Georgia Bulldogs: David Andrews
Editor’s note: Over the next two weeks, we’ll take a closer look at each of Georgia’s position groups at the end of spring practice. Today we examine the offensive line:
Returning players/stats: Chris Burnette, Sr. (12 starts in 2012); Kenarious Gates, Sr. (14 starts); Dallas Lee, Sr. (14 starts); David Andrews, Jr. (14 starts); Mark Beard, Jr. (Two starts); John Theus, So. (14 starts); Austin Long, Sr.; Watts Dantzler, Jr.; Zach DeBell, So.; Hunter Long, Jr.; Xzavier Ward, So.; Greg Pyke, RFr.
Newcomers: Brandon Kublanow, Fr. (ESPN's No. 145 overall prospect in 2013, No. 2 center. Expected to enroll this summer); Aulden Bynum, Fr. (No. 47 OT. Enrolled in January); Josh Cardiello, Fr. (No. 21 OG. Enrolled in January); DeVondre Seymour, Fr. (No. 14 OT. Could enroll this summer)
Returning players/stats: Chris Burnette, Sr. (12 starts in 2012); Kenarious Gates, Sr. (14 starts); Dallas Lee, Sr. (14 starts); David Andrews, Jr. (14 starts); Mark Beard, Jr. (Two starts); John Theus, So. (14 starts); Austin Long, Sr.; Watts Dantzler, Jr.; Zach DeBell, So.; Hunter Long, Jr.; Xzavier Ward, So.; Greg Pyke, RFr.
Newcomers: Brandon Kublanow, Fr. (ESPN's No. 145 overall prospect in 2013, No. 2 center. Expected to enroll this summer); Aulden Bynum, Fr. (No. 47 OT. Enrolled in January); Josh Cardiello, Fr. (No. 21 OG. Enrolled in January); DeVondre Seymour, Fr. (No. 14 OT. Could enroll this summer)
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ATHENS, Ga. -- Although he started every game at right tackle last season as a true freshman, that doesn’t mean John Theus will remain there this fall.
Offensive line coach Will Friend wasn’t ready to proclaim him a starter at the end of spring practice, at all, but a more reasonable question is probably whether the sophomore starts at left or right tackle. Because it would be a considerable upset if Theus loses a starting spot at any point in his career.
Last season, Theus became the third true freshman offensive tackle to start Georgia’s season opener since freshmen became eligible to play in 1973. And while he wasn’t perfect, he won multiple freshman All-America rosters and validated the excitement that accompanied his signing with Georgia more than a year ago.
Offensive line coach Will Friend wasn’t ready to proclaim him a starter at the end of spring practice, at all, but a more reasonable question is probably whether the sophomore starts at left or right tackle. Because it would be a considerable upset if Theus loses a starting spot at any point in his career.
Last season, Theus became the third true freshman offensive tackle to start Georgia’s season opener since freshmen became eligible to play in 1973. And while he wasn’t perfect, he won multiple freshman All-America rosters and validated the excitement that accompanied his signing with Georgia more than a year ago.
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ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia won’t play its first game for nearly five months, but Jordan Jenkins’ motor mouth is already in midseason form.
Spring scrimmages rarely have much in the way of drama, but Jenkins insisted that the competitiveness between the offense and defense will carry over to Saturday’s game. The rising sophomore outside linebacker lobbed a number of good-natured zingers at his offensive teammates after Thursday’s practice, just two days from when they’ll square off in Saturday’s G-Day game.
“I hope we play the whole time,” Jenkins said of the Bulldogs’ defensive starters. “Right now I know [defensive coordinator Todd] Grantham wants to show the offense up and I know, as soon as they make a big play, if the two or threes go out and they make a big play, I think Coach Grantham is going to send the ones back in.
“He wants to make sure everybody knows the defense is still going to be on point. I feel like he’s going to want to prove we don’t have a dropoff.”
Spring scrimmages rarely have much in the way of drama, but Jenkins insisted that the competitiveness between the offense and defense will carry over to Saturday’s game. The rising sophomore outside linebacker lobbed a number of good-natured zingers at his offensive teammates after Thursday’s practice, just two days from when they’ll square off in Saturday’s G-Day game.
