Georgia coach Mark Richt chats about the stakes this weekend as the Bulldogs take on Georgia, the thrill of the rivalry, the reason Georgia hasn't succeeded in big games recently and more. Listen here 
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.Richt: Somebody needed to say something
October, 24, 2012
10/24/12
3:15
PM ET
By
Chris Low | ESPN.com
Georgia senior safety Shawn Williams didn’t hold back this week when he fumed that the Bulldogs were playing soft on defense and without any emotion.
Williams didn’t stop there, either. He went on to say that Alec Ogletree and Amarlo Herrera should be getting most of the snaps at inside linebacker. Christian Robinson and Michael Gilliard have also been rotating in at inside linebacker this season.
Georgia coach Mark Richt wasn’t thrilled with the way Williams went about it, but Richt said the Bulldogs’ defense needed a kick in the pants.
Georgia has allowed 633 rushing yards in its past three games, including 206 last week to Kentucky. Despite a bevy of starters returning, the Bulldogs are ninth in the SEC in total defense and eighth in scoring defense.
Williams had obviously seen enough, especially with Saturday’s critical showdown with Florida looming.
“Sometimes a guy’s got to step up and say something,” Richt said Wednesday. “Now, I don’t think it’s right to necessarily make it as public as it was. A lot of times, there are meetings where players get together and say, ‘You know what? We’ve got to get better. It starts with me.’ I think that’s a good thing for a team. It’s better when it comes from the players and not the coaches.
“Do I think it was a catalyst to help jolt our guys a little? I think so, or at least we’ll see on Saturday.”
Robinson said Williams’ outburst “wasn’t what I wanted to hear,” but added that everybody makes mistakes.
The bottom line is that Georgia simply hasn’t played up to expectations or its talent level on defense.
“I do think the guys (on defense) have an expectation like everybody else, and they know they haven’t met that expectation,” Richt said. “They want to do better. They do care very much, and we do have a good, unified group, even though sometimes even in the family, somebody might say something you don’t like. It might hurt your feelings. But in the end, it was done with the intention of making things better, and I think that’s what everybody is focusing on right now.”
The suspensions earlier in the season and then having to incorporate those players back into the lineup a little bit at a time has clearly stunted Georgia’s development on defense.
“When you’re building the foundation of a defense or offensive line or whatever it may be, you want to start in the spring and take it through the summer, start a certain way in camp and have everybody working together all that time and building those positive reps together,” Richt said. “We were just not able to do that for assorted reasons, and we’re paying a little bit of a price for that.
“We knew the deal going in. We’re not crying about it or making excuses. We just know we’ve got to get better, and that’s what we’re focusing on.”
Williams didn’t stop there, either. He went on to say that Alec Ogletree and Amarlo Herrera should be getting most of the snaps at inside linebacker. Christian Robinson and Michael Gilliard have also been rotating in at inside linebacker this season.
Georgia coach Mark Richt wasn’t thrilled with the way Williams went about it, but Richt said the Bulldogs’ defense needed a kick in the pants.
Georgia has allowed 633 rushing yards in its past three games, including 206 last week to Kentucky. Despite a bevy of starters returning, the Bulldogs are ninth in the SEC in total defense and eighth in scoring defense.
Williams had obviously seen enough, especially with Saturday’s critical showdown with Florida looming.
“Sometimes a guy’s got to step up and say something,” Richt said Wednesday. “Now, I don’t think it’s right to necessarily make it as public as it was. A lot of times, there are meetings where players get together and say, ‘You know what? We’ve got to get better. It starts with me.’ I think that’s a good thing for a team. It’s better when it comes from the players and not the coaches.
“Do I think it was a catalyst to help jolt our guys a little? I think so, or at least we’ll see on Saturday.”
Robinson said Williams’ outburst “wasn’t what I wanted to hear,” but added that everybody makes mistakes.
The bottom line is that Georgia simply hasn’t played up to expectations or its talent level on defense.
“I do think the guys (on defense) have an expectation like everybody else, and they know they haven’t met that expectation,” Richt said. “They want to do better. They do care very much, and we do have a good, unified group, even though sometimes even in the family, somebody might say something you don’t like. It might hurt your feelings. But in the end, it was done with the intention of making things better, and I think that’s what everybody is focusing on right now.”
