Richt is an evil genius ... hopefully

You will hear from commentators every so often during a game that a team was setting up a particular play for a certain moment in the game. Usually it is a wheel route or a deep pass with a wide receiver after the offense has lulled the cornerback into playing the run.
Is it possible that the University of Georgia has been holding out on offense all season long in the hopes that the Aaron Murray and company can switch from its vanilla-look to a double chocolate ship swirl with nuts and sprinkles-look for the SEC Championship game? Is it possible that, because the defense was so good, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo went to strictly a run-based offense in most second halves this year because the game was in hand? Aaron Murray has looked hot the last few first halves of play, only to mainly hand the ball off and grind the clock in the third and fourth quarters to seal a win.

Georgia has done just enough in many of its victories this season, seemingly taking its foot off of the gas pedal in victories over Tennessee, Mississippi, Mississippi State and Georgia Tech. The only game this year that saw the Dawgs really put the hammer down was the Auburn game, in front of countless recruits, and Georgia was truly impressive with Murray and the ground attack against the Tigers. You wonder if maybe this was all a strategy. If maybe Richt has been pulling a rope-a-dope, waiting for the LSU Tigers to let their guard down when all of a sudden he will tell Bobo to unleash the dogs, or dawgs if you will.

Maybe Georgia goes and gets blown out by 24 against the best team in the nation. But with LSU all but guaranteed a spot in the BCS championship game, Georgia should treat this as its BCS championship game and pull out all of the stops. Maybe Les Miles doesn’t want to show his hand to Alabama or Oklahoma State. Or maybe Mark Richt has been planning for this game all season long by not revealing just what this unit can do. If the offense matches the defense’s performance, the Dawgs might just escape Saturday with a victory.

Warner Robins battle-tested and ready for Lovejoy

Mike Hilton cannot be blamed for the Sandy Creek loss to Gainesville despite a fumble during a crucial spot in the second half. Hilton had a pair of scores and 260 yards on 32 carries for the Patriots. ...

Another back whose season came to an end Friday night was Allatoona’s Miles Jones. He carried 18 times for 114 yards and two scores before leaving with a concussion in a 32-28 loss to Burke county. Jones finished with 2,142 yards according to the AJC. ...

The ferocious Lovejoy defense has shut out eight opponents this season, but Warner Robins has faced some tough opponents already this season to prepare for this semifinal tilt. The Demons lost a 7-6 controversial decision to Class AAA semifinalist Peach County and lost 32-24 to fellow AAAA semifinalist Northside. The team rallied back to beat Class AAAAA semifinalist Colquitt County 16-8 in September. Warner Robins has also thumped Thomas County Central and Bainbridge before dispatching defending AAAA champ Chattahoochee in the second round of the playoffs and hanging 20 on a tough East Paulding defense last week. The Demons and the Wildcats have never faced each other. ...

The Buford Wolves girls basketball team lost a huge piece of their squad when Tennessee-bound Andraya Carter suffered a torn ACL during the off-season, but the program picked up a huge player that will help take her spot. Kristina Nelson transferred in from GAC before the start of the season and last night put up 16 points from her spot in the post in the Lady Wolves season-opening victory over Milton. Kaela Davis scored 27 points to lead Buford to the 64-30 victory. ...

Davis’ brother A.J. who also transferred to Buford from GAC missed last night’s 71-55 loss to No. 1 Milton as the GHSA considers him a “migrant student” and is thus ineligible for varsity competition, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Jenkins headed to the Gators?

The North Carolina State Wolfpack is starting to discover the cornucopia of football prospects that is the state of Georgia after snagging their fourth Peach State pledge of the 2012 class. Jarnor Jones of ML King High School announced that he would play defensive back for the Wolfpack next season. He had previously committed to Middle Tennessee State. NC State has also commitments from running back Shad Thornton (Liberty County), defensive back Niles Clark (Lassiter) and wide receiver Charlie Hegedus (Lassiter). ...

Score 44 member Jordan Jenkins, a defensive end from Harris County believed to be the top prospect in the state, returned from his third visit to Gainesville to check out the Gators. Jenkins was on hand in Athens for the Auburn game and reportedly moved the Dawgs up his list, but a third trip to Florida could mean the Gators will land the stud defensive end. ...

