Lambert Named Starting Quarterback

Grayson Lambert was named the starting quarterback for the season opener Saturday in Athens against The University of Louisiana at Monroe Warhawks.

Lambert arrived on campus this summer after playing at The University of Virginia since graduating from Wayne County High School in Jesup, Georgia.

Lambert started 9 games for Virginia last season, completed 59% of his passes for 1632 yards, 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He carried the ball 35 times for a net loss of 6 yards. The Cavaliers finished 3-6 in the games Lambert started.

Coach Mark Richt made the following statement to media following today's practice.

“Lambert is going to start the game, there may be others that get in the game, but he’s the starter. It’s been a very, very close competition and it’s still being contested. But at this point, we felt it was wise to name the starter and get him the reps with the No. 1 unit.”

Richt said he continues to have faith in all three quarterbacks.

“They all can get us in the right plays, they all can get us in the right protections and they all can function well and help us win,” Richt said. “That’s what made it so tough.”

Asked what separated Lambert from the pack, Richt responded, “It was just a cumulative grade so to speak, a cumulative performance.”

Richt said offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer told the quarterbacks before Monday’s two-hour practice.

“Coach Schottenheimer and I were pretty sure on Saturday. This morning, we talked about it one last time,” Richt said.

Richt said this decision was one of the toughest, personnel-wise, of his career.

“It really has been,” Richt said. “It’s a big deal because it’s a big position, and it’s one where normally you don’t roll guys in and out. Every other position you do that, but quarterbacks tend not to do that. It was a tough decision because they’re all extremely hard workers, they’re smart and they’re talented. They’ve all done well in our opinion.”

IPF Approved By UGA Athletic Association

The University of Georgia Athletic Association Board of Directors met today in Athens and approved the $30.2 million budget for a long awaited indoor athletic practice facility. The facility will be located adjacent to the Butts-Meher Heritage Hall, construction will begin following this season and will be completed prior to the 2017 season.

The following artist renditions were released by the board.

"Today's decision is the next step in the process to build our new Indoor Athletic Facility," J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Greg McGarity said. "We will now be able to share the impressive interior and exterior renderings of the facility with everyone. From a functional and aesthetic standpoint, this facility will be transformational for our entire athletic program."

The facility will be programmed for maximum functionality, as it will be approximately 140 yards long, 80 yards wide and 76 feet high, adding nearly 109,000 square feet of space.

"It's exciting to see the project continuing to move forward," Coach Mark Richt said. "We're appreciative of the support provided by President Morehead, Greg McGarity, the Athletic Association Board and Board of Regents. This will be the best indoor facility in the country!"

The announcement comes on the heels of the recent renovations and improvements to Sanford Stadium that fans will see this coming season.

On-campus indoor athletic facilities are commonplace in collegiate athletics. With the addition of this facility, weather will no longer have an impact on game preparation. The project will be funded through a combination of donor support and athletic department reserves.

The Indoor Athletic Facility will serve as the first component of a larger campaign UGA Athletics hopes to unveil soon which will be referred to as the Georgia Excellence Campaign.

To support the Georgia Excellence Campaign and subsequently the development of the Indoor Athletics Facility please contact Mónica Lébrón in The Georgia Bulldog Club for more information

Game Week Is Here

The clock struck noon and it officially became game week for the No. 9 Dawgs about two-thirds of the way through a 90-minute practice on Saturday. A week from today, the Dawgs will host the University of Louisiana at Monroe at Sanford Stadium.

"It won't be long," coach Mark Richt said after the session. "One week from today, we're going. We'll be right in the middle of it. I'm excited."

Georgia worked out in helmets, shoulder pads and shorts, the Dawgs' traditional Monday practice gear.

"We treated today like Monday," Richt said. "We'll treat Monday like Tuesday, treat Tuesday like Wednesday, treat Wednesday like Thursday and treat Thursday like Thursday. We'll have an extra day of prep and two dress rehearsals at the end of the week, which should help them get their legs back and their focus right."

The opener will be the second meeting between UGA and ULM. The Dawgs secured a 44-7 victory on September 17, 2005, en route to an SEC Championship that season.

Next Saturday's game will be televised nationally on the SEC Network, with Dave Neal calling play-by-play, former Georgia All-American and Academic All-American Matt Stinchcomb providing color analysis and Kayce Smith serving as sideline reporter.

SEC Schools Continue Emphasis On Fan Engagement For 2015 Football Season

Each of the 14 institutions in the Southeastern Conference have once again taken steps to improve the fan experience going into the 2015 football season as the SEC continues its league-wide initiative to enhance fan engagement.

“Our institutions recognize the passion and loyalty of its fans and are committed to applying resources to maintain and improve their in-stadium enjoyment and satisfaction of SEC events,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “This is the continuation of the commitment our schools have made to address the fan experience and recognition of the importance of our fans to the future success of this conference.”

In June of 2012, the Athletic Directors of the SEC approved the formation of a working group to conduct a thorough review of attendance trends and develop recommendations to enhance the fan experience in the SEC.

The SEC continues to address the fan experience even as attendance thrives in the SEC. Last football season, the SEC averaged 77,704 fans, an increase from 75,674 in 2013 and 74,636 in 2012. Also, the average percentage capacity in 2014 for SEC games was 99.90, up from 99.02 percent in 2013 and 97.40 percent in 2012.

“There is a certain culture within the SEC that must be maintained and it is important to our athletics directors to continue to improve the elements that make the experience of being in an SEC stadium different than any other,” said Mississippi State athletic director Scott Stricklin, chair of the SEC Fan Experience Working Group. “Our research clearly identifies the issues that are most important to our fans, and SEC schools have responded accordingly.”

The SEC was the first major conference to initiate rule changes that allow fans to see in-stadium replays of officials’ reviews while in progress and also has increased in-game opportunities for musical entertainment the past two seasons. In 2014 ESPN partnered with the SEC to provide video highlights to schools to utilize on stadium video boards for in-game highlights and updates for fans.

Throughout the past two athletic years, the SEC has conducted league-wide fan research studies in football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and softball, adding surveys to the student population in 2014-15. SEC schools have utilized the research to address fan concerns.

“We will continue to conduct research to better engage with fans and to serve their needs,” said Sankey. “Our schools are using the research to be strategic in applying resources to the fan experience.”

According to research conducted following the 2014 football season, among the highest areas of concern are concessions, connectivity and restrooms.

At least 11 SEC institutions are making improvements to its concessions operations, including such features as themed food kiosks, refillable beverage cups, improved points of sale in stadiums, additional menu choices, addition of local fare to menus, additional in-stands sales persons and increased number of locations to decrease wait times.

At least seven SEC schools have taken measures during the off-season to improve cellular service in their stadiums. Research shows that fans are most interested in performing day-to-day tasks on their phones during games such as texting, placing calls and connecting to their provider’s 4G or LTE network. As a result, many SEC schools are placing an emphasis on boosting mobile coverage in 2015. This comes on the heels of eight schools making similar efforts to improve cell service for its fans in 2014.

No less than six SEC schools are making improvements to its restrooms in 2015, including the replacement of fixtures and addition of restroom attendants, and -- in the case of stadiums with significant renovations -- an additional number of restrooms and family restrooms.

Research has shown that fans expect the best in sight and sound when attending SEC events and schools have responded by adding new video elements and enhancing sound systems. Last year at least six SEC schools put emphasis on its video elements and in 2015 two more schools have added new video boards and ribbon panels while several have improved their sound systems.

Other top improvements include five schools that are addressing parking issues, four adding new methods to showcase program accomplishments and school athletic history, at least four enhancing programs specifically for student fan enjoyment, as well as others adding fan ambassadors, enhanced ticket services, water filling stations, additional televisions on concourses and at concessions stands, specialized apps for mobile devices and more entertainment for fans outside the stadium.

Thursday Scrimmage Report

The Dawgs conducted their final scrimmage of the preseason Thursday at Sanford Stadium, working out for 90 minutes in full pads.

When coach Mark Richt met with the media earlier in the week, he said the final scrimmage would feature plenty of competition and not be a “dress rehearsal” as has been the case in past years. After Thursday’s scrimmage, he provided a few highlights but also said that Georgia was unable to overcome a 24-0 halftime deficit.

