology; Ty Frix, Calhoun, Biological Engineering/MBA; Austin Herod, Woodstock, Exercise & Sport Science; Ethan Jackson, Sandersville, Exercise & Sport Science; Jesse Jones, Habersham, International Affairs; Kyle Karempelis, Roswell, Management; Richard Lowe, Duluth, Biology; Arthur Lynch, Dartmouth, Massachusetts, History; Keith Marshall, Raleigh, North Carolina, Management; Hutson Mason, Marietta, Communication Studies; Taylor Maxey, Statham, Finance; Rhett McGowan, Calhoun, Sport Management; Gregory Mulkey, Fairmount, Agricultural Engineering; Aaron Murray, Tampa, Florida, Psychology; Connor Norman, Duluth, Exercise & Sport Science; Alexander Parsons, Fayetteville, Exercise & Sport Science; Jamal Payette, Cleveland, Finance; Geoffrey Rapp, Kennesaw, Psychology; Lucas Redd, Jefferson, Health & Physical Education; Ben Reynolds, Bainbridge, Biology; Christian Robinson, Norcross, Sport Management; Dustin Royston, Royston, Political Science; Garrison Smith, Atlanta, History; Michael Thornton, Stone Mountain, Communication Studies; Kosta Vavlas, Tarpon Springs, Florida, Biological Sciences; Hugh Williams, Atlanta, Advertising; Drew Wilson, Tignall, Mathematics Education.


Women’s Soccer:

Torri Allen, Stafford, Virginia, Animal Health; Ashley Baker, Lilburn, Recreation & Leisure Studies; Madeline Barker, Atlanta, Communication Studies; Jenna Buckley, Atlanta, Consumer Economics; Susannah Dennis, Franklin, Tennessee, Human Development & Family Science; Kathleen Eastman, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, International Affairs; Laura Eddy, Atlanta, Economics; Meghan Gibbons, The Woodlands, Texas, Sport Management; Nikki Hill, Scottsdale, Arizona, Biology; Callie Corbin Langford, Tallahassee, Florida, Psychology; Ansley Morgan, St. Simons Island, Journalism; Alexa Newfield, Atlanta, Sport Management; Jenna Owens, Highlands Ranch, Colorado, Exercise & Sport Science; Caitlin Woody, Boca Raton, Florida, Psychology.


Volleyball:

Briana Bahr, Pensacola, Florida, Housing; Nicole Choi, Alpharetta, Health Promotion; Elena Perri, Richland, Michigan, Advertising; Gaby Smiley, Alpharetta, Exercise & Sport Science; Stacey Smith, Eden, New York, Marketing.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Smith Invited To Join Roundtable

FOOTBALL

Georgia football player Garrison Smith has been invited to take part in the 2013 NFL and NCAA Student-Athlete Life Skills Roundtable. The event will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina on February 14-15.

Run jointly by the NFL and NCAA, the Life Skills Roundtable is designed to provide student-athletes with a forum to discuss the resources and support that they need in order to meet their personal and professional goals. Both organizations hold intimate discussions with a diverse group of student-athletes through which the NFL and NCAA hope to gain a better understanding of the personal and professional development needs and goals of student-athletes in transitioning from college to their chosen profession or the NFL.

Smith is a rising senior defensive end from Atlanta. He appeared in all 14 games for the Dawgs in 2012, starting in eight and recording 57 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss and 1 sack. He was one of 292 Georgia student-athletes named to the Athletic Directors Honor Roll for Fall Semester 2012, maintaining a Grade Point Average above 3.00 as a history major.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Lady Dawgs Defeat Gators

BASKETBALL

Jasmine Hassell led a trio of double-digit scorers as the No. 14 Georgia Lady Dawgs cruised past the Florida Gators, 69-52, on Sunday afternoon at Stegeman Coliseum.

