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DB
Tra Battle |
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2005
Statistics |
Coach:
Mark Richt
52-13,
5 years |
2005
Record: 10-3 |
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BOISE
STATE |
WON
48-13 |
SOUTH
CAROLINA |
WON
17-15 |
LOUISIANA-MONROE |
WON
44-7 |
at
Mississippi State |
WON
23-10 |
at
Tennessee |
WON
27-14 |
at
Vanderbilt |
WON
34-17 |
ARKANSAS |
WON
23-20 |
vs.
Florida |
LOST
10-14 |
AUBURN |
LOST
30-31 |
KENTUCKY |
WON
45-13 |
at
Georgia Tech |
WON
14-7 |
SEC
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME |
vs.
Louisiana State |
WON
34-14 |
SUGAR
BOWL |
vs.
West Virginia |
LOST
35-38 |
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2005 Final Rankings
AP-10, Coaches-10, BCS-7
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2006
Outlook |
Are
they rebuilding or reloading? With
so much talent, reloading has been
the answer for years. Just when they
seem vulnerable, UGA will floor you.
That's the story in Georgia as Mark
Richt waves goodbye to 15 starters,
including several all-Americans and/or
all-SEC players. Under Richt, the
Bulldog’s fans have become used
to double-digit win seasons, and this
one will be no exception.
The
2006 Bulldogs have a solid nucleus,
but they will be looking for an identity
on both sides of the ball early in
the season. In a conference like the
SEC, trying to find yourself is not
exactly the position you want to be
in, so the schedule looks favorable
for the learning curve to kick in
with so many early softies. South
Carolina will give them an early wake-up
call, and then the judgments can begin.
Georgia
has playmakers at running back and
linebacker. The team's top three rushers
from a year ago are all back while
its trio of linebackers all have starting
experience and have excelled. The
front seven is truly formidable as
Georgia also possesses one of the
nation's best DLmen in Moses, and
an excellent kicking game. You can
bet those positions will be the blocks
Richt builds upon as he (attempts
to) remains among the elite in the
SEC. Whether that is enough or not
remains to be seen. In a lesser conference,
you would have to believe Georgia
could experiment early and still have
enough to be dominant down the stretch,
but in the SEC, a good start could
still spell doom.
That
good start is imperative and will
take the pressure off the inexperienced
players on both sides of the ball.
The offense line will need to establish
a dominant running game while the
defense establishes a pattern of aggressiveness
early in games. If Richt can accomplish
all that, Georgia will be right there
with the conferences’/country’s
best by seasons end.
Richt
has done more with less, and has the
staff to make any of the QB-wanna-be’s
into a star, which is the final piece
that would secure things for the ‘Dawgs.
Don’t count these guys out until
you see what Tennessee and Florida
do to them.
Projected
2006 record: 9-3
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GEORGIA
*POWER RATINGS |
Offense |
Defense |
QB
- 3 |
DL
- 4 |
RB
- 4 |
LB
- 4 |
WR
- 3.5 |
DB
- 3.5 |
OL
- 3.5 |
.. |
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RETURNING
LEADERS |
Passing:
Joe Tereshinski, 49-25-2, 371 yds.,
1 TD
Rushing: Thomas Brown, 147
att., 736 yds., 4 TD
Receiving: Mohamed Massaquoi,
38 rec., 505 yds., 2 TD
Scoring: Brandon Coutu, 23-29
FG, 45-45 PAT, 114 pts.
Punting: Gordon Ely-Kelso,
57 punts, 42.9 avg.
Kicking: Brandon Coutu, 23-29
FG, 45-45 PAT, 114 pts.
Tackles: Jarvis Jackson, 84
tot., 56 solo
Sacks: Quentin Moses, 11.5
sacks
Interceptions: Paul Oliver,
3 for 30 yds.
