Bulldawg Illustrated : News Releases

Georgia Tech Rallies To Beat Georgia, 67-62

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

ATLANTA, Ga.—-Lewis Clinch sank a pair of free throws with four seconds remaining to seal Georgia Tech’s 67-62 comeback win over Georgia Tuesday at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.

The Bulldogs (9-6) led 45-32 four minutes into the second half but couldn’t hold off the Yellow Jackets (9-5), who grabbed 23 offensive rebounds and scored 44 points in the paint to Georgia’s 22.

“It’s easy to sum this one up,” head coach Dennis Felton said. “The second chance shots allowed them to breakthrough and win a hard fought game. They had 12 steals and were trapping and swarming all over the court, and when we were able to aggressively attack their pressure and get it to the rim, they wiped out many shots with blocks.

“They are a very good rebounding team,” Felton said. “We defended them awfully well and held them to 36 percent shooting. They just got too many of them back for scores.”

With the score knotted at 60, Zachery Peacock’s layup gave Georgia Tech a two point lead and Gani Lawal’s putback on the Yellow Jackets’ next possession pushed the lead to 64-60 with 20 second remaining.

The Bulldogs had a chance to tie the game trailing 65-62, but Terrance Woodbury missed a three-pointer from the corner with seven seconds left.

“I thought our guys competed well everything considered,” Felton said. “We were just a couple of plays away from finishing it and winning it.”

Trey Thompkins scored 20 points and pulled down nine rebounds to lead the Bulldogs while Woodbury added 15 points.

Peacock led Georgia Tech 18 points and 13 rebounds and Gani Lawal had 15 points and 14 boards.

Georgia led 38-28 at halftime aided by a pair of 9-0 runs and 13 points by Thompkins. The Bulldogs held a 13 point lead three times early in the second half, but were outscored 35-17 in the final 15:51.

The home team has won all but one game in the Georgia-Georgia Tech series since the two teams resumed playing on campus sites for the 1995-96 season.

Georgia plays host to No. 15 Tennessee in the SEC opener for both squads Saturday at noon. The game will be televised by Raycom Sports.

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Stafford and Moreno will announce NFL intentions at 3 p.m.

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

A news conference will be held today (Wednesday) at 3 p.m. in the team meeting room of the Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall. Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford and tailback Knowshon Moreno will be present to announce their intentions towards going to the NFL or not.

ESPN.com’s Mark Schlabach is reporting, according his sources, that both players will in fact leave the collegiate ranks from pros.

UGA Coach Rodney Garner to remain at Georgia

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

ATHENS- University of Georgia defensive line coach Rodney Garner, the first assistant coach hired by Mark Richt at UGA, will remain with the Bulldog coaching staff after considering an offer from the University of Tennessee to coach on the offensive side of the ball.

“Certainly I’m flattered and am sincerely appreciative of the interest shown by Tennessee,” said Garner. “But in the final analysis the positives at Georgia were the determining factors. My heart is coaching on the defensive side of the ball. I enjoy working with Coach Richt and the rest of the staff and our family loves being a part of the Athens community. And we have some really good defensive linemen returning next year along with some outstanding newcomers. Our family felt that we wanted to continue with the goals we had set when Coach Richt came in December of 2000 of helping build the Georgia program.”

“Rodney has been an integral part of the success we’ve enjoyed over the past eight years,” said Richt. “He’s produced some outstanding defensive linemen and is nationally known as one of the country’s very best recruiters. But he also has been instrumental in many areas of our football program in addition to coaching on the field and recruiting. He’s done an outstanding job in all areas of his responsibility and we’re excited about moving forward with Rodney, Kim and their daughters as part of our coaching family.”

A native of Leeds, Alabama, and All-SEC offensive lineman at Auburn, Garner served as defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator on Richt’s first staff and added the title of Assistant Head Coach in 2005. He participated in the inaugural Minority Coaches Forum in 2006 and was selected one of ten coaches from throughout the country to participate in the 2004 NCAA Expert Coaching Academy in Indianapolis. Garner was also chosen in 2004 as one of 20 coaches selected for the NCAA Advanced Coaching Academy.

