With AJ Green’s career in red and black now over, we can take a look back at his career in a historical context.When diving into the Georgia record book, it is clear to see that AJ Green could have easily become the most decorated receiver in Georgia history.But some nagging injuries and the suspension last fall caused him to miss 7 full games over the last two seasons.The career of AJ Green will be remembered as brilliant but also as “what could have been”.
Career Receptions
Green’s Total : 166
Place in the record books: 3rd, behind Terrence Edwards(204) and Brice Hunter (182)
Career Yards
Green’s Total: 2,619
Place in the Record Books: 3rd, behind Terrence Edwards (3,093) and Fred Gibson (2,884).
Career TD Receptions
Green’s Total: 23
Place in Record Books: 2nd, behind Terrence Edwards (30)
Pass Receptions in a Season
Green’s 2010 Total: 57
Place in Record Books: 5th.Brice Hunter holds the single season record with 76, but keep in mind AJ’s total was in 9 games.
TD Receptions in a Season
Green’s 2010 Total: 9
Place in Record Books: 2nd, behind Terrence Edwards 11 in 2002 (Edwards also missed time that year for injury)
Last week just prior to the draft, AJ Green celebrated his future career in the NFL by purchasing a new Porsche. In honor of AJ's new ride, this week's vidoe is Billy Ocean's 1988 hit "Get out of my dreams, get into my car." The video, in true 80's fashion includes animations. The "car" in the video is even a Porsche.
As we are just two weeks away from the NFL draft, ESPNU has started running some games under their "Classic College Football" series of players who are expected to be high draft picks. Included in this group is AJ Green.
On Sunday (Saturday night) at 3:00 AM, ESPNU will run the 2009 Georgia vs. Arizona State game. Two of AJ's best games at Georgia came against the Arizona State Sun Devils. In 2008, he had his coming out party against in Tempe, hauling in his first 100 yard receiving game. While everyone remembers that game, people tend to forget the game the next year.
It was a rainy night in Athens, as a matter of fact, probably the wettest game I have ever been to Sanford Stadium. Georgia was heavily favored coming in and looked like they would put the Sun Devils away early. But turnovers in the second half let them tie the score at 17-17. With ASU attempting to take the lead late in the 4th, AJ Green went out on special teams and blocked the attempt. Just a few minutes later, he hauled in a long pass from Joe Cox that set up the game-winning Blair Walsh field goal. Here is a look back at AJ's highlights:
Catch the full game on ESPNU this weekend (or watch it on your DVR on Sunday afternoon.)
Georgia will host an on-campus pro day tomorrow at 10:00 AM to showcase former players who will be available in the upcoming NFL Draft. The day will be highlighted by early entrants AJ Green and Justin Houston, but will also be important players like Kris Durham who were not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last month. Here is the full list of participants:
Clint Boling, Shaun Chapas, Vance Cuff, Chris Davis, Josh Davis, Akeen Dent, DemarcusDobbs, Kris Durham, Darryl Gamble, Chad Gloer, A.J. Green, Justin Houston, Derek Rich, and Kiante Tripp
AJ Green is the biggest name, and the receiver from Summerville is most likely going to be taken in the Top 5. There has been a lot of press covering AJ since he made his decision to leave early. Here is a video that takes a look at the workouts he has been doing to prepare:
For those interested, you can watch the Pro Day online at ESPN3.com.
Just a few minutes ago, Mel Kiper Jr. came on Sportscenter to talk about the upcoming NFL Draft. His first topic was concerning AJ Green's stock rising. AJ Green was already considered to be a top 10 or potential top 5 pick, so how much higher can his stock go? There is a real chance that AJ Green may be the second overall pick in this year's NFL draft.
And who owns the second overall pick in this year's draft? The Denver Broncos. Denver, who spent its first pick in the 2010 draft on Demaryius Thomas (before later taking Tebow), were not considering taking a wide receiver until the developments in recent weeks. Denver's third leading receiver in 2010, Eddie Royal, is coming off hip surgery and will most likely miss all of spring camp (if there is no lockout). Thomas, who missed a lot of his rookie season due to injury, tore his Achilles' tendon on Wednesday and will be out for 6 to 8 months. That means the Broncos will enter spring camp (once again, if there is a spring camp) with only Brandon Lloyd and JabarGaffney as the only receivers who caught at least 10 passes last year (Knowshon Moreno and CorrellBuckhalter had 37 and 28 receptions, respectively, from the running back position in 2010.)
If Denver is going to hand over the ship to Tim Tebow this fall, they are going to need a big receiver who can go get passes. AJ Green would certainly fit that role and he has already proven his ability to leap and catch passes in the thin air in Colorado: While it would be fun to see AJ and Knowshon in the same huddle again, I don't know how I feel about AJ catching passes from Tebow. It just seems wrong. In three years, Georgia will have the top quarterback, running back, and wide receiver taken in their respective years. Just makes you sad to realize what that 2008 team could have been.
The 2010 regular season has come to a close. Here is my first look back at the season, as I present the 2010 Georgia football superlatives. These are my opinions, but I would love to hear your opinions as well. Please leave your picks in the comments section.