In this week’s GPB TV game of the week, more than just Robert Knemdiche will be on display. Grayson has several linemen that have drawn interest including OG Fred Zerblis (Arkansas State) and OT Garrett Gorringe and DE Sebastian Rice (Georgia State). Colquitt County’s center Bryce Giddens has committed to Southern Miss. ...

It is never too early to think about recruiting and Landmark Christian’s Sam Dobbs, though just a freshman, can already start thinking about recruiting. At 6-foot-4, 188-pounds, Dobbs plays all over the field but will likely line up at wide receiver at the next level. Dobbs will play in the 2012 Eastbay Youth All-American Bowl this January in an event that could jumpstart the recruiting process. It is not outrageous for teams to look this early at a prospect as the Georgia Bulldogs have already received a commitment from Apalachee running back Stanley Williams before the 2014 began his sophomore season.

Watson outstanding for Gainesville

Deshaun Watson’s coach may have won a coin toss, but Watson won the game against Sandy Creek, accounting for all five of Gainesville’s touchdowns in a 35-21 win. Watson passed for 220 yards and a pair of scores while running for 100 yards on 25 carries and a host of rushing scores. ...

One name that gets perhaps overlooked in AAAA is Miguel Williams of Northside. He racked up 179 yards of total offense to go with three scores in a 36-8 win over Tri-Cities. ...

Much has been made over the Tyren Jones transfer from Lassiter to Walton. Jones rushed for 140 yards and totaled two scores in a win over Dacula on GPB TV. However the back that took his spot in the Trojans offense Isiah Willis had nearly as big of a night, rushing for 138 yards on 23 carries. Willis has been a force all season, running when coach Jep Irwin calls his name and catching plenty of passes out of the backfield. Each back looks perfect for the system he currently plays in. ...

A matchup to keep your eye on this week is Niles Clark against Zack Blaylock. Clark recorded a pick-six against ML King one week after recording an interception against McEachern. Blaylock took a pass down the sidelines 95 yards for a score against Dacula, but earlier this year he was held to just 51 yards on three catches as Walton chewed up the clock and real estate on the ground with Jones. Blaylock’s score came on a pick-six. ...

Duluth’s Corey Jarvis was selected to be one of seven assistant coaches in the upcoming US Army All-American Bowl. Jarvis and Lowndes’ Randy McPherson will assist east head coach Robert Weiner (Plant High School, Tampa) in the high school all-star game.

Let's not crown them yet...

Everyone is ready to crown Buford as the state champions in Class AA, but if last weekend taught us anything it is that even a 26 or 41-game winning streak can be snapped at any time. Gainesville hosted Sandy Creek and took down the Patriots, the defending Class AAA champions and the 2009 Class AAAA champs. Buford has won 26 straight games and four straight state titles, but this Friday the Wolves return to the scene of their last defeat, a 14-0 win by Carver-Columbus. Buford has beaten the Tigers once this season, but that was at Buford. ...

Before the season started the debate over the state’s top cornerback was a two-man discussion between St. Pius X’s Geno Smith and Josh Holsey of Creekside. Niles Clark has played his way into the discussion if not taken it over with his play the last few weeks. The Lassiter defensive back has gone up against Alpharetta’s Carlos Burse, blanketed McEachern’s Amba Etta-Tawo and gotten the better of ML King’s Blake Tibbs. He recorded a pick-six against the Lions to change the complexion of the game, helping the Trojans reach the semifinals. If Clark picks off another pass and helps Lassiter advance to the finals, the debate is over. ...

Robert Nkemdiche cannot be stopped. The Grayson Rams star junior defensive lineman and short-yardage specialist will likely never gallop 85 yards on a draw, but you cannot stop him from one or two yards out. Don’t even try. And if he put his mind to it, he probably could take it from 85 yards out. ...

Walton’s Tyren Jones gets all of the pub, but Zack Blaylock may be the Raiders MVP. He came away with two fourth quarter interceptions and a 95-yard touchdown reception to ice a win over Dacula.