Hassell notched 13 points, Tiaria Griffin tallied 12 points and Krista Donald recorded a season-high 11. Shacobia Barbee led the Lady Dawgs on the boards, pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds and tying her season high.

"I thought everything today started with our defense," said coach Andy Landers. "We were very good defensively, but especially early on in the game. We also rebounded the ball well, and those two things resulted in possessions. Many of those possessions were transition possessions, so that was good to see. One of the things that we wanted to do today was to get the ball up and down the floor. We did that early, and that helped to create the lead."

Georgia (17-3, 5-2 SEC) took control early by scoring the first points of the contest with less than a minute off the clock. Florida matched the Lady Dawgs for the first couple of baskets, but failed to take the lead before a Hassell layup ignited a 10-0 run that put Georgia up 14-4.

Florida (13-8, 2-5 SEC) slowed Georgia with a three-pointer, but the damage was done and the Gators were unable to gain momentum. The only time in the first half that Florida connected on back-to-back possessions was with a pair of jumpers at around 11 minutes, bringing the score to 24-14.

While the Gators kept the Lady Dawgs from embarking on another double-digit surge, Georgia eventually stretched its advantage to 39-20 before halftime.

In the first half, the Lady Dawgs shot an efficient 41.7 percent from the field, while holding Florida to 30 percent. Georgia also out rebounded the Gators 27-18 and used those rebounds to score 16 second chance points, compared to just six from Florida.

The first four minutes of the second period were fairly well matched, as neither team was able to take control until a trey by Merritt Hempe started a 17-2 run that lasted over eight and a half minutes and gave Georgia its largest lead of the game at 64-33.

The Gators were productive in the final seven minutes of the game, cutting Georgia's lead to 69-52, but it was too late to make a difference.

The Lady Dawgs finished the game shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from the charity stripe. After a couple of narrow wins and last week's loss, this was the most productive game offensively for Georgia since its 95-83 victory over Alabama on Jan. 10.

Georgia will return to action on Thursday, when it hosts Alabama at 7:00 p.m.

Notes

• With tonight’s 69-52 victory over Florida, UGA improves its record against UF to 47-14, including a 26-3 record in Athens.

• The home team has won each of the last nine meetings between UGA and UF.

• Georgia held Florida to 20 points in the first half, this was the lowest first half scoring total by an SEC opponent this season.

Andy Landers is now six wins shy of his 900th career victory.

Jasmine James’ two steals tonight puts her one steal behind No. 8 Carla Green among UGA’s career steal leaders

Jasmine Hassell’s 13-point performance lands her as No. 25 among UGA’s career scoring leaders, she is five points shy of No. 24 Angel Robinson.

Khaalidah Miller’s two 3FGAs tonight places her one shy of No. 5 Kelly Miller among UGA’s 3FGA leaders.

Lady Dawgs In Double Digits

Jasmine Hassell tallied 13 points, her 13th double-digit performance this season and 56th of her career.

Tiaria Griffin scored 12 points, her sixth double-digit performance this season and sixth of her career.

Krista Donald notched a season-high 11 points, her first double-digit performance this season and fifth of her career.

Shacobia Barbee collected 11 rebounds, her second double-digit performance this season and second of her career.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Dribble Dawgs Pick Up First Road Win

BASKETBALL

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 22 points, including a key 3-pointer late, as Georgia fended off a desperate rally by Texas A&M to defeat the Aggies 59-52 in an SEC basketball game here Saturday.

Georgia (8-11, 2-4) posted its first road win of the season in beating the Aggies (12-7, 2-4), who dropped their fourth straight conference game after winning at Kentucky early in the league schedule.

Caldwell-Pope led all scorers and was the only Georgia player in double figures. Yet nine Dawgs in all scored, a fact that was not lost on coach Mark Fox.

"It's great to win on the road, but especially in league play, and I was really proud of our guys and the way they kept their composure," Fox said. "I thought we played extremely well offensively in the second half and got big contributions from a lot of people. Tonight was an important step in the growth of our young team."