Prior to joining Richt’s staff, Garner served two years with former Bulldog coach Jim Donnan after assistant coaching tenures at Auburn and Tennessee. Since coming to Georgia he has coached four NFL first round draft choices—Richard Seymour, Marcus Stroud, Charles Grant, and Jonathan Sullivan.

Coach Mark Richt Reflects On The 2008 Bulldog Season

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

ATHENS, Ga.—-For the sixth time in the past seven seasons, Georgia won at least 10 games, and Bulldog head coach Mark Richt said he and his staff are hungry for a championship just like the fans.

In his annual conference call with the media to review the season, Richt said the Bulldogs would continue to aim for Southeastern Conference Championships and the chance to play for a national title.

“The main thing for us, we absolutely want to maximize our potential in every area of our program,” said Richt. “I want our coaches to get better, for myself to become a better leader, our players to become the best possible player they can be in the off-season, spring ball, academically, socially. I want everything to improve. We’ve got a tremendous base of talent, outstanding coaches and tremendous support. We’ve got the ingredients. Each player, coach, everybody involved, we need to make sure they are hungry and get after it. We play in a tough league and everybody else is trying to do the same. We’re going to bang heads and be the best we can be. It’s a tough league.”

On Monday, Richt said he was pleased that assistant head coach/ recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner decided to remain at Georgia. Tennessee and Auburn had approached him recently, and the Tigers also had interest in Bulldog offensive line coach Stacy Searels.

“It’s very big and important to have all our coaches here, and it’s a blessing to the program,” said Richt. “To keep Rodney and Stacey on staff is very big, it’s big to have everybody on staff. When you have outstanding people, other folks are attracted to them, and they will want to talk to them. All of our coaches are worth fighting for. In the end, it comes down to where these guys want to be, where their heart is. I’m thankful Rodney is staying, Stacey is staying, and all the guys are staying. Georgia is bigger than any one man, I do believe in continuity, and the right kind of men, and we have that.”

Richt added that he want guys who want to be at Georgia, and their decision motivates him to be a better head coach, leader and to help everyone reach their full potential.

“It’s great for Georgia that they get that kind of opportunity and decide Georgia is where they want to be,” said Richt.

Richt indicated that he had not heard any news from junior quarterback Matthew Stafford or redshirt sophomore running back Knowshon Moreno on their status of either returning to Georgia or turning professional. The deadline to declare for the National Football League draft is Jan. 15.

“In a week’s time or less, we may know what they are going to do,” said Richt. “I don’t want to put undue pressure on them, they have to figure it out by themselves. I want what’s best for them and to have their heart in it.”

After the regular season, Richt mentioned how injuries took a toll on the Bulldogs starting with their approach in practice. During bowl workouts, Georgia opted for more contact and it helped, according to Richt.

“We practiced different this year, and it was attributed to the number of injuries in camp,” said Richt. “We addressed that in the way we practiced for the bowl. We tackled more in our bowl practices than we did all season long. I think our defense improved in that time frame. They tackled better, had more of a swagger in that game. That’s part of it, practicing the way we need to practice.”

Richt said the staff would look at personnel and make sure everyone is in the right spot. As far as playing time for incoming freshmen, Richt said the best guys are going to play. he’ll start,” said Richt. “That’s true at any position. Look at receiver, A.J. (Green) came in and we’ve got nine other receivers on scholarship and eventually he became a starter and led the league in receiving.”

“If one of those freshman comes in and is good enough to start,

After beginning 2008 as the preseason number one ranked team, Richt said if the Bulldogs were highly ranked to start 2009, they would understand better that it doesn’t really mean a thing.

“What really matters is the focus and the work and staying healthy,” said Richt.