“I hope we play the whole time,” Jenkins said of the Bulldogs’ defensive starters. “Right now I know [defensive coordinator Todd] Grantham wants to show the offense up and I know, as soon as they make a big play, if the two or threes go out and they make a big play, I think Coach Grantham is going to send the ones back in.
“He wants to make sure everybody knows the defense is still going to be on point. I feel like he’s going to want to prove we don’t have a dropoff.”
DawgNation Mailbag: Spring break edition 
March, 15, 2013
Mar 15
8:45
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By
Radi Nabulsi | ESPN.com
ATHENS, Ga. -- The Georgia Bulldogs are enjoying spring break after having their first three practices of spring camp last week. As we wait for the players to return to Athens and resume camp life, we will take a moment to answer the questions from our readers in our weekly DawgNation mailbag.
Cappy_88: Radi, give me a 2012 roster player (outside of Jordan Jenkins, Ray Drew, and Josh Harvey-Clemons) who you think will have a breakout year in 2013 and why?
Cappy_88: Radi, give me a 2012 roster player (outside of Jordan Jenkins, Ray Drew, and Josh Harvey-Clemons) who you think will have a breakout year in 2013 and why?
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Editor’s note: Each day this week, we’ll ask a question that Georgia’s football team faces this spring as it moves toward the 2013 season. Today’s question: Statistically, Georgia enjoyed one of the finest offensive seasons in school history last fall. What must a group that returns 10 starters do to improve in 2013?
ATHENS, Ga. -- No Georgia offense has ever scored more frequently than the 2012 bunch that averaged 37.8 points per game and ranked among the nation’s most explosive units.
That sets the bar awfully high for a 2013 offense that returns 10 starters, but they know they must be even more ambitious this offseason if they are to match that production, much less exceed it.
ATHENS, Ga. -- No Georgia offense has ever scored more frequently than the 2012 bunch that averaged 37.8 points per game and ranked among the nation’s most explosive units.
That sets the bar awfully high for a 2013 offense that returns 10 starters, but they know they must be even more ambitious this offseason if they are to match that production, much less exceed it.
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Editor’s note: Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve taken a look at Georgia’s depth chart and its recruiting efforts by position. We’ll wrap up today by discussing who we’ll be watching this season and the areas Georgia must address between now and signing day, plus over the next couple of years:
2012 depth chart: Georgia returns 15 players who started the Capital One Bowl against Nebraska -- 10 on offense, three on defense and both kickers -- led by quarterback Aaron Murray, tailback Todd Gurley and the entire offensive line. The Bulldogs lost three defensive underclassmen -- All-America outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, inside linebacker Alec Ogletree and nose guard Kwame Geathers -- to the NFL draft and a total of 12 key defensive contributors.
Who’s ready to move up for more playing time?: The defense obviously must reload this season, but defensive coordinator Todd Grantham is quick to point out that the group might lack experience, but it has plenty of talent. Nose guard will be one of the key positions to watch this spring, with Jonathan Taylor, John Atkins (Thomson, Ga./Hargrave Military) and Chris Mayes (Griffin, Ga./Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College) all competing for playing time. Inside linebacker -- where early enrollees Ryne Rankin (Orlando, Fla./East River) and Reggie Carter (Snellville, Ga./South Gwinnett) are already in the fold -- and defensive back are also positions of interest. We’ll be interested to see whether rising sophomores Sheldon Dawson and Josh Harvey-Clemons can step into leading roles during the spring.
2012 depth chart: Georgia returns 15 players who started the Capital One Bowl against Nebraska -- 10 on offense, three on defense and both kickers -- led by quarterback Aaron Murray, tailback Todd Gurley and the entire offensive line. The Bulldogs lost three defensive underclassmen -- All-America outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, inside linebacker Alec Ogletree and nose guard Kwame Geathers -- to the NFL draft and a total of 12 key defensive contributors.