Kickoff Returns: Ramarcus Brown,
4 ret., 21.2 avg., 0 TD
Punt Returns: Thomas Flowers,
32 ret., 13.7 avg., 1 TD
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K
Brandon Coutu |
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GEORGIA |
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OFFENSE
- 5 |
----RETURNING
STARTERS---- |
DEFENSE
- 6 |
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KEY
LOSSES |
OFFENSE:
D.J. Shockley-QB, Bryan McClendon-WR,
Russ Tanner-C, Max Jean-Gilles-OG, Dennis
Roland-OT, Leonard Pope-TE (NFL) |
DEFENSE:
Will
Thompson-DE, Kedric Golston-DT, Darrius
Swain-DT, Gerald Anderson-NT, DeMario
Minter-CB, Tim Jennings-CB, Greg Blue-ROV |
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2006
OFFENSE |
Quarterback
Georgia spends the spring looking for a
new quarterback and finds a good competition
at the spot. Senior Joe Tereshinski filled
in well when D.J. Shockley was injured,
so, by default, he is the early leader in
the clubhouse. Tereshinski, a third-gereration
football legacy, has the size, arm strength
and smarts to excel in the SEC. Battling
with Tereshinski is sophomore Blake Barnes
who saw some mop-up duty in 2005. Barnes
also has good size and has the most arm
strength of any Georgia quarterback. Freshman
Joe Cox redshirted last year and the coaching
staff really liked how he handled the scout
team, but we feel Cox is just not ready
to push Tereshinski or Barnes. Freshman
Matthew Stafford is a huge, highly regarded
(No.1 pro-style QB, Rivals.com) prospect
from Texas and is likely the future of the
quarterback position at Georgia. There will
likely wind up being a rotation of sorts,
which could be interpreted as giving whoever
is in a short leash. There is just too much
talent here not to think it will come together
for the Bulldogs benefit, even when learning
mistakes are made in the early goings.
Running
Back
This is the strength of the Bulldogs offense.
Georgia returns its top three tailbacks
and some solid experience at fullback. Thomas
Brown, Danny Ware and Kregg Lumpkin are
all back to handle the rock. Brown is an
undersized junior who led Georgia in rushing
last season. He has great speed and shiftiness
but he may not have the frame to be a feature
back that can carry the load all on his
own. At 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds Ware is
an excellent compliment with the size and
strength to move the pile. Expect Ware to
get a lot of looks in short yardage and
goal line situations. Lumpkin is a lot like
Ware, but a bit faster. The junior has great
size and can really wear down a defense.
At fullback, Georgia will rely on junior
Des Williams, a 245-pound battering ram
returning after missing all of last season
with a pectoral muscle injury. Williams
is an excellent straight-line blocker, but
could do damage the more he sees the ball
with so many other offensive distractions.
With the loss of Shockley’s foot speed
as a distraction, this area will need its
experience and depth.
Receiver
Sophomore Mohamed Massaquoi may be somewhat
slight at 198 pounds but he looked like
a future number one receiver last season.
Massaquoi has good hands, excellent speed
and the height and leaping ability to go
over DBs. Senior Mario Raley returns at
split end and is expected to be the team's
possession receiver. Raley has solid hands
but doesn't have the speed or explosiveness
to get downfield consistently. Senior deep
threat Sean Bailey, will sit with a torn
ACL, so guys like freshmen Mike Moore and
Kris Durham (Durham graduated high school
early) will be a given every opportunity
to contribute. Durham's main appeal in his
6-foot-5 frame, but he likely needs some
bulk to be a dominant receiver on the college
level. Sophomore Demiko Goodman is the fastest
guy in the corps but is battling a shoulder
problem that forced him to miss spring drills.
Tight
End
The Bulldogs must replace their leading
receiver (Pope) and expect to do so with
senior Martrez Milner. Although Milner is
undersized, he has shown the ability to
sit down in zones and be an excellent outlet
receiver. That said, at 240 pounds, Milner
is not relied upon to be a top level blocker
at the point of attack. That's where sophomore
Tripp Chandler and junior Coleman Watson
fit in. Both Chandler and Watson are 6-foot-6
and bulky, so they will be counted on to
push. Both qualities come together with
this year’s No.2 TE prospect NaDerris
Ward, who should be the next Pope.
Offensive
Line
A ton of turnover here will have the Bulldogs
lining up with a rather new look. Senior
Nick Jones will be counted on to be the
leader and is expected to move from guard
to center with the same top results. Jones
has some experience at the position and
the coaching staff feels he has the smarts
to handle the line calls. At 325 pounds,
junior Chester Adams will handle Georgia's
“tight” guard spot. Adams has
the size and strength to engulf defenders
at the point of attack but will need to
prove he can handle undersized, quick pass
rushers. At “split” guard, Georgia
will let juniors Fernando Velasco and Zeb
McKinzey compete for the starting job, Velasco
has more size and strength but the undersized
McKinzey may have the best hands and technique
among the lineman. No problems at right
tackle where second team All-SEC tackle
Daniel Inman returns for his fourth year
as a starter, so Jones and he will be the
experience that is the OL’s nucleus.
At 6-foot-7, Inman has the wingspan to frustrate
most defensive ends on a consistent basis.
Senior Ken Shackleford takes over at split
tackle and will be a player to watch. Shackleford
has looked clumsy in the past and may not
be athletic enough to handle the open side
of the field. We feel Inman may have to
switch sides if sacks occur early. A couple
of freshman, John Miller and Ian Smith look
like they have quite the future at Georgia
and will be given an opportunity to pick
up snaps here and there.