“We played the second half of a game and started out in the third quarter with the Dawgs down 24-0 and ULM won it 31-24,” Richt said. “We had a couple of drives to try and tie it up, but we weren’t able to do that. I was thinking if we did tie it, we’d go to overtime because we haven’t practiced that yet.”

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Brice Ramsey started the third quarter for Georgia while junior quarterback Greyson Lambert took the snaps for the Dawgs in the fourth quarter. Junior quarterback Faton Bauta directed the No. 2 unit as ULM. No statistics were announced but Richt said that the No. 2 unit functioned well and had success with Bauta leading them including a lengthy touchdown drive. Georgia’s scoring output featured a pick-six by the defense and a long touchdown run by sophomore running back Sony Michel. All three quarterbacks will continue to be evaluated, according to Richt.

The captains for the first game have been named, and they are senior linemen John Theus and Kolton Houston for the offense, senior linebacker Jordan Jenkins and junior linebacker Leonard Floyd for the defense.

“It’s a great honor to be named a captain for the first game, and these guys have earned it,” Richt said. “We take in to account everything they’ve done in the offseason and during camp. For example, Leonard is a guy everybody respects. He doesn’t say much but when he does, the guys pay attention. He has charisma, a trait you see in a leader.”

Georgia will practice Friday and Saturday and will be off Sunday before game week finally arrives. The ninth-ranked Dawgs open the season against Louisiana Monroe September 5th at noon ET on the SEC Network.

Practice Report - Wednesday

The Dawgs continued preseason preparations Wednesday with a 60-minute workout in helmets, jerseys, shoulder pads and shorts at the Woodruff Practice Fields.

In an effort to be fresh for Thursday’s scrimmage, coach Mark Richt trimmed Wednesday’s workout time, which was welcomed by the Dawgs.

“Today was just about getting better and getting prepared for the scrimmage,” senior nose Chris Mayes said. “Every scrimmage I’ve ever played in is about earning your spot, and right now I don’t believe anybody has earned a spot. At this stage, we are all focused on ourselves and how we can get better individually and as a team. Next week, we will start working on preparing for the other team. We’re ready to start hitting somebody else instead of each other.”

“Thursday’s scrimmage will be more of a competitive scrimmage, some years it’s been a practice game where we have Georgia’s offense, defense and special teams on one sideline and the scout team on the other, but there’s still a lot of competition going on,” Richt said. “For the first game, really four out of the first five games, we’ll have 80 guys able to compete, but we prepare for it like a 70-man roster and who would be on that team, the travel squad, and we’ve got some guys on the bubble.”

When Richt was asked if the quarterback race had been narrowed down or a pecking order, he said they were still evaluating all three quarterbacks.

SEC Outlines Medical Observer Process

The Southeastern Conference on Wednesday outlined the process by which it will implement its new Football Medical Observer program in compliance with an experimental rule implemented by the NCAA for the 2015 season.

The experimental NCAA rule was proposed by the SEC and the Big Ten Conference for the purpose of using the communication capability of the Instant Replay process to assist on-field medical staffs in identifying potential head/neck injuries during games.

"The medical observer is a new effort intended to further enhance the support of student-athletes' well-being,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “The observer will provide another set of eyes watching the field from a different perspective and providing a complement to the outstanding athletic medicine staffs already employed by our institutions.”

Beginning with the season opening games on September 3, the SEC will provide a qualified medical professional to serve as an independent medical observer for all conference contests and all non-conference contests conducted at a home site (including neutral site facilities where the SEC institution plays an annual game). The medical observer will be positioned in the replay booth and will have access to video and communications equipment to perform his or her duties.

In the event the medical observer has clear visual evidence that a player displays obvious signs of disorientation or is clearly unstable due to head or neck injury, and it becomes apparent that the player will remain in the game and not be attended to by the team’s medical or athletic training staff, then the medical observer shall take the following steps: (1) If the player does not receive medical attention, alert the replay officials immediately and identify the player by his team and jersey number; (2) contact the medical staff of the player involved and advise that the player appears to be in need of medical attention and the basis for the stoppage.

Upon being notified by the medical observer, the replay official will immediately notify the referee over the wireless crew communication system. The Referee or any other official shall immediately stop the game while the ball is dead, go to the player in question, and follow all procedures as outlined in Rule 3 of the NCAA playing rules concerning players and injury timeouts. However, if play is stopped due to the medical observer process with less than one minute in the half, then Article 5.f of NCAA Rule 3-3 (10 second runoff provision) will not apply.

The head coach will be notified of the reason for the injury timeout, and the referee will make the following announcement: “Time Out … Medical Stop.” The referee shall not announce or identify the player who is being removed from the game.

Once removed from the field, the team medical staff shall conduct an evaluation of the player. The return to play decision will be made by the institution’s medical staff consistent with the institution’s protocols and Rule 3-3-5 of the NCAA playing rules concerning injury timeouts.

A team may not deliberately initiate these procedures to stop play unnecessarily, to prolong or delay the medical stoppage, to improperly take advantage of a stoppage in play, or to influence the actions of the medical observer.

The SEC has contracted with Champion Sports Medicine, a Physiotherapy Associates Company, to administer the Football Medical Observer program and to coordinate the participation of medical professionals from across the Southeast to serve as medical observers.

Non-conference institutions competing at an SEC home site (including neutral site facilities where the SEC institution plays an annual contest) may agree to utilize the SEC medical observer.

Practice Report - Tuesday

The Georgia football team continued preparations for the 2015 season opener with a two hour practice in full pads Tuesday at the Woodruff Practice Fields.

“We got in a lot of work today,” said coach Mark Richt. “The guys pushed through it. There was a lot of good energy today and a lot of good things happened."

The Dawgs will practice four more times, including a final preseason scrimmage, then game week preparations begin Monday.

“It’s been a good week of practice so far,” said junior flanker Clay Johnson. “Everyone has been moving around, and we’re trying to help fill in positions that we need. I’m just looking to do what I can and what I know to do.”

Earlier Tuesday it was announced that nine Dawgs were named to the Preseason Coaches All-Southeastern Conference Football Teams. Senior left tackle John Theus, sophomore tailback Nick Chubb, senior outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins and senior kicker Marshall Morgan were included on the first team, while junior guard Greg Pyke, senior receiver Malcolm Mitchell and sophomore returner/receiver Isaiah McKenzie were named to the second team. Junior outside linebacker Leonard Floyd and sophomore outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter were voted to the third team.

Theus was also named to the Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List for being considered a candidate for the nation’s top lineman. He is one of four players from the Southeastern Conference on the 34-man list.

Theus, a 6-6, 303-pound native of Jacksonville, Florida, has started the last 20 consecutive games on the offensive line and 35 total in his career. He helped pave the way for Georgia to average a league-leading 257.8 yards a game in 2014 and score an SEC-best 38 touchdowns en route to No. 9 final ranking. In fact, the Dawgs have scored the top three total touchdown tallies in school history, including a record-setting 72 scores in 2014, with Theus starting on the line.

Former Georgia defensive end David Pollack won the 2004 Rotary Lombardi Award.

Practice Report - Monday

The 9th ranked Dawgs practiced for just under two hours in full pads on Monday afternoon, their 18th session of fall camp. Following the workout, Georgia defensive coaches Jeremy Pruitt and Kevin Sherrer met with the media to discuss the team's progress to date.

Pruitt was asked to assess the defense as his second season as the Dawgs' coordinator approaches.

"We're very inexperienced," Pruitt said. "You've got Jordan Jenkins and you've got Leonard Floyd. That's the two guys who have played a lot of football. Dom Sanders started every game last year. Besides those three guys, there's a couple of guys who have started some games here. Other than that, there's not a whole lot of experience. We've tried to define our expectations for the guys daily and create goals that they can accomplish each day. We're building. That's where we're at right now."

Pruitt said the defensive staff was still evaluating positions continuously.

"We've still got guys jockeying for positions, with the 1s, 2s and 3s" Pruitt said. "We're still wide open. We're still in camp right now. We have 17 new guys, 16 freshmen and one junior college guy. Several of those guys are probably going to be in the two-deep. Every day is like a Monday for them, but they have good attitudes and are working hard at it."

Sherrer, who coaches Georgia's outside linebackers and the star position, was asked about his duties as the defensive staff's representative in the coaches' box on game days. Pruitt, defensive line coach Tracy Rocker and inside linebackers coach Mike Ekeler are on the field during games.