The suspensions earlier in the season and then having to incorporate those players back into the lineup a little bit at a time has clearly stunted Georgia’s development on defense.
“When you’re building the foundation of a defense or offensive line or whatever it may be, you want to start in the spring and take it through the summer, start a certain way in camp and have everybody working together all that time and building those positive reps together,” Richt said. “We were just not able to do that for assorted reasons, and we’re paying a little bit of a price for that.
“We knew the deal going in. We’re not crying about it or making excuses. We just know we’ve got to get better, and that’s what we’re focusing on.”
GatorNation links: Rivalry regains steam
October, 24, 2012
10/24/12
2:26
PM ET
By Recruiting Nation staff | ESPN.com
Note: During this rivalry week, DawgNation will offer you a peek behind enemy lines with links to GatorNation stories.
Michael DiRocco writes: The Florida-Georgia rivalry is picking up steam again after the Gators dominated the rivalry with Georgia for more than 15 years, with intrigue returning to the border battle during the past five seasons.
DiRocco: A look at the Top 5 Georgia-Florida heartbreakers.
DiRocco: Gators coaches are punishing ‘violators’ who don't carry the football reliably.
Derek Tyson and Kipp Adams write
: Former Gators receiver Jacquez Green and former Dawgs defensive lineman Marcus Stroud are linked as two of the top recruiting battles in the history of the Florida-Georgia rivalry.
Michael DiRocco writes: The Florida-Georgia rivalry is picking up steam again after the Gators dominated the rivalry with Georgia for more than 15 years, with intrigue returning to the border battle during the past five seasons.
DiRocco: A look at the Top 5 Georgia-Florida heartbreakers.
DiRocco: Gators coaches are punishing ‘violators’ who don't carry the football reliably.
Derek Tyson and Kipp Adams write
: Former Gators receiver Jacquez Green and former Dawgs defensive lineman Marcus Stroud are linked as two of the top recruiting battles in the history of the Florida-Georgia rivalry.
With an enormously important game against No. 2 Florida ahead on Saturday, Georgia coach Mark Richt used his time Wednesday on the SEC’s weekly teleconference to discuss the importance run defense, momentum and improved defensive intensity will have in the Bulldogs’ showdown with the Gators.
1. Defending the run
Richt has emphasized all week the importance of turnovers in his experience in the Georgia-Florida series. But aside from that key element of the game, he believes Georgia’s ability to slow down Mike Gillislee and the Gators’ dominant rushing attack -- and the Bulldogs struggled in that area last weekend against Kentucky -- will be the biggest determining factor in the outcome.
1. Defending the run
Richt has emphasized all week the importance of turnovers in his experience in the Georgia-Florida series. But aside from that key element of the game, he believes Georgia’s ability to slow down Mike Gillislee and the Gators’ dominant rushing attack -- and the Bulldogs struggled in that area last weekend against Kentucky -- will be the biggest determining factor in the outcome.
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Gators, Dawgs on different paths in Jax
October, 24, 2012
10/24/12
12:30
PM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
Success can be a tricky thing to handle.
Too much, and arrogance can set in. Too little, and depression follows.
For Florida’s football team, success has seemingly come and gone like the tide the past few years. From 2008 to 2009, the Gators stood with the giants of college football with a 26-2 record, a national championship and an SEC title. Then, Florida dabbled in mediocrity for two years with a 15-11 record.
Now, that wave of success has touched land in Gainesville again with the Gators undefeated and No. 2 in the BCS standings. A win against Georgia on Saturday, and Florida claims the SEC Eastern Division for the first time since 2009.
Florida’s rise back to relevancy has been a pleasant surprise, but so much success so quickly can be crippling, especially when players aren’t used to it.
Unlike the weeks -- and years, really -- prior, now all the pressure is on Florida. Win, and the Gators are headed to Atlanta. Lose, and the East is all but lost to one of its biggest rivals. All the work, the road comebacks and the top-10 victories will drift away.
That can be a lot for a team to digest, but senior defensive tackle Omar Hunter, one of the few Gators who has seen this sort of success before at the college level, doesn’t see a change in approach. The same demeanor that got Florida to 7-0 hasn’t disappeared before the season’s biggest game.