Best Surprise – Kris Durham After missing the entire 2009 season with injury, Durham returned for his senior year and became the second leading receiver for the Dawgs. During the suspension of AJ Green, Durham was Aaron Murray’s favorite target. He made some amazing catches in traffic and also showed his speed on a 67 yard touchdown to open the scoring in the Tech game. For the season, he registered career highs in receptions (29), yards (612) and touchdowns (3).
Biggest Disappointment – Bacarri Rambo/ Cornelius Washington While some would say that the entire 2010 squad was a disappointment, two players in my mind stick out. The first is Bacarri Rambo, personally one of my favorite players coming into the season who has one of the best names for a safety in the history of football. Unfortunately, the promise he showed as a backup in 2009 disappeared this fall. Rambo often looked lost in coverage and while he tied for the team lead in interceptions, he really has a lot to work on before next season. My other major disappointment was Cornelius Washington. While Justin Houston shined in his position moving from DE to linebacker in the 3-4, Washington was basically invisible. He recorded only 23 total tackles on just one sack. With Houston most likely headed to the pros, Washington will need to become that great pass rush linebacker we expected to see.
Most Overrated – The offensive line Heaped praise for its experience prior to the season, the offensive line played horribly this year. Even with a quarterback who has the ability to make people miss and run, the line gave up nearly three times as many sacks this year as it did in 2009. The inability to get any kind of push in the middle also limited the run game. And with the Dawgs twice driving for potential game winning field goal attempts (against Arkansas and Colorado) they let a defender go into the backfield and kill drives. Ben Jones is still a hell of a center so there is hope for next season.
Most Underrated – Akeem Dent After tackling machine Rennie Curran left early, there was a question about who would step into the role as the consistent tackler on the team. Dent took the mantle and ran with. He lead the Dawgs with 122 total tackles and finished second on the team with 2.5 sacks. He also had two forced fumbles and 6.5 tackles for a loss.
Offensive MVP – Aaron Murray While I was pretty confident that Aaron Murray would be successful under center for Georgia, many fans questioned whether he was the right man for the job. A rough outing during G-Day fueled the fire, but after throwing for 4 touchdowns and running for another during the season opener against Lafayette, people began to see the light. What was supposed to be a position of question in 2010 turned into the most solid on the field. He currently sits one touchdown away from tying the Georgia all-time record for touchdown passes, he has thrown for nearly 3,000 yards, while only throwing 6 interceptions. The only game all season where he actually looked like a freshman was Florida, but it should also be noted he threw for over 300 yards and 3 scores in that game. AJ Green may be the best offensive player at Georgia, but there is no doubt who the most valuable was this fall.
Defensive MVP – Justin Houston Houston was expected to flourish as he moved from defensive end to outside linebacker in Todd Grantham’s 3-4 defense. Boy did he ever. 57 tackles, 10 sacks, 18.5 tackles for a loss, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception, and 1 defensive touchdown. That was a hell of a year. If he leaves early, I wouldn’t blame him, but it would sure be nice to have his skills for one for fall.
Play of the Year – AJ Green touchdown against Colorado After being suspended for the first four games, Georgia fans eagerly anticipated the return of AJ Green in the Colorado game. After not touching the ball in the first quarter, Green finally got going on a long reverse run. A few minutes later, AJ turned in the most amazing catch I have ever seen in person:
While the game turned out bad, I will never forget this play. Some other memorable plays from the season include Aaron Murray’s 35 yard scamper for a touchdown against Tennessee, Brandon Boykin’s 4th career kickoff return for a touchdown against Kentucky, WashaunEaley’s 5 rushing touchdowns against Kentucky, the long Kris Durham catch and run against Tech, and Justin Houston’s fumble recovery and game clinching interception against Tech.
Worst Play of the Year – Third down sack against Arkansas At home against Arkansas, the Dawgs mounted a huge fourth quarter comeback to tie the game at 31. With the ball and about two minutes left, the Dawgs drove near the 50, within one first down of a Blair Walsh field goal attempt. On third down, Aaron Murray dropped back to pass and WashaunEaley missed a block. Murray was sacked and the Dawgs had to punt. A few plays later, Ryan Mallett hit Greg Childs for a long touchdown and Georgia fell, 38-31.
Best Win – Tennessee This is a hard one to pick. Georgia did not have a victory this season over a team that finished with more than 6 wins. The Dawgs were close to wins in a number of games (Arkansas, Colorado, Florida) but came up short in each try. So my pick for game of the year is the Victory over Tennessee at home. Coming in with a 1-4 record and having just lost to lowly Colorado, the Dawgs desperately needed to show up and win big. They did just that, beating the Vols 41-14. Aaron Murray passed for two scores and added two more on the ground, racking up 325 yards of total offense. The defense shut down the Tennessee running game, holding them to a total of just 9 yards. It was revenge for the beat down the Dawgs took in 2009 and helped get the Dawgs back on track to finish with wins in 5 of their last 7 contests.
Worst Loss – Colorado Colorado is a horrible football team. There is no excuse for Georgia losing that game. We had tons of fans, including myself, he flew thousands of miles to watch the game. AJ Green was back and dominated when playing. But an injury caused him to miss much of the second half and the Dawgs squandered a lead. A Caleb King fumble inside the Colorado 30 killed the Dawgs final drive, which could have ended with a Blair Walsh game winning field goal. But he never got the chance and the Dawgs fell, 29-27.
