Still Searching

Aaron Murray is making his third trip to Jacksonville as the UGA starting quarterback. After a rough first half his freshman year, he has been pretty strong in what used to be termed the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, bringing Georgia back from a 21-7 hole to force overtime in 2010 and rallying Georgia from a 17-3 hole to win last year. 

But Georgia’s quarterback is still searching for that elusive signature victory. Murray is without a landmark victory that years from now Georgia fans will reminisce over at tailgates before lumbering to Sanford Stadium. 

As good as Murray has been, Georgia fans are still let unsatisfied as he has never delivered on the big stage. He will likely leave Georgia with multiple passing records, but he doesn’t have David Greene’s win over Tennessee from 2001 or the win over Auburn in 2002. He doesn’t have DJ Shockley’s win over LSU in 2005 or Matt Stafford’s wins over Auburn in 2006 and 2007 and Alabama in 2007. 

Murray has a golden chance Saturday to seize that victory with No. 3 Florida waiting for Georgia down in Jacksonville. Win that game and Murray will likely lead Georgia back to the SEC Championship game for the second time in a row, something only the aforementioned Greene has pulled off at Georgia. A win over Florida would give him two for his career, something Greene, Stafford, Shockley or Joe Cox (joking) could never pull off. 

The crazy part is, I remember saying something very similar when Murray was set to face South Carolina earlier this year and LSU last year and Boise State last year. Murray keeps yakking on the big stage. Georgia fans are hoping he can play like he has in the second half of the last two Georgia/Florida games for four quarters. If he can and he gets some help from his defense, Murray will finally have his signature victory. 

A Case of UGA Acid Reflux

Watching the Georgia/South Carolina game a few weeks ago, something struck me and I immediately became sick to my stomach: I had seen this before. As I watched Jarvis Jones fail to make an impact in Georgia’s blowout loss to the Gamecocks, I was transported back to Halloween weekend 2008. I watched that day as future first-round pick Knowshon Moreno was a non-factor as Georgia was blown out by a top-10 team. Moreno appeared to take himself out several times during the game to seemingly save himself for the NFL. Many Georgia fans still shake their head at Moreno’s actions (or inaction) and wonder what would have happened if he had gone full-out.

That is not to say that Jones took himself out of the South Carolina game or is saving himself for the NFL. He looked like he wasn’t giving 100 percent towards the end of the game, but afterwards, injury news broke. Over the bye week, word came out that Jones was more injured than he let on, and it is possible that he will not suit up against Kentucky because of various ailments. Georgia would likely rather have Jones on the field for next week’s Florida game over the Kentucky game. 

At the end of the day, the sickening part is a first-round lock failed to make an impact in the biggest game on the schedule to this point. Can Georgia still win the SEC East? Yes. But a big game from Jones against South Carolina could have done some big things for the program, much the same way a big game from Moreno in 2008 could have done some big things for the Georgia program. Alas, Georgia fans had to be wondering, haven’t we seen this before all throughout the South Carolina game. Hopefully for Georgia fans, they will be saying the same thing next week in regards to Jones’ performance against the Gators one year ago. That is the kind of repeat performance the Bulldog Nation wouldn’t mind seeing again. 

Georgia Will Survive Sans Bennett

The loss of wide receiver Michael Bennett is certainly significant for the University of Georgia offense. Bennett was the team’s leading receiver this year with 24 catches, 345 yards and four touchdowns through the team’s first five games. He snared two scores in the second half against Tennessee, allowing the Bulldogs to pull away from the Vols, but late in Tuesday’s practice, Bennett tore the ACL in his right knee and will require season-ending surgery. 

Bennett was part of a five-wide set that Georgia flashed early in the season, and the formation would have certainly helped against South Carolina as Georgia attempts to snap a two-game losing streak to the Gamecocks this Saturday. 

That being said, though, wide receiver was perhaps the best position for the Bulldogs to suffer a season-ending injury because the receiving corps is so deep. Marlon Brown has 17 catches for 272 yards and three scores so far this year while Tavarres King has also recorded three touchdowns and 307 yards on 16 catches. Rantavious Wooten and Chris Conley have each shown some positive flashes and Malcolm Mitchell will now likely see his offensive snaps increase. Factor in Arthur Lynch and Jay Rome at the tight end position, and Bennett’s loss, while it hurts, isn’t as bad judging from the outside as it could be. 

Aaron Murray seemed to build a fine rapport with Bennett over the last season and one half, but now Conley can step into the fray and perhaps take Bennett’s catches. Wide receiver was a deep position that just got a bit shallower, but if Mitchell returns to the offense in a larger capacity, not much figures to be lost at the playmaking position. 

UGA can hang with anybody

The University of Georgia was not going to lose to Vanderbilt Saturday. The ‘Dores were lucky that Jarvis Jones didn’t just rip Jordan Rodgers a new one when he was going nuts once back on the field. Todd Grantham kept his starters in to ensure Vanderbilt didn’t get a touchdown after last year’s fireworks. Georgia wasn’t in any danger of losing like last year, when Drew Butler needed to make a crucial save to prevent a game-winning touchdown return. Georgia dominated from the start of the game as more history was made as UGA finished with 48 points, the fourth straight game UGA has posted at least 41 points.