Georgia concluded the 2008 season with a 10-3 record capped by a 24-12 win over Michigan State in the 2009 Capital One Bowl.

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2009 Capital One Bowl - Georgia 24 Michigan State 12 Game Notes

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

40th Win For Seniors: For the sixth consecutive year, the senior class registered at least 40 wins in their career. Georgia finishes 10-3 and the senior class goes 40-12 with one SEC title, two SEC Eastern Division titles and 3-1 mark in bowls. The Bulldogs have collected 10-win seasons now six times in Mark Richt’s eight years at the helm and the Bulldogs are 82-22 overall in his tenure.

Stafford’s Big Second Half Nets MVP Award: Junior Matthew Stafford (20-for-31, 250 yards, 3 TDs) He set a single season school record with 25 TD passes on the season, the record-setting one coming to Knowshon Moreno covering 21 yards to make it 24-12. In the first half, Stafford was 6-for-14 for 71 yards and no TDs. In the second half, he was 14-for-17 for 179 yards a Georgia bowl record-tying 3 TDs. Also in his career, Stafford was the Offensive MVP for the 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl 31-24 comeback win over Va. Tech. Stafford threw for 3,459 yards this year, the 2nd best tally in school history, trailing only Eric Zeier’s 3,525 yards in 1993.

6 Bowl Sacks: In the first half, Georgia had four sacks (Asher Allen, Dannell Ellerbe, Jarius Wynn, and a half each for Demarcus Dobbs and Justin Houston). In the second half, UGA had two more (Wynn and Corvey Irvin) to finish with a season-high six. In last year’s Sugar Bowl win over Hawaii, UGA had a school/bowl record eight sacks. Also, Georgia limited MSU’s potent rushing attack to 31 yards. Javon Ringer was held to 47 yards on 20 attempts with one TD.

Moreno Moves Up: Sophomore Knowshon Moreno finished with 62 yards rushing on 23 carries plus had a career-high six catches for 63 yards including a 21-yard TD. He ended up with 1,400 yards on the year and currently has 2,734 in his two seasons.

Another Bowl Win: With today’s 24-12 win over #19 MSU, Georgia is now 25-16-3 in bowl history including 6-2 under Mark Richt. Today marked Georgia’s fifth appearance in Orlando and is 3-1-1 here. Also, Georgia is 2-0 against the Spartans, both bowl wins. The Bulldogs are 34-3 against teams from outside the SEC in the Richt era.

Another Long TD Drive: Georgia had its fourth TD drive that covered 90 plus yards this season. Today, the Bulldogs went 96 yards on 10 plays, capped by a 35-yard pass from Stafford to Michael Moore. The drive took 5:51 and gave the Bulldogs a 10-6 edge. Georgia’s longest this year covered 99 yards against Central Michigan. Moore set a career high with 6 catches for 97 yards today.

Punt Return Record: Georgia set a new record for punt return average this season at 17.58, breaking the old mark of 16.48 set in 1980. For the year, Georgia had 422 punt return yards on 24 returns. Today, they had 1 return for 38 yards.

Low Point Total In 1st Half: Georgia’s three points at the half matched their lowest in a bowl since trailing Virginia Tech 21-3 in the 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl. The Bulldogs rallied for a 31-24 win. It was the lowest combined total in the first half of a bowl since the 1985 Sun Bowl. It was 3-3 at the half and ended up in a 13-13 tie with Arizona.

Points Off Turnovers: Georgia created one turnover (Reshad Jones team-leading 5th INT) while MSU scored 3 points off two turnovers. The first one came on an interception (a tipped pass off Michael Moore from Matthew Stafford) and it led to a field goal. It tied the game at 3-3 with 4:50 left in the first quarter. On the next possession, Georgia’s A.J. Green fumbled on a reverse to give MSU the ball at the Georgia 46. It led to a punt. Although not a turnover, MSU got the ball at the UGA 40 following a botched punt attempt by Brian Mimbs. It led to a FG and a 6-3 lead with 2:14 left in the 1st half.