Biggest “Stock Down” – Rantavious Wooten What happened to Wooten? So much a part of the game plan in 2009 on screen passes and reverses, he was mostly absent for the entire season. I had high expectations for him after he caught two TD passes against Kentucky last year. With AJ out, I thought he, along with Marlon Brown, would begin to show the potential that earned them high rankings in high school. But it just didn’t happen. How absent was he this season? He only caught seven passes for 41 yards and one TD. He had 6 carries for 28 yards. In other words, he had almost as many carries on offense as he did catches, and neither were significant. His touchdown catch came against Tennessee and it was a great route. I just expected more from him. Hopefully I am wrong, but right now, I just see him falling farther on the depth chart next fall.
Biggest “Stock Up” – Alec Ogletree By far the most talented freshman coming into the season, Ogletree lived up to the hype by earning a starting job by the end of the season. He started out on special teams and was occasionally seen as a blocker on runs plays. But as the season went on and the secondary struggled, you began to see him more often on the field. The much maligned pass defense seemed to get better towards the end of the season and Alec is one of the reasons why. He was only a freshman and did make his share of mistakes (the blown coverage on the TD pass to the TE against Auburn) but his upside definitely outweighs his faults. Now, if we could only get Rambo to play better, we would have one awesome safety tandem.
Once again, leave your thoughts below. GO DAWGS!!!
Going into this season, I had my doubts on what I would see at this point in the year. From all the projections, prognosticators and predictions, Alabama would still be #1 and undefeated in the SEC West and LSU would be challenging Bama for the title. Auburn would be managing a respectable season with a new quarterback and questionable defense and the SEC East would be a three-way race with Florida, UGA and SUC, while the rest of the division made due on scraps. At the beginning of August, it looked like it would be another typical season in the SEC with the same players fighting their way to the top.
WRONG
Through the end of week 10, Auburn sits atop the the conference and SEC West, with Bama having lost to LSU, while the rest of the West now all bowl eligible. In the East however, things are a wreck. SUC is top dog with a 4-3/6-3 record tied with Florida, UGA is 3-4/5-5, and Vandy 1-5/2-7. Only SUC & Florida are bowl eligible with their showdown next week to determine the SEC East winner. Despite the East's dismal record, they've proven they're able to make an upset when the opportunity presents itself: SUC upset Bama, UK upset SUC, and Tennessee technically should have upset LSU. With all the talk of the Iron Bowl and a possible National Title run, the game that worries me most at the moment is coming in two weeks. With UGA's 3 game win streak ended in Jacksonville, and this weekend's win putting the team at .500, the likelihood of missing a bowl game becoming more real in Athens, the Dawgs are a cornered and wounded animal, and there is nothing more dangerous in the wild.
Let's take a look at what's at stake next weekend now the Tigers and Dawgs have beat their respective FCS opponents. For Georgia, the biggest piece of the pie is the 'W' making the team bowl eligible for a possible berth in the Birmingham Bowl or the Music City Bowl. With the season the way it has been, Streit is right, its a 'Lose, lose' situation overall. Winning at Auburn and becoming bowl eligible will help ease the sting of a mediocre season for the Dawgs knowing they have a New Year's game on the horizon heading into the game with Tech. The added bonus will be beating a top-ranked Auburn team for a 5th consecutive year, and giving the team a signature win. A loss on the Plains will all but seal the fate of the Dawgs for the season, and send Georgia home to Athens to face Buzz in a last-ditch effort to become bowl eligible and finish what would be arguably be the worst season under Richt. UGA has everything to gain and nothing to lose.
Auburn will come into this meeting ranked #2 in the country, 10-0 and 1st in the SEC overall. The Tigers lead this series all time 53-52-8. However, we have lost the past 4 meetings to the Dawgs, and a 5th will even the win column for UGA. But the bigger issue is what the loss will do to the Tiger's hopes of a shot at the SEC Championship and a potential National Title game appearance. Should the Tigers lose, we will have one week to recover, not just in preparation for the Iron Bowl with a two-loss Bama, but also in the polls. The voters are already overlooking this game, and losing to UGA would be viewed as a loss to a much weaker opponent, which would most likely send Auburn out of the top 5 or even top 10. Even if Auburn were to beat a ranked Bama at that point, we'd still lose out on reaching the title game to a Oregon, Boise or TCU who would leap frog us during our bye week.
I'm not looking past UGA. Despite the play of the Dawgs so far this season, they've shown absolute flashes of brilliance. AJ Green's first game back showed their is potential for the offense as long as the play makers are given the chance to work their magic, something forgotten in the Florida game. AJ is 3rd on the team for receiving yards, but 1st for receiving touchdowns. Simply put, if he is in the end zone, toss the ball up and let AJ climb the ladder to score. Aaron Murray has shown his freshman inexperience several times, however, he has demonstrated an athletic ability to escape a bad situation by using his legs, even scoring touchdowns in the process. He has over 2000 yards of passing with 15 TDs to show, not to mention 4 rushing TDs. Aaron has 3 receivers with over 1200 receiving yards combined to use against a very weak secondary. Georgia has to be creative in this game offensively get the ball to the play makers in order to have a shot at putting up points to counter the #2 ranked offense.