The Dawgs spent much of the first half shooting free throws to grab a 27-23 advantage at intermission. They made just nine of 22 field-goal attempts in the first period, yet took control by making 13 of 16 free throws, more than in seven entire games this season.

A tip-in by reserve Tim Dixon with 12:48 left in the first half gave Georgia the lead for good at 7-6. Caldwell-Pope scored consecutive baskets to, followed by two foul shots by Charles Mann, to give the Dawgs their first sizable lead at 14-6.

After Texas A&M rallied within two, Caldwell-Pope and Mann again restored safety to the Georgia lead. They sank a 3-pointer and two free throws, respectively, the latter with 2:49 left before halftime, to give the Dawgs a double-digit margin at 27-17.
The Aggies scored first in the second period before Georgia erupted with a 16-2 run. Twelve of the 16 points came from 3-point range, including two from Sherrard Brantley and one each from Caldwell-Pope and Vincent Williams.

Freshman Kenny Gaines gave Georgia its largest lead of the night at 48-31 on a press-breaking layup with 10:20 left.

The margin remained comfortably wide for the Dawgs until the final seven minutes. Texas A&M cut its deficit back into single digits at 50-41 on a 3-pointer by Fabyon Harris at the 7:04 mark. He followed a Caldwell-Pope miss with another jumper with 5:58 left.

Things got really interesting when A&M turned up its full-court pressure in the waning minutes. Harris intercepted a Brantley pass in rear court and sank a 3-pointer that pulled the Aggies within 52-48 with 3:59 left.

After the teams traded empty trips, Georgia turned to its offensive leader to right its struggling offense. Caldwell-Pope connected from 21 feet with 2:10 left, giving the Dawgs a 55-48 lead.

Still, victory was not secured until a tip-in by Donte' Williams -- his only bucket of the game -- with 26 seconds left, putting Georgia ahead 57-52.

"I thought our kids showed a lot of character and composure late in the game," Fox said. "We turned it over a couple of times and that allowed Texas A&M back in the game. But we responded with some really big plays near the end. It was just a great win for our guys."

Georgia resumes its SEC schedule at home Wednesday night against Auburn in a 7:00 p.m. tipoff.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Malcome To Transfer

FOOTBALL

Georgia redshirt sophomore tailback Ken Malcome has told the coaches he will be transferring to another institution.

“I have made this decision because I think I can get more playing time some place else,” Malcome said. “I have enjoyed my time at Georgia and appreciate the opportunity that Coach Richt and the other coaches have given me here. I look forward to my next challenge.”

Malcome, a 6-0, 226-pound native of Decatur, carried the ball 57 times this season for 274 yards (4.8 avg.) and two touchdowns. He started the 2012 opener and played in 10 games this past season.

Malcome finishes his career at Georgia with 446 yards rushing and two scores to go along with two catches for 23 yards in two seasons.

"We are very appreciative of Ken's contributions to our program and will certainly assist him any way we can in finding a school to continue his career,” said Richt. “We wish him nothing but the best."

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Post Season Press Conference

FOOTBALL

The Dawgs recently wrapped up one of the most successful football seasons in school history, finishing with 12 wins, an SEC Eastern Division title and a Capital One Bowl victory over Nebraska.

The 2012 squad became just the third Georgia team in program history to finish a season with 12 wins, joining the 1980 national champions (12-0) and the 2002 SEC champions (13-1). As the team looks back upon and enjoys the numerous accomplishments from the 2012 season, coach Mark Richt and the rest of the squad must also begin the process of transitioning into offseason workouts and preparing for another exciting year in 2013.

With the losses of key defensive players to either graduation or the NFL Draft, Richt knows that the defensive unit will face a number of questions and challenges during the offseason.

“We better be ready,” said Richt on Thursday afternoon. “We don’t really have a choice. I have a lot of faith in these guys, but they’ve got to work. They have to prepare right now. They can’t just sit here and wait until camp starts, or even until summer. They have to start now…They need to prepare to try to be the very best in America at what they do.”