The biggest thing we learned from the action at Sanford Stadium Saturday night was that Georgia can be “on” just like the other top teams in the country. Was Vanderbilt an opponent like Clemson, Michigan or Oregon? No, but the way Georgia played last night, any of those teams would be hard-pressed to have beaten the Dawgs. The defense bent at times but never once broke while the offense looked unstoppable in the first half. Aaron Murray has found a nice rhythm with his receivers while the running game looks as loaded as it was back in 2007. 

These backs run harder and with such a variety that, while LSU gets the pub for going five-deep, Georgia’s top three could be viewed as a more dangerous unit. Todd Gurley’s stiff arm was certainly pregame-videoboard-worthy while Keith Marshall’s speed was finally on display during his long run Saturday night. Gurley is getting the acclaim right now, as he should, but don’t count Keith Marshall out just yet. His best days are ahead of him. And Ken “Boo” Malcome also runs hard enough to punish defenses tired of seeing Gurley and Marshall run around and through them. 

As for the defense, what more can be said? Oh, yeah, it is about to get better with the return of Alec Ogletree and Bacarri Rambo. The rest of the SEC just shivered. How explosive will Jones be now with Rambo and Ogletree out there, taking attention away. The way LSU played Saturday, Georgia has to believe it can take down the Tigers. Alabama may be the defending BCS champions, but the Tide may not even have a shot at Georgia as Bama has to go to Baton Rouge.

Now the Bulldog Nation must hope that this week’s Tennessee game doesn’t become a classic trap game. Georgia had extra motivation for the Vanderbilt game and the South Carolina game will be weighing on the minds of a bunch of 19- to 23-year-olds. The onus will be on the Georgia coaching staff to keep the Dawgs focused on a Tennessee team that was ranked a few weeks back and could possibly pull another classic Tennessee upset (see: 2004, 2007, 2009). Georgia must be ready for a desperate Vols squad that has enough firepower to take out an unfocused team. 

Aaron Murray: Under appreciated superstar

Henry David Thoreau, Vincent Van Gogh, John Keats and Galileo Galilei: all people who were vastly under appreciated while they were writing, painting or otherwise doing what they do. It wasn’t until much later that people truly started to appreciate what they brought to the table and how they missed the chance to witness greatness. 

Perhaps Aaron Murray can relate to these great poets, artists and scientists. Despite putting up quality numbers as a freshman and leading the Dawgs to the SEC East title last year as a sophomore, all Murray heard over the offseason was rumblings about how Bulldog Nation couldn’t wait for Christian LeMay and high school senior Brice Ramsey to take over because Murray can’t win the big one. Fans ripped Murray for his turnovers and nitpicked his numbers coming against weak competition. 

All Murray has done this season is go on the road and beat Missouri, a team with a quarterback more hyped but not nearly as talented as Murray. He has Georgia (3-0) sitting at No. 5 in the country after passing for 842 yards on 51-of-80 passing and eight scores. He registered a career-high 342 passing yards against FAU last Saturday while amassing four touchdowns. During the FAU game, he moved into a tie for second on Georgia’s all-time list touchdown list and is within five of David Greene. Murray still has nearly two years of eligibility left, by the way. 

Perhaps if Murray leads Georgia through this upcoming rough patch, past Florida and to yet another SEC title game, maybe then the Georgia faithful will stop counting down the days until LeMay or Ramsey moves under center. Brandon Cox, Blake Mitchell and Casey Clausen this guy isn’t. He is quite talented but under appreciated. Georgia fans shouldn’t be trying to push this guy out the door. If anything, show some patience and let this guy do his thing. By the time he leaves Georgia for the 2014 NFL Draft, he will likely have every UGA passing record one would want and he may just have a little golden stiff arm statue and some hardware on his finger.

What we learned from beating Mizzou

I wanted to wait a few days before I wrote what in fact we learned from the Missouri game, if anything. It is too easy to get caught up in the emotion directly after a win or loss and sometimes hyperbole seems about right when you are basking in the glory or muttering in the darkness. 

What did Georgia learn from going to Missouri and picking up a big SEC East win in just the second week of the season? The answer is, sadly, not much.

Georgia knew it had a solid defense anchored by Jarvis Jones. Was it fun for the Bulldog Nation to watch Jones take over a game and shut down Missouri’s attack almost all by himself? Sure. But didn’t we know that he was incredibly talented already? He was a finalist for the Butkus Award in 2011 and he won the CFPA Elite Linebacker Trophy. He was a first team All-American by several publications, and he led the SEC in sacks last year. He is really good. We knew that.

Georgia has a plethora of receivers that can make plays, but we knew that after last season. Tavarres King, Michael Bennett, Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten have all made plays this year and Brown really seemed to come to play against the Tigers. 

Georgia’s rushing attack will have ups and downs, but we knew that already as well, considering Todd Gurley is a true freshman and one of this top backups, Keith Marshall, is also a true freshman. They will have some great moments (the Buffalo game for Gurley), but they will have some rough ones too (the first play for Gurley when he fumbled). 

As fun as it was for Bulldog Nation to pound its chest and say “Old Man Football,” Missouri was an unranked foe playing its first SEC game. Their nerves showed on the first drive, and once the Georgia avalanche started in the fourth quarter, the Tigers didn’t know what to do.

Georgia still has plenty of work and it starts with getting John Theus healthy. He will likely go on to be a stud for Georgia as he started the Missouri game, and, despite giving up two sacks and being called for three penalties, the coaches stuck with him out there. That either says the coaches are really high on him or there is zero depth/trust behind him. For a true freshman to get as many reps with an apparent injury like that says the coaches really believe he is the guy. 