Auburn has to look for ways to protect Cam Newton, Ontario McCalebb, and Mike Dyer from UGA's improving defense. Averaging 200 passing and 300 yards rushing per game, Auburn's Gus Malzahn has consistently found ways to counter defenses and rushes to keep Auburn in the fight with a balanced attack. The offensive line is fast and physical, allowing only 12 sacks. They key to this game for Auburn, as it has been all season, is play count. In Gus Malzahn's offensive scheme, the team must execute at least 86 plays for a win. I'm not going to put it past Georgia to pull an upset, especially with the history behind the meetings of these two teams. So long as Cam can keep the ball moving down field, and continue to make plays while using his weapons in Michael Dyer, Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachary, Auburn may walk away from this dangerous fight.
This annual grudge match is slated to kick-off at 3:30 eastern and air on CBS. UGA should prepare for this game as thought it will be their bowl game, because the atmosphere at Jordan-Hare will the most intense they've faced all season. It might also be the closest thing they get to a bowl game atmosphere should they lose. Auburn fans will be amped up to see if their Heisman contending QB, Cam Newton, will be able to keep the dream alive and send Auburn into the Iron Bowl as the undefeated leader of the SEC in addition to being the SEC West champion. This game holds everything for both teams; a bowl eligible win for UGA and saving grace for Richt, and for the Tigers a chance at continued perfection keeping the dream season alive in hopes of an SEC championship and National Title. This is my favorite game of the season every year. Whichever way the game goes, I plan to be there to see it all.
I will be back later this week to recap the BnE Pick 'Em after my bye week from reporting.
One of the few bright spots from last Saturday’s loss in Boulder was the return of superstar AJ Green. After being totally absent from the offense in the first quarter, he took a reverse for over 40 yards early in the second to get the Georgia offense going. AJ Green was back. The Dawgs were soon facing a third and goal from inside the Colorado 10.
This was my view of the field. The play happenned at the other end zone.
Green had yet to make a catch on the season, but this was the perfect situation for him to get his first. Quarterback Aaron Murray threw a fade pass towards Green. The pass was high and a little behind him, but that did not stop AJ from bringing it down:
The play was reviewed and soon the referee confirmed the touchdown. The Georgia fans went nuts and began chanting “A-J-GREEN! A-J-GREEN!” The play was named the #1 play of the week on Sportscenter the following night. But for those of us who have followed AJ’s career, you know that this catch still sits #2 on the list of his most amazing plays. In high school, Green hauled in a similar catch, only this time it was at full speed, thirty or forty yards down the field:
Personally, this catch may have been one of the most spectacular plays I have ever seen. The only exception may be Knowshon leaping the defender in 2008.
Most of us Dawg fans are beginning to grasp at something, anything to restore meaning to the rest of the 2010 football season. I'm a little down after these first couple of games, but remember, all of us have been looking forward to football for 9 months. Let's try to embrace it and our Bulldogs as much as we can.
Or is it?
It's hard to say that we're playing for pride when we came out flat and lost to an inferior (talent-wise) Mississippi State football club, especially when our Dawgs appear to have all but forgotten how to "Finish The Drill".
In an attempt to somehow overlook our 0-3 SEC start and our 1-3 record, here are 4 moral victories so far to takeaway for the season; while they obviously don't show up in the polls, maybe you can take a little bit of solace in them for our near future.
1) Aaron Murray - The preseason buzz was whether this newcomer to the returning 10 offensive starters would somehow slow down our attack; so far, Aaron is more than carrying his fair share of the offense. Aaron currently ranks 4th in the SEC in passing yards/game as well as in total offense; his passing efficiency is a solid 6th in the SEC, especially accounting for him being the only underclassmen on the list.
The excess play-action calls notwithstanding, Aaron could develop into an even deadlier quarterback over the rest of the season if the playbook is thrown open and more shotgun snaps are taken, giving Aaron a longer time to assess the coverage and routes. Then there's also that All-American wide receiver coming back from suspension...
2) Kris Durham/Blair Walsh - I think we could all agree that there have been several small positive surprises from our roster this year, among them Durham and Walsh.
Kris Durham is one of several remaining 2006 signees left on our roster; after battling through a shoulder injury and a resulting redshirt season last year, Kris currently ranks 3rd in the SEC in reception yards/game and 8th in receptions/game. All this while Durham is known as the go-to receiver for Georgia during AJ's suspension, with opponents focusing on him more; Durham has 17 out of the team's to-date 66 receptions for the season, having almost twice as the 2nd leading receiver on the team (Tavarres, with 9). With AJ returning, Durham and our passing attack could flourish further, with Kris fighting less double teams from our opponents' secondary.
Blair, a 2009 Lou Groza award finalist, has proven to be the only true consistency so far this year. Blair currently ranks 8th in overall scoring in the SEC with 31 points, and is a perfect 7-7 on FGs this year, with a long of 52 yards. While we have given up some bad kickoff returns so far this season, the statistics prove otherwise, with UGA ranking 12th in the nation in fewest yards per return given up (@17.47 yards/return), helped in part by 25% of our kickoffs (5/20) being downed for touchbacks. I hope that we can convert more of these FGs into touchdowns in the near-future, but it's always good to have almost guaranteed points at the end of a scoring drive.
