Georgia Bulldogs: Adam Erickson
Editor’s note: DawgNation's post-spring positional analysis continues this week after focusing on the offense last week. Today we examine the special teams players:
Returning players/stats: K Marshall Morgan, So. (8-14 FG, 63-67 PAT, 87 points); P Collin Barber, So. (60 punts, 2,488 yards, 41.5 yards per punt), P Adam Erickson, Jr. (8-296, 37.0 ypp); KOR Malcolm Mitchell, Jr. (16 returns, 360 yards, 22.5 yards per return); KOR Todd Gurley, So. (7-243, 34.7 ypr, 1 TD); PR Mitchell (11-57, 5.2); PR Rhett McGowan, Sr. (9-75, 8.3); PR Damian Swann, Jr. (5-37, 7.4) S Nathan Theus, So.
Newcomers: Tramel Terry, Fr. (ESPN's No. 89 overall prospect of 2013. No. 9 athlete. Enrolled in January); Reggie Davis, Fr. (No. 45 wide receiver. Expected to enroll this summer); J.J. Green, Fr. (No. 58 CB. Enrolled in January); Rico Johnson, Fr. (No. 122 WR. Expected to enroll this summer)
Returning players/stats: K Marshall Morgan, So. (8-14 FG, 63-67 PAT, 87 points); P Collin Barber, So. (60 punts, 2,488 yards, 41.5 yards per punt), P Adam Erickson, Jr. (8-296, 37.0 ypp); KOR Malcolm Mitchell, Jr. (16 returns, 360 yards, 22.5 yards per return); KOR Todd Gurley, So. (7-243, 34.7 ypr, 1 TD); PR Mitchell (11-57, 5.2); PR Rhett McGowan, Sr. (9-75, 8.3); PR Damian Swann, Jr. (5-37, 7.4) S Nathan Theus, So.
Newcomers: Tramel Terry, Fr. (ESPN's No. 89 overall prospect of 2013. No. 9 athlete. Enrolled in January); Reggie Davis, Fr. (No. 45 wide receiver. Expected to enroll this summer); J.J. Green, Fr. (No. 58 CB. Enrolled in January); Rico Johnson, Fr. (No. 122 WR. Expected to enroll this summer)
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
ATHENS, Ga. -- Kicking in the SEC as a true freshman is rarely a smooth ride -- and Marshall Morgan can attest.
Performing as a place-kicker in a packed SEC stadium versus the far smaller audiences at the average high school football stadium simply requires an adjustment period, and some players never make an adequate transition.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Editor’s note: Each day between now and Georgia’s Capital One Bowl date with Nebraska, we will review the season for a key Bulldogs player and attempt to project what’s next. Today we’ll look at punter Collin Barber.
No. 32 Collin Barber
Freshman/Punter
57 punts for 2,371 yards, 41.6 avg., 60 long
Role in 2012: Barber arrived on campus during the summer and won the punting job by the time the regular-season opened and did a fine job in his first season as a college player.
The good: Barber and pooch punter Adam Erickson rarely had a huge swath of green space to punt into thanks to Georgia’s offensive efficiency this season. That probably affected their yards-per-punt averages, as most of the time they punted it high to prevent a return or tried to drop it inside the opponent’s 20-yard line to give them poor field position. Both players were effective in that endeavor, with 27 of Barber’s 57 punts resulting in a fair catch and 18 leaving the opponent inside its 20.
The bad: Georgia finished in the middle of the pack in net punting -- 59th nationally at 36.78 yards per punt -- but Barber and Erickson limited opponents’ chances to even attempt a return. Opponents returned only 14 kicks all season for a total of 156 yards -- 70 of which came on South Carolina star Ace Sanders’ return for the only touchdown against Georgia’s punt team this season. Still, the Bulldogs could use a little more distance on the punts in the future in addition to the height.
Crystal ball: Barber is just the second freshman punter to start under Richt (the first was Gordon Ely-Kelso, who averaged 39 yards per punt as a freshman in 2003). Barber’s numbers were OK and figure only to improve over time. He and Erickson definitely helped their coverage team prevent big plays. After the South Carolina game, when Sanders broke the long return, the Bulldogs punted 32 times in seven games, but opponents totaled only 35 punt return yards.