"I'm sort of (Coach Pruitt's) eyes in the sky you might say," Sherrer said. "I give him down and distance and where the ball's at and what's going on. I try to give him a feel for things. If it's a good play or a bad play, tell him what happened for us. From the offensive perspective, I try to call out the personnel and the formation. Some times it's easier to see upstairs where you have a pretty good view. There will be times when I make a suggestion, but he knows what we're doing overall. We all kinda have a voice in the matter, 'Rock' and 'Ek' and everybody. Our graduate assistants will help with some of those things. Everyone sort of has a part and then it all comes together, in between series too."

Saturday Scrimmage Report

The Dawgs conducted their second scrimmage of preseason camp Saturday at Sanford Stadium, and the quarterback battle continues.

The two-hour workout in full pads began with an emphasis on special teams including kickoff coverage and kickoff return and then moved to approximately 35 plays before taking a halftime break. When action resumed, Georgia focused on punt coverage and punt returns and then a series of third-down situations and culminated the day with goal line action.

The competition for the starting quarterback role continues for the Dawgs between junior Faton Bauta, redshirt sophomore Brice Ramsey and junior Greyson Lambert. Coach Mark Richt did not indicate a front-runner at this point in camp.

“I’d like to know and have some peace about it; when I make a big decision, I like to have peace, and I don’t have that right now,” Richt said. “I’m a patient guy, but the clock is ticking. I got a feeling it will play out in the games.”

Richt added that he’s never been a quick-trigger coach as far as pulling a quarterback during a game after having played the position. He said he and the coaches would continue to watch how they all play.

“I’d rather not rotate, but we did it in 2001 with David Greene and Cory Phillips, and David came out and played well and solidified the position,” Richt added. “The guys were not horrible today, each had their moments when they did some good things and some that will get you beat.”

Richt provided an update on a handful of players who have missed practice time of late and their status for the season opener. He confirmed that sophomore fullback Christian Payne would probable not be available for game one and wasn’t sure about senior split end Justin Scott-Wesley. However, he indicated that junior linebackers Reggie Carter and Tim Kimbrough should be ready.

Saturday marked the second scrimmage for the Dawgs in the past nine days. No statistics from the scrimmage were provided. Georgia is off Sunday and then will practice for six consecutive days starting Monday.

Dawgs Prepare For Second Scrimmage

After wrapping up the first week of fall semester classes, the Georgia football team practiced for two hours in shells Friday afternoon at the Woodruff Practice Fields.

The Dawgs will hold their second scrimmage of the preseason Saturday at Sanford Stadium.

“It was hot today and it tested them,” coach Mark Richt said. “We are well over halfway through with about two weeks to go. We have a big scrimmage tomorrow, and it’ll tell us coaches a lot about where everybody is right now.”

This will be the second scrimmage in nine days for the Dawgs, who will have a day off on Sunday before returning to practice on Monday.

Practice Report - Thursday

A day after the Georgia football team practiced in Flowery Branch due to rainy weather, the Dawgs returned to the Woodruff Practice Fields on the UGA campus for a two-hour workout in full pads Thursday.

“This was practice number 16, so we are definitely over the halfway mark,” coach Mark Richt said. “It was nice not to have to travel today for practice, and it was nice and warm, but I thought the guys got better today. We talked about trying to determine what kind of habits we were going to create. Football is a game of repetition, and you’re creating either good habits or poor habits. That’s what it comes down to, and I think for the most part we got better, so it was a good day.”

The Dawgs are gearing up for their second scrimmage of the preseason this weekend. Richt said the kicking game will be one area of focus on Saturday.

“One thing we’ll do is we’ll do some live kicking,” Richt said. "The teams that cover, we may try to tackle somebody to the ground. We have to try and ramp up the scout teams, because if the scout teams don’t go full speed and the first time we see a full speed rep is against Louisiana-Monroe, it’s a shock to your system. We’ll still get a lot of scrimmage reps, and we have not started our game preparation, so we are still scheming each other, then it’ll be time to turn towards our first game.”

Georgia will practice in full pads again on Friday before the scrimmage on Saturday, and the team will be off on Sunday.

Dawgs Practice On The Road

Rainy weather forced the Dawgs to improvise for their 14th football practice of the pre-season period.

The team bussed 41 miles to the Atlanta Falcons' training facility in Flowery Branch, where their hosts had just broken camp in advance of their next exhibition game. It rained hard as the Dawgs departed Athens, and the two-hour workout was punctuated by a downpour that pounded the roof of the Falcons' indoor practice building.

Still, the Dawgs were able to put together a productive workout, despite surroundings that were unfamiliar to a large number of players that had never been to Flowery Branch.

''Practice is practice, no matter where it is'' said sophomore cornerback Malkom Parrish. ''Even with all this rain, we're still able to get everything done that we needed to. We're able to move in practice at a fast pace with a good tempo.''

''It (different practice field) was not much of a distraction,'' said redshirt sophomore corner Reggie Wilkerson. ''We've just got to go to work, wherever we are. The field was a little bigger and a little wider, but we got used to it quick enough. Everybody is getting same number of reps. Everybody's competing. It means a lot to me to have a lot of guys that can play, knowing that if somebody goes down, somebody is ready to step in. It's all about playing ball and having fun.''

Georgia will continue to practice daily in full pads for the remainder of this week. Its next off day will come this Sunday. The ninth-ranked Dawgs open the season in Athens against Louisiana Monroe on Saturday, Sept. 5, at noon on the SEC Network.

Practice Report - Tuesday

Inclement weather hit Athens late Tuesday afternoon, forcing the Georgia football team to adjust its practice schedule.

Following Monday’s heavy rains, the Dawgs  started Tuesday’s session on the FieldTurf on the Woodruff Practice Fields. About an hour into the workout, lightning was detected in the area and the Dawgs did the final half of their practice in the Nalley Multipurpose Room.

Afterward, tailback Nick Chubb said the players and coaches are happy about the 2015 season being close to getting under way.

“The time is counting down,” Chubb said. “We see 20 days, 19 days, 18 days everywhere we go. Everybody is excited and it will be here before we know it. We’ve been working on our tempo and getting in great shape and great condition for the season.”

On Monday, Georgia offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said the tight ends “have had maybe the best camp of everybody. … All those guys have done a good job.” That was was music to Jay Rome’s ears.

“We’ve been working really hard to be the best we can be,” Rome said. “Georgia has a tradition of great tight ends and we want to continue that. We’ve been encouraging each other and responding to what Coach has thrown at us.”

On Tuesday, three Dawgs were named to the CBS Sports 2015 Preseason All-America Teams. Chubb made the First Team, while offensive guard Greg Pyke and punt returner Isaiah McKenzie each made the Second Team.

Practice Report - Monday

The Georgia football team continued preseason preparations Monday, and it marked the first day of the fall semester on the UGA campus.

After a day of classes and meetings, the team held a two-hour workout in full pads. Afterwards, selected Georgia assistant coaches met with the media and said the Dawgs have been competing throughout camp.

“I wouldn’t say I saw a difference in focus. I think I saw some guys that were a little tired, probably from running around and going to classes. But knowing these guys, they’re pretty consistent in how they approach the day. They work very, very hard. It wasn’t the cleanest practice we’ve had, but I certainly don’t believe that had much to do with focus. I just think we got a little sloppy in what we had to do in certain areas in terms of execution,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said.

Also, offensive line coach Rob Sale was asked to give his thoughts on creating depth across the Dawg front.

“We’re still developing the guys in our second unit and looking for consistency to see who the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth guys are going to be out there,” Sale said.

Dawgs Hold First Scrimmage

The Georgia football team conducted the first scrimmage of fall camp Friday at Sanford Stadium, working out for two hours in full pads.

One of the top storylines during the preseason is the quarterback battle featuring junior Faton Bauta, junior Greyson Lambert and redshirt sophomore Brice Ramsey. No statistics were kept during Friday’s action, and head coach Mark Richt said all three quarterbacks had bright moments.

“It’s a tight race, there’s no separation at this point,” Richt said. “There’s a method to the madness. We’ll go back and watch the film and continue to evaluate all three of them. It was very equal on reps today, and it’s not a huge landslide with one guy.”