“This team is pretty mature compared to where we were last year,” Hunter said. “For the most part, those guys have been pretty focused on what we have to get done and not let stuff get to them.”
What Florida has to do is win, but it faces a team that was expected to be in Florida’s spot. The 10th-ranked Bulldogs (6-1) are almost limping into Saturday’s showdown. They were routed by South Carolina this month and are having an internal war of words on defense.
For a team that had BCS aspirations before the season, the Bulldogs will quietly bus into Jacksonville with a lot to prove. And unlike the Gators, this is familiar territory for the Dawgs.
They climbed out of an 0-2 hole with 10 straight wins to get to Atlanta last season. Going against the odds was Georgia’s specialty, and its hope is that last season’s experience helps it Saturday.
“What we see is if we win out, there’s no reason why we can’t ... do all of the things that we dreamed at the beginning,” senior linebacker Christian Robinson said. “That’s the same as it was last year.
“Right now, we have our backs against the wall, and we have to decide what we need to do.”
First, this team has to come together. On Monday, senior safety Shawn Williams called his defense out for playing “soft” and went on to discuss which players should be playing at linebacker. He left a few names off and hurt some feelings, as players acknowledged that they’d rather keep such talk in-house.
Whether that will motivate players or leave them sulking has yet to be seen, but when it comes to a game like this, Georgia can’t let silly bickering hold it back. Not in do-or-die mode.
“That’s where we’re at right now, so I think the guys understand how important this thing is,” coach Mark Richt said. “It’s pretty obvious. So I don’t think we’re going to have to sit here and try to figure out a way to motivate anybody.”
Just the Cocktail Party’s existence should be motivation enough for both teams, but for the Gators, you have to wonder whether their surprising run leading up to Saturday's showdown has them feeling a little presumptuous. According to their head coach, that isn’t the case.
“Nothing’s changed for us. We’re not working any longer, harder. Practice, it’s all the same,” Muschamp said. “We don’t approach things differently based on the situation, because next week’s important, too.”
The de facto semifinal for the SEC championship could turn the tide for both programs -- one soaring and one stumbling. Pressure and rankings will mean little between those hash marks.
“Any given Saturday, anything can happen,” Robinson said.
“You hope that you have that type of team that’s not going to lay down and die.”
Too much, and arrogance can set in. Too little, and depression follows.
For Florida’s football team, success has seemingly come and gone like the tide the past few years. From 2008 to 2009, the Gators stood with the giants of college football with a 26-2 record, a national championship and an SEC title. Then, Florida dabbled in mediocrity for two years with a 15-11 record.
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John Sommers II/Getty ImagesCoach Will Muschamp has Florida back in the top five of the national rankings.
John Sommers II/Getty ImagesCoach Will Muschamp has Florida back in the top five of the national rankings. Florida’s rise back to relevancy has been a pleasant surprise, but so much success so quickly can be crippling, especially when players aren’t used to it.
Unlike the weeks -- and years, really -- prior, now all the pressure is on Florida. Win, and the Gators are headed to Atlanta. Lose, and the East is all but lost to one of its biggest rivals. All the work, the road comebacks and the top-10 victories will drift away.
That can be a lot for a team to digest, but senior defensive tackle Omar Hunter, one of the few Gators who has seen this sort of success before at the college level, doesn’t see a change in approach. The same demeanor that got Florida to 7-0 hasn’t disappeared before the season’s biggest game.
“This team is pretty mature compared to where we were last year,” Hunter said. “For the most part, those guys have been pretty focused on what we have to get done and not let stuff get to them.”
What Florida has to do is win, but it faces a team that was expected to be in Florida’s spot. The 10th-ranked Bulldogs (6-1) are almost limping into Saturday’s showdown. They were routed by South Carolina this month and are having an internal war of words on defense.
For a team that had BCS aspirations before the season, the Bulldogs will quietly bus into Jacksonville with a lot to prove. And unlike the Gators, this is familiar territory for the Dawgs.
They climbed out of an 0-2 hole with 10 straight wins to get to Atlanta last season. Going against the odds was Georgia’s specialty, and its hope is that last season’s experience helps it Saturday.