A taste of The Official Visit, 11/28/11

University of Georgia head coach Mark Richt put out a “Help Wanted” sign last week when he told reporters at his news conference “There’s a tremendous opportunity at the University of Georgia for running backs in this class to come to Georgia and make a big impact.” Under NCAA rules, Richt isn’t allowed to address recruits by name but many feel he was directly speaking to Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall, both of North Carolina. Marshall announced last week via Twitter that he would reveal his choice in early December and Gurley recently took in a game Between the Hedges in Athens.

The North Carolina State Wolfpack is starting to discover the cornucopia of football prospects that is the state of Georgia after snagging their fourth Peach State pledge of the 2012 class. Jarnor Jones of ML King High School in Lithonia, announced that he would play defensive back for the Wolfpack next season. He had previously committed to Middle Tennessee State. NC State has also commitments from running back Shad Thornton (Hinesville), defensive back Niles Clark (Marietta) and wide receiver Charlie Hegedus (Marietta).

Tajarvis Fuller the LB/DB from Fort Myers, Florida, may be back in the Miami camp after Ron Zook’s dismissal from Illinois. Fuller was extremely excited to receive an offer earlier this year from the Hurricanes but surprised many when he committed to Zook. Iowa State and Maryland remain interested, and Fuller holds 16 offers.

Falcons Equipment crew one of the NFL's best

Everyone at some point in his/her life has had the nightmare where you show up to work without any clothes on. The Atlanta Falcons will never have that problem though as the Falcons Equipment department is one of the best in the league, with Brian Boigner serving as the Equipment Manager. This is the 15th season for Boigner as the Falcons Equipment Manger and his crew is top notch. The department is responsible for properly outfitting the players with not just the jerseys but also the pads and shoes. Boigner makes certain that the players are suiting up with the safest and most advanced protective equipment available.

When the Falcons hit the road, Boigner and his staff kick it up a notch. Plenty goes into a typical road trip though as the Falcons travel away from team headquarters at Flowery Branch. We sit down as a staff and go over every different scenario,” said Boigner. “It’s not that much different than the coaching staff.”

Footwear is a big starting point as the team has different shoes/cleats for every surface imaginable from grass to astroturf, inside or outside, wet or dry conditions. “We have Houston coming up which has a retractable roof, so we plan for both.” Boigner noted that he and his staff will bring different shoes for if the roof is open and if the roof is closed. He travels with a team of eight people and he will include jackets for the coaches in case the roof is open and extra cleat options for the players.

“I will call the equipment manager for the other team and check weather.com or the local affiliates for updates,” said Boigner. He will also occasionally check with recent opponents of the upcoming opponents to gauge how to dress the team.

Tuesdays are a big travel day according to Boigner. “Once everything is ready, an advance truck is sent out.” Boigner surmised that if the game is played east of the Mississippi River, three-quarters of the equipment is sent on a truck ahead of time, with only the coaches’ gear, the players’ travel bags, the uniforms and the game balls flying with the team. If it is a west coast game, the equipment flies with the team.

The matter of which jersey is never really an issue because Boigner said the NFL lets you know in plenty of time what color and a great deal of the responsibility falls on the manufacturer to get the right one to the team. Typically when the Falcons hit road, the team will be wearing its white uniforms, but sometimes the League has special occasions such as a “throwback” weekend. The Falcons equipment staff is outfitted with those special jerseys ahead of time.

Boigner also orders and organizes the team’s inventory of apparel and equipment, ordering more whenever jerseys or helmets are damaged or when a better piece of guards becomes available. Boigner is on top of the issue of safety as he has sat on the NFL’s helmet group as well as the foot and ankle committee during the offseason. He knows how to properly keep his charges in proper pads.

The helmets are used throughout the year and are constantly repainted and repaired for safety purposes. The face masks are always being switched out every week or every other week, depending on the player and position.

Sometimes players come to Boigner with special requests for uniforms during travel, and Boigner said that he and his staff are more than accommodating with the modifications.

The last thing that Boigner will do on road trips is speak with fellow equipment managers and other clubhouse staff. “We are a tight knit group,” said Boigner. He said he picks their brains for ideas to try to improve not only the Falcons home office but also how they do things on the road. With Boigner’s 20 years of NFL experience, the team is in good hands and will look good on the road.