Who’s ready to move up for more playing time?: The defense obviously must reload this season, but defensive coordinator Todd Grantham is quick to point out that the group might lack experience, but it has plenty of talent. Nose guard will be one of the key positions to watch this spring, with Jonathan Taylor, John Atkins (Thomson, Ga./Hargrave Military) and Chris Mayes (Griffin, Ga./Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College) all competing for playing time. Inside linebacker -- where early enrollees Ryne Rankin (Orlando, Fla./East River) and Reggie Carter (Snellville, Ga./South Gwinnett) are already in the fold -- and defensive back are also positions of interest. We’ll be interested to see whether rising sophomores Sheldon Dawson and Josh Harvey-Clemons can step into leading roles during the spring.
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Editor’s note: Over the next several weeks, we’ll take a look at each position on Georgia’s depth chart and project how it might look in the future. Today we examine Georgia’s offensive guards and centers.
2012 two-deep depth chart:
LG: Dallas Lee (Jr.), Kenarious Gates (Jr.)
RG: Chris Burnette (Jr.), Lee (Jr.)
2012 two-deep depth chart:
LG: Dallas Lee (Jr.), Kenarious Gates (Jr.)
RG: Chris Burnette (Jr.), Lee (Jr.)
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ATHENS, Ga. -- Let’s take a look at three key plays from No. 7 Georgia’s 45-31 win against No. 16 Nebraska in Tuesday’s Capital One Bowl.
Lynch rolls off McGowan’s pick
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Radi Nabulsi/ESPN.comCenter David Andrews has had flashes of brilliance this season in filling the big shoes of former four-year starter Ben Jones as the anchor of Georgia's O-line.No. 61 David Andrews
Sophomore/Center
Role in 2012: Andrews took over for four-year starter Ben Jones and held his own at perhaps the most important position on the offensive line.
The good: The sophomore played here and there behind Jones as a true freshman in 2011, but he entered the 2012 season with essentially no experience at crunch time against SEC starters. But Andrews was one of the pleasant surprises for the Bulldogs, performing capably -- and exceptionally at times. The line was one of the team’s biggest question marks entering the season, but Andrews and company seem to be heading in the right direction.
The bad: Always reluctant to publicly give himself high marks in interviews, Andrews often focuses on what he should have done better. A bad snap here, a missed block there. He once remarked after missing a block against Florida Atlantic -- in which the Owls defender dragged Bulldogs quarterback Aaron Murray down by the face mask, drawing a 15-yard penalty -- that he “almost got Murray decapitated.” But it was largely a solid season for Georgia’s center.
Crystal ball: There were certainly times when he played like a first-year starter, but Andrews seems to have settled the questions as to whether he is big enough (6-foot-2, 295 pounds) to hold up against the monsters who reside at the center of SEC defensive lines. He seems to have solidified a spot on the line for the next two seasons, and if he continues to make steady progress Andrews might contend for all-conference honors before his time at Georgia is up.
ATHENS, Ga. -- Let’s take a look at three key plays from No. 6 Georgia’s 32-28 loss to No. 2 Alabama in the SEC championship game on Saturday.
The situation: Georgia faced fourth-and-10 from the Alabama 36 on the first play of the second quarter.
Dogs pull off fake punt
The score: 0-0The situation: Georgia faced fourth-and-10 from the Alabama 36 on the first play of the second quarter.
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ATHENS, Ga. -- Recruiting battles matter. The results are almost always indicative of what future success a program can expect. Georgia is hoping that the fierce battles it won in 2010 will continue to pay dividends going forward.
On signing day 2011, the Bulldogs received letters of intent from 26 members of the “Dream Team” recruiting class --a moniker that Mark Richt bestowed on that year's signees. Despite having lost seven members of that class to transfers, dismissals and academic ineligibility, the Dream Team is 2-0 against Florida with one SEC East title to its credit and another title within reach this season.
Prior to that class, Georgia had a 14-12 record during the previous two seasons, including the program’s first losing season under Richt. He and his staff hit the recruiting trail hard in 2010 and the results have been obvious.
On signing day 2011, the Bulldogs received letters of intent from 26 members of the “Dream Team” recruiting class --a moniker that Mark Richt bestowed on that year's signees. Despite having lost seven members of that class to transfers, dismissals and academic ineligibility, the Dream Team is 2-0 against Florida with one SEC East title to its credit and another title within reach this season.
Prior to that class, Georgia had a 14-12 record during the previous two seasons, including the program’s first losing season under Richt. He and his staff hit the recruiting trail hard in 2010 and the results have been obvious.