The Dawgs ran approximately 50 to 60 plays with the number one and two units while the third team managed to get in at least 32 plays. Richt credited the team’s depth and relatively healthy roster at this point with being able to scrimmage that amount. All three of the aforementioned quarterbacks threw the deep ball well and had at least one go for either a touchdown or a big gain.

When asked what would be his biggest concern at this point in the preseason, Richt said the number two offensive line is not ready to play winning football right now but they are getting better.

“They’re developing and learning, however today when there was a lot of edge pressure like with Lorenzo Carter, there were several sacks,” Richt added.

Georgia will return to practice Monday when the fall semester begins.

The annual Fans’ Picture Day will be held Saturday in the Reed Plaza area of Sanford Stadium and will feature Richt, football players, cheerleaders, other UGA athletic teams, as well as "Que," grandson of mascot UGA IX and a candidate to become UGA X.

Special ticket coupons are required for access to the location for Coach Richt and “Que.” Those tickets will be distributed to the first 150 fans at 10 a.m. from the East End ticket windows on East Campus Road.

Gates 2 and 4 will open at 2 p.m. and the Georgia cheerleaders, Dance Dawgs and Hairy Dawg will be available from 2-6 p.m. Que and other University of Georgia sports teams will be available from 2-4 p.m. Ticket holders to see Que must be in line by 2:30 p.m. Georgia football players will be on hand for autographs from 4-6 p.m. Richt will also be available from 4-6 p.m. for those with ticket coupons. Ticket holders to see Richt must be in line by 4:30 p.m.

The ninth-rankedDawgs open the season against Louisiana Monroe Sept. 5 at noon ET on the SEC Network.

Thursday Practice Report

The Georgia Bulldogs practiced for just under two hours in shoulder pads and shorts on Thursday afternoon, the 11th session of fall camp and the final one before their initial scrimmage on Friday at Sanford Stadium.

"We've gotten a lot of work in, and now it's time to scrimmage and get an idea of what we've got," head coach Mark Richt said. "We'll look to see how far everybody has come. Also, we'll see who's ready to play and schematically the things that we're good at and the things we might need to throw out."

The Bulldogs' freshman offensive players were available for interviews following Thursday's workout and all asked seemed eager for Friday's scrimmage.

"It's always been cool driving by Sanford Stadium and going to the games," lineman Sage Hardin said. "Finally, to be on the field and play football is going to be a dream come true. You've got to treat each day the same, though. You don't just give tomorrow extra attention because you're playing at Sanford Stadium. You have to address every day with a positive approach and try to get better in every single facet or try to pick out one thing you want to try to do better that day."

While Hardin grew up a Georgia fan, wide receiver Michael Chigbu trekked from New Orleans to play for the Bulldogs.

"My teammates are helping make Georgia feel like home," Chigbu said. "All the seniors have been really helpful with that.

"It will be a little different tomorrow," he added. "There will be a little more competition and it will more up-tempo, and for me it's a little bit more than practice. I have to give it my all."

Following Friday's scrimmage, Georgia's annual Fans' Picture Day will be held Saturday in the Reed Plaza area of Sanford Stadium and will feature Richt, football players, cheerleaders and other UGA athletic teams, as well as "Que," grandson of mascot UGA IX and a candidate to become UGA X.

Special ticket coupons are required for access to the location for Richt and "Que." Those tickets will be distributed to the first 150 fans at 10:00 a.m. from the East End ticket windows on East Campus Road.

Gates will open at 2 p.m. and the Georgia cheerleaders, Dance Dawgs and Hairy Dawg will be available from 2-6 p.m. Que and other University of Georgia sports teams will be available from 2:00-4:00 p.m. Ticket holders to see Que must be in line by 2:30 p.m. Georgia football players will be on hand for autographs from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Richt will also be available from 4-6 p.m. for those with ticket coupons. Ticket holders to see Richt must be in line by 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday Practice Report

The Georgia football team continued preseason camp Wednesday afternoon with a two-and-a-half hour practice in full pads at the Woodruff Practice Fields.

Wednesday’s workout was the 10th of preseason camp for the Dawgs, who will return to practice on Thursday.

“Overall it’s been a good camp to this point,” head coach Mark Richt said. “I do appreciate the effort of the players. They have a very coachable and teachable attitude. I’ve not really seen anything that resembles a guy trying to do his own thing, and it’s all we can ask for - for these guys to do their very best and trust us. The coaching staff has been very diligent to take care of business as far as getting a good scheme and being demanding of doing things right. So at this point it’s been a good camp."

Georgia will hold its first scrimmage of the preseason on Friday, and fall semester classes will begin on Monday.

Said Richt: “We want to have a good of a scrimmage as we can possibly have…we are going to take the three scholarship quarterbacks and give them as equal of an opportunity as possible. They’ll get shots with the ones and twos, and they may all get shots with the threes as well. A lot of times you only get good looks with the ones, but the two units have had their moments when they could pass protect. When you get a little bit of time in the pocket, it’s easier to gauge the quarterback’s ability to take care of business."

The annual Fans’ Picture Day will be held Saturday in the Reed Plaza area of Sanford Stadium and will feature Richt, football players, cheerleaders, other UGA athletic teams, as well as "Que," grandson of mascot UGA IX and a candidate to become UGA X.

Special ticket coupons are required for access to the location for Richt and "Que." Those tickets will be distributed to the first 150 fans at 10:00 a.m. from the East End ticket windows on East Campus Road.

Gates will open at 2 p.m. and the Georgia cheerleaders, Dance Dawgs and Hairy Dawg will be available from 2-6 p.m. Que and other University of Georgia sports teams will be available from 2:00-4:00 p.m. Ticket holders to see Que must be in line by 2:30 p.m. Georgia football players will be on hand for autographs from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Richt will also be available from 4-6 p.m. for those with ticket coupons. Ticket holders to see Richt must be in line by 4:30 p.m.

Morning Practice Report

After a day off from practice on Monday -- which included the annual trek to Gabrielsen Natatorium to cool off in the pool -- the Georgia football team got back to work Tuesday morning with a two-hour session in full pads on the Woodruff Practice Fields.

The Dawgs are scheduled to have a second practice Tuesday evening.

"Little by little, we're getting there," Georgia head coach Mark Richt said. "We did a few more situations today -- killing the clock at the end of the game, defense having to get a stop at the end of the game, 1-minute drills, more red zone. We're working them hard and they're doing a good job of responding."

"We added a lot of stuff today, but that's what camp is all about," linebacker Ryne Rankin said. "We were out their busting our tails. We made some mistakes, but we'll get those corrections pointed out by the coaches and fix them during the second practice. I love the way the defense is practicing right now. We're all flying around to the football."

"We're about three weeks away (from the first game) and we can't wait," linebacker Jake Ganus said. "We all got after it this summer in workouts to put ourselves in good position for fall camp and even better position for the season."

The annual Fans’ Picture Day will be held Saturday in the Reed Plaza area of Sanford Stadium and will feature Richt, football players, cheerleaders, other UGA athletic teams, as well as "Que," grandson of mascot Uga IX and a candidate to become Uga X.

Special ticket coupons are required for access to the location for Richt and “Que.” Those tickets will be distributed to the first 150 fans at 10 a.m. from the East End ticket windows on East Campus Road.

Gates 2 and 4 will open at 2 p.m. and the Georgia cheerleaders, Dance Dawgs and Hairy Dawg will be available from 2-6 p.m. Que and other University of Georgia sports teams will be available from 2-4 p.m. Ticket holders to see Que must be in line by 2:30 p.m. Georgia football players will be on hand for autographs from 4-6 p.m. Richt will also be available from 4-6 p.m. for those with ticket coupons. Ticket holders to see Richt must be in line by 4:30 p.m.

Fall semester classes at UGA will begin Monday. Georgia, ranked No. 9 in the Amway Coaches Preseason Poll, opens the season against Louisiana Monroe on Saturday, Sept. 5, at noon. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.

Ramsey Visit Gives Dawgs A Break

The Georgia football team avoided the afternoon thunderstorms at the Woodruff Practice Fields but still returned to the locker room Monday in need of dry clothes.

After a 10-minute walk through indoors, Bulldawg head coach Mark Richt surprised the team with news of a surprise trip to the Ramsey Center and the Gabrielsen Natatorium.