3) Potential NFL lockout?- Beyond the above two, it becomes tough without listing obvious future moral victories (AJ returning!) or minuscule ones from this season. This is part 1 of my forward look to possible impacts on next year.
Out of the 29 listed juniors and 17 redshirt sophomores on our roster, the big names to circle for the spring's draft would be AJ, Justin Houston, and Ben Jones, with possibly Cornelius Washington and Brandon Boykin also in the mix. There always might be another surprise name popping up at some point due to the swirling uncertainty with the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations.
As long as there's no CBA, any players who are taken in the 2011 Draft cannot sign with their drafting teams (especially since one of the major points in any CBA agreement will be instituting a rookie wage scale).
So, if you are a stud draft pick with remaining eligibility, do you:
1) Leave college for the draft in the hopes that the CBA might get signed, leaving your career at risk should some sort of fluke accident happen? Also, if there's no NFL season in 2011 (which is a real possibility, since the owners are reportedly collecting partial TV revenue for the season, whether it gets played or not; this of course is a lawsuit in the making), you would have to shake off some rust to fight 2011 and 2012 picks for a roster spot.
2) Stay in school, play football, get the regular NCAA injury insurance and maintain their draft stock for 2012. Or,
3) Avoid the 2011 draft, keep an eye on the CBA negotiations, and if an agreement is reached, screw up your eligibility to make yourself available for the summer NFL supplemental draft.
This option, which Paul Oliver took in 2007 after he was declared academically ineligible, is only realistic for the more elite, AJ/Justin Houston type prospects, especially since teams would be surrendering future draft picks. And this of course assumes that the players wanting to go in the supplemental draft could figure out a way to kill their fall eligibility (really tough not throwing in a joke here...).
While it would be a small miracle if AJ did return for a senior year, the possibility is definitely out there with the NFL CBA uncertainty.
4) New scheduling approach - While Damon Evans did wonders for the men's basketball program with the hiring of Mark Fox, his football scheduling approach was somewhat questioned, especially last year when we opened on the road against Oklahoma State during the inauguration/setup game of the newly refurbished Boone Pickens Stadium.
While I agree with BulldawgJosh that McGarity's proposed approach is a bit of a buzzkill and will hurt UGA's coast-to-coast public exposure, there is something to be said for Florida's results (3 MNCs) in the 18 years that they have not held an OOC game outside the state of Florida.
The alumni buzz for next weekend's Colorado has been more than palpable (I can only imagine a sold-out, 3,000 ticket UGA tailgate in Boulder with a waiting list), and I'm sure the buzz will be even more overwhelming for the 2013 Clemson game and especially the 2015 Oregon game in Eugene.
For the OOC games UGA does pursue in the future, hopefully it will target recruiting-rich areas for games, approaching schools in California and Texas, as well as large media markets that will further expose UGA nationally (ie Rutgers).
--- It's tough trying to put lipstick on a pig. But I do think there are some things to continue to look forward to this year, especially the treat of seeing Murray blossom as a QB and the continued evolution of Todd Grantham's defense, which actually ranks 5th in the SEC in total defense.
For the rest of the season, I want to see the Dawgs playing with more fire and passion, living up to those words on the back of their off-season workout shirts. I want to see Grantham's energy on the sideline, which I suspect has been bottled up by some of the higher-ups. And as a suggestion to Mike Bobo, I think he needs to move back up to the box for play-calling, since he's definitely not seeing what everyone else is.
We've had our day to analyze, complain, and then over analyze the AJ Green situation. No matter what happens with the NCAA appeal, the fact of the matter is that the kid will not be playing in Columbia in 2 days. And suddenly, every ounce of confidence that Georgia fans had heading into the South Carolina game seems to have left along with AJ's Independence Bowl jersey. If I have one message for Georgia fans today, it is GET OVER IT.
I know AJ Green is an amazing talent but how quickly you forget that he had no part in the victory over Georgia Tech last fall. Georgia has recruited the receiving position well in recent years and there is absolutely no reason to suspect that the guys we will have on the field won't be able to get it done.
Marlon Brown was a 5 star recruit from the state of Tennessee who is considered a fantastic blocker and started to show some of the talents he has last week. Kris Durham is a fifth year senior who looked great last week. Rantavious Wooten has shown sparks of brilliance, including hauling in two TD passes in Green's absence against against Kentucky last year. He was nursing a knee injury and only played sparingly against ULL. And lastly, Tavarres King (who is still only a sophomore) has shown the ability to get open down the field. This group of receivers looks pretty good to me without including our amazing group of tight ends into the equation as well.
For now, we need to forget about AJ. We need to remember that we are Georgia and they are South Carolina, a team that Georgia holds 46-14 advantage against. A team Mark Richt has lost two twice in 9 years and a team we beat last year with no answer for Stephen Garcia's roll out passes to the tight end. If Georgia loses the game this weekend, it will not be because of the absence of AJ Green, but rather the lack of focus needed to be an opponent that we have owned historically.
***UPDATE - AJ has been suspended for four games. He should have went to South Beach, maybe then he would only gotten two games. Oh well, he basically missed four games last year anyway. It will be nice to have him healthy for the Tennessee, Kentucky, and Florida games this year.
