The Bulldogs practice saw the coaching staff getting after their guys yesterday and perfection was being demanded all over the field. Also saw a few different guys getting in some first team reps today that I have not noticed before on the defensive side of the ball.
On the offensive side of the ball the injury report remains the same, Sony Michel was in a non-contact black jersey and Charlie Woerner was not participating in practice but was doing some light work on the side. Woerner did not have a boot on today, which should mean he’s getting close to being back to full strength and could be back as a normal participant very soon.
On the defensive side of the ball the injury report did not change, as well. Quincy Mauger was on a bike and had a boot on his left ankle and John Atkins was on a bike too but did some walking around and had a knee brace on his left knee for all of the media session of practice. Each injury does not seem to be very serious but Atkins has been lingering on for a while and I would not be surprised to see him participating more some time next week. Also, Juwuan Briscoe was spotted in a black non-contact jersey again but seemed to have normal participation in all of the drills that I saw.
One of the most notable position changes that occurred this week was Rashad Roundtree moving from safety to inside linebacker and he continued to work at that position today. Coach Smart mentioned that Roundtree’s move was to help alleviate depth concerns and I imagine the coaching staff is hoping Roundtree turns into an Alec Ogletree type of inside linebacker.
Another position change that stood out today was cornerback Aaron Davis seemed to be handling Quincy Mauger’s reps at safety while he is out with his ankle injury. Also Roquan Smith seemed to be taking a few first team reps at inside linebacker today, granted what we saw is very limited and it could have been a different scheme or package that had him out there today. Natrez Patrick continued to man the other inside linebacker position where he has been a staple in practice thus far.
As mentioned earlier, The coaches today were really getting after the players and the two main coaches to do this were Kirby Smart and Tracy Rocker. Smart was getting on to players for running out of steam during drills and told some that they needed to get in better shape. Coach Rocker was much more critical of players in his position group and had them repeat drills over and over again until every player got it right. Although this may have been very frustrating for the defensive lineman, Rocker’s demand for perfection will get these guys more prepped for the season opener. The staff is really getting the players ready and these guys should be more than prepared to face the Tar Heels in the Georgia Dome.
Michael Pope DawgByte I would expect no less from a first year head coach. Check back in a decade and a half.
WeSavedOurselves Well, UGA certainly has a fiery one now.
The pic Greg Poole took in yesterday’s practice of Trenton Thompson knocking Julian Rochester back in drills was awesome. Tracy Rocker really seems to be the hardest on him from your reports, but that is a good sign. Tells me Rocker sees a lot of potential for what TT could be as a d-lineman.
Hope John Atkins is good to go for North Carolina, but @RumRunnerDoogie made a good point and I’ll propose the same thing; would it be so bad if Georgia worked Atkins back in slowly and gave him just a few snap vs. North Carolina, if any at all, in order to make sure he is healthy for that stretch of Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee and South Carolina starting in week 3?
Thanks for the report Michael Pope . Good job man.
Michael Pope DawgByte Players feed off of the personality/demeanor of their coaches. Ultimately, it’s the players execution of the game plan that determines their success. But I don’t think you can discount the impact that a coach(s) with fiery passion and zeal can bring out in his players. IMO, it communicates an intensity that players really want and need.
Thank you Michael really enjoying the information you are bringing.
Michael Pope DawgByte Thank you Michael. I agree with you that every coach is going to have a different style, so there’s no single formula for success. I’m sure Richt mimicked how Bowdin use to run his practices and that it was the right approach.
DawgByte The only way I can really answer that question is through what I’ve heard others say about how it was last year compared to this year. Most people that I talk to say that there is much more intensity this year and that this is all stemming from Coach Smart. One reporter I talked to said CMR kinda strolled through practice and made sure everything was up to par but he was not as active as Coach Smart. I’m not trying to take anything away from Coach Richt, each coach has their own type of methods and his were working in some capacity because he was averaging 10 wins a year. However, Kirby is moving all over the field constantly and gets very involved in the drills. An example of this is like during wide receiver drills you’ll sometimes see Kirby acting as the DB with a bags on his arms and he’s actively involved trying to knock the ball loose from the guys. So from what I’ve heard Kirby is much more involved and his involvement is always with great intensity as he is trying to get the most out of his guys on every rep.
Michael do you see a difference in intensity between this year and last? If you see differences, what are they? Thanks.