“We had jumpers not really divers going off the high dive today,” Richt said of the annual tradition of going to the pool and making newcomers take a leap off the 10-meter platform. “It was fun, they did a good job. There’s a certain time during camp when just you need one of those days, and a lot of times it has to do with the weather. We had a little bit of a warning that there might be some weather coming in and instead of sitting around waiting all day to practice, we decided to come on and do it. Also, It was a perfect time, it was practice eight or nine in a string of practices without a day off. Today we got a day off and, we’ll have four more practices before school starts.”

A pair of Bulldog veterans said they enjoyed the pool day in lieu of practice.

“It’s kind of a camp tradition,” junior tailback Brendan Douglas said. “I’ve been doing it since my freshman year, so this is my third time. It’s a good time just to have a little fun during camp. Camp can get kind of long and tiring, and it’s good to have a little day off and a day to rest your body and have some fun.”

“It’s great that you have a physical break,” sophomore tight end Jeb Blazevich added. “We still had the middle install today, but it’s just great when you have a nice physical break to show that the coaches do care about you. They want you to have fun; they understand that. But again we still got in some good work today.”

Georgia will return to practice Tuesday with a planned session in full pads.

The annual Fans’ Picture Day will be held Saturday, Aug. 15, in the Reed Plaza area of Sanford Stadium and will feature Georgia head coach Mark Richt, football players, cheerleaders, other UGA athletic teams, as well as "Que," grandson of mascot UGA IX and a candidate to become UGA X.

Special ticket coupons are required for access to the location for Coach Richt and “Que.” Those tickets will be distributed to the first 150 fans at 10 a.m. from the East End ticket windows on East Campus Road.

Gates 2 and 4 will open at 2 p.m. and the Georgia cheerleaders, Dance Dawgs and Hairy Dawg will be available from 2-6 p.m. Que and other University of Georgia sports teams will be available from 2-4 p.m. Ticket holders to see Que must be in line by 2:30 p.m. Georgia football players will be on hand for autographs from 4-6 p.m. Richt will also be available from 4-6 p.m. for those with ticket coupons. Ticket holders to see Richt must be in line by 4:30 p.m.

Fall semester classes at UGA will begin Aug. 17. Georgia, ranked No. 9 in the Amway Coaches Preseason Poll, opens the season against Louisiana Monroe Sept. 5 at noon ET and televised on the SEC Network.

Dawgs Practice Twice On Sunday

The Georgia football team held its only scheduled two-a-day of preseason camp Sunday, practicing for approximately two hours in full pads Sunday morning and then again for two hours in shells Sunday night.

“One was really hot and one was nice and cool,” head coach Mark Richt said. “It was hot during the day and cool at night. The first two-a-day of the year, I thought the guys handled it well. I think it helped to have the second one at night, because they had a little more energy because it was not quite as hot. A lot of people are getting better. We are still getting close to finishing up our initial install and getting ready to do some reviews and preparing for the scrimmage on Friday.”

The Bulldogs will return to the practice field on Monday for the eighth time in seven days. Georgia will practice each day this week leading up to the first scheduled day off on Sunday, Aug. 16. Fall semester classes at UGA will begin Aug. 17.

The annual Fans’ Picture Day will be held Saturday, Aug. 15, in the Reed Plaza area of Sanford Stadium and will feature Richt, football players, cheerleaders, other UGA athletic teams, as well as "Que," grandson of mascot UGA IX and a candidate to become UGA X.

Special ticket coupons are required for access to the location for Coach Richt and "Que." Those tickets will be distributed to the first 150 fans at 10:00 a.m. from the East End ticket windows on East Campus Road.

Gates will open at 2 p.m. and the Georgia cheerleaders, Dance Dawgs and Hairy Dawg will be available from 2-6 p.m. Que and other University of Georgia sports teams will be available from 2:00-4:00 p.m. Ticket holders to see Que must be in line by 2:30 p.m. Georgia football players will be on hand for autographs from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Richt will also be available from 4-6 p.m. for those with ticket coupons. Ticket holders to see Richt must be in line by 4:30 p.m.

Dawgs Put The Pads On

The Georgia football team continued its preseason camp Saturday afternoon as the Bulldogs practiced in full pads for the first time. Saturday's session was the fifth practice for the 2015 Bulldogs.

“This was practice number five, the first one in pads, and it was a very hot day,” head coach Mark Richt said. “I’m sure everyone in the Southeast is dealing with it. We have a group of guys who are really pushing through it and giving good effort and trying to learn what to do. Some of them are reviewing and some of them are perfecting. We have guys at different stages of development. We are practicing a lot of times with as many as four groups. We have a lot of guys getting reps. There is a lot of film to review. I think the five days of one-a-days will help us to do better when it comes to installation. We did some red zone today and some one-minute offense and got that off the ground.”

Following Saturday’s workout, Richt was asked about the progress of Georgia’s wide receivers through five practices.

“Compared to spring we have a good number of guys out there, and it’s really helping them,” Richt said. “When we spread to three and four groups, it makes that depth thin. It’s good to see that many guys out there. As a unit, we need to catch the ball better overall. I think we’re going to be a pretty athletic bunch, but there is still a lot of learning going on with the young guys, and we’re still trying to get better at what we do. Right now I’m pleased with the unit."

Richt also noted that sophomore wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie did not practice due to a pulled hamstring, and senior defensive tackle James DeLoach was held out due to a fracture in his hand. It was also announced Saturday that redshirt freshman linebacker Detric Bing-Dukes has decided to transfer to another institution seeking an opportunity for more playing time.

The Bulldogs will practice for the sixth consecutive day on Sunday, and following a full week of practice, the annual Fans’ Picture Day will be held Saturday, Aug. 15, in the Reed Plaza area of Sanford Stadium and will feature Richt, football players, cheerleaders, other UGA athletic teams, as well as "Que," grandson of mascot UGA IX and a candidate to become UGA X.

Special ticket coupons are required for access to the location for Coach Richt and "Que." Those tickets will be distributed to the first 150 fans at 10:00 a.m. from the East End ticket windows on East Campus Road.

Gates will open at 2 p.m. and the Georgia cheerleaders, Dance Dawgs and Hairy Dawg will be available from 2-6 p.m. Que and other University of Georgia sports teams will be available from 2:00-4:00 p.m. Ticket holders to see Que must be in line by 2:30 p.m. Georgia football players will be on hand for autographs from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Richt will also be available from 4-6 p.m. for those with ticket coupons. Ticket holders to see Richt must be in line by 4:30 p.m.

Day 4 - Practice Report

The Georgia football team held its fourth session of preseason camp on the Woodruff Practice Fields on Friday, working out for 90 minutes in shorts, shoulder pads and helmets.

Friday marked the fourth of 11 consecutive days of practice for the Bulldogs. On Saturday they will put on full pads for the first time. Georgia will hold its lone two-a-day practice of the preseason on Monday.

"We're getting closer and closer to where we are trying to go and where we want to be," junior safety Quincy Mauger said Friday. "We're excited about wearing the pads on Saturday."

Sophomore cornerback Aaron Davis said he and his teammates are pleased with the progress they have made under defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, who is entering his second year. Last season, the Bulldogs led the SEC and ranked fourth nationally with a plus-16 turnover ratio (up from minus-7 in 2013).

"We came into 2014 with a relentless mindset to not let teams bully us around or make big plays on us," Davis said. "As a team, we weren't satisfied with last year, so our goal is to raise our level even more so that we can reach our maximum potential."

Running backs coach Thomas Brown visited with the media after practice on Friday and spoke on a variety of subjects. When asked about junior tailback Keith Marshall, Brown said he had used some of his own past experiences to connect even more with him. As a Bulldog running back in 2006, Brown tore his ACL, the same as Marshall in 2013.

"I've been there before and I understand it," Brown said. "We talked about overcoming the mental aspect of that injury. Coming back as a running back, you think about what happened before, but you have to get over that and control what you can control. You can't control what your body will do, but you can control your effort. We want to make sure he is his best physically and mentally, and he's in a good place right now. … Keith looks good. He's 100 percent, he's running well, he's got a great attitude, and he's in better shape than in the spring in my opinion. He definitely can still go."

Day 3 - Practice Report

The Georgia football team worked around a lengthy weather delay Thursday before holding its third session of preseason camp at the Woodruff Practice Fields.