No. 32 Collin Barber
Freshman/Punter
57 punts for 2,371 yards, 41.6 avg., 60 long
Role in 2012: Barber arrived on campus during the summer and won the punting job by the time the regular-season opened and did a fine job in his first season as a college player.
The good: Barber and pooch punter Adam Erickson rarely had a huge swath of green space to punt into thanks to Georgia’s offensive efficiency this season. That probably affected their yards-per-punt averages, as most of the time they punted it high to prevent a return or tried to drop it inside the opponent’s 20-yard line to give them poor field position. Both players were effective in that endeavor, with 27 of Barber’s 57 punts resulting in a fair catch and 18 leaving the opponent inside its 20.
The bad: Georgia finished in the middle of the pack in net punting -- 59th nationally at 36.78 yards per punt -- but Barber and Erickson limited opponents’ chances to even attempt a return. Opponents returned only 14 kicks all season for a total of 156 yards -- 70 of which came on South Carolina star Ace Sanders’ return for the only touchdown against Georgia’s punt team this season. Still, the Bulldogs could use a little more distance on the punts in the future in addition to the height.
Crystal ball: Barber is just the second freshman punter to start under Richt (the first was Gordon Ely-Kelso, who averaged 39 yards per punt as a freshman in 2003). Barber’s numbers were OK and figure only to improve over time. He and Erickson definitely helped their coverage team prevent big plays. After the South Carolina game, when Sanders broke the long return, the Bulldogs punted 32 times in seven games, but opponents totaled only 35 punt return yards.
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.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
UGA midseason report card: Special teams 
October, 14, 2012
10/14/12
7:00
AM ET
By
David Ching | ESPN.com
Editor’s note: Georgia’s football season is halfway over 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. -- A year after special teams play was a glaring weakness for Georgia, it was more of a mixed bag for the Bulldogs in the first half of this season.
Todd Gurley returned Georgia's first kickoff of the season for a 100-yard touchdown against Buffalo, but South Carolina’s Ace Sanders returned a punt for a touchdown last week that all but eliminated Georgia’s chances for victory.
ATHENS, Ga. -- A year after special teams play was a glaring weakness for Georgia, it was more of a mixed bag for the Bulldogs in the first half of this season.
Todd Gurley returned Georgia's first kickoff of the season for a 100-yard touchdown against Buffalo, but South Carolina’s Ace Sanders returned a punt for a touchdown last week that all but eliminated Georgia’s chances for victory.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Barking Dawgs: UGA quotes of the week
October, 5, 2012
10/05/12
7:00
AM ET
By
David Ching | ESPN.com
ATHENS, Ga. -- As the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (5-0, 3-0 SEC) prepare for a key SEC East game at No. 6 South Carolina (5-0, 3-0) on Saturday, here is a selection of quotes from the Bulldogs’ coaches and players from throughout the week:
“We just try to come out there and play our game. We’re not trying to be like nobody else. But it’s a cool thing.” -- Tailback Todd Gurley, on the nickname ‘Gurshall’ that Georgia fans have bestowed on Gurley and freshman backfield mate Keith Marshall, a reference to legendary Bulldogs running back Herschel Walker
“Keith does a great job of pressing the hole on the zone plays and then his cuts are not two or three steps. They’re one-step cuts and he’s going vertical. Sometimes he’s moving so fast I feel like he’s almost going to fall down. It’s hard for a defender to stop when he’s pressing and his step is so fast and so vertical, I think that’s what makes him so dangerous.” -- Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, on Marshall, who broke touchdown runs of 75 and 72 yards last week against Tennessee
“We just try to come out there and play our game. We’re not trying to be like nobody else. But it’s a cool thing.” -- Tailback Todd Gurley, on the nickname ‘Gurshall’ that Georgia fans have bestowed on Gurley and freshman backfield mate Keith Marshall, a reference to legendary Bulldogs running back Herschel Walker
“Keith does a great job of pressing the hole on the zone plays and then his cuts are not two or three steps. They’re one-step cuts and he’s going vertical. Sometimes he’s moving so fast I feel like he’s almost going to fall down. It’s hard for a defender to stop when he’s pressing and his step is so fast and so vertical, I think that’s what makes him so dangerous.” -- Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, on Marshall, who broke touchdown runs of 75 and 72 yards last week against Tennessee
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Morgan's roller-coaster ride continues
October, 2, 2012
10/02/12
7:00
AM ET
By
David Ching | ESPN.com
ATHENS, Ga. -- Marshall Morgan experienced another couple of hilly points on his rollercoaster ride as Georgia’s place-kicker last Saturday.