I think we have all heard the story (rumor?) that the reason AJ Green was held out of Saturday's game had nothing to do with Agentgate and more to do with a game worn jersey he sold. Putting 1 and 1 together, I figure it must be a bowl game jersey since we all know that regular season game worn jerseys are sold on the Georgiadogs.com web auctions and at FTX bookstores for way too much money. Players are typically given their bowl bowl jersey as part of their gift package (which often includes other pricey items like iPods and clothes).
So, what is at question is the sale of an autographed AJ Green jersey from either the 2009 Capital One Bowl or the 2009 Independence Bowl. (I don't know about about you, but I wish the University would buy back all of the Independence Bowl jerseys and burn them. Thank god we will never have to go to Shreveport again,or for at least a long time since the SEC ended its tie in.) If there is any program in the country who should know how to prevent players from selling memorabilia, it should be Georgia. The NCAA had to create rules on how to handle the situation following the selling of 9 SEC Championship rings by Dawgs players back in 2003. For this to happen again looks pretty bad, even if the sale of a jersey from a crappy bowl game is very different from the sale of a championship ring.
Back in 2003, all of the players were initially ruled ineligible but then reinstated once they paid the money back. Coach Richt also said that if Georgia would have won the 2003 SEC Championship against LSU, those players would have had to pay for their own rings. Seems like there is at least some type of precedence for this issue. AJ Green missed last Saturday's game and apparently has already paid back the money. The NCAA should be able to make a decision and the fact that this has dragged out this long is ridiculous.
If he did indeed sell his jersey, then AJ got the penalty he deserved. If MarcellDareus only got two games at Alabama for attending a party and receiving nearly $2,000 worth of free stuff, then AJ green getting one game for selling something that was actually his property seems fair. I hope AJ takes the field in Columbia this Saturday, but I also hope he is running as many stadium runs as his legs can handle during practice this week.
This was the response Aaron Murray gave when he was asked about the likelihood that AJ Green heads to the NFL next season. While I fully expect to enter the 2011 season without AJ Green on the Georgia sidelines, Murray's quote really got me thinking. The threat of an NFL lockout certainly looms large right now. So what happens in January if this lockout appears to be a sure thing?
Do junior players such as AJ Green, Matk Ingram, Ryan Mallett, and others decide to stay in school one more season? At least while they are in school, they have their scholarships to pay for living expenses and they can continue working on their game. But if they go ahead and leave early and the owners lockout the players in March, then what happens? I am not sure how the NFL draft rules work concerning declaring for the draft and hiring an agent, but if there is a lockout, the NCAA may need to make some changes to its policies (wait, this is the NCAA, nevermind.)
What are your thoughts? Do we suddenly pray for a lockout just to get one more year of AJ in Athens?
The 21st Century has become the era of envy in America. Why live your own life, when you can live vicariously through celebrities whose lives are plastered all over the television 24 hours a day. Magazines like People and Us weekly, TV networks like E!, and shows like Extra and Entertainment tonight were at the forefront of this revolution that has only seemed to get worse over the last few years. But the worst of this group (in other words, the captain of the celebrity-gossip BS team) is TMZ.
TMZ was launched in 2005 as a website reporting on celebrity news. The name, TMZ, comes from the term "thirty mile zone", referring to the so called studio zone in Hollywood. The show moved onto television in 2007, providing even more crap to the public. The premise of the TV show is even worse than the online site, as a bunch of "writers" at TMZ stand around and talk about celebrities they or the paparazzi saw out and what they said to them. They then proceed to show pictures or video clips and laugh about these celebrities. They do realize that without these people, they would have no life, right?
So, why am I writing an article about TMZ on a Georgia blog? Because last night TMZ had to chime in on the "Agent-Gate" investigation coming to Georgia and suggested that AJ Green may have attended the now infamous party in Miami over Memorial Day weekend. From everything I have read, AJ Green was at home in Summerville that weekend. And while there was no evidence to suggest that AJ was there, people ran wild with a report on TMZ that AJ was at the party and could face the same penalties as MarcellDareus of Alabama.
Now I ask myself, why were people so quick to make a judgment even though there was no evidence other than a report on TMZ? Because TMZ is a sign of the "now, now, now" culture that we live in. TMZ runs a BS story with no facts and just to get hits, and by god people believe it. As a blogger, I understand the natural pitfalls on online journalism. There are no rules concerning credibility and we can write whatever we want. But America has become a society where sites like TMZ are reputable new sources and that is just sad.
Right now, it appears that everything will turn out okay for AJ. But at what cost? The University has already sufferedenough bad publicity with the Damon Evans case. Having our most high profile athlete linked to a story that is quickly becoming a national sports scandal is not what we need. TMZ, get back to your coverage of Mel Gibson and Lindsay Lohan. Leave the sports world to people who actually know what they are talking about (though I have no clue who that is anymore. It surely isn't ESPN.)
As MT mentioned yesterday, NCAA Football 11 was released yesterday and features Tim Tebow on the cover this year. Here are some custom covers featuring Georgia players you can use:
Welcome to the Bubba 'N Earl countdown of the 100 Greatest Players in Georgia Football History. To get things going, we present a current Bulldog. Because his career at Georgia is not over, he remains at the bottom for now. Come next year, he will be in a very different spot on this list.