If we learned anything from the Missouri game, it is that Theus is a warrior for not asking out and continuing to play. The coaches should love a tackle  that stands 6-foot-6, 309 pounds. Take that away from a game that really didn’t offer much of a chance to teach Georgia anything. Missouri was an opponent that shouldn’t have scared Georgia, and the Bulldogs rightfully returned home with a victory.  

UGA dodged a bullet

Just days before National Signing Day 2010, Calhoun standout Da’Rick Rogers shocked the Georgia Bulldog Nation by de-committing from UGA in favor of Tennessee where his high school teammate Nash Nance had just committed. Georgia fans were irate and vented anger towards Rogers anyway they could via radio recruiting shows, message boards and the social network world. Several Georgia players even promised to “introduce him” to the SEC when they met on the field. 

After a quiet first year (11 catches, 167 yards, two touchdowns), Rogers was All-SEC last year with 67 catches, 1,040 yards and nine scores. Despite a huge 2011 for Rogers, Georgia fans are likely extremely happy he never stepped foot on the Athens campus.

Rogers has run into trouble throughout his Tennessee career which may have come to an end Thursday when he was suspended indefinitely by head coach Derek Dooley for violating team rules. Dooley later admitted to the Knoxville News that Rogers likely won’t return to the program. 

Rogers was involved his first year in a bar brawl that led to his arrest, but after charges were dropped, he was not suspended by Dooley. Rogers was suspended during the spring, then rumors circulated that he was mulling a transfer out of Knoxville. He stuck around, but apparently not for long. 

Back on National Signing Day 2010, Richt and company signed a pair of wide receivers in Lonnie Outlaw and Michael Bennett. While Outlaw has yet to enroll at UGA, Bennett appeared in 14 games last season, hauling in 32 passes for 320 yards and five scores. The 6-foot-3 receiver has great hands and showed them against Florida, bringing in a tough fourth down touchdown reception to help the Dawgs take down the Gators. He also posted seven catches against Vanderbilt and chalked up scores against Georgia Tech, South Carolina and Auburn. 

Meanwhile, Hutson Mason was the quarterback Georgia seemingly choose over Nance, and Mason has appeared in eight games over his first two seasons as a backup to Aaron Murray, throwing for three scores during his time on the field. Nance, on the other hand, has already transferred to Hampden-Sydney, a Division III program after never sniffing the field in Knoxville.

Rogers will be a huge loss for Tennessee, no doubt. His talent had nearly every program battling for his signature during the 2009 season leading up to February 2010. But his actions since then have many Georgia fans agreeing that maybe it was for the best that he went to the Vols. One less headache for Georgia to have had to deal with. After the Isaiah Crowell debacle, Richt and company may have been low on Advil. 

Hot & Heavy

Unlike last season, the Georgia Bulldogs’ recruiting efforts have been raging hot and heavy leading up to the season with Mark Richt and company already receiving verbals from 26 different recruits. Last summer was a quiet one for Georgia with just one player committing leading up to the 2011 season. That shouldn’t have been that much of a surprise though, considering the “Dream Team” that had just put pen to paper and the fact that Georgia was coming off of a rather down season. Players didn’t want to immediately go and compete with players from the “Dream Team,” especially with the true freshmen likely to occupy a majority of the starting roles for some time.

This recruiting cycle has seen a much different beginning with several top recruits committing early and playing the role of Pied Piper to bring other recruits in. Brice Ramsey of Camden County, Tray Matthews of Newnan and Sandy Creek’s Shaq Wiggins have been in the ear of countless recruits, urging them to consider the Dawgs, and it has worked. 

In the last two days, Georgia has picked up more help in the defensive secondary, which will be an area of need in the upcoming recruiting class. Having plenty of extra scholarships helps, but the likely reason is that Mark Richt targeted this class after the 2011 class, knowing he spent too much time wrapping up the Dream Team to get an early jump on the 2012 class. He moved his efforts to the 2013 class and it has been working out thus far.

Georgia is looking to potentially sign 33-35 guys this February with perhaps as many as 10 enrolling early and counting towards last year’s class. If Richt and Georgia can keep securing commitments and hold on to all of these pledges, Georgia could very well be looking at two straight SEC East titles and a top three recruiting class come February.  

The Case for Hutson Mason

Everyone loves the backup quarterback. Unofficial surveys show that fan bases love QB No. 2, sometimes more than the starting quarterback. These “results” are always based on potential, recruiting rankings or the belief by fans that they know more than the coaches. The other guy should be starting!

At the University of Georgia, Hutson Mason certainly receives plenty of love. A “late bloomer” in the recruiting game, Mason’s recruiting process at Lassiter (Ga.) High School didn’t really take off until his numbers did his senior season. Mason put up video game numbers while leading his high school team to the first region title in school history as well as a spot in the quarterfinals. Suddenly offers from Mississippi State, Indiana and UVA were coming in left and right. When the in-state power UGA finally offered, Mason pledged to the Bulldogs faster than you could say “Sic ‘em.” 

Mason’s first pass as a true freshman came in the 2010 season opener, and it was a 26-yard touchdown. He would appear in four games as a true freshman, backing up Aaron Murray. Last year, Mason once again appeared in four games, including a stretch in the SEC Championship Game. 