Along with defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, new defensive line coach Chris Wilson will play an important role in developing the young talent coming to Athens.

“We are very fortunate to get Chris with his experience as coordinator, co-coordinator and those type of things,” Richt said. “He’s actually had some special teams responsibilities over his career, so he’s a very well-rounded coach. He’s very experienced and very mature. He’s a great family man and just a great role model for our guys.”

Thirteen incoming freshmen have enrolled early at Georgia for the spring semester, and Richt looks forward to seeing the freshmen in action at the start of mandatory weight lifting sessions on Monday.

“I think these guys are almost a class to themselves, meaning that there are 13 of them,” Richt said. “Last year we had 15. So it’s a really large number of mid-year guys. I told them just to look out for each other and to help each other out. Our coaches have done a good job catching up with them. We had a team meeting last night, and they all had a chance to introduce themselves to the entire team, which was good. They got to feel a little bit more part of the family little by little, so I think they’re doing fine.”

The Georgia offense, which returns every starter from last season except for receivers Tavarres King and Marlon Brown, is already expected to be one of the most prolific scoring offenses in the nation in 2013.

After quarterback Aaron Murray announced his decision to return for his senior season and forgo the NFL Draft, it became clear that the Dawgs would not have a shortage at the quarterback position. Hutson Mason, along with Christian LeMay, Parker Welch, Faton Bauta and incoming freshman Brice Ramsey are all also available at the quarterback position next season.

“I’m expecting everybody to learn what to do and to keep getting better,” Richt said. “Hutson is to the point where he certainly knows what to do. He is ready for the next step, which is playing time. Like I said before, what that looks like, I don’t know. But the other guys still have other things to learn and perfect in order to get to the point where they’re ready to go. We’re in a situation with Aaron and Hutson, and Aaron is obviously our quarterback. He’s the guy right now, and everybody knows that. There’s no question about that part. But if something happened to Aaron, would Hutson be ready to play? I think yes he would.”

Richt also looks forward to the return of wide receiver Michael Bennett, who missed nine games last season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

“He’s doing very well,” Richt said, when speaking on Bennett’s rehabilitation. “He has a very good attitude, and (Georgia Director of Sports Medicine) Ron Courson feels that he’s making great progress. As far as spring ball, I know that he won’t be doing anything live. I don’t remember if Ron thought there’d be a possibility of him doing any route-running or catching balls out of competition phase. He may be able to do that, but I don’t remember. It may be a little early on that.”

Incoming freshman Tramel Terry (Goose Creek, S.C.), who has spent time at both wide receiver and running back in high school, also suffered an ACL injury in December at the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. However, Richt remains excited about Terry’s potential and his ability to impact the offense in the future.

“We just want to make sure that he gets very healthy,” Richt said. “If we do get him into a competition setting of learning what to do and trying to compete, we just want him to be really healthy before we do that. We don’t want him to have any setbacks, so we know that if we needed to redshirt, we could. It might make sense, but we’re not going to say that that’s what we’re going to do. We want to see how well he rehabs, how fast he rehabs, and what he’s capable of when the time comes. It is a long season, and he might not be ready for game one, but he could be ready sometime not long after that. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

With the incorporation of a talented freshman class on defense and a strong unit of returning starters on offense, Richt knows that the Dawgs are once again capable of emerging as one of the nation’s elite teams next season.

“We plan on being that,” Richt said. “We hope to be that, but we’ve got to earn it.”

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Chris Wilson Hired As Defensive Line Coach

FOOTBALL

coach_wilson_chrisChris Wilson, defensive coordinator, co-defensive coordinator, and defensive line coach at Mississippi State the past three seasons, has been named defensive line coach at the University of Georgia according to an announcement Wednesday by coach Mark Richt.