Captains: Georgia’s captains today were seniors Mohamed Massaquoi (SE), Brannan Southerland (FB), Andrew Williams (SS) and Corvey Irvin (DT).

Starters: On offense, Georgia started in a four-receiver set with no fullback or tight end as Mohamed Massaquoi, Kris Durham, A.J. Green and Michael Moore were part of a no-huddle offense. Junior QB Matthew Stafford made his 32nd consecutive start while senior safety CJ Byrd leads the defense with 26 consecutive starts.

Injury Report: Sophomore starting tackle Josh Davis injured his left shoulder in the third quarter and missed the remainder of the game.

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Georgia Concludes Capital One Bowl Workouts

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

ORLANDO, FLA.--The 16th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs had their final practice of the season here Tuesday as they get set to face Michigan State in the 2009 Capital One Bowl.

The Bulldogs (9-3) held their fifth practice at Olympia High School since arriving on Dec. 26. With temperatures in the low 80s, the team had a 90-minute workout in jerseys, shorts, helmets and shells.

“We didn’t run into each other today as we get ready for the game,” said Georgia coach Mark Richt. “It’s been a pretty good week of practice and will be a good game.”

Richt was asked to reflect on the memorable plays from the regular season, and he said he usually takes time to look back once the season is over. However, he did mention a couple of plays that stood out.

“The South Carolina game, Rennie’s (Curran) big hit that caused the fumble helped us win that game, and Demarcus’ (Dobbs) interception against Kentucky after Matthew’s (Stafford) touchdown pass to A.J. (Green) gave us the lead,” said Richt. “Also, I’d say the touchdown pass from Stafford to Green against Auburn. We’ve had a lot of big plays this year.”

After practice, four Bulldogs participated in a bowl press conference held at a local restaurant. Seniors Corvey Irvin and Mohamed Massaquoi along with juniors Matthew Stafford and Asher Allen answered questions ranging from their seasons, career and facing the Spartans. Also, the team visited SeaWorld Adventure park.

“We’re trying to get our 10th win this year and send our seniors out with their 40th win,” said Stafford.

Bowl games spark debate on the strength of conferences, and the Capital One Bowl pits the Southeastern Conference versus the Big Ten.

“We’ll get to see how we compare with them, how the styles match up, it should be a great game to watch,” said Massaquoi. “They play with a lot of confidence and expect to win like any competitor would. We respect them.”

“It’s been 85 degrees here compared to 40 to 50 at home, and we have enjoyed being down here,” said Irvin. “We’ve had fun running around the different parks, Orlando is a great city and this has been a fun bowl.”

“Our last game left a bad taste in our mouth so we want to do like last year and come out with a bowl victory,” said Allen. “You want to end the season on a good note and use that to energize you during spring and summer training for the next year.”

On Wednesday, the Bulldogs will take a team picture at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium and hold a series of meetings. Also, they will attend a Capital One Bowl kickoff luncheon.

Georgia battles the Spartans (9-3) on Jan. 1 with kickoff slated for 1 p.m. on ABC.

Bulldogs Have Fourth Bowl Practice In Orlando

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

ORLANDO - Georgia’s football team practiced for 90 minutes at Olympia High School in Orlando as preparations continued for the Capital One Bowl versus Michigan State.

“This has been a great bowl trip so far,” said Georgia head coach Mark Richt. “The guys have been focusing during football time and enjoying the other activities that were set up. I think they have done a good job balancing both.”

After arriving on Friday, the 16th-ranked Bulldogs have already visited Disney World and played miniature golf with disadvantaged children from the Orlando area. Attention has also been spent preparing for the 19th-ranked Spartans.