In the Bulldogs’ 51-44 win against Tennessee, the freshman’s problems with extra points continued -- he failed on one attempt after banking it off the left upright, having already chipped three successful PATs off the left upright in previous games, plus Tennessee’s Daniel McCullers blocked another PAT try -- and yet he also contributed one of the biggest momentum-shifting plays of the game.
Morgan’s 50-yard field goal at the halftime buzzer helped Georgia tie the score at 30-30, helping the Bulldogs right the ship after a dismal second quarter eliminated a big early advantage.
In the Bulldogs’ 51-44 win against Tennessee, the freshman’s problems with extra points continued -- he failed on one attempt after banking it off the left upright, having already chipped three successful PATs off the left upright in previous games, plus Tennessee’s Daniel McCullers blocked another PAT try -- and yet he also contributed one of the biggest momentum-shifting plays of the game.
Morgan’s 50-yard field goal at the halftime buzzer helped Georgia tie the score at 30-30, helping the Bulldogs right the ship after a dismal second quarter eliminated a big early advantage.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Notebook: UGA tries to solve punt issues
September, 26, 2012
9/26/12
10:23
PM ET
By
David Ching | ESPN.com
ATHENS, Ga. -- Malcolm Mitchell is essentially a rookie punt returner -- and the Georgia sophomore admits he has made some rookie mistakes that could have proven costly.
Mitchell says the trick to his new responsibility is to quickly determine when to rein in his natural aggressiveness and when the smart move is to play it safe with a fair catch and hand the ball off to Aaron Murray and the offense.
“It’s just something to get used to,” said Mitchell, who is averaging 7 yards per return -- including a long of 22 yards on his first opportunity last week against Vanderbilt. “Of course when you’ve got an opportunity to make a play happen, you want to take it, regardless of what the situation is. What you’ve just got to know, punt return is a job that’s either you take it home or get as much yardage as you can or you fair catch it and get the offense on the field so they can do that.”
Mitchell says the trick to his new responsibility is to quickly determine when to rein in his natural aggressiveness and when the smart move is to play it safe with a fair catch and hand the ball off to Aaron Murray and the offense.
“It’s just something to get used to,” said Mitchell, who is averaging 7 yards per return -- including a long of 22 yards on his first opportunity last week against Vanderbilt. “Of course when you’ve got an opportunity to make a play happen, you want to take it, regardless of what the situation is. What you’ve just got to know, punt return is a job that’s either you take it home or get as much yardage as you can or you fair catch it and get the offense on the field so they can do that.”
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
ATHENS, Ga. -- One of Georgia’s greatest areas of emphasis during the offseason was improving its atrocious results on special teams -- particularly in covering kicks.
So how did the Bulldogs fare in their first time out after inserting more starters and key players on the special teams units? Pretty well, actually.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Notebook: Richt plays coy on suspensions
August, 28, 2012
8/28/12
9:56
PM ET
By
David Ching | ESPN.com
ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia coach Mark Richt played it coy when asked about safety Bacarri Rambo and linebacker Alec Ogletree being listed atop the depth chart for the Bulldogs’ game against Buffalo on Saturday.
“We’ll just have to wait and see. Time will tell,” Richt said about what to expect from the two players Saturday, provoking uncomfortable laughter from the media members gathered in the room. “I’m glad we can laugh about that.”
Although Richt has never acknowledged a punishment for either player, suspension rumors have surrounded Rambo and Ogletree since the spring, when both players reportedly failed drug tests.
“We’ll just have to wait and see. Time will tell,” Richt said about what to expect from the two players Saturday, provoking uncomfortable laughter from the media members gathered in the room. “I’m glad we can laugh about that.”
Although Richt has never acknowledged a punishment for either player, suspension rumors have surrounded Rambo and Ogletree since the spring, when both players reportedly failed drug tests.