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ATHENS, Ga. -- Some observations after re-watching Georgia’s 29-24 win over Kentucky from Saturday night:
" The narrative concerning Georgia’s night on defense would have been completely different but for one enormous problem. Todd Grantham’s group was horrendous at defending third-down runs. Clearly the idea was to get Kentucky into third-and-long or -medium situations and make them have to throw. But Kentucky still ran out of those situations and was shockingly successful.
Here is a recap of all 14 of Kentucky’s third-down plays:
" The narrative concerning Georgia’s night on defense would have been completely different but for one enormous problem. Todd Grantham’s group was horrendous at defending third-down runs. Clearly the idea was to get Kentucky into third-and-long or -medium situations and make them have to throw. But Kentucky still ran out of those situations and was shockingly successful.
Here is a recap of all 14 of Kentucky’s third-down plays:
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Five storylines: Georgia vs. Kentucky
October, 18, 2012
10/18/12
7:00
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By
David Ching | ESPN.com
ATHENS, Ga. -- Saturday’s matchup between Georgia and Kentucky seems like a blowout in the making, but we’ve seen these circumstances before.
The 11th-ranked Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1 SEC) -- four-touchdown favorites over the Wildcats (1-6, 0-4) -- have been double-digit favorites against Kentucky several times in the last six seasons and haven’t always won comfortably. Take last season for example, when 30.5-point favorite Georgia trailed for most of the first half before squeaking by with a 19-10 win that clinched the SEC East title.
The injury-depleted Wildcats are once again big underdogs on Saturday, but Georgia is no certainty itself after a flat performance in its last game out -- a 35-7 loss to South Carolina two weekends ago.
The 11th-ranked Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1 SEC) -- four-touchdown favorites over the Wildcats (1-6, 0-4) -- have been double-digit favorites against Kentucky several times in the last six seasons and haven’t always won comfortably. Take last season for example, when 30.5-point favorite Georgia trailed for most of the first half before squeaking by with a 19-10 win that clinched the SEC East title.
The injury-depleted Wildcats are once again big underdogs on Saturday, but Georgia is no certainty itself after a flat performance in its last game out -- a 35-7 loss to South Carolina two weekends ago.
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Bobo: Recovering balance key for offense
October, 18, 2012
10/18/12
7:00
AM ET
By
David Ching | ESPN.com
ATHENS, Ga. -- Mike Bobo pinpoints one critical error as the difference between the Georgia offense that steamrolled opponents for the first five games and the one that lost its bite and nearly got shut out in the Bulldogs’ most recent game against South Carolina.
“We’ve got to stay more committed to the run,” said Bobo, Georgia’s offensive coordinator, who later added, “I did a poor job.”
The Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1 SEC) set a school record by scoring 40-plus points in each of their first five games, but produced only one garbage-time touchdown in a 35-7 loss against the Gamecocks two weekends ago.
“We’ve got to stay more committed to the run,” said Bobo, Georgia’s offensive coordinator, who later added, “I did a poor job.”
The Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1 SEC) set a school record by scoring 40-plus points in each of their first five games, but produced only one garbage-time touchdown in a 35-7 loss against the Gamecocks two weekends ago.
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Editor’s note: Georgia’s football season is at the halfway mark, and the Bulldogs will take this weekend off before resuming SEC play next Saturday at Kentucky. We'll take a look at a different position group each day this week and evaluate how it performed in the first half of the season in our DawgNation midseason report cards.
ATHENS, Ga. -- The public opinion of Georgia’s offensive line was, for a time, much more positive than it is today, after the Bulldogs’ numerous breakdowns led directly to a 35-7 loss at South Carolina.
Will Friend’s rebuilt line had been surprisingly effective in the first five games, paving the way for Georgia to rank among the nation’s most explosive offenses.
ATHENS, Ga. -- The public opinion of Georgia’s offensive line was, for a time, much more positive than it is today, after the Bulldogs’ numerous breakdowns led directly to a 35-7 loss at South Carolina.
Will Friend’s rebuilt line had been surprisingly effective in the first five games, paving the way for Georgia to rank among the nation’s most explosive offenses.
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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.