“It has been a great experience so far,” said senior defensive end Jeremy Lomax. “The atmosphere and the weather have been really nice. It’s a (Southeastern Conference), Big 10 matchup and we want to get the victory. We know it’s going to be a challenge since they have a great running game. Javon Ringer is very elusive. He’s definitely got it. But we also know they have a great passing game too so we have to work on our pass rush.”

On Sunday, each Georgia player got a $400 gift card to use at Best Buy, and they purchased a variety of items including televisions, cameras and video games. The Bulldogs were also able to make a donation to the Athens Boys and Girls Club as well after an idea from someone affiliated with the program.

“The guys had a great time and cleaned up pretty good at Best Buy,” Richt said. “Before we went, someone had an idea to add up all of the money left on the gift cards after the guys were done and give whatever was leftover to the Athens Boys and Girls Club. The guys agreed to it and I think it was neat that we were able to donate about $3,000 worth of equipment.”

The players also enjoyed adding another item to bring back to Athens with them.

“It was really fun to go in there knowing we could spend $400 and I decided to get a 32-inch T.V.,” said senior fullback Brannan Southerland. “It seemed like the guys were having a good time.”

Monday started with a Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) breakfast before the morning practice. The team will visit Universal Studios later in the afternoon following their position meetings.

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Bulldogs Enjoying Bowl Trip

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

ORLANDO, FLA.--It was another busy, fun-filled day for the 16th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs here Sunday as they prepare for the 2009 Capital One Bowl.

Student-athletes and coaches from Georgia and Michigan State began the day at Disney’s Winter/Summertime Miniature Golf where they played mini-golf and had lunch with disadvantaged youth from the Central Florida area.

“I loved it, and our players looked like they were having as much fun as the kids,” said Georgia coach Mark Richt. “I liked how both teams were interacting with each other. I think that is healthy.”

Sunday marked the third of five practices for the Bulldogs at Olympia High School. With temperature reaching the low 80s, the team practiced for two hours in jerseys, shorts, helmets, and shells.

“It’s hot today, probably the hottest day yet,” said Richt. “I know Michigan State is practicing the same time we are so we’ll see which team can adapt to it more quickly.”

Richt mentioned that after the bowl game, redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Chris Davis will have off-season hip surgery. Davis has been a starter since 2007, a streak of 25 consecutive games. He is scheduled to have surgery on Jan. 15 and the recovery time is usually four-to-six months, putting him out for spring practice.

The Bulldogs face the Spartans (9-3) on Jan. 1 with kickoff slated for 1 p.m. on ABC. MSU’s offense is centered around star running back Javon Ringer who accounts for 97 percent of the Spartans rushing attack. He has 1,688 yards and 21 touchdowns this season.

“There’s fine line between practice which is all business and then after practice having fun,” said senior defensive tackle and captain Corvey Irvin. “When we’re at practice, we’re trying to get ready to win a ball game. This can be a boost for the 2009 season.”

After practice, the team headed to Best Buy for their signature bowl gift, a $400 shopping spree.

Monday’s schedule includes a Fellowship of Christian Athletes breakfast at the First Baptist Church of Orlando, a morning practice and an afternoon at the Universal Orlando theme park.

Bulldogs Begin Workouts In Orlando - Searels staying

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

ORLANDO, FLA.—-The 16th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs arrived here Friday and held a 90-minute evening workout at Olympia High School in preparation for the Jan. 1 Capital One Bowl.

Friday’s workout marked the first of five for the Bulldogs (9-3) before they face 19th-ranked Michigan State (9-3). Georgia head coach Mark Richt said he was pleased that everyone was accounted for when the team gathered for its first practice after the holidays.

“We’ve got three players that had some travel issues, but we’ve talked to all of them, and they are safe and sound and on the way,” said Richt. “We took five days off for Christmas and now it’s back to work. We’ll get what we need. It was important to get a workout in tonight. It’s a cool evening, and we know it’s going to be warm tomorrow.”

Richt announced that offensive line coach Stacy Searels will remain at Georgia after his alma mater, Auburn, had shown interest for a position on their staff.