The Bulldogs were slated to begin practice at 2:55 p.m., but they were forced inside due to lightning. The team held meetings, conducted a walk-through and stretched indoors before eventually hitting the field at 5 p.m.

“Despite the fact that we had to deal with the weather delays, we did get some quality work in at practice even if we had to cut it short outside,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “We did a lot of team work, some more installation including extra point and field goals. Overall, we got in what we needed.”

It marked the third of 11 consecutive days of practice for the Bulldogs as they worked outside for 90 minutes in shorts, shoulder pads and helmets.

The Bulldogs are slated to practice again in shells Friday before they don full pads for the first time on Saturday. Georgia will hold its lone two-a-day practice of the preseason next Monday.

Day 2 - Practice Report

The Georgia football team held its second practice of preseason camp Wednesday afternoon at the Woodruff Practice Fields, working out for approximately two hours in shorts and helmets.

Wednesday was the second of 11 consecutive days of practice for the Bulldogs, and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said he has been pleased with his unit so far.

“I think we’ve had two good days,” Schottenheimer said. “It’s a little different when you don’t have pads on, but I know yesterday was real crisp and clean, playing at a fast tempo in terms of personnel. We just have to keep putting days on top of each other and stacking them and getting better each day.

“I think some of the young receivers have shown the ability to not only make plays, but pick up the system, and that’s important. We’re also learning about some of the young linemen. They are going up against really good players. So far so good.”

The Bulldogs will practice in shells on Thursday and Friday before they wear full pads for the first time on Saturday. Georgia will hold its lone two-a-day practice of the preseason next Monday.

Georgia, which came in at No. 9 in the Amway Coaches Poll released last week, opens the season against Louisiana Monroe Sept. 5 at noon Eastern. The game will be televised by the SEC Network.

Georgia Announces Redesign of Official Website

The University of Georgia Athletic Association and WME/IMG Georgia Sports Properties is proud to launch a new web design for the official website of the Georgia Bulldogs, www.georgiadogs.com. This newly designed website is slated for launch at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, August 11.

Georgiadogs.com has been the premier source for information on UGA Athletics since October of 1999. The site has undergone redesigns multiple times, and the latest iteration promises to be the most exciting yet. A new, dynamic presentation -- clearer menus, crisp graphics and a cleaner design throughout -- will greatly enhance the viewing experience while continuing the same great content that Bulldog fans have come to enjoy. Web pages will flow in a style that will require far fewer clicks by the reader. Additionally, the new design will work on all devices, including desktop computers, tablets and mobile devices.

''We’re excited to to bring a fresh, new look to georgiadogs.com,'' said UGA Senior Associate AD Andy Platt. ''Over the last several months, our design team placed an emphasis on recruiting and providing more online resources for our sport programs. A lot of thought was put into showcasing our facilities, game day environments, social media, and building the 'Commit to the G' brand. In the coming months, we’ll be enhancing the site with more video, photos and access to our sport programs.''

''Georgiadogs.com is the most comprehensive source for everything that is the Georgia Bulldogs,'' said UGA Associate AD for External Operations Alan Thomas. ''We are excited to launch a fresh, responsive design that will allow the most passionate fan base in college sports to stay informed, stay inspired and interact daily with our program across multiple platforms.''

MULTIMEDIA:

All audio/video content will remain free for all users. No subscription is required anywhere on the site.

MOBILE:

All pages on the new georgiadogs.com will be viewable on all mobile devices. The responsive design is intended to make the viewing experience the same for all users. Gone is the WAP site that was a whole different design and navigation. The new design is meant to be seamless from device to device no matter what orientation you are viewing on your device.

Football Season Finally Here

The Georgia football team opened its preseason camp Tuesday afternoon with a two-hour practice in shorts and helmets at the Woodruff Practice Fields. The Bulldogs will practice again in shorts and helmets on Wednesday before wearing shells for the first time on Thursday.

“It was a typical day one as far as a lot of reps,” said head coach Mark Richt. “There was a lot of good and bad. You could see that the veterans were ready to handle these types of practices with the knowledge and the strain of it. The young guys are learning.”

Georgia will practice 11 consecutive days to begin fall camp, and earlier Tuesday, Richt spoke at the Bulldogs’ annual preseason media day.

“There's five days of acclimation that the NCAA has everyone do as far as just getting used to heat, getting used to contact, those types of things,” Richt said. "We'll spend two days in shorts and helmets and two days in what we call shells or at least shoulder pads and helmets. So day five we'll be able to put on the full pads for the first time. That's kind of how we're going to go. We're looking forward to this camp. There's been a lot of preparation between the end of the season and today to get us to this point. This is just another phase of preparation for game one, Louisiana Monroe. We're looking forward to that.”

Richt also addressed the competition at the quarterback position under new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

Said Richt: “We're going to rotate the top three guys, the three scholarship quarterbacks (Faton Bauta, Greyson Lambert, Brice Ramsey). We're going to rotate them one guy with the first unit, one guy with the second unit, one guy with the third unit, rotating it around on a day‑to‑day basis until we think it should stop. It could go all the way to the first game. At some point we may drop it to a two‑man race. It's just hard to say how it's going to go. But that's our starting point.”

Georgia will play host to Louisiana-Monroe in the season opener Sept. 5 at noon ET. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.

Dawgs Open Fall Camp

Head Coach Mark Richt

Opening statement…

“Well, day one. We will have our first practice today. Looking forward to that. We've had some meetings and some walk‑throughs, things of that nature, to get prepared for this first day of acclimation. So everybody knows, there's five days of acclimation that the NCAA has everyone do as far as just getting used to heat, getting used to contact, those types of things. We'll spend two days in shorts and helmets and two days in what we call shells or at least shoulder pads and helmets. So day five we'll be able to put on the full pads for the first time. That's kind of how we're going to go. We're looking forward to this camp. There's been a lot of preparation between the end of the season and today to get us to this point. This is just another phase of preparation for game one, Louisiana Monroe. We're looking forward to that.”

On new additions to his staff the last year…

“I think we had a very good off‑season. I think you have to be prepared for camp, meaning you got to be in great condition. You got to be strong, you got to be healthy. We've been very fortunate with our health. I know (Justin) Scott‑Wesley had a little something late in the summer, relatively late in the summer. He'll be fine. He'll be working with us. I can't think of anybody right now that cannot participate. There may be a couple. We just have to watch the volume of their reps just to make sure we don't go too hard, too fast. Everybody has the green light to practice. There may be an exception. I just can't think of one.That's good. A lot of things have to go well for you in the off‑season, so to speak, to get you ready for this day. I say it all the time but we do have 29 practice opportunities and multiple meeting opportunities to get mentally and physically prepared for the season and for the first time. So all I can say is I think the players did a phenomenal job this summer. I think our strength and conditioning staff did an awesome job, especially the last couple months. We did have the rule change where you can have eight hours of mandatory work in the strength and conditioning, and two of those can be in a meeting setting. So we did take advantage of those eight hours. I think it was very beneficial for our team this summer compared to some others maybe.”

On the quarterback competition…

“We're going to rotate the top three guys, the three scholarship quarterbacks. We're going to rotate them one guy with the first unit, one guy with the second unit, one guy with the third unit, rotating it around on a day‑to‑day basis until we think it should stop. It could go all the way to the first game. At some point we may drop it to a two‑man race. It's just hard to say how it's going to go. But that's our starting point.”

On conversations he has with the three quarterbacks…

We tell them. We're obviously talking to them about the things that are important, about quarterback play. We're not necessarily saying, this is what you have to do to win the job, per se, but this is what you have to do to become the best quarterback you can be.That's the goal for everybody: to be the best quarterback, linebacker, safety, running back, whatever it is. We're all trying to perfect our trade, so to speak. We talk about in terms of perfecting your trade.The more you know about your position, the more you are prepared, the faster you can play, and you'll make better decisions as a quarterback if you get in a good habit of how you think, how you progress through your reads. Even your fundamentals, the balance that you have when you throw the football, all those things together help you become the best you can be. That's what we're hoping for for everybody.”

On defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt…

“We have staff meetings on everything we do. Everything is open to discussion. Anytime you have people from different programs, you want to hear how they might have done this or that. Coach Pruitt has input without a doubt. Coach (Tracy) Rocker being at Auburn. Coach Shotty being in the NFL, all those things. So we get a lot of ideas, and then we kind of nail down what we're going to do and how we're going to do it. But there have been a lot of things that Coach Pruitt and Coach (Kevin) Sherrer have brought from the places they've been.”