”Chris is a tremendous teacher, outstanding recruiter, mentor and brings a wealth of knowledge in coaching the defensive line to our program,” said Richt. “He has an extensive background not only as a position coach but also as a coordinator and is a very solid fit with what we do on defense. Just as important, Chris is a great role model as a father and husband. He and his wife, Tina, are awesome people and along with their children, Colby and Caleb, will be outstanding additions to our football family.”

Wilson joined the Mississippi State staff as co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach in 2010 before being named defensive coordinator in 2011. Under Wilson’s leadership, Mississippi State improved in seven major statistical categories in 2011, while ranking 16th nationally in scoring defense (19.7 points per game). In 2010, Wilson served as the Mississippi State defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator after spending the previous five years tutoring defensive linemen at his alma mater, Oklahoma. Wilson is a veteran of 16 years coaching at the collegiate level with stints at Indiana State (linebackers, 1993-94), Northern Illinois (linebackers,1995), Illinois State (defensive line, 1997-99), Colorado (defensive line, 2000-04) and Oklahoma (defensive ends/special teams coordinator, 2005-09).

"Our family is excited to have the opportunity of coaching at one of the top
institutions in college football,” said Wilson. “I'm looking forward to being part of the Georgia program and putting all our energy and effort into winning games and championships which I know is the goal of all those in the Georgia football family."

Wilson has coached many outstanding players during his career including Mississippi State’s All-America defensive lineman Fletcher Cox, 12th overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft (Eagles); Oklahoma’s DE Jeremy Beal (2009), two-time All-Big 12 and team leader in sacks and tackles-for-loss; Oklahoma’s All-Big 12 DE Auston English (2007); and Sooner Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year and Holiday Bowl MVP C.J. Ah You (2005).

The 2011 Mississippi State defense placed 17th in the country in red-zone scoring (73.91 percent) as well as eighth in the FBS in big plays allowed (37 of 20-plus yards). Wilson helped lower the points-per-game output and lessened the passing yards per game by more than 500 yards from 2010. Wilson coached defensive ends at Oklahoma and, for the last three years of his tenure, also served as special teams coordinator. In 2009, Wilson helped mentor a defensive front that finished eighth nationally against the run, allowing only 92 yards per game, and posted the sixth-most sacks in the country. The Sooner defense also finished the season ranked eighth in total defense and seventh in points allowed.

COACHING EXPERIENCE

2011-12: Mississippi State (Defensive Coordinator/ Defensive Line)
2010: Mississippi State (Co-Defensive Coordinator/ Defensive Line)
2007-09: Oklahoma (Special Teams Coordinator / Defensive Ends)
2005-06: Oklahoma (Defensive Ends)
2000-04: Colorado (Defensive Line)
2000 (Spr.): Army (Defensive Line)
1998-99: Illinois State (Defensive Line)
1997: Indiana State (Linebackers / Recruiting Coordinator)
1996: Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line)
1995: Northern Illinois (Linebackers)
1994: Indiana State (Linebackers)
1993: Indiana State (Graduate Assistant)

Monday, January 7, 2013

Gurley Named Freshman All American

FOOTBALL

Georgia true freshman tailback Todd Gurley has been named to the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) Freshman All-America Team, according to an announcement on Monday.

Georgia has now had a freshman All-American for the last six consecutive seasons. Gurley is one of only four players from the Southeastern Conference on the All-America squad and one of only 13 true freshmen on the 30-man squad.

Gurley, a 6-1, 218-pound native of Tarboro, North Carolina, became the 12th Dawg to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and the first since Knowshon Moreno in 2008. Gurley went for 1,385 yards, which ranks sixth in school history for a single season, and 17 touchdowns (a UGA freshman record) on 222 carries (6.2/carry).

Only Gurley and Herschel Walker have tallied 1,000-yard seasons in their true freshman seasons. Gurley finished 2012 with nine games where he went for at least 100 yards rushing, which ranks third in school history for a season. Currently, the Associated Press All-SEC First Team selection is second in the SEC in Rushing Yards Per Game (98.9), second in Scoring (106 pts.) and third in All-Purpose Yards Per Game (124.6).