“What we see is if we win out, there’s no reason why we can’t ... do all of the things that we dreamed at the beginning,” senior linebacker Christian Robinson said. “That’s the same as it was last year.
“Right now, we have our backs against the wall, and we have to decide what we need to do.”
First, this team has to come together. On Monday, senior safety Shawn Williams called his defense out for playing “soft” and went on to discuss which players should be playing at linebacker. He left a few names off and hurt some feelings, as players acknowledged that they’d rather keep such talk in-house.
Whether that will motivate players or leave them sulking has yet to be seen, but when it comes to a game like this, Georgia can’t let silly bickering hold it back. Not in do-or-die mode.
“That’s where we’re at right now, so I think the guys understand how important this thing is,” coach Mark Richt said. “It’s pretty obvious. So I don’t think we’re going to have to sit here and try to figure out a way to motivate anybody.”
Just the Cocktail Party’s existence should be motivation enough for both teams, but for the Gators, you have to wonder whether their surprising run leading up to Saturday's showdown has them feeling a little presumptuous. According to their head coach, that isn’t the case.
“Nothing’s changed for us. We’re not working any longer, harder. Practice, it’s all the same,” Muschamp said. “We don’t approach things differently based on the situation, because next week’s important, too.”
The de facto semifinal for the SEC championship could turn the tide for both programs -- one soaring and one stumbling. Pressure and rankings will mean little between those hash marks.
“Any given Saturday, anything can happen,” Robinson said.
“You hope that you have that type of team that’s not going to lay down and die.”
UGA-UF: Top 10 recruiting battles 
October, 24, 2012
10/24/12
12:00
PM ET
By
Kipp Adams and
Derek Tyson | ESPN.com
The Florida-Georgia rivalry doesn't just take place in Jacksonville. The two schools compete all year long on the recruiting trail around the Southeast. Kipp Adams of DawgNation and Derek Tyson of GatorNation take a look at ten of the top battles for blue-chip players, five from each school's perspective.
DT Jeff Owens (Plantation, Fla/Plantation): The 6-2, 265-pound defensive lineman took official visits to Florida, FSU, Georgia, Oklahoma and Virginia Tech, and ultimately chose the Bulldogs -- although his father wanted him to stay in-state and play for the Gators. Owens went on to start 37 games at Georgia, making 102 tackles, five sacks, 13 tackles for loss, two fumbles forced, two fumbles recovered and three pass breakups.
Georgia
DT Marcus Stroud (Thomasville, Ga./Brooks County): The year was 1996. Florida was coming off six straight wins over the Bulldogs and to make matters worse, the Gators had a verbal commitment from elite Peach State defensive tackle prospect Marcus Stroud. Gators WR Jacquez Green was Stroud’s host during his official visit to Florida, and he felt Stroud was definitely going to be playing for the Gators. Signing day arrived, and what happened then became one of the all-time recruiting surprises of the past two decades, with Stroud switching his commitment to Georgia. Stroud’s Sports Illustrated cover energized a fanbase looking for any glimmer of hope against their rival in Gainesville. The next year, alongside starting quarterback and future offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, Stroud helped end the losing streak against Florida in 1997. The No. 13 overall selection in the 2001 NFL Draft, Stroud played in the NFL for more a decade, earning three Pro-Bowl/All-Pro selections in 2003, 2004 and 2005.DT Jeff Owens (Plantation, Fla/Plantation): The 6-2, 265-pound defensive lineman took official visits to Florida, FSU, Georgia, Oklahoma and Virginia Tech, and ultimately chose the Bulldogs -- although his father wanted him to stay in-state and play for the Gators. Owens went on to start 37 games at Georgia, making 102 tackles, five sacks, 13 tackles for loss, two fumbles forced, two fumbles recovered and three pass breakups.
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Ashton Shumpert is strongly considering a visit to Vanderbilt this weekend, the ESPN 300 safety stated via text message on Wednesday.
"Vanderbilt I think," he stated when asked where he might visit this weekend.
The Commodores, who are 3-4 and 2-3 in the SEC, host Massachusetts this weekend. After that, Vandy won't have much of a chance to impress prospects with a game day atmosphere. Of their final four games, three are on the road. Vanderbilt hosts Tennessee on Nov. 17.
"Vanderbilt I think," he stated when asked where he might visit this weekend.