Now the debate has turned to whether Mason should redshirt one year to create some separation between himself and Murray. The Georgia starting quarterback hinted that he is considering jumping to the NFL after this season, but most don’t believe the undersized Murray would make that decision. Should Mason redshirt he would watch as Christian LeMay and Faton Bauta moved ahead of him on the depth chart, and with Brice Ramsey committed to Georgia, it would be interesting to see if Mason would truly get the nod in 2014 for one season, ala Joe Cox. 

If I could, I’d like to make the case for Mason. In high school, people knocked his ability, saying he was merely a system quarterback. Is that necessarily a bad thing? Tim Tebow was a system quarterback. Danny Wuerffel was a system quarterback. Cam Newton was a system quarterback. Those three guys seemed to do well in a college system to the tune of a national title and a Heisman trophy. 

Mason can throw it all around the yard with an accurate arm. Mason may not have the cannon of a Matt Stafford, but in Mike Bobo’s offense, you don’t necessarily need a cannon. Hit your targets and move the chains without turning the ball over. It will be hard to unseat Aaron Murray, but consider Murray has thrown 22 interceptions with eight fumbles (three lost) in 27 games with Georgia. People make the case, and they are correct, that he needs to take better care of the ball. Mason has zero interceptions in 47 passes. Mason is also several inches taller than Murray, which could help him absorb some of the hits and see better over the line of scrimmage. 

If the correct system is put around Mason, he could flourish. Many groaned when DJ Shockley took over in 2005 after David Greene’s career came to an end. “Oh we’ve seen him, he isn’t good enough!” But Mark Richt designed an offense to play to Shockley’s strengths and the rest was history. Richt and Bobo couldn’t come up with a system that took advantage of Mason’s strengths? With the talent at receiver Georgia boasts, you would think a pass-happy system with Mason firing at will could work, especially with the question marks at running back. 

But for now, Mason will likely redshirt and let LeMay and potentially Ramsey pass him on the depth chart. Pretty soon, I may be making the argument for either of those two, because, hey, don’t we always love the backup quarterback?

Jurrjens trying to bounce back

Everything appeared to be clicking right along in the career of Braves starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens in July 2011. The righthander was 12-3 and was a strong candidate to be the National League’s All-Star starting pitcher. After Jurrjens was skipped over for the honor it was more than one month before he earned another win for the Braves, and he was shut down for the year after his Aug. 30 start.

  After struggling through spring training, Jurrjens was sent to Class AAA Gwinnett after racking up an 0-2 record with a 9.37 ERA in just four starts. 

“When you struggle, it starts playing a little bit with your mind,” said Jurrjens. “I think most of my problems were a lack of strength in my leg, and it was enabling me to make my delivery over and over and over and that was making me leave a lot of pitches up in the zone and fall behind hitters.”

During his time in Gwinnett, the 26-year-old Jurrjens was able to get his body right and return to his pre-2011 All-Star break form in his fifth year with Atlanta. 

“Going down and working on my full body conditioning and strength ... definitely (helped) being stronger and fix my delivery,” said Jurrjens. “I’ve been trying to work on the small stuff in my delivery and make it more consistent and that’s helped me make more quality pitches.”

Jurrjens has compiled a 50-35 record during his tenure with Atlanta, which could last at least one more season if the Braves’ front office wants to offer arbitration for 2013. He is in his second arbitration-eligible year making $5.5M in 2012. The results have been mixed so far.   

  Jurrjens has pitched just 45 innings, allowing 31 earned runs (34 overall) and 62 hits with just 19 strikeouts compared to 18 walks. He has allowed six home runs, but it has taken this recent hot stretch to whittle his ERA down to 6.20 for the year. Despite giving up eight runs Tuesday, Jurrjens has been back on his game since being recalled from Gwinnett. Before Tuesday, his shortest outing was five innings in a 10-3 win over Chicago on a steamy July 3 appearance. 

“I just take it day by day,” said Jurrjens. “I’m just trying not to get over my head.”

His most recent outing has Braves fans burning up the message boards and radio phone lines, demanding Braves GM Frank Wren make a move for a starting pitcher. However, if Jurrjens can continue to go to the bump every fifth day and pitch like he did in Boston and Philadelphia since returning, perhaps the Braves’ easiest move to place an All-Star caliber starting pitcher at the top of the rotation is simply to juggle the order. Jurrjens is pitching for a spot in the postseason rotation and a contract, either with the Braves or with another contender.

“You still need to win the games before you get to the postseason,” said Jurrjens. “We need to take care of the regular season before we starting thinking about the postseason. I’m just working for every start as hard as I can to prepare myself better to go out there and give my team the best job I can do. Take it day by day.”

If Jurrjens stays healthy down the stretch, expect the Braves to make a run at a pennant, perhaps with Jurrjens leading the way. 

Biggest impact redshirt freshman in 2012

Each February people become enamored with the latest signees who will help put their football team over the top that next season. Interestingly enough, many of these same prospects that excite fans each February seem to drop off their radar if they decide to redshirt their true freshman year in order to bulk up, recover from injury or just take the year to get up to speed with the college game. Fans tend to forget about them and move on to the next hotshot recruit that “should start from Day 1,” something they said about they guys that just finished redshirting.