100: AJ Green, Wide Receiver #8 (2008 – Present)
“You put the ball in his reach, and he will gather it in - just like the monster of the sea.” – Loran Smith
This fall, Georgia fans will witness what will most likely be the final season in Athens for arguably the most talented receiver in Georgia history. Adriel Jeremiah Green, better known as AJ, came to Georgia as the crown jewel of Mark Richt’s 2008 recruiting class. Green was ranked as one of the top players in the country for his career at Summerville (SC) High School, where he caught 279 passes for 5,373 yards (second all-time in the National Federation of High School’s records). After arriving on campus in the summer of 2008, Green was hampered by an injury that limited his playing time in the first few games of the season. When Georgia traveled to Tempe to take on Arizona State, Green had his official coming out party. He hauled in 8 catches for 159 yards and a touchdown in what was just the beginning of a great freshman season.
During his freshman year, Green would be named a Freshman All-American and the SEC Freshman of the Year. He caught 56 passes for 963 yards and 8 touchdowns. Among those catches included scores against Kentucky and Auburn that ultimately proved to be game winners.
During the first half of the 2009 season, Green was the difference maker that kept Georgia from having a terrible season. Never was this more apparent that the game against Arizona State. With the Sun Devils poised to take the lead with an easy field goal, Green blocked the attempt and Georgia took over. A few plays later (on third down), Green broke free from coverage and hauled in a long pass that set up the game winning field goal. The following week, Green made this amazing catch to give Georgia the lead late in the 4th quarter against LSU:
Green would continue to have a great season until suffering a shoulder injury against Auburn. He did not play again until the bowl game against Texas A&M (and still looked hurt). Overall, it was another fantastic season for Green. Despite missing 3 full games, AJ still put up 53 receptions for 808 yards and 6 touchdowns. Now heading into his junior (and most likely last season) at Georgia, AJ Green will be amongst the favorites for the Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the nation’s best receiver. Aaron Murray better enjoy having AJ to throw to, because before you know, he will be gone!
Georgia struggled all day to get the offense going against the top ten rated Tigers in Athens. Down 12-7, Georgia drove the field to the Tigers 16 yard line. Joe Cox lofted a pass towards the back corner of the endzone and AJ was there to haul it in:
Georgia took the 13-12 lead with only 1:09 left on the clock. A BS celebration penalty was called and we all know what happenned after that.
#4 - Rennie Curran Saves the Day Against South Carolina
Thanks a Deangelo Tyson blocked extra point, Georgia held a four point lead over the Gamecocks in the final seconds of the game. Stephen Garcia led his team inside the Georgia 10 and faced a fourth down with just seconds remaining. Garcia dropped back to pass, but seeing no one open, took off like he was going to run for the endzone (In my opinion, had he ran for it, he would have gotten the TD). At the last second, Garcia tried to throw a quick pass across the middle. But Mr Everywhere, Rennie Curran, was able to tip the pass away and save the game for Georgia:
#3 - AJ Green Blocks a Field Goal, Sets Up Game Winning Score
On a rainy night in Athens, Arizona State had taken advantage of Georgia turnovers to tie the game at 17 and had a chance to take the lead on a field goal with just minutes remaining. The Sun Devils lined up for the kick, but AJ Green was not about to let Georgia lose to a mid-level team from the Pac 10:
Following the block, Joe Cox found AJ on a deep ball the set up Blair Walsh to kick a field goal to win it for the Dawgs. Final score, Georgia 20, Arizona State 17.
#2 - Bacarri Rambo Separates the Ball from Mario Fannin
With Georgia holding a seven point lead against the Tigers, Auburn QB Chris Todd found an open Mario Fannin near the Georgia goal for what looked like the game winning touchdown. Redshirt freshman safety Bacarri Rambo had other ideas:
As the crowd chanted, "Rambo, Rambo, Rambo", the defense came up with a huge play, sacking Todd and forcing Auburn into a long 4th down play. The pass then fell incomplete and Georgia held on to win. Rambo suffered a concussion and would miss Georgia's final two games, but has endeared himself to all of those in the Bulldog Nation.
#1 - Caleb King's 75 Yard Touchdown Run against Georgia Tech
The Dawgs took a suprising 17-3 lead into the half against top ten ranked Georgia Tech. Tech took the ball to start the second half and on the third play Jackets receiver Demaryius Thomas took a quick out pass for a long Georgia Tech TD to make the score 17-10. Many Georgia fans feared the scond half was going to turn into a repeat of 2008, when a a Georgia lead evaporated in what became a 45-42 Tech victory. Georgia had been able to gash the Tech D-line the entire first half and needed to answer the Georgia Tech score. One their first play of the second half, Caleb King provided the answer Georgia was looking for:
Georgia held on for the hug upset victory, 30-24. Georgia's running back pair of Caleb King and Washaun Ealey combined for over yards and 3 scores on the ground. It was a great night for Georgia and was a reminder to everyone that "WE RUN THIS STATE!".
As we await the Dags showdown with Texas A&M in the Independence Bowl, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the best plays of the 2009 season. While this season may have been a disappointment overall, it was not without its share of great moments. In part 1, we will look at plays 10-6:
#10 - Branden Smith 61 Yard Revers Touchdown against South Carolina
As a true freshman in 2009, Branden Smith saw ample time at the corner back position providing relief for Prince Miller and Brandon Boykin. However, Smith's most memorable moments came on offense when Smith was able to show off the amazing speed that made him the "Fastest Man in Georgia" during his senior year of high school. Smith's first amazing play came on a reverse against South Carolina:
Smith had another long touchdown run later in the season when he took a snap from the wildcat 52 yards for a touchdown against Tennessee Tech.