Fellow true freshman tailback Keith Marshall, who is Gurley’s roommate, combined with Gurley to rack up 2,144 yards and 25 touchdowns while leading the Dawgs to only the third 12-win season in school history.

Gurley was also named to the Sporting News Freshman All-America Team and to Phil Steele’s All-Freshman First Team.

The Dawgs kick off the 2013 season at Clemson on Aug. 31.

Offense

QB—Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M, 6-1, 200, Kerrville, Texas

*RB—Kenneth Dixon, Louisiana Tech, 6-0, 215, Strong, Ark.

*RB — Todd Gurley, Georgia, 6-1, 218, Tarboro, N.C.

*WR — Amari Cooper, Alabama, 6-1, 198, Miami, Fla

WR — J.D. McKissic, Arkansas State, 5-10, 185, Phenix City, Ala.

WR— Davante Adams, Fresno State, 6-2, 200, Palo Alto, Calif.

OL — Tyler Johnstone, Oregon, 6-6; 292, Chandler, Ariz.

OL—Jake Brendel, UCLA, 6-4, 295, Plano, Texas

OL— Jack Allen, Michigan State, 6-1, 295, Hinsdale, Ill

OL—Austin Blythe, Iowa, 6-3, 275, Williamsburg, Iowa

OL—Le'Raven Clark, Texas Tech, 6-5, 303, Rockdale, Texas

OL — Parker Ehinger, Cincinnati, 6-7, 290, Rockford, Mich.

*TE—Devin Funchess, Michigan, 6-5, 229, Farmington Hills, Mich.

Defense

*DL Devonte Fields, TCU, 6-4, 240, Arlington, Texas

*DL Leonard Williams, Southern Cal, 6-5, 270, Daytona Beach, Fla.

DL Deion Barnes, Penn State, 6-4, 246, Philadelphia, Penn.

DL Samuel Ukwuachu, Boise State, 6-4, 222, Pearland, Texas

LB —Denzel Nkemdiche, Ole Miss, 5-11, 203, Loganville, Ga.

LB— Tyler Matakevich, Temple, 6-1. 220, Stratford, Conn.

LB—Kyler Fackrell, Utah State, 6-5, 236, Mesa, Ariz.

LB—Cory James, Colorado State, 6-0, 235, Del Rio, Texas

*DB- Ronald Darby, Florida State, 5-11, 189, Oxon Hill, Md.

*DB- KeiVarae Russell, Notre Dame, 5-11, 182, Everett, Wash.

*DB-Trevon Stewart, Houston, 5-9, 183, Patterson, La.

DB-Kevin Byard, Middle Tennessee, 5-11, 220, Lithonia, Ga.

Special Teams

*P—Tyler Williams, Marshall, 6-0, 195, Fort Wayne, Ind.

*K—Austin Lopez, San Jose State, 6-0, 170, Euless, Texas

PR—Jaime Wilson, Western Michigan, 5-11, 196, Belle Glade, Fla.

*KR—Duke Johnson, Miami (Fla.), 5-9, 188, Miami, Fla.

*AP-Stefon Diggs, Maryland, 6-1, 185, Gaithersburg, Md.

*-True Freshman

Friday, January 4, 2013

Jones Declares For NFL

FOOTBALL

Jarvis JonesUniversity of Georgia junior outside linebacker Jarvis Jones has decided to forego his senior season and enter the 2013 NFL Draft.

A finalist for the 2013 Bednarik, Lombardi, Nagurski, Butkus and Lott awards, Jones announced his intentions on Friday, just three days after leading the Dawgs to their 27th all-time bowl victory.