The recruiting class that Mark Richt brought in on February 2011 was dubbed the “Dream Team,” and while some players such as Isaiah Crowell, Malcolm Mitchell, Watts Dantzler and Chris Conley contributed early, many redshirted to better prepare themselves for their college career. Several of the redshirt freshmen seem poised to make the same impact Michael Bennett and Ken Malcome did one year ago. 

Jay Rome came to Athens with greater hype than Valdosta High School teammate Malcolm Mitchell did, but Rome was redshirted behind Orson Charles and Aron White while Mitchell was a superstar his true freshman season. Watch out for Rome to really make his mark opposite Arthur Lynch in the two-TE sets. At Valdosta he was a true tight end, one that could run down the field but also stay in to block on running plays. Sanford Stadium fans got a chance to see his ability on his long touchdown reception at the spring game. Look for the 6-foot-6, 254-pound tight end to be an animal in the SEC.

Everyone is making a huge fuss over John Theus, and rightly so, but before Theus’ name was bantered about, Zach DeBell was the stud lineman prospect from Florida that everyone was talking about. DeBell is 6-foot-6, close to 300 pounds and was a star in high school. He could challenge for playing time at either of the tackle positions.

Finally, the redshirt freshman that could have the biggest impact in 2012 is wide receiver Justin Scott-Wesley. The former GHSA 100- and 200-meter track champion is just the player to step in at receiver for Mitchell, who is seeing time at cornerback. Scott-Wesley caught three passes for 46 yards during G-Day and could have taken one to the house had the quarterback thrown the pass over the correct shoulder. Scott-Wesley has game-changing speed and actually looks bigger than his 5-foot-11, 218-pound frame suggests. If he can provide the deep threat while Conley, Bennett and Tavarres King haul in everything else, Mike Bobo’s offense won’t miss a beat without Malcolm Mitchell.

2012 back could cost Dawgs in 2013

We are approaching the 11-month mark of Derrick Henry’s commitment to the University of Georgia, but whispers are now circulating that the commitment won’t make it to 12 months. Alabama is putting on the proverbial ritz to sway the pledge of the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Florida product that 247sports has listed as the No. 1 athlete prospect in the country. Alabama already has the commitment of Walton (Ga.) High School running Tyren Jones for the 2013 class, but Nick Saban is always looking for stud backs. 

But if Georgia does lose Henry, it won’t be Saban’s fault; instead it will be Todd Gurley’s fault. The incoming freshman chose to come to Athens and join fellow freshman Keith Marshall to compete with Isaiah Crowell for carries this season. While Gurley was viewed by some to be an athlete coming out of high school, one recruiting service had him as a top 15 running back. After a tremendous senior season, Gurley will certainly get plenty of looks in the backfield at Georgia. Marshall has raved about Gurley’s skills, and the Bulldog Nation should be thrilled to have him.

When Henry committed last July, the field was wide open after Isaiah Crowell. Even if just Marshall had come along, Henry probably would have stuck to his commitment. Now that Gurley is in the fold, though, Henry has every right to look around and no one should blame him. He is rated as the top back in the 2013 class and the depth chart looks to be full in Georgia. He could certainly help the Bulldog running game, but if he doesn’t step foot on the Athens campus, it is likely because Todd Gurley decided he wanted to come to play between the hedges. It will be interesting to see how it plays out and whether the second running back from Georgia’s 2012 class cost the Dawgs the No. 1 back from the 2013 class. 

Damian Swann can cover anybody

With several projected starters in the defensive secondary suspended for at least the first two games, the University of Georgia will be plugging in a pair of players with little to no college experience on the defensive side of the ball into the starting lineup against Buffalo and Missouri. Malcolm Mitchell was quite the offensive surprise one year ago for Georgia, racking up 665 receiving yards and four touchdowns as a wide receiver. His reward for a dynamic freshman season was a move to defense. This spring he has been trotted out as a cornerback, a position he played in high school at Valdosta. Mitchell’s speed and 6-foot-1 frame should help him when matching up against some of the Mizzou receivers.

Damian Swann, meanwhile, is a player that started one game last year for Georgia that should slide out to cornerback from safety to make a real impact. Swann was a two-sport star at Grady (Ga.) High School that decided to move from safety to cornerback before his senior season.

Before he made the switch, Swann said “I feel I can cover anybody on the field and that’s going to be an advantage to the team.” Swann made the transition with ease and earned many accolades including a spot in the Army All-American Bowl, where he declared he would be going to Georgia. Now Swann will need to take his swagger and get ready for the likes of Dorial Green-Beckham, one of the top recruits from this past signing class. DGB and Missouri will be amped up for the Tigers’ first SEC conference game and the pressure will be on Swann and company to pull the Bulldogs through. Many people are writing Georgia off in this game due to the suspensions and the road atmosphere, but Georgia should be considered the favorite in that game. Swann was a highly-prized member of the 2011 Dream Team. His confidence and ability earned him playing time one year ago. He believes he can cover anybody on the field.

He’ll need the confidence but don’t be surprised if Georgia’s defensive secondary doesn’t skip a beat without Bacarri Rambo, Brandon Boykin, Sanders Commings and Branden Smith. Mitchell and Swann are simply the next wave of standout athletes that the Georgia coaching staff is working to turn into standout corners. Expect big things from Swann because he expects them from himself.