On the quietness this past summer…

“I don't know. I'm thankful our guys did a good job in that regard. When you talk about a lot of things need to go right in the off‑season, that's one of them besides staying healthy. If you have a bunch of guys that didn't do what they're supposed to do socially and off the field, it creates distractions. It also creates a lack of depth sometimes if you're playing without some guys because of those two reasons. At this point we haven't had a lot of either one. So going into camp, we're in pretty good position. A week in, we may have all kinds of injury issues ‑ God forbid ‑ but you never know what's going to happen once you get started.”

On junior tailback Keith Marshall…

“Well, he's like everybody else. He's trying to get in the best condition as possible. He's trying to learn what to do. He's trying to perfect what he's trying to accomplish. He's trying to become the best runningback he can be within our system. So that's his focus. That's what he's doing. That's what we're asking everybody to do. We're not too much worried about depth charts right now. Even though we're working three and four groups, a lot of times we're setting our groups by having a young guy next to an old guy so when you're working together, an older guy can help a younger guy. If we put our ones and twos over here, threes and fours over there, there's nobody to help the threes and fours. We'll split it up to where we can have some of the veterans help the young guys. The depth chart really isn't important right now. The learning of what to do, perfecting of what to do, is what is foremost on our mind both sides of the ball and specials.”

On his expectations at this point for junior quarterback Greyson Lambert…

“He's going to be competing for the job. Just from sitting in the meetings, I sit in almost every quarterback meeting. If there's a conflict between a special teams and quarterback meeting, I'll be with special teams. From what I see, all the QBs are able to communicate well with Coach Schottenheimer. So I think they're all going to get their opportunity. Just like I said, we're going to rotate them. Everybody's going to get a shot with the ones and twos and threes across the board. We'll keep rolling that until we get the answer.”

On quarterback Greyson Lambert earning the trust of his teammates…

“Well, I think it's true for him. I think it's true for the other two. You just got to be able to show up on a daily basis and work and prove to everybody that you are prepared. You know, everybody looks to the quarterback to know what he's doing and have the confidence to handle all situations. So that's what I'm asking from all three of them. He's just one of the three trying to do that.”

On off the field upgrades for the program…

“It's preparation in all phases. Just looking at every situation that has to be addressed, assigning meeting time and practice time to cover it. But, you know, football's an interesting game. There's times that things pop up that, you know, maybe weren't on the top of the list of things to prepare for. But that's why over years and years of coaching, everybody has their input on things that need to be covered. That's what we do. The more you rep it, the better it is. But, you know, there's never going to be a game that's going to be played perfectly, there's never going to be a game that will be coached perfectly, there's never going to be a game that will be officiated perfectly. That's what kind of makes the game exciting. If it was 100% predictable, everybody would do it perfect, there probably wouldn't be that many people in the stands would be my guess.”

On the wide receivers…

“The best thing about the receivers is the number of them. There's walk‑ons in the group, as well. In the spring, we barely had enough to practice. There were a couple days we were just hanging by a thread. So every once in a while you'll have a position that's just so low; the other guys don't get the work like they need. But we do have a pretty good mix of veterans and some young guys. I think the summertime has just been so beneficial compared to the years past where they'd show up a couple days ago, we're with the rookies for two or three days, then the veterans roll in. They're just not ready. But to have two months to be able to meet with them a little bit, have the veterans show them the way out on the practice field, throughout the summer, it just gives them a better chance to compete. If you don't know what you're doing, it's very hard. If you're not sure of what you're doing, you have a little bit of working knowledge, you just can't play with the type of intensity and you can't play fast like you'd like to. You know, uncertainty slows players down. That's just the way it is. But I'm pleased with who we have. I'm really looking forward to watching these guys perform when the coaches are there and see that.”

On sophomore tailback Nick Chubb and his impact…

“We are blessed, no doubt. We've had great backs. I mean, you can go back a long way and talk about all the great backs at Georgia. Some of them in recent history, having two backs within, I don't know how many years, when Knowshon (Moreno) came out. Knowshon was the first pick of the draft at his position. (Todd) Gurley was, after an ACL, a top‑10 pick. You get a feel for what type of player the NFL thought he was. But for Nick to step in like he did. The thing I've said throughout the summer is, I knew the kid was pretty good. I didn't realize the kind of stamina he had. I thought he would be mentally and physically tough because of the program he came out of. But to carry the ball as many times as he did more by need than by design, he was able to handle it. He was able to stay pretty healthy throughout. You know, I don't know if he can run the ball a whole lot better than he's been running it. But the things we've been trying to focus on for him is the route running, ball protection, pass protection that can make a back even more complete. If he can become really good at that, as well, he'll be a better back for it.

On replacing former center David Andrews and his leadership abilities…

“I think, again, leadership, when you talk about off the field, I don't know how much off‑the‑field leadership is important in this type of situation. I think it's on‑the‑field leadership that those centers and quarterbacks, especially, have to have. Again, everybody kind of counts on the quarterback to know what he's doing, be able to direct people, be able to help somebody if he's not certain. But the center, he has a big job. He comes to the line of scrimmage every single time. He has to declare who the Mike linebacker is, he has to set a lot of the blocking schemes. He's got to be able to adjust on the fly if the quarterback overrides something, get the information to everybody. Then he's got to snap the ball. A lot of people play that nose guard right over his face, you know. So he has one hand to snap and one hand to play ball with for just a moment. That's a hard thing in itself, as well. So it's a tough job description. David Andrews played it well, Ben Jones played it well, all last seven seasons. But beyond that, last seven seasons we had two guys handle that responsibility and handle it well. Now we're trying to find that answer. So far it's Kublanow is the number one guy. But we're still fighting for jobs, trying to figure it out. But Brandon has taken his position change very seriously. Just from what I saw in some walk‑throughs, I was very pleased with what I saw so far.

On junior quarterback Greyson Lambert having real-game experience…

“We're going to base the quarterback decision on what they do in practice, what they do in scrimmages. I'm not going to say, What did Brice (Ramsey) do last year? I'm not going to look at last year's bowl game and make that part of the factor. I'm not going to use any other time that Faton has been on the field as a determining factor of who should be the quarterback. It will all be based on the experience at Georgia, not anywhere else, at Georgia, this camp, this spring in particular.”

On the addition of Mark Hocke in strength and conditioning…

“Mark, he's a high‑energy guy. He has a great program. He has implemented it well with his staff. But he's also into conditioning the mind and into mental toughness as much as physical. Just kind of a mindset of how to think. He's done a very, very good job with some of our leadership groups, some of our character ed stuff in the off‑season. He's more than just a strength coach. I think most good strength coaches have the ability to motivate and help the mindset of the players, as well.”

On the newcomers…

“We hear the names of all these freshmen. You mentioned the four. But here is the thing that I don't want to do: I don't want to put some kind of undo pressure on a guy and say, We expect you to start this year. We expect you to do this or that. Again, it's going back to, we expect you to learn what to do, both assignment‑wise and fundamentally what to do, play with great energy every day, and just try to become the best player you can be at whatever position you play. Then we'll determine who's going to play as we go. But we're not trying to sit here and say, We want you to live up to everybody's expectation of what you should become this season. We just expect them to do their best. That's the main thing. I think that's the best focus for everybody.”

On the starting punter and kicker…

“You know, we're going to have a starting punter and kicker and we're going to have backups. Whoever is the best will be the starter, whoever is the second best will be the backup. Rodrigo (Blankenship) is in the mix certainly, but there will be some others that will be here as well. In the 105, we can't bring everybody in. We probably have less specialists here this camp than most because we're trying to get a lot of guys reps going as deep as four units. With 105, it's tough. I'm definitely for changing the rule to just let everybody come to camp. If you're allowed 125, bring 125 in so we can get everybody in there and let them all compete. But we had to draw a line somewhere.”