The Commodores, who are 3-4 and 2-3 in the SEC, host Massachusetts this weekend. After that, Vandy won't have much of a chance to impress prospects with a game day atmosphere. Of their final four games, three are on the road. Vanderbilt hosts Tennessee on Nov. 17.
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Green, Smith among '14 CBs to watch
October, 24, 2012
10/24/12
9:00
AM ET
By
Radi Nabulsi | ESPN.com
ATHENS, Ga. -- As Georgia closes out its 2013 recruiting class, the Bulldogs coaching staff is hitting the road and the film room to evaluate the next crop of talented recruits. A few offers have already gone out to some members of the Class of 2014, but each week new names emerge.
We are going to take a position-by-position look at a number of the 2014 prospects whose profile pages you may want to add to your favorites. Here is a look at the cornerbacks Georgia has offered or has on its radar.
Needs: 2-3. Committed: none
We are going to take a position-by-position look at a number of the 2014 prospects whose profile pages you may want to add to your favorites. Here is a look at the cornerbacks Georgia has offered or has on its radar.
Needs: 2-3. Committed: none
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ATHENS, Ga. -- Todd Grantham said throughout the offseason that he wanted to build a defense that finished strong in the fourth quarter -- and the Bulldogs largely have done that.
It is unlikely, however, that Georgia’s defensive coordinator envisioned his unit struggling as much as it has before reaching that final period, not after the Bulldogs developed a reputation for starting fast in their resurgent 2011 season.
And yet somehow a Georgia defense that returned almost all of its starting personnel from a group that allowed just 27 first-quarter points in 14 games last season typically struggles early in games before closing with a flourish.
It is unlikely, however, that Georgia’s defensive coordinator envisioned his unit struggling as much as it has before reaching that final period, not after the Bulldogs developed a reputation for starting fast in their resurgent 2011 season.
And yet somehow a Georgia defense that returned almost all of its starting personnel from a group that allowed just 27 first-quarter points in 14 games last season typically struggles early in games before closing with a flourish.
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Teammates respond to Williams' criticism
October, 23, 2012
10/23/12
10:39
PM ET
By
David Ching | ESPN.com
ATHENS, Ga. -- Shawn Williams said his piece after Monday’s practice. On Tuesday, the Georgia safety’s teammates had their opportunity to respond to Williams calling the Bulldogs’ defense soft and saying linebacker Amarlo Herrera should play ahead of senior teammates Michael Gilliard and Christian Robinson.
“Just when you call me soft, I just want to go and show them that ain’t nothing sweet around here,” Gilliard said after Tuesday’s practice. “So the only thing I’m going to do is deliver, and starting today, that’s what I tried to do.”
Robinson voiced a similar sentiment on Tuesday afternoon, saying he was disappointed that his teammate publicly voiced a critical opinion. But Robinson -- who typically plays as a third-down linebacker -- said the Bulldogs can easily turn the situation into a positive.
“Just when you call me soft, I just want to go and show them that ain’t nothing sweet around here,” Gilliard said after Tuesday’s practice. “So the only thing I’m going to do is deliver, and starting today, that’s what I tried to do.”
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Scott Cunningham/Getty ImagesSenior safety Shawn Williams either lit a fire under his defensive teammates or created a rift.
Scott Cunningham/Getty ImagesSenior safety Shawn Williams either lit a fire under his defensive teammates or created a rift.Georgia's defense has to toughen up
October, 23, 2012
10/23/12
4:00
PM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
To say that there’s some frustration on Georgia’s defense is quite the understatement.
Senior safety Shawn Williams made that abundantly clear while speaking with the media Monday night when he called the play of the defense “soft.”
“We’re playing too soft as a defense,” Williams said. “That goes for the D-line, linebackers, corners, safeties, everybody. We’re just not playing with the same attitude we were last year. I don’t know what it is.”
In Georgia's 29-24 win over Kentucky on Saturday, the Bulldogs surrendered 206 yards rushing yards and allowed two scoring drives of 75 yards or more. However, Georgia surrendered just 329 total yards of offense, the second-lowest total by an offense this season against Georgia.
Senior linebacker Christian Robinson told ESPN.com on Tuesday that he agreed Georgia’s defense has to be more physical, but he also said the defense has to stay together, not take shots.
