2011 Georgia Spring Game: Black Tops Red 18-11, Matthew Stafford Looks Sharp

• about 2 years ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Georgia Spring Game Final Score: Aaron Murray's Black Team Wins, 18-11

Black began the fourth quarter of the 2011 Georgia Bulldogs spring game with a 10-5 lead after a Brandon Harton fumble bailed out the Red defense. Red powered the ball down the field on Carlton Thomas’ feet and some sharp passes from Hutson Mason to Tavarres King, with Thomas punching in a touchdown. Red missed the two-pointer, making it 11-10.

Christian LeMay responded with a clutch scoring drive that included a quarterback keeper, always a questionable spring game tactic since the quarterbacks can’t be tackled. Ken Malcome took it in from 12 out to make it 16-11, with Aaron Murray coming back in to throw the two-point conversion.

Parker Welch took the field with two minutes left: perhaps the last nine words any defense wants to hear. He was able to get something of a drive going before Reuben Faloughi delivered a hurry and a sack to essentially end the game and earn the Black team a meal of steak and lobster.

Good news: Nobody got hurt! That we know of yet!

Kwame Geathers, Alec Ogletree, and Chase Vasser were among the defenders hearing their names frequently. Ogletree’s speed and nose for contact might make Todd Grantham look like a genius for sliding him to linebacker.

Attendance was announced as 43,117, a new G-Day record. Whether you accept that number or not, it’s higher than last year’s record, which you may or may not have accepted.

Why hello there, Connor Norman. The walk-on defensive back filled in for a bombed-out secondary with a diving pick and at least two tipped passes.

Not news: Aaron Murray is the best player on UGA’s roster. He was nearly perfect on the day, throwing for about the same percentage in live semi-action as Matthew Stafford did during the halftime contest. Mason didn’t look outstanding for the most part, and LeMay still has as long a way to go as you’d think.

For more on Dawg sports, join Dawg Sports.

• about 2 years ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

UGA Spring Game: Aaron Murray, Branden Smith Connect For Score

The 2011 Georgia Bulldogs spring game finally got its first touchdown, with Aaron Murray’s Black team putting together a nice drive to make it 10-5 early in the third quarter. Orson Charles made a nice pair of catches during the possession, with Branden Smith delivering a highlight reel 28-yard touchdown run-after-catch that included a solid stiff arm on Derek Owens.

Facing a five-point deficit, the Red team almost opted to go for it on fourth down with Greg Bingham in at QB. Christian LeMay re-entered the game on the following drive, throwing an incompletion and giving Derrick Lott his second sack of the day. Lott has been very busy on defense.

Hutson Mason’s bid to maintain his backup spot on the depth chart took a slight ding when he gave up an interception to walk-on Connor Norman, who also broke up a pass earlier in the game.

Kwame Geathers and Jarvis Jones are earning kudos from the WSB broadcast, various websites, and my viewing associates alike. Jones earned the sack that ended the first half, and Geathers has been imposing against the run. Granted, a pair of offensive linemen including Trinton Sturdivant are out of this game, but both front sevens are looking pretty good.

For more on Dawg sports, join Dawg Sports.

• about 2 years ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Matthew Stafford Returns From Shoulder Injury To Win 2011 G-Day Spring Game Competition

Matthew Stafford put his injured shoulder to the test in the halftime quarterback challenge at the 2011 Georgia football spring game, taking a commanding victory over other former UGA quarterbacks. His competition: D.J. Shockley, David Greene, and Eric Zeier. In round one, Stafford took on Greene, zipping the ball with no apparent pain or effort.

He was able to get three of his four passes into the can 35 yards down the field, giving him 13 points somehow (I didn’t pay attention to the rules!) while the other three quarterbacks combined for seven. Guess which of these quarterbacks is currently an NFL starter?

In the second event, our contestants attempted to hit moving targets 12 yards down the field, with Stafford’s first pass coming a little too hot for the volunteer receiver. That’s a pretty good sign. His second pass, a 40-yard bomb, was also dropped. Not exactly Calvin Johnson out there, folks, but then again Megatron himself never did much in this building either.

And the best news of the day: Stafford left the field unharmed.

For more on Dawg sports, join Dawg Sports.

• about 2 years ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Georgia Spring Game: Christian LeMay Appears As Kwame Geathers, Alec Ogletree Make Plays

Christian LeMay took over for Aaron Murray early in the second quarter after a Brandon Bogotay field goal gave the Red a 5-3 lead. On his first series he handed off twice, missing Brandon Harton on third down. Murray took back control of the Black offense to withstand a sack by Jarvis Jones before a Justin Anderson false start.

After that penalty, Todd Grantham convinced the game’s officials to run out the first half clock, thereby becoming the first coach in all of college football to employ the NCAA’s brand new Dooley Rule.

Kwame Geathers and Alec Ogletree, both playing in new roles influenced in one way or another by the incoming DT John Jenkins, have both made strong plays this quarter. Ogletree delivered a solid shot on Harton just before Geathers devoured Caleb King in the backfield — King broke off a slithery 19-yard run just a few plays prior.