Richt Helped by Petrino's Ousting

As weird as it sounds, Bobby Petrino’s accident was the best thing to happen to Mark Richt this offseason. True Richt came off of the hotseat with a new contract, but it wasn’t until the Head Hog was let go by Arkansas that Richt’s life got easier in the SEC.

Everyone knows that Nick Saban and Alabama and Les Miles and LSU rule the SEC roost, but there was much debate last year about who the third best team in the conference was. Was it Arkansas, who lost to both LSU and Alabama but who climbed as high as No. 3 during the year? Or was it Georgia, winners of ten straight during the year en route to the SEC East championship.

The debate was raging on over the offseason until the Razorbacks’ year hit a bump in the road, perhaps the same bump that derailed Petrino’s motorcycle. Richt was recently voted by The Sporting News as the fourth-best coach in the SEC, No. 14 in the nation, but you’d think that Georgia would have the nod over Arkansas this year, based on everything that gone on in Fayetteville and with John L. Smith at the helm.

South Carolina also lost a boatload of talent despite having TSN’s best coach in the SEC East, Steve Spurrier on the sidelines. Mark Richt is clearly in control of the best team in the SEC East and now can say the third-best team in the SEC overall. The two top teams will once again battle it out with Georgia awaiting the winner in Atlanta in early December. Petrino’s accident helped Georgia float a little higher in the pecking order. Now the fourteenth-best coach in the game needs to help keep the Dawgs climbing.

Bring it ON

Some people throughout the Bulldog Nation are concerned about early prognostications that have Mark Richt’s team ranked in the top ten. Some polls have the Dawgs ranked as high as No. 6. Georgia has not received this much preseason hype since the Sports Illustrated cover in 2008. Joe Cox’s lone squad was ranked in the middle teens while Aaron Murray’s teams have never received this much preseason love. Many Georgia fans groan when high expectations are placed upon them as they prefer to start somewhere in the 14-20 range and move up, ala 2002, 2005 and 2007. Fly under the radar and move up after the teams ahead of you fall. It happens every year, a team seemingly “comes out of nowhere” to challenge for a BCS bowl. Why couldn’t Georgia be the team that comes out of the shadows to challenge for a big bowl? Many Georgia fans would be happy for this to take place this year. Not me. I like the expectations. I want the Dawgs to be ranked No. 6 preseason, the favorite to take the SEC East and face Alabama or LSU for the SEC title. I want Murray to be up for the Heisman. I want Jarvis Jones to sweep all of the defensive player of the year awards. I want Richt to be up for coach of the year honors. Why bring it on? Because if Georgia is going to be elite like the program strives to be, then Georgia needs to live up to high expectations. When the media puts Alabama near the top of the rankings, Nick Saban doesn’t bat an eye, he goes to work. When USC was preseason No. 1 in the mid-2000s, Pete Carroll ended up hoisting trophies. Bobby Bowden led FSU to championship game after championship game in the late 1990s and early 2000s. And they did it by living up to expectations. If Georgia is to break into Auburn/LSU/Ohio State territory, Georgia must do it by embracing a high ranking and shining in the spotlight. With the team Georgia has this year and the recruiting class Richt is putting together, it could be the start of a golden age for the Bulldogs. Expectations will be high for the next few years. Georgia had better get used to lofty preseason rankings. What better time to start living up to them than this year? Bring it on I say. I am not scared of the bullseye. Let’s hope Richt’s squad isn’t either.

Green at the top of Richt's List

With the NFL draft just hours away, three Georgia Bulldogs Cordy Glenn, Brandon Boykin and Orson Charles must be nervously tapping their toes, wondering if/when they will be taken in Round One. Glenn is nearly a lock to go Thursday while Charles and/or Boykin could sneak into the first round or go early on Day Two. How will these three stack up on the list of Georgia players recruited by Mark Richt, developed by Mark Richt and sent to the NFL by Mark Richt? That is likely a question that won’t be answered until several years from now. One can look back at Richt’s tenure and see a host of first round picks, but who are Richt’s crown jewels when it comes to the NFL Draft? I am glad you asked. It would be hard to make this list without mentioning the player that went No. 1 overall in 2009 Matthew Stafford. The gunslinger from Highland Park, TX, was selected as the top player by the Detroit Lions in 2009 after three years in Athens. His explosive teammate Knowshon Moreno was taken 11 picks later by the Denver Broncos. While Moreno has been a disappointment in the NFL, Stafford stayed healthy last year and is being looked at as one of the top young guns in the league. Before those two, you’d need to go back to Thomas Davis in 2005 for another first round selection brought in by Richt and company to Athens. David Pollack was ushered in to Athens by Jim Donnan whose NFL career was cut short by injury. Davis, however, has been a key player on recent Panthers defenses. The team brought him back, just as it brought back Charles Johnson, a third rounder in 2007. Johnson’s big contract before last season raised eyebrows nationally even though many from the southeast knew of his potential. Mohamed Massaquoi was selected by Cleveland in 2009 with a second round pick, and the wide receiver has been serviceable for the Browns, just as Asher Allen has been during his NFL days. But the player that Richt should be most proud of is last year’s No. 4 overall selection A.J. Green. The Bengals wide receiver likely would have been the rookie of the year had a gentleman named Cam Newton not torn up the NFL rookie QB record books in Carolina last year. Green has a chance to be a Pro Bowler for years to come and will go down as Richt’s No. 1 NFL draft choice of all time. Stafford could eventually come around, but for now, Green has to receive the nod as best ever under Richt.