“I’m sticking to what I’ve been taught since I’ve been growing up -- everyone should be quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to anger,” Robinson said. “At this point, we’re a team and we have to stick together, and as a team, I’m not going to call anybody out. We’re just going to try and fix the issues that we have.
“Yes, we need to be more physical -- that’s anytime you play any opponent. We always have room to improve.”
Williams also suggested on Monday that certain players should see the field more than others.
“Personally, if I was the coaches, I can’t tell them what to do, but I’d have Amarlo Herrera in the game more,” Williams said. “I wouldn’t bring him out. ... I want to see Amarlo and [Alec] Ogletree in the game at linebacker; I don’t want to see anybody else at linebacker. I feel like they’re two guys that are going to go out and give you all they got, no matter if they mess up or do right. I feel like they’re going to get to the ball and tackle. That’s what we need.”
Senior safety Shawn Williams made that abundantly clear while speaking with the media Monday night when he called the play of the defense “soft.”
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Don KellySafety Shawn Williams had some strong words for his defensive teammates.
AP Photo/Don KellySafety Shawn Williams had some strong words for his defensive teammates.In Georgia's 29-24 win over Kentucky on Saturday, the Bulldogs surrendered 206 yards rushing yards and allowed two scoring drives of 75 yards or more. However, Georgia surrendered just 329 total yards of offense, the second-lowest total by an offense this season against Georgia.
Senior linebacker Christian Robinson told ESPN.com on Tuesday that he agreed Georgia’s defense has to be more physical, but he also said the defense has to stay together, not take shots.
“I’m sticking to what I’ve been taught since I’ve been growing up -- everyone should be quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to anger,” Robinson said. “At this point, we’re a team and we have to stick together, and as a team, I’m not going to call anybody out. We’re just going to try and fix the issues that we have.
“Yes, we need to be more physical -- that’s anytime you play any opponent. We always have room to improve.”
Williams also suggested on Monday that certain players should see the field more than others.
“Personally, if I was the coaches, I can’t tell them what to do, but I’d have Amarlo Herrera in the game more,” Williams said. “I wouldn’t bring him out. ... I want to see Amarlo and [Alec] Ogletree in the game at linebacker; I don’t want to see anybody else at linebacker. I feel like they’re two guys that are going to go out and give you all they got, no matter if they mess up or do right. I feel like they’re going to get to the ball and tackle. That’s what we need.”
GatorNation links: DB redemption?
October, 23, 2012
10/23/12
1:26
PM ET
By Recruiting Nation staff | ESPN.com
Note: During this rivalry week, DawgNation will offer you a peek behind enemy lines with links to GatorNation stories.
Michael DiRocco writes: Florida defensive backs want to make up for two crucial fourth-down breakdowns that tilted last year’s game in Georgia’s favor.
DiRocco writes: Each day this week, GatorNation will have a top-five list that captures the colorful history of the series. This one looks at five of the many heartbreaking moments Florida has suffered at the hands of the Bulldogs.
Derek Tyson and Radi Nabulsi write
: Friends and teammates alike, James Hearns and Reggie Davis (Tallahassee, Fla./Lincoln) are committed to becoming rivals when they attend UF and UGA, respectively.
DiRocco writes: Punter Kyle Christy steps forward in Florida's weekly awards tracker.
Michael DiRocco writes: Florida defensive backs want to make up for two crucial fourth-down breakdowns that tilted last year’s game in Georgia’s favor.
DiRocco writes: Each day this week, GatorNation will have a top-five list that captures the colorful history of the series. This one looks at five of the many heartbreaking moments Florida has suffered at the hands of the Bulldogs.
Derek Tyson and Radi Nabulsi write
: Friends and teammates alike, James Hearns and Reggie Davis (Tallahassee, Fla./Lincoln) are committed to becoming rivals when they attend UF and UGA, respectively.
DiRocco writes: Punter Kyle Christy steps forward in Florida's weekly awards tracker.
Many recruits unlikely to attend UF-UGA
October, 23, 2012
10/23/12
10:41
AM ET
By
Radi Nabulsi and
Derek Tyson | ESPN.com
At the SEC spring meetings back in May, the league repealed the rule that banned its members from hosting recruits at a game held on a neutral site. In other words, going forward, the home team in the Georgia versus Florida contests could host recruits at the annual showdown in Jacksonville, Fla.