Rennie Curran is among those on the sidelines, with Mark Richt touting to WSB his productive tackling and his mother’s spicy African cooking. Of course Matthew Stafford, D.J. Shockley, David Greene, and Eric Zeier are also on the sideline, preparing for their halftime competition.

For more on Dawg sports, join Dawg Sports.

• about 2 years ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Georgia Spring Game: Aaron Murray Safety Gives Red Team First Score

Despite being hammered by injuries, the Georgia Bulldogs defense has somehow managed to put a safety on the field. It — I’m sorry, apparently the Red team defense actually scored a safety, sacking Aaron Murray in the end zone after Carlton Thomas coughed up a ball on the goal line. Derrick Lott achieved the two-pointer.

Shortly after, Thomas fumbled again, with Black recovering this time. Black’s Blair Walsh was able to convert a 43-yard field goal to make it 3-2, and somewhere Tommy Tuberville’s heart warmed. The quarter concluded with that amazing score. That’s Aaron Murray’s team, again, for those of us having a hard time keeping these things straight.

Isaiah Crowell drew a lot of attention on the sidelines, with Jay Rome and Ray Drew managing to escape the public’s eye. This is what happens when you fail to bring white bulldog puppies to your school announcement, gentlemen.

For more on Dawg sports, join Dawg Sports.

• about 2 years ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Georgia Spring Game 2011: Depleted Rosters Take The Field For Bulldogs

If Georgia's annual G-Day Game is a meaningless scrimmage, this year's edition may end up feeling like the NFL preseason exhibition version of that -- the Red and Black teams' rosters may be more notable for who's not on them than who is. The blue-chippers such as Isaiah Crowell and John Jenkins from this year's heralded recruiting class won't be in Athens until the summer, of course, while a recent pileup of injuries means that, among other key figures, Washaun Ealey, Bacarri Rambo, Sanders Commings and Brandon Boykin won't take the field either.

Which begs two questions: Given how few defensive backs both teams had to pick from, will defensive coordinator Todd Grantham further shake up his system and throw a curveball out there in the form of a 3-5-3 alignment? And will the sidelined players serve water/Gatorade duties for this game, or does Kathryn Richt do that for G-Day, too?

Threadbare attempts at humor aside, here are the questions you may get some actual insight into if you're going to be at Sanford Stadium today:

• How is the Dawgs' receiving corps progressing without A.J. Green? Minus the 2011 recruits, most of this year's receivers are expected to play today. Tavarres King (Red team) is the elder statesman on the WR roster, but Marlon Brown (Black) will be expected to step up in a big way at flanker. Israel Troupe (Red) and Rantavious Wooten (Black) could also stand to make some big plays after virtually disappearing in 2010.
• Is there a new attitude in the backfield? Crowell and Ealey may not be suited up today, but that doesn't make the contributions of Caleb King (Red) and Ken Malcome (Black) any less important. It's no secret that King and Ealey made bigger headlines in 2010 with their infractions off the field than anything they did on the field, so King, for his part, needs to make G-Day the start of his redemption story -- while Malcome, for his part, has the chance to make a strong case for more playing time. Better blocking from the O-line, of course, is a big part of that equation, and we'll get a glimpse of how that's going to work without the services of Trinton Sturdivant.
• How's the 3-4 coming along? Though we won't get to see nose tackle John Jenkins just yet, coaches have been blown away by the way Kwame Geathers (Black) has both bulked up and improved his game on the defensive line. He'll spend most of his time at end this year, but if Grantham's accolades are any indication, he'll make a pretty good fill-in at nose this afternoon. We'll also get to see the first glimpses of what Jarvis Jones (Red), Richard Samuel (Black) and Alec Ogletree (Black) will look like at linebacker, along with the rest of the LB corps, which will be mostly injury-free for today's game.

The 2011 G-Day Game kicks off at 1 p.m. EDT and will be televised on CSS. 

• about 2 years ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Georgia Spring Game 2011 Injuries: G-Day Game Without Washaun Ealey, Bacarri Rambo, Others

The 2011 G-Day Game’s Red and Black rosters were chosen by team captains earlier this week, but UGA’s budding general managers will have to count on Georgia spring game coaches Mike Bobo and Todd Grantham to adjust to about a dozen injured players.

RB Washaun Ealey is the biggest name on Mark Richt’s injured list, as he’s been bothered for most of the spring by a hamstring. Defensive back has been UGA’s most depleted position group — don’t expect to see Bacarri Rambo, Jakar Hamilton, Sanders Commings, and Jordan Love, and probably not Brandon Boykin either.

DE Garrison Smith and OL Austin Long will likely join OT Trinton Sturdivant in missing the game.