“He (Stacy) is staying at Georgia, and we’re glad about that,” said Richt. “He’s done a fantastic job for us. We talked about it and decided to wait until we got to the bowl site until making an announcement.”

While winning the bowl game is the top priority on this trip, the Bulldogs said they enjoyed the holiday break and would be excited about visiting the area theme parks during the week.

“We’re glad to be here, we like the weather, it feels good,” said sophomore running back Knowshon Moreno. “It was good to be home with the family and now we’re looking forward to the game. It will be a tough contest, Michigan State has a good defense.”

“I love the game so much, I wanted to keep playing,” said Georgia senior defensive tackle and captain Corvey Irvin. “Now that we are in Orlando, we have to get ready mentally and physically to stop Javon Ringer and Michigan State’s running game.” # #

Bulldogs Continue Capital One Bowl Preparations

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

ORLANDO, Fla. —The 16th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs continued preparations for the Capital One Bowl by holding a two-hour workout in full pads on a unseasonably warm Saturday with the temperature reaching 81 degrees.

Saturday marked the second of five practices for the Bulldogs at Olympia High School and the only one in full pads. The team will practice in jerseys, shorts, helmets, and shells the remainder of the week. After practice, the team will have the option of visiting the four different parks that comprise Walt Disney World. The Bulldogs can go to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.

“I talked to the team last night and told them this is a greatest city in the world for this type of entertainment,” said Georgia coach Mark Richt. “There’s no shame in acting like a kid at the parks so enjoy it. For the rest of the week, I’m looking forward to taking a couple of naps and going to a couple of the parks with my family.”

Richt said the Bulldogs are staying focused during bowl practices. Along with winning the game over 19th-ranked Michigan State, Georgia hopes to help a couple of receivers reach a milestone of a 1,000-yard season. Senior Mohamed Massaquoi (910 yards) and freshman A.J. Green (951 yards) rank as the top two in the Southeastern Conference in receiving yards. Georgia has had only one 1,000-yard receiver in school history, Terrence Edwards in 2002 (1,004 yards).

“For both to get 1,000 yards, it would be fun for them, for Matthew (Stafford) and our offensive staff,” said Richt. “Most importantly, it shows the balance of our offense with having a running back as good as Knowshon (Moreno) who has over 1,300 rushing yards too. They are a tough group to defend.”

Meanwhile, the Spartans (9-3) have a talented running back of their own in Javon Ringer. He has 1,688 yards and 21 touchdowns to highlight the MSU attack.

“We’ve got to be able to stop the run, Javon Ringer is one of the best running backs in the country,” said junior cornerback Asher Allen. “We’ve been pretty good against the run except for our last game with that triple-option attack. We’ve got to run to the ball and play with intensity and make plays.”

Sophomore linebacker Rennie Curran, who ranks second in the SEC with a team-high 109 tackles said the Bulldogs are working on fundamentals and pushing each other in practice to get better each day as the week goes along.

“We’ve got something to prove,” said Curran. “We didn’t play well last time out, and this is our last game of the season, and we look at it as our first in the new year. We want to end on a good note and start off the new year right too.”

Georgia had a special guest at practice Saturday in former lettermen and star tailback Charles “Rabbit” Smith (1943-46). He spoke briefly with Moreno and several coaches. Smith once scored four touchdowns in a 48-6 rout of Bear Bryant’s Kentucky squad in Lexington in 1945. One of Smith’s four touchdowns that day covered 86 yards, which ranks as the fourth longest in school history. Smith started the 1943 season opener at tailback and was the last Bulldog freshman tailback to do that until Danny Ware in 2004.

Georgia will spend Sunday morning with disadvantaged youth from the Central Florida area at Disney’s Winter/Summertime Miniature Golf. They will hold an afternoon practice and then go to Best Buy for their signature bowl gift of a $400 shopping spree. # #