OFFENSIVE
BREAKDOWN
With a new quarterback taking over and three
veteran tailbacks returning expect Georgia
to rely on the run, at least early in the
season. With Brown and Ware healthy and
ready to go, the Bulldogs have the ingredients
for a thunder-and-lightning-type running
attack. The key to it all will be the revamped
offensive line. Jones and Inman are rock
solid while Adams and Velasco look like
upper echelon run blockers. With a steady
run game, it should open up play action
for a developing passing attack to again
surprise foes who think that area is marginal.
Though the signal-caller is still unknown
(rotation?), there is so much QB talent
that whoever takes the mantle will have
done so by beating out capable teammates,
and that can only help this offense be even
better than its 2005 ranking of 49th. Under
Shockley, they had balance, but Richt knows
that this version has the talent to rise
much higher as a point-scoring machine.
Spurrier’s Gamecocks will show UGA
where they have weaknesses, and then they
will have until Tennessee comes to town
to shore things up for the tough conference
haul.
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OT
Daniel Inman
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GEORGIA
2006 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters/Key
Players |
OFFENSE |
QB |
Joe
Tereshinski-Sr (6-3, 217) |
Matthew
Stafford-Fr (6-3, 225)
Blake Barnes-So (6-3, 219) |
FB |
Brannan
Southerland-So (6-0, 242) |
Des
Williams-Jr (6-1, 245) |
RB |
Thomas
Brown-Jr (5-8, 185) |
Kregg
Lumpkin-Jr (6-1, 220)
Danny Ware-Jr (6-1, 223) |
WR |
Mohamed
Massaquoi-So (6-2, 198) |
Mario
Raley-Sr (6-1, 190)
Mickey Henderson-Jr (5-10, 165) |
WR |
Kenneth
Harris-So (6-3, 214) |
A.J.
Bryant-Jr (6-2, 195)
Sean Bailey-Sr (6-1, 176) (inj.) |
TE |
Martrez
Milner-Sr (6-4, 240) |
Tripp
Chandler-So (6-6, 253) |
OT |
Daniel
Inman-Sr (6-7, 319) |
Michael
Turner-Sr (6-4, 295) |
OG |
Chester
Adams-Jr (6-4, 320) |
Seth
Watts-So (6-4, 313) |
C |
Nick
Jones-Sr (6-3, 295) |
Ian
Smith-Fr (6-3, 295) |
OG |
Fernando
Velasco-Jr (6-4, 315) |
Zeb
McKinzey-Jr (6-3, 285) |
OT |
Ken
Shackleford-Sr (6-5, 315) |
John
Miller-Fr (6-6, 290) |
K |
Brandon
Coutu-Jr (6-0, 185) |
.. |
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2006
DEFENSE |
Defensive
Line
Much like the O-line, Georgia will experience
turnover here. The dynamic Quentin Moses
is back to chase down quarterbacks from
the outside. At just 250 pounds, Moses doesn't
have size, but is, without a doubt, one
of the nation's top ends (first-team all-American,
NationalChamps.net). Versatile senior Ray
Gant is a playmaker and lines up at one
of the tackle spots, but can also play end
- a rangy guy, too. At the other tackle
will be 2005 freshman all-American Jeff
Owens. At 280 pounds, Owens is undersized
but really creates havoc with the ability
to penetrate and blow up plays on a consistent
basis. Also keep an eye on senior Dale Dixson
and redshirt freshman Kade Weston. Both
players have the bulk to be top-tier run
stuffers. An even smaller player, 225-pound
junior Marcus Howard, will push Moses. You
can see what Georgia is looking for at weakside
end -- speed, speed and more speed. At base
end, Georgia will go with either Howard
or junior Charles Johnson, who has the size
the other two lack. Depth from the last
two recruiting classes means there should
be fresh legs for 60 minutes of high octane
power coming off of UGA’s DL.
Linebacker
Georgia returns great depth and athleticism
here, meaning the team’s 52nd ranking
as run stoppers will drastically improve.
Undersized senior Jarvis Jackson is back
on the weakside. Jackson has impressive
speed and can chase from sideline to sideline,
and does well as a fifth pass rusher. Middle
guy Tony Taylor is healthy after battling
a number of lingering injuries last season.
Taylor is a prototypical MLB who keys and
diagnoses the play/run very well. Junior
Jeff Busbee will handle the strong side,
and has the strength to hold up the tight
end but at just 5-foot-10, but Busbee may
have trouble in pass coverage down the seam.