On what feels different in his 15th season at Georgia…

“It's a lot cooler up top (smiling). I don't know. I think sometimes, just like I spent 15 years at Florida State, not all in a row, but you just go. You just go. You just work. You just prepare. There's not an off‑season for us. We're always doing something. Recruiting goes on all year long. We got spring ball. We have off‑season conditioning. We got all these different things, camps, two‑a‑days. We don't have two‑a‑days anymore, but fall camp, and the season. It's just busy. You're always focusing on what do we have to do today to get better. Somewhere along the way you look back and you'll be able to answer that question. It's like a lot of the success we had as a staff at Florida State, we didn't think about it when it was happening. You look back and say, You know what, we had a pretty good run. I haven't really thought about what's a whole lot different. Social media's changed things as much as anything in recruiting, just how you manage things. But other than that, it's not a huge difference.”

On his physical shape…

“You know what, I feel like I'm in good shape. I don't know how I would compare to most 55‑year‑olds. I feel good (smiling).”

On the advantages and disadvantages of having multiple quarterbacks…

“While I've been quarterbacks coach, the closest I came to a two‑quarterback system, and it was never a true two‑quarterback system, was always trying to get the second teamer in the game. All throughout the time at Florida State, we did pretty much what we do with (D.J.) Shockley, try to get the second‑team QB in there. Maybe one drive in the first half. If you happen to get a game in control, get him in as soon as you can to get as much experience for your second teamer as possible. The only true rotation I had was probably the first game that I was here with Cory Phillips and David Greene. I think we went two series and rotated. I don't know if we did it the whole game. I know we did it in the first half, I'm not sure if we did it in the second half. I think the greatest advantage to a two‑quarterback system would be if you had two really dramatic differences in style as a player. If a team has to prepare for this guy and it's totally different than preparing for the other guy, I think that can cause issues for defenses in how they prepare. If you have two guys that are very similar in style, it could be an advantage in that it may just take a little pressure off one guy or the other. If you think one guy is hot, use him. It's just hard getting the rhythm and staying in a rhythm as a quarterback. I found that it's better to have one guy doing it. But, you know, we'll just see how it goes.”

On stopping the run defensively…

“Usually when you give up a lot of rushing yards, somewhere along the way you give up a big run or two here and there. The big thing is just make sure everybody understands their gap responsibilities, make sure everybody is playing exactly where they're supposed to play, everybody is filling in from the perimeter in the right spot. We just got to be sure tacklers and play with some tenacity. You can slant and angle defensive lineman. You can bring in certain stunts that might be run stoppers. We'd just as soon not guess. We'd just as soon play good fundamental football, get after people's rear‑end and get people on the ground.”

RS Sophomore QB Brice Ramsey

On his mindset going into fall camp...

“I just have to go out there every day and compete, take advantage of my opportunity and just try to get better each and every day.”

On room for improvement in his game...

“I think I need to improve the most with just being consistent; consistently just in completions, consistency in my gameplay out there. I can’t be kind of all over the place. I just have to be consistent.”

On fighting impatience in settling the quarterback competition...

“I’m just taking it day by day and just trying to play football every day and take advantage of my opportunities.”

On dealing with an unsure depth chart...

“You can know everything mentally, but at the same time with football instinct plays a part too. Something that you might’ve practiced all week might not happen the same way in the game; you have to be able to adjust.”

Sophomore OLB Lorenzo Carter

On whether first day of camp feels different his sophomore year...

“I feel like they all feel different, especially with a big difference coming from your first year to your second year. Especially for me, just having experience, being able to understand the defense, understand the entire situation that you’re in, and I’m excited.”

On preparing during a quarterback competition...

“I don’t even worry about it. Especially on defense, we barely even realize that there’s a competition going on because we’re just focused on getting better as a defense and just dominating this year. We know that the coaches will make the best decision and whoever they put out there will be able to go out there and win games.”

On improving his game in the offseason...

“Just knowledge. Experience, being able to go out there and tell other players what to do, being able to coach players up. Just being able to be comfortable out there, when all the bullets start flying not panic, just do your job.”

On the anticipation for the new season after a strong finish in 2014...

“I feel like everybody did. The way the season ended, we ended on a win. We’re ready to just keep winning games. It’s coming, but not fast enough for us.”

Sophomore TB Nick Chubb

On working with Greyson Lambert on offense...

“They’re all pretty much the same for me, just hand the ball off or just drop it down to me. They’re all pretty much the same. They all do a great job at that.”

On the play of tailback Keith Marshall coming off injury...

“He looks great. I don’t know how he looked in practice freshman year, but I know sophomore year he didn’t look like he was 100 percent. Now he’s looking very good.”

On the play of sophomore tailback Sony Michel coming off injury...

“He’s looking good. We’re all looking good.”

On his anticipated workload out of the backfield this season...

“If all goes well, we’ll have a more balanced carrying load and a great passing game. I don’t know how many carries I’ll get but whatever I get will be best for the team and the coaches will be in charge of that so that’s up to them.”

Junior QB Faton Bauta

On how it feels to start fall camp...

“You can probably tell by this smile on my face I’m pretty pumped. First practice today, I’m pretty excited. Just ready to get going.”

On if he did anything to improve his standing on the depth chart since spring...

“I don’t think I did anything out of the ordinary. But to answer the question, the only thing I did was just stay consistent with what I do every day, and that’s wake up and try to be the best quarterback I can be and just make sure I stay within that mindset all the time.”

On his improvement from a year ago...

“I don’t want to ever focus on my strengths because I think you can always polish up everything and be better at every aspect of your game whether that’s film, mental preparation, throwing some routes, physical mechanics. I try to improve every day and I want to keep improving until I find the final result.”

On Ramsey and Lambert saying Bauta has the best running ability of the QBs...

“I guess I should tell them thank you. Our offense doesn’t really allow a quarterback to run much, considering all of the progressions we have. I think I am athletic enough to move on my own two feet pretty good. I don’t know if it’s that much better than them, but if I have to make plays with my feet I will.”

Senior OLB Jordan Jenkins

On the start of camp...

“I still get a lot of anxiety. I’m ready to get back out there. I really hate the days without pads because I just want to get back out there and hit somebody. After watching a lot of film, like we have been doing today, you get excited and ready for the season to start, but you know you have to go through the two weeks of camp to get there.”

Thoughts on defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt…

“I feel like he’s done that and much more. He’s developed us a lot as young men. He’s developed us a lot on the field and off the field. He really has helped me a lot with some of the coverage issues I may have had in the past. He knows how to find whatever way a player needs to be coached and find ways to implement ways to get them to understand the system and become a better player.”

Thoughts on strength and conditioning coach Mark Hocke...

“He knows how to get guys going. He’s always energetic, it doesn’t matter what time of the day it is. He’s always open if you need some time to lift or if you need some extra work, he’s always available. He has done so much for us physically. We have made a lot of great strides in the weight room. A lot of guys are stronger and are back to lifting a lot of heavy weight again.”

Sophomore SS Dominick Sanders

On the pressure he faces in year two...

“It’s definitely different. Last year there were a lot of things thrown at me. This year I’m much more comfortable with everything that has been going on.”

On filling a leadership role this season...

“They told me to just be relaxed. Don’t let it get too difficult. Don’t get brain rushed or anything like that. That’s something I have used this year to make myself comfortable.”

On advice for the incoming freshman...

“They are all working very hard. I like that. They are working hard on and off the field and that’s a good sign.”

Junior OG Greg Pyke

On future career moves from offensive guard to left tackle...

“The blind side tackle is where the most money is, but being a first round guard is still getting drafted in the first round so it’s still a good amount of money.”

On the backup left tackle race...

“I couldn’t really tell you right now. I know that Audlen Bynum is going with the two’s at left tackle, but that’s kind of the just the beginning of camp. We just need people to go in there. Coach Sale always says that he’s going to put the best five out there.”

Junior QB Greyson Lambert

On his first few weeks on campus...

“It’s been moving pretty fast, but I’m all settled in and ready to get to work.”

Continued thoughts on first week of being on campus:

“I’ve just been trying to get all of the paperwork done. It’s all the stuff that you would have to do if you were coming in as a freshman. I have to do that all of that as a graduate transfer. It’s been fun. I have been able to workout and go to the team activities like the 7 on 7’s and that type of stuff. I’m all moved in and ready to go to work.”

On his grasp of the offensive playbook...

“I feel pretty good about it. Obviously I’m still learning, but I feel good. Conceptually it’s very similar. The verbage is a little different, there’s a little more under center. It’s pretty similar when it comes to route concepts and those kinds of things.”