“This has been a difficult decision, and one that I have talked over with my family and coaches,” said Jones. “I want to thank my family, teammates, coaches and support staff and the Dawg Nation for everything over the last three years. I will always appreciate the chance Georgia gave me after my injury at Southern Cal. There is nothing like the Bulldog fans and I will forever be proud to wear the 'G'. I think this decision comes at the right time for me and my family and I look forward to seeing what the next level holds for me. Go Dawgs!”

A 6-3, 241-pound native of Columbus, Jones played in 26 games over his two seasons with Georgia, starting all of them. He finished his career with 28 sacks in that span (1.08/game), which is tied for third in school history. Jones also recorded 44 tackles for loss of 235 yards, 155 total tackles, nine forced fumbles and an interception during his time as a Dawg.

Jones, a 2012 consensus First Team All-American, finished this season leading the nation in sacks (14.5 for loss of 103 yards) and tackles for loss (24.5 for loss of 132 yards) and forced fumbles (seven). He was third on the Dawgs with 85 stops and added an interception and two fumble recoveries in 12 games played this season (Jones was injured for two of Georgia’s 14 games).

In his final game with the Dawgs, Jones set the single season record for sacks (14.5) after adding a pair versus Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl. He also took over the No. 1 ranking for tackles for loss in a season (24.5) with two against the Cornhuskers. Jones finished with eight tackles during Georgia’s 45-31 victory over Nebraska.

Jones joined the Dawgs as a scout team member in 2010 after transferring from Southern California. He was a consensus First Team All-American in 2011 after leading the SEC in sacks (13.5) and tackles for loss (19.5) and piling up 70 tackles in 14 games.

The 2013 NFL Draft will run from April 25-27.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Dawgs Win Capital One Bowl

FOOTBALL

With today’s 45-31 victory, the fifth-ranked Dawgs under Mark Richt become only the third team in school history to register at least 12 wins in a year. They join the 1980 national champions (12-0) and the 2002 SEC champions (13-1). Georgia improved to 27-18-3 in bowl games in this their record 16th consecutive trip to the postseason. Georgia is 4-1-1 in bowl games in Orlando. Also, Georgia had its eighth game this year with at least 40 points and finishes with a school record 529 points this year, an average of 37.8, also a school record.

Bowl Records: Georgia’s 45 points was a bowl record, the old mark was 44 in the 2009 Independence Bowl victory over Texas A&M (44-20). The six TDs today tied a bowl record, also by the 2009 team in the aforementioned bowl and the 1942 Orange Bowl.

Jarvis Jones Sets 2 Records: In the first half, junior outside linebacker Jarvis Jones collected two sacks to give him a school record 14.5 for the year (the old mark was 14 by David Pollack in 2002 who is here today broadcasting for ESPN). Jones also set a school-record for a season with 24.5 tackles for loss, breaking Pollack’s record of 23.5 in 2002. Jones had a team-high 7 tackles at the half. Jones missed a pair of games this season due to injury and the final two games of the regular season came against spread-option offenses. Jones finished with eight tackles.

Defense: After allowing 24 points in the first half, the Dawg defense limited Nebraska to seven points and 197 yards of total offense in the second half, and the Cornhuskers got 75 yards and the TD on their first possession in the second half. The leading tackler was junior Alec Ogletree with 13, 3 TFL and a sack. Senior Shawn Williams had 11 including a blocked punt.

Records Galore For Bowl MVP Aaron Murray: Junior quarterback Aaron Murray finished 18-for-33 for 427 yards and a school record-tying 5 TD passes. The 5 TDs and 427 yards plus 87-yard TD pass were all Georgia bowl records. The 427 yards was the fourth most in a game in school history. In the first half, Murray was 11-for-23 for 195 yards with 2 TDs, 2 INTs. Following a safety on a blocked punt, Georgia compiled a 10-play, 80-yard drive for a TD, capped by a 29-yard TD pass to tight end Arthur Lynch. Murray set the single-season Passing Yardage Record on that play, giving him 3,544, eclipsing Eric Zeier’s 3,525 yards in 1993. Later in the first quarter, Nebraska got a pick-six to take a 14-9 lead with 4:15 and erase a 9-0 deficit. Murray came right back to throw a 75-yard TD pass to senior Tavarres King for a 16-14 lead. That big play gave Murray the single-season Total Offense Record with 3,548. The old mark was 3,499 by Matthew Stafford in 2008. The 75-yard TD completion was the longest of the year until later in the contest. Murray connected with sophomore Chris Conley for a 49-yard TD strike and then a two-point conversion to sophomore Rhett McGowan to tie the game at 31 with 7:26 left in the 3rd. It was a career-long catch for Conley. Georgia is now 3-4 on 2-point conversions this season.