ATHENS, Ga. -- With roughly a week left before Georgia opens the season against Buffalo, the Bulldogs’ coaching staff is still sorting through its final starting personnel decisions.
Coach Mark Richt said Friday evening that the staff has essentially nailed down the lineup for the Sept. 1 Buffalo game, but that some positions on the special-teams units might still be up for grabs.
“I think we know who’s starting at every position. Some of that on defense just depends on what personnel group jumps out first. But I’m pretty sure," Richt said. "Now in the kicking [game], I wouldn’t say that’s etched in stone. I wouldn’t say even the return men. The names we’ve been talking about are the guys that are going to be doing it, but just to say who’s going to be the first one, I wouldn’t say we know that 100 percent.”
Coach Mark Richt said Friday evening that the staff has essentially nailed down the lineup for the Sept. 1 Buffalo game, but that some positions on the special-teams units might still be up for grabs.
“I think we know who’s starting at every position. Some of that on defense just depends on what personnel group jumps out first. But I’m pretty sure," Richt said. "Now in the kicking [game], I wouldn’t say that’s etched in stone. I wouldn’t say even the return men. The names we’ve been talking about are the guys that are going to be doing it, but just to say who’s going to be the first one, I wouldn’t say we know that 100 percent.”
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia’s staff didn’t waste any time trying to forge a bond between the new kicker-punter tandem to replace Blair Walsh and Drew Butler.
When freshman kicker Marshall Morgan and punter Collin Barber arrived on campus this summer, they roomed together on campus and struck a fast friendship.
“Me and Marshall have become really good friends,” Barber said after Thursday’s practice. “We’ve roomed together and we see each other every day and depend on each other. We’ve gotten to where we can depend on each other and hold each other accountable.”
When freshman kicker Marshall Morgan and punter Collin Barber arrived on campus this summer, they roomed together on campus and struck a fast friendship.
“Me and Marshall have become really good friends,” Barber said after Thursday’s practice. “We’ve roomed together and we see each other every day and depend on each other. We’ve gotten to where we can depend on each other and hold each other accountable.”
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Editor’s note: With Georgia set to open preseason camp on Thursday, DawgNation will break down each position group and the storylines to watch in August. After examining Georgia’s offensive and defensive position groups, we complete the series today with the Bulldogs’ special teams units.
Perhaps no area on Georgia’s roster is more unsettled than its special teams units as preseason practice approaches.
The Bulldogs lost a Ray Guy Award winner in punter Drew Butler, a record-setting Lou Groza Award finalist in kicker Blair Walsh and the 2011 Paul Hornung Award winner -- a prize given to the nation’s most versatile player -- to Brandon Boykin, who handled the majority of kickoff and punt returns last season.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Red Team 32, Black Team 31
44,117 -- Attendance at Sanford Stadium.
2:10 -- How long the game took, in hours and minutes.
Offense
4 -- Number of yards by which senior RB Richard Samuel beat out sophomore RB Isaiah Crowell for most net yards rushing. Samuel, 43 yards on eight carries. Crowell, 39 on 10 carries.
44,117 -- Attendance at Sanford Stadium.
2:10 -- How long the game took, in hours and minutes.
Offense
4 -- Number of yards by which senior RB Richard Samuel beat out sophomore RB Isaiah Crowell for most net yards rushing. Samuel, 43 yards on eight carries. Crowell, 39 on 10 carries.
Butler to walk-ons: Consistency is king
March, 20, 2012
3/20/12
12:57
PM ET
By
David Ching | ESPN.com
To get ready for the start of Georgia’s spring football practice today, DawgNation will do a position breakdown each day and feature a player to watch in that personnel group. Today we look at special teams and walk-on kickers Jamie Lindley, Scott Eichler and Adam Erickson.
ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia signed punter Collin Barber and kicker Marshall Morgan to immediately step in and replace departed seniors Drew Butler and Blair Walsh -- two of the best ever to play the kicking positions at Georgia.
That hardly means that plan is set in stone, however. Just ask Butler.
ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia signed punter Collin Barber and kicker Marshall Morgan to immediately step in and replace departed seniors Drew Butler and Blair Walsh -- two of the best ever to play the kicking positions at Georgia.
That hardly means that plan is set in stone, however. Just ask Butler.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
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.