Georgia Southern Vs. Georgia: Mark Beard impresses in first start

Georgia Bulldogs offensive tackle Mark Beard impressed a lot of people in his first career start last week against the Auburn Tigers. Although he was modest in his performance, some of his Bulldog teammates were pleased with how he played. Tackle John Theus complemented Beard on how hard he worked to earn the starting spot:

"Mark did really well," Theus said. "He's really worked hard to get himself into that position. He took advantage of the opportunity he had."

Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt acknowledged that injuries to the offensive line, including guard Chris Burnette, played a part in giving Beard his opportunity:

"I'm glad he's getting opportunities to play and the more he plays, the more he'll get comfortable," Richt said. "He's a very good athlete, he's strong. He's everything we thought he was athletically. It's just a matter of learning and getting comfortable."

Beard could start for the Bulldogs this Saturday against the Georgia Southern Eagles. Despite kickoff being four days away, he has imagined about running down the tunnel, hearing his name announced as a starter at Sanford Stadium:

"That'd be a great moment," he said. "I think that's something everybody looks forward to, seeing their name on that starting list and seeing their picture up there on the Sanford Stadium scoreboard. That'll feel good."

The Bulldogs play the Eagles on Saturday with kickoff scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Sanford Stadium. The game will be streamed live on ESPN3.com and televised locally on WSB-TV in Atlanta. The game will also be broadcast on the Bulldog Sports Network.