For twenty seasons the Atlanta Braves seemingly could always turn to John Smoltz for a crucial playoff start or to close out an elimination game. “I always wanted to be clutch,” said Smoltz in a conference call earlier this week. On Monday Braves president John Schuerholz announced that the team will retire Smoltz’s No. 29 in a ceremony on June 8, when he will also be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame. Smoltz addressed the media after Schuerholz’s announcement, taking time to give plenty of credit to his former teammates and managers. “I’m truly honored to be with the likes of some of those numbers on the wall (out in left field).” Smoltz spent 21 years with Atlanta, going 210-147 over 20 seasons while also racking up 154 saves with the team. The 1996 Cy Young award winner represented the Braves in eight trips to the All-Star game. He rang up 3011 strikeouts with Atlanta while posting a 3.26 ERA. After returning from an injury during the latter part of the 2001 season, Smoltz would go on to become of the game’s most dominant closers, a position he would hold for three more seasons. He recorded a league-high 55 saves in 2002. For his career he twice led the NL in wins (1996, 2006), strikeouts (1992, 1996), innings pitched (1996, 1997) and three times led the league in starts made (1992, 1997, 2006). “John has contributed so much to Atlanta Braves history. Inducting him into our Hall of Fame and making sure no one else will ever wear his No. 29 are the most meaningful and significant ways we can honor John,” Schuerholz said in a release of the second-winningest pitcher in postseason history. HISTORY OF 29 After June 8, no one will ever wear No. 29 again for the Braves, but originally Smoltz wasn’t even donning that number himself. When he first came to the Braves, he sported No. 57 under Chuck Tanner. Later it was switched out to the iconic 29. “I was just given No. 29. It wasn’t a superstitious thing.” Smoltz admitted that he tried to switch several times, trying to get a number that he could achieve in number of wins. “I had (29) forever, and it stuck.” Early on in 29’s career he struggled some, especially the first half of 1991. “Struggle is not new to me. I used it as a stepping stool to the next level.” After a 2-11 start to the year, Smoltz caught fire, as did the Braves. Smoltz won 12 of his next 14 decisions as Atlanta eventually made the World Series. “The poor start was one of the few times in life where I lost focus on what to do.” Smoltz credited Bobby Cox for sticking with him in the rotation and leaning on him, just a 24-year-old at the time. “Bobby was the reason I made the choice to stay with Atlanta every time.” The right-hander said that every time his contract came up, he thought about playing for Cox and with the Braves, and he tried to work out a way to stay with the team. FULL CIRCLE “So many things happened to me and for the best,” said Smoltz when looking back over his career. Smoltz is the only pitcher in Major League history that can boast 200-plus wins and 150-plus saves. He accomplished nearly all of those numbers with Atlanta, many of the wins coming along side friends Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux. “I’ve had some of the greatest teammates and the greatest manager in the game. I can’t think of what life would have been like without those guys.” From 1991-1998 either Glavine, Smoltz or Maddux captured all of the Cy Young awards save for 1997. Those three helped Atlanta to five World Series appearances and the 1995 title. With all of those memories, how will Smoltz approach June 8? “I won’t know if it will be emotional until that day,” said Smoltz. “I never really thought about big games until on the mound. Probably (it will be emotional), but it will be a lot of fun too.” The ceremony will take place in June as the Braves wanted as many alumni as possible to attend and Smoltz had to find a weekend he could make it when he didn’t have a TBS game to call. Since his retirement, Smoltz has become one of the best color commentators and analysts in the business, working with Peachtree TV, TBS and MLB Network. He is also writing a book entitled “Starting and Closing: Perseverance, Faith and One More Year,” which is due out this spring. Recently Smoltz was inducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame, a real honor he said as he knows he will spend his life in the state of Georgia. Smoltz said that throughout his career he never took time to ponder the Hall of Fame, leaving that for teammates and fans. He will join several of those teammates in Glavine and Maddux on the number wall and in the Braves Hall of Fame. Perhaps another former teammate, Chipper Jones, too, will have his number up there in the near future. For the time being, Smoltz will be the ninth Brave to have his number retired, joining Glavine (47), Maddux (31), Cox (6), Hank Aaron (44), Eddie Mathews (41), Dale Murphy (3) Phil Niekro (35) and Warren Spahn (21). The team also retired Jackie Robinson (42) as did all of Major League Baseball. Perhaps another party will be in order for Smoltz in 2014. Braves fans are keenly aware that in two years, he will be eligible for Major League Baseball’s prestigious Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. For now, though, Braves fans will have the chance to head out to Turner Field June 8 to honor a man who took the ball anytime it was handed to him, regardless of the situation, and gave it his all. “That is what this is all about,” said Smoltz of the chance for a proper sendoff. “I had such respect for all of (the Braves employees and fans). I have so many friends.”

What's left to work on?

With one week to go before the annual G-Day game which wraps up Georgia’s spring practice, what do the Bulldogs need to figure out for the upcoming season? One important issue that must be resolved is the defensive secondary. Brandon Boykin has graduated while Bacarri Rambo, Sanders Commings and Branden Smith are all not available for at least the season opener. Georgia’s best bet for a pair of starting corners are Malcolm Mitchell, who played wide receiver one year ago and Damian Swann, an incredible athlete that just made the switch to corner before his senior year of high school. The return of Shawn Williams at safety should help but he will be the lone returning starter from one year ago early on in the season. Corey Moore will be needed to make a play or two this season. The next week could also be telling as perhaps Devin Bowman gets some time out there as a player in the secondary. He could earn some playing time with a strong spring game as he certainly has the bloodlines to be successful.