Junior Brandon Miller and versatile senior
Danny Verdun Wheeler are the top reserves.
Both have starting experience and the ability
to play multiple positions but are not big
time playmakers, yet. Darius Dewberry and
many other four-star recruits are just waiting,
so injuries would not represent a major
step back.
Defensive
Back
The Bulldogs are also reloading in the secondary
after losing three all-SEC players. Senior
rover Tra Battle is the lone veteran returning.
Battle is a playmaker with great range who
will impact both run support and pass coverage.
Georgia needs a big year from Battle and
they expect to get it. Junior Kelin Johnson,
the new free safety, is a prototypical centerfielder.
Ex-QB Johnson should excel in pass coverage
but may be too slight to be much help in
run support. Redshirt freshman Antavious
Coates will push Johnson. Coates is a better
athlete than Johnson and has imposing size
and good speed. Paul Oliver is expected
to be the top corner. Oliver looked good
in his limited opportunities in man coverage
last season and certainly has the size and
speed to be one of the SEC's top corners.
Junior Thomas Flowers lacks size but has
the smoothest hips on the Georgia roster
and should develop into the team's best
cover corner opposite Oliver. Atlanta-native
Reshad Jones joins the team as the top-rated
safety in this year’s class, and the
depth is there for this area to develop
quickly. It may not quite be a top 10 pass
defense, but such number are arbitrary when
we all see the quality and impact of this
unit.
DEFENSIVE
BREAKDOWN
Georgia will be relying heavily on its veteran
linebackers and other experienced front
seven guys. That will enable them to let
Moses loose in obvious passing situations
which will make opposing quarterbacks extremely
anxious. The key is to make the offense
predictable and protect the inexperienced
secondary, which has talent but may lack
the ability to excel in zone coverage. Georgia
never fails to make a major defensive statement,
and this group may have a few knocks, but
should be formative, regardless of who we
find making the plays. Third-down percentage
was a bit weak (37%), but the front seven
will be tough enough to help here and with
enough extra speed in the LBs to bolster
pass coverage(s).
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DE
Quentin Moses
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GEORGIA
2006 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters/Key
Players |
DEFENSE |
DE |
Charles
Johnson-Jr (6-2, 275) |
Roderick
Battle-Fr (6-4, 249) |
DT |
Ray
Gant-Sr (6-2, 277) |
Dale
Dixson-Sr (6-2, 308) |
DT |
Jeff
Owens-So (6-3, 280) |
Kade
Weston-Fr (6-5, 310) |
DE |
Quentin
Moses-Sr (6-5, 250) |
Marcus
Howard-Jr (6-2, 220) |
SLB |
Brandon
Miller-Jr (6-4, 248) |
Danny
Verdun Wheeler-Sr (6-2, 244) |
MLB |
Tony
Taylor-Sr (6-1, 237) |
Marcus
Washington-So (6-0, 245) |
WLB |
Jarvis
Jackson-Sr (6-2, 218) |
Dannell
Ellerbe-So (6-1, 228) |
CB |
Thomas
Flowers-Jr (5-10, 186) |
Ramarcus
Brown-So (5-11, 173) |
CB |
Paul
Oliver-Jr (6-0, 205) |
Asher
Allen-Fr (5-10, 180) |
ROV |
Tra
Battle-Sr (5-11, 176) |
C.J.
Byrd-So (6-2, 186) |
FS |
Kelin
Johnson-Jr (6-1, 192) |
Antavious
Coates-Fr (6-4, 200) |
P |
Gordon
Ely-Kelso-Sr (6-2, 215) |
.. |
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2006
SPECIAL TEAMS |
Kicker
Junior Brandon Coutu led the SEC in scoring last
year and is one of the best in the country. Extremely
accurate, Coutu also has the leg to boot the long
ones and has already connected on a 58-yard field
goal, the longest in school history without a
tee.
Punter
Senior punter Gordon Ely-Kelso is an all-American
candidate. Ely-Kelso has a great leg and has developed
into one of the nation's best directional punters.
Net results for UGA ranked eighth, and will continue
to be strong. Georgia is always loaded with hungry
recruits, each looking for that way onto the defense,
and that always bodes well for your coverage teams.
Players like junior Mikey Henderson and freshman
Asher Allen have the speed to dominate in special
teams as they play under control and stay focused.
Return
Game
The Bulldogs return two of their best in Ramarcus
Brown and Thomas Brown. Both have great speed
and the ability to go the distance if given room
to get to the open field. Athletes dot the roster
all over, so others could be just as beneficial.
Another stacked area for them.
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