Murray found freshman tailback Keith Marshall for a 24-yard TD pass to make it 38-31 in the 4th. It set several marks including a bowl record 4 TD passes; tied his single season TD passes mark with 35 and established a TD-responsibility record for a season with 38. He was not done as he hooked up with Conley for an 87-yard TD bomb, the longest in Dawg bowl history to make it 45-31 with 11:03 left. It was the longest TD pass in school history since a record 93-yarder in 2003 from David Greene to Tyson Browning at LSU. Murray’s tied a Georgia record for TD passes in a game. For the season, Murray finishes with 3,893 yards, 36 TD passes, completing 249-of-388.

Another Safety To Start a Bowl: Senior safety Shawn Williams blocked a punt on Nebraska’s first possession that rolled out of the end zone for a safety and a 2-0 lead. It marked the second straight bowl that the Dawgs first points came on a safety. Last year in the Outback Bowl, it was Brandon Boykin with a tackle in the end zone on a screen. Today marked the fifth safety in Dawg bowl history along with the 1943 Rose Bowl, 1969 Sugar Bowl, 1989 Peach and 2012 Outback Bowl. Prior to today, Georgia’s last safety came against Ole Miss this year (Alec Ogletree -TFL-3).

Points off Turnovers: Georgia got 7 points off 2 INTs (Damian Swann-2) and 1 fumble (Alec Ogletree, forced and recovered). Nebraska got 7 points off 2 INTs including a pick-six by Will Compton. Sophomore cornerback Damian Swann notched his 3rd and 4th interceptions of the year to tie a bowl record. He returned the first one to the Nebraska 38 and the Dawgs eventually scored a TD on a 24-yard run by freshman Todd Gurley and a 24-13 lead. Georgia is now +11 in turnover margin and has scored 71 points off 30 turnovers. Opponents have tallied 66 points off 19 Dawg miscues. Swann is the fifth Dawg in bowl history to have 2 picks in a game.

”Gurshall:” Georgia split carries between freshman tailbacks Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley with Marshall making his first career start. Gurley finished with 125 yards on 23 carries with 1 TD while Marshall had 8 carries for 36 yards. Gurley wound up with 17 rushing TDs for the year, which ranks in a tie for third most in a single season. For the year, Gurley had 1,385 yards which is the second most in school history by a freshman, trailing only Herschel Walker (1,616 in 1980). Gurley’s season total ranks 6th overall in Dawg history. Gurley tallied 9 games with at least 100 yards rushing, which ranks tied for 3rd in school history for a season.

For Starters: Two first-time starters today in freshman tailback Keith Marshall and junior split end Rhett McGowan.

Captains: Seniors Tavarres King (Flanker), Shawn Williams (Strong Safety) and Ty Frix (Long Snapper) plus juniors Aaron Murray (Quarterback) and Jarvis Jones (Outside Linebacker) served as the captains.

Injuries: Sophomore split-end Malcolm Mitchell left the game in the first quarter with a concussion and did not return. Senior defensive end Abry Jones did not play as he was aiming to come back from an ankle injury, which had sidelined him since late October.

Final Game: In addition to the seniors on the team, junior inside linebacker Alec Ogletree confirmed that he will not return for his senior season and will enter this years NFL draft.