While the running back situation and offensive line question will likely get resolved after the summer, backup quarterback is an issue that could be addressed in the next few days. The coaching staff and Hutson Mason would like to give the sophomore a redshirt season in 2012 to put one year in between Mason and starter Aaron Murray, but would the coaches really feel comfortable if Murray were to go down? Faton Bauta has been impressive during his short time on campus, impressing coaches and those familiar with the program with his work ethic. Christian LeMay will wrap up his second spring practice next Saturday after enrolling early in 2011 and taking a redshirt last year. Coaches are likely hoping that they can get by this year with Murray taking 99% of the snaps and LeMay, Parker Welch and Michael Tamburo taking the other 1% with Mason and Bauta redshirting. Bauta does have some potential as a Tebow-like wildcard which could lead to his finding some playing time.

There are plenty of other areas that need addressing, but those issues likely won’t be solved in the next week. The backup quarterback position and the defensive secondary are two problems that can be fixed.

Vandy making inroads in Georgia...

The Vanderbilt Commodores have done a bang-up job so far this season to secure inroads in the state of Georgia, and James Franklin thus far has snagged four prized recruits for the 2013 class. Jonesboro cornerback Tauren Ferguson is the latest Peach State native to jump aboard the Vandy train, picking the Commodores over offers from Ole Miss, Wake Forest and Cincinnati. He will join Stephenson DE Jonathan Wynn and a pair of four-star recruits in Central-Macon LB Nigel Bowden and Cedar Grove QB Johnathan McCrary. Last year the Commodores landed five Georgia prospects including Buford’s Paris Head.

Georgia Tech is finally on the board for the Class of 2013 as four-star running back Travis Custis pledged to sign with Paul Johnson next February. The Lovejoy star reportedly had offers from Clemson, Miami, Boston College, Mississippi State, Michigan State and South Florida according to Scout.com.

While his coach says the opposite is true, two schools may have been ruled out in the Tony Parker sweepstakes. Last week Score Atlanta secured an exclusive with Miller Grove head coach Sharman White following the McDonald’s All-American game and asked about Parker’s recruiting process. When asked if Parker had eliminated any schools from his top five of Kansas, Duke, Ohio State, UCLA and UGA, White said “No one has been ruled out.” Rumors had been circulating the web that Kansas and Ohio State had taken hits with various assistants interviewing for head coaching jobs. Kansas assistant Danny Manning will leave the Jayhawks to take over as head coach of Tulsa, but Ohio State’s staff appears to be sticking together. Parker will announce his decision April 11 and sign his letter of intent during the late signing period. As for the in-state Bulldogs, fans will like to hear that White confirmed “Georgia is definitely still in it.”

Broken Record: Offensive Line once again a question

For the first time since 2006, the University of Georgia Bulldogs will not be counting on Trinton Sturdivant to be a part of the offensive line. The oft-injured tackle never quite lived up to his phenomenal first year on campus, but his eligibility is finally up and he has moved on. Despite the injuries, Bulldog fans always seemed to pencil him in at left tackle ever since a magical 2007 true freshman year.

So who will start out at the all-important left tackle spot? Odds are Kenarious Gates will receive the opening day nod as he does have some experience at the position and has practiced there over the last few years. Much-hyped high school recruit John Theus could also see some time there, as could redshirt freshman Xzavier Ward and junior Austin Long.

Watts Dantzler played quite a bit as a true freshman last year and seemed a perfect fit for the right tackle position while still at Dalton (Ga.) High School. Last year’s prize offensive lineman recruit Zach DeBell will back up Dantzler unless he can seize the position away in spring practice, which is doubtful. Mark Beard was brought in from the junior college ranks and could see time on the outside though his size may be better suited for guard.

The interior positions on the line have some question marks but also some answers. It appears as though Kolton Houston’s NCAA issues have been resolved, and the coaches seem confident he will be back in 2012 after missing all of 2011. Houston could have started one year ago and he seems on pace to excel this year. Dallas Lee offers a bit of depth after playing and starting for much of last year. His season was ended by a broken leg in the Florida game, but Lee will see plenty of field time this year. Beard could play at guard as well. Chris Burnette is an option at right guard but he may be used as a center.

Speaking of center, David Andrews was brought in from the Wesleyan (Ga.) School to be the heir apparent at center to Ben Jones. Andrews received some reps last year, but Burnette is also cross-training at the position. Austin Long’s younger brother Hunter is another candidate for the spot.

So what would be the ideal situation? In a perfect world, Andrews would seize the center position and hold on to it for the next three years like Ben Jones did. If Theus could come in and play immediately, he would likely be able to hold up, if the recruiting experts are correct about him. (Sturdivant played as a true freshman as you may remember.) If Theus can start from Day One, that would allow Gates to slide back inside, opposite Houston with Beard, Burnette and Lee offering depth. Dantzler or DeBell on the other side would enable the running game to go off tackle on the right side. While that lineup is full of youth, it is also full of talent. Mark Richt and company brought this talent to Athens. Now it is up to Will Friend and the players themselves to turn a question mark into an exclamation mark.