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Atlanta Bulldog Club notebook
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Yoculan and Diaz got to brag on the national titles their teams won earlier this year. Yoculan had a funny story to share from the NCAA meet in Salt Lake City. She said not only was it thrilling to win another national title, but to leave #1 ranked Florida in the dust in the process. (Florida had tied the Gym Dogs in the regular season in Athens, then won the SEC title.) What made it even sweeter was that, at the NCAA meet, Florida gymnasts had been walking off with free throw motions and/or Heisman poses after hitting routines. Yoculan said all it did was stiffen the Gym Dogs’ resolve. Yoculan really wants to win another title next year since UGA is hosting the NCAA meet in 2008.
Diaz didn’t have anything quite that juicy, but did say he was very pleased with fan support during the recent NCAA Tennis Championships in Athens. Diaz remembered back when UGA was on the quarter system, which meant school was still in session when the NCAA championships came along, and that meant big, loud crowds that became a trademark of that event in Athens. Even now with the academic calendar different, the crowd support was so good even veteran west coast coaches who used to complain about UGA having home court advantage now think the tournament shouldn’t be anywhere else. (As it is, the event now rotates – it is set for Tulsa in 2008 then Texas A&M in 2009. UGA is planning to bid to bring it back in 2010.)
Highlights from Richt’s remarks – some of which may sound familiar, but not all.
Richt is becoming more and more comfortable with simply being head coach and not also the play caller. Now he plans to sit in on various position meetings, watch what goes on in those and offer input whenever he feels he can.
Richt is very confident that Searels will get the OL ready. It is quite a compliment to our program to be able to get one of the top OL coaches in the SEC, and probably in the nation, to come here as a lateral move. Of course it helped that he is originally from Georgia. (And when Saban tried to hire him at Bama, it mattered that Searels, his wife and her mom were all Auburn grads.) As of now, the starting OL still looks as follows:
LT – Sturdivant (Fr.)
LG – C. Davis (RFr.)
C – Velasco (5th yr. Sr.) – Richt thinks Velasco is the #1 leader on the team right now.
RG – Haverkamp (Jr. – JUCO trans.)
RT – C. Adams (Sr.)
More on Sturdivant: Richt said again he really wants to do what it takes to be great. It is already showing in his academics (3.6 his first semester). Richt thinks he has a chance to be great though he’ll have some learning to go through. But there are things that can be done – sliding protections, using backs to chip block, etc. – to help out.
Interesting comments on Moreno – very dynamic young man. Richt joked (looking at Yoculan) that Moreno could almost be a gymnast. Very upbeat personality that can light up a group or a room. On the field, he’s got a great blend of speed, strength and agility. He’s capable of getting tough yards, but also capable of outrunning or making a guy miss who might be trying to line up to drill him. And he’s improving at pass protection.
Richt thinks we might be deeper with young talent on the DL than on the OL. He thinks Jeff Owens is ready to break out at DT and become a star, with Geno Atkins and Kade Weston battling to start at the other DT. Weston looks like he is growing into a strong run-plugger who also has the reach to knock down some passes.
At WR – we’ve got a bunch of upperclassmen who just need to step up and make plays.
Richt found out a couple of interesting things from Velasco and Kelin Johnson from summer workouts going to & from Hoover for SEC media days last week. First, Rehsad Jones has been going between safety and CB during the players’ drills. Johnson thinks R. Jones can play either and it will come down to what Coach Martinez thinks once practice starts.
Also from summer workouts, Johnson thinks Brandon Miller is different than he’s been anytime before in his UGA career. In fact, Richt laughed when Munson’s comments in Sunday’s AJC were brought up. (The more pessimistic Munson is, the better Richt feels. Richt would be concerned if Munson was optimistic.) Based on summer workouts, Miller is settling in both at MLB and into the leadership role that comes with that position and being a senior. Richt said again, as he did at media days last week, that Miller is the key to the whole defense.
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