As important as recruiting the Sunshine State is for the Georgia program, this would seem like a boon. But right after the rule was abolished, both Georgia and Florida agreed to not host recruits during the game.
"Georgia and Florida have agreed not to do this,” Georgia assistant athletic director Claude Felton told DawgNation in June.
As important as recruiting the Sunshine State is for the Georgia program, this would seem like a boon. But right after the rule was abolished, both Georgia and Florida agreed to not host recruits during the game.
"Georgia and Florida have agreed not to do this,” Georgia assistant athletic director Claude Felton told DawgNation in June.
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We have a new No. 1, and he's getting more national Heisman buzz as well:
1. AJ McCarron, QB, Alabama: People wondered if he could throw when called upon and he did just that against Tennessee. McCarron passed for a career-high 306 yards and had four touchdowns in Alabama's blowout win. He is still one of the country's most efficient passers and is tied for first in the SEC with 16 passing touchdowns. He's one of only two quarterbacks nationally to start seven games without throwing an interception. McCarron has more than 1,400 passing yards and the more Alabama wins, the better for McCarron in this race.
2. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M: For the second time this season, a stout defense found a way to shut down Johnny Football in the second half. First, it was Florida, and Saturday it was LSU. Both turned out to be losses for the Aggies. Manziel passed for 276 yards, but threw three interceptions and rushed for only 27 yards. He also was held out of the end zone for the first time this season. Still, Manziel has a chance to get back in this race nationally with strong showings down the home stretch. He's second in the SEC in passing (1,956), second in rushing (703) and has accounted for 24 touchdowns (14 passing, 10 rushing).
3. Mike Gillislee, RB, Florida: South Carolina kept Gillislee in check over the weekend. He carried the ball 19 times for 37 yards, averaging 1.9 yards per carry. The Gamecocks swarmed around him whenever he touched the ball and made his life miserable. There are still plenty more opportunities for Gillislee to make some real Heisman noise, and he'll get a great chance this weekend against Georgia. He's fourth in the SEC in rushing with 652 yards and has seven touchdowns.
4. Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia: The bye week was great for Murray. He had a true record-breaking night against Kentucky on Saturday, completing a career-high 30 passes for a career-high 427 yards and had four touchdowns. His 427 yards were fourth best in school history and second best in the SEC this season. His 78.95 completion percentage was a school record by a quarterback with at least 30 completions. Murray is now tied for third in the SEC in passing (1,914) and is tied for first with 16 touchdowns. A win over Florida will definitely give him a boost in this race.
5. LaDarius Perkins, RB, Mississippi State: Another back with dynamic ability in the SEC. Real shocker there. Perkins has flown under the radar all season, but he leads the SEC in rushing (724) and all-purpose yards (1,002). He can hurt defenses so many different ways when he touches the ball. He isn't just a bruiser; he can outrun a few guys out there. He'll get a chance to really make a name for himself with a big day against No. 1 Alabama Saturday.
1. AJ McCarron, QB, Alabama: People wondered if he could throw when called upon and he did just that against Tennessee. McCarron passed for a career-high 306 yards and had four touchdowns in Alabama's blowout win. He is still one of the country's most efficient passers and is tied for first in the SEC with 16 passing touchdowns. He's one of only two quarterbacks nationally to start seven games without throwing an interception. McCarron has more than 1,400 passing yards and the more Alabama wins, the better for McCarron in this race.
2. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M: For the second time this season, a stout defense found a way to shut down Johnny Football in the second half. First, it was Florida, and Saturday it was LSU. Both turned out to be losses for the Aggies. Manziel passed for 276 yards, but threw three interceptions and rushed for only 27 yards. He also was held out of the end zone for the first time this season. Still, Manziel has a chance to get back in this race nationally with strong showings down the home stretch. He's second in the SEC in passing (1,956), second in rushing (703) and has accounted for 24 touchdowns (14 passing, 10 rushing).