However, RB Ken Malcome, TE Aron White, and linebackers Alec Ogletree, Mike Gilliard, and Christian Robinson should be able to participate. All in all, as long as you avoid ever looking at the secondary, everything should be fine. Don’t get too impressed with the team’s wide receivers when Orson Charles is forced to play a little safety, though.

For more on Dawg sports, join Dawg Sports. It’s so simple!

• about 2 years ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

2011 Georgia Spring Game: G-Day Rosters Unveiled For Red And Black Teams

The 2011 Georgia football spring game, set for April 16, involves the employment of a novel roster-construction device: captains have chosen up teams schoolyard-style. Teams Red and Black have been divvied up, as this photo by @GentryEstes247 displays.

Aaron Murray and Christian LeMay are quarterbacking the Black team, while Hutson Mason leads team Red. Washaun Ealey's presence on team Black immediately establishes my rooting interests, although it would be hard to root against his team anyway, as it includes Trinton Sturdivant, an athlete fans of any color should show respect for. Drew Butler and Blair Walsh remain at odds, with those who prefer the classic kicking method suddenly feeling drawn toward Red.

One noteworthy set of omissions: incoming freshman. Isaiah Crowell? Ray Drew? Jay Rome? Malcolm Mitchell? Et cetera? Will they be asked to form a third team, be it White or Silver?

For more Dawg sports, visit Dawg Sports.

• about 2 years ago
• Commentary
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Matthew Stafford Joining David Greene, D.J. Shockley, Eric Zeier In G-Day Game Festivities

• about 2 years ago
• Commentary
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

POLL: Georgia Football Spring Game To Let Captains Pick Sides; Who Would You Choose First?

• about 2 years ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

2011 Georgia Spring Game Scheduled To Air On ESPN3 And CSS, Not ESPN

Well, ESPN was at one point supposed to show the Georgia Bulldogs 2011 football spring game, but it looks like that’s not the case any more. The school is saying the game will air on CSS, with ESPN3 also around for those outside of CSS’ turf.

The game is still set for 1 pm ET on April 9, as far as I know.

This means Georgia joins the Florida Gators in having its spring game broadcasted on a regional network instead of a national one, though at least UGA’s game can be seen throughout the Southeast instead of just the school’s home state. Georgia finally beat Florida at something!

Here’s the updated 2011 SEC football spring game schedule:

For more Georgia sports, visit Dawg Sports.

• about 2 years ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

2011 SEC Football Spring Game Times, TV Schedules: Georgia, Alabama, Auburn Make For Crowded April 16

It's spring game time, meaning it's time to look around the SEC and mock every other team's quarterback situation while you revel in all your incoming freshmen who are pushing for playing time. ESPN is scheduled to air almost the entire conference's spring games on one channel or another, with Georgia, Arkansas, and LSU getting the flagship network treatment.

Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, Ole Miss, and Tennessee are all set to go on April 16, making it a day full of various A-Day Games and a G-Day Game. Florida's game will be shown on Fox Sports Florida, according to the indispensable lsufootball.net TV schedule that no college football fan should go more than a day without checking, even in April.

As always, click on any of these team names for much more coverage:

• over 2 years ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

2011 Georgia Spring Practice: Hines Ward, Mike Smith Featured At Coaching Clinic

From March 31 to April 1, the Georgia Bulldogs will host their annual spring football coaching clinic. This year’s biggest guest names are Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith and Pittsburgh Steelers WR Hines Ward, along with former Dawgs Kevin Butler and Richard Seymour.

Championship-winning high school football coaches will be featured, two practices will be up for viewing, and various coaching implements will be distributed. It’ll also mean a look at those new Butts-Mehre facility upgrades, which may lead to some attendees finding themselves recruited by the impossible allure of Mark Richt’s Swag Pad.

Pretty much just writing about this because Smith is aboard. And because it’s February, which feels like 16 years away from September.

The Falcons coaching staff is becoming more UGA by the day, with Smith working in Athens and Bob Bratkowski, son of Dawgs great Zeke Bratkowski, coming on as Matt Ryan’s quarterback coach. Having Seymour in Flowery Branch would be nice too, while we’re at it.

• over 2 years ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

2011 SEC Football Spring Game And Spring Practice Dates

We're less than a month away from the return of SEC football -- sort of, at least. 2011 spring practices start up soon around the conference, with Mississippi State and Georgia the first to get back to work. Georgia's G-Day Game is scheduled for April 16 at 1 pm ET.

Unlike the ACC, most of the SEC starts and ends spring practice in pretty much the same time frame, Missy State and Kentucky excluded. April 16 will be the big day for spring games around the conference, with six teams playing their annual exhibitions on that Saturday, including Alabama's epic A-Day Game and Auburn's likewise-titled spring game, their first as BCS champions.

Why is Vandy playing theirs on a Sunday? Why is Vandy playing theirs on a Sunday indeed.

Florida's spring may be the one most worth monitoring, as they're switching coaches, overhauling their offense, and replacing the usual assortment of NFL Draft talent. Plus it's Florida, so somebody's bound to rack up some criminal charges.