3. Mike Gillislee, RB, Florida: South Carolina kept Gillislee in check over the weekend. He carried the ball 19 times for 37 yards, averaging 1.9 yards per carry. The Gamecocks swarmed around him whenever he touched the ball and made his life miserable. There are still plenty more opportunities for Gillislee to make some real Heisman noise, and he'll get a great chance this weekend against Georgia. He's fourth in the SEC in rushing with 652 yards and has seven touchdowns.
4. Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia: The bye week was great for Murray. He had a true record-breaking night against Kentucky on Saturday, completing a career-high 30 passes for a career-high 427 yards and had four touchdowns. His 427 yards were fourth best in school history and second best in the SEC this season. His 78.95 completion percentage was a school record by a quarterback with at least 30 completions. Murray is now tied for third in the SEC in passing (1,914) and is tied for first with 16 touchdowns. A win over Florida will definitely give him a boost in this race.
5. LaDarius Perkins, RB, Mississippi State: Another back with dynamic ability in the SEC. Real shocker there. Perkins has flown under the radar all season, but he leads the SEC in rushing (724) and all-purpose yards (1,002). He can hurt defenses so many different ways when he touches the ball. He isn't just a bruiser; he can outrun a few guys out there. He'll get a chance to really make a name for himself with a big day against No. 1 Alabama Saturday.
ATHENS, Ga. -- Each week during college football season, DawgNation will follow Georgia’s players as they compete for the sport’s national awards.
Seven Bulldogs made preseason watch lists for various college football awards. Here is a list featuring each player, the awards they are in the running for and how they performed in their 29-24 win against Kentucky:
NG John Jenkins, Sr. (Bednarik, Nagurski, Outland, Lombardi):
Jenkins and the defensive line did not generate much of a push against Kentucky, allowing the Wildcats to rush for more than 200 yards for the first time this season against an SEC opponent. Jenkins finished with three tackles against Kentucky.
DE Abry Jones, Sr. (Hendricks):
Jones re-aggravated his injured left ankle on the third play against Kentucky and missed the rest of the game. The senior was unable to practice on Monday and his availability for Saturday’s game against Florida is very much in doubt.
LB Jarvis Jones, Jr. (Bednarik, Nagurski, Lott IMPACT, Butkus, Lombardi, Camp):
An ankle sprain kept him out of the Kentucky game -- the second time this season he has missed a game with an injury, in addition to several other games in which he played hurt -- but Jones was named as a semifinalist for the Butkus Award (nation’s top linebacker) Monday. The All-American still leads Georgia with 5.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss.
Seven Bulldogs made preseason watch lists for various college football awards. Here is a list featuring each player, the awards they are in the running for and how they performed in their 29-24 win against Kentucky:
NG John Jenkins, Sr. (Bednarik, Nagurski, Outland, Lombardi):
Jenkins and the defensive line did not generate much of a push against Kentucky, allowing the Wildcats to rush for more than 200 yards for the first time this season against an SEC opponent. Jenkins finished with three tackles against Kentucky.
DE Abry Jones, Sr. (Hendricks):
Jones re-aggravated his injured left ankle on the third play against Kentucky and missed the rest of the game. The senior was unable to practice on Monday and his availability for Saturday’s game against Florida is very much in doubt.
LB Jarvis Jones, Jr. (Bednarik, Nagurski, Lott IMPACT, Butkus, Lombardi, Camp):
An ankle sprain kept him out of the Kentucky game -- the second time this season he has missed a game with an injury, in addition to several other games in which he played hurt -- but Jones was named as a semifinalist for the Butkus Award (nation’s top linebacker) Monday. The All-American still leads Georgia with 5.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
David Ching
David Ching came to ESPN.com in 2011 after six years covering UGA for the Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer and Athens (Ga.) Banner-Herald. He lives in Athens. Email him at davidchingespn@gmail.com.
Radi Nabulsi
Radi Nabulsi joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering the University of Georgia for Rivals.com for four years and for the UGA Athletic Association since 1993. Nabulsi is a graduate of the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and lives in Athens. He can be reached at radinabulsiespn@gmail.com.
Kipp Adams
Kipp Adams joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering University of Georgia football and basketball recruiting for five years at Rivals.com. He lives in Sandy Springs, Ga., and enjoys spending time with his two sons. He can be reached at kippadamsespn@gmail.com.