#9 - Joe Cox Throws 5 Touchdowns at Arkansas
When Georgia met Arkansas in late September, Razorbacks quarterback Ryan Mallett put on an amazing passing display throwing for over 400 yards. And while many across the country expected Mallet to have the ability to put up these numbers, few though Joe Cox would be able to match him. But Cox was up to the challenge that night.
Cox would end up 18 of 26 for 375 yards and 5 touchdowns on the night. Cox found AJ Green (twice), Orson Charles, Tavarres King, and Aron White for scores in the 52-41 victory. Cox was named national player of the week for his effort.
#8 - Israel Troupe 50 Yard Touchdown Reception against Auburn
With Georgia already down 14-0 and AJ Green leaving the field with a shoulder injury, little used receiver Israel Troupe came in to the game. Mike Bobo, not realizing Green had left the game, called a long pass play. Caleb King threw a huge block which allowed Troupe to get separation down the sideline. Joe Cox hit troupe in stride for the 50 yard TD which sparked the Georgia comeback.
#7 - AJ Green 66 Yard Catch and Run against Vanderbilt
Without a two injuries that essentially cost him 4 games, AJ Green would have easily walked away with the Bilitnekoff award for the best receiver in the country. Early in the victory at Vanderbilt, Green took a quick out pass from Joe Cox. He then showed why he has become one of the best receivers in the nation:
#6 - A Pair of 100 Yard Touchdown Runs for Brandon Boykin
Sophomore corner Brandon Boykin made a name for himself as one of the most electrifying returners in all of college football with a pair of 100 yard kickoff return touchdowns. The first came against South Carolina:
Boykin then matched the feat a few weeks later, providing one of the few Georgia highlights in the loss at Tennessee:
Check back tomorrow for part 2 as we look at the Top 5 plays of 2009.
November 15, 2008 - Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama:
Auburn came up just short of upsetting the #10 ranked Bulldogs at home. AJ Green caught the go ahead touchdown with 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter to give Georgia 17-13 lead. Auburn then drove the field, but the Georgia defense was able to force an incompletion on a fourth down pass from Cody Burns. The 17-13 victory was Georgia's third straight over Auburn and 5th in the last 7 meetings.
This is a blockbuster matchup between two players who were recently named Mid-Season All-Americans by The Sporting News.
We all know what Green has meant to Georgia this season. Without AJ and 41 catches for 682 yards and 6 touchdowns, Georgia's record may be 1-6 instead of 4-3. He has clearly separated himself from Julio Jones as the best recevier in the SEC, and with Dez Bryant suspended and Eric Decker injured, is now the front runner for the Bilitnekoff award.
Joe Haden is the top performer in the experienced Florida secondary that helps anchor the nation's #1 defense. On the season, Haden has been a force in the passing game, recording two interceptions, three pass breakups, and two sacks. He has also been a solid tackler, recording 39 total tackles (including 4 for a loss).
What makes this match up so intriguing is how Florida will handle the distinct size advantage Green has. At 6'4'', he towers above the 5'10'' Haden. Georgia will need to rely on Green to create separation, because Haden has the closing speed to make any small holes in coverage disappear. If Haden (and some help from safeties) shut down Green, Georgia will be forced to use its tight ends and slot receivers if it hopes to generate any kind of pass offense.
For those of you who read the Iliad in high school, you know that at one point they attempt to end the conflict by having a one on one fight between two men. Since it seems that both Tennessee (Eric Berry) and Georgia (AJ Green) heavily rely on 1 player to help them win games, why not let them decide this game like they did in the old days. Here's the tale of the tape:
In the White corner...
Eric Berry
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 203
Age: 20
Position: Safety
Hometown: Fairburn, Georgia
Awards: 2007 Freshman All-American, 2008 All-American, 2008 SEC Defensive Player of the Year Impressive Statistics: Has recorded 13 interceptions in a little over two seasons including 3 that have been returned for touchdowns. Berry also played quarterback in high school with a 37-5 record as the starter.
Rival for title of best player in the country at their position: Taylor Mays, USC
Famous YouTube Video: "Eric Berry for Heisman"
And in the Red Corner...
AJ Green Height: 6'4''
Weight: 207 Age: 21
Position: Wide Receiver
Hometown: Summerville, South Carolina
Awards: 2007 Parade All-American, 2008 Freshman All-American, 2008 All-SEC, 2008 Freshman of the Year
Impressive Statistics: Through 18 games in his collegiate career, Green has amassed 86 catches for over 1500 yards and 13 touchdowns. He caught the game winning touchdowns in back to back games against Kentucky and Auburn in 2008. Green is 2nd all time in receiving yards by a high school athlete (5,373).
Rival for Best Player at their Position in the Country: Julio Jones, Alabama
Famous YouTube video: "The Catch"
I imagine the fight would look something like this:
It should be a fun battle to watch in Knoxville this Saturday.
With AJ Green’s career in red and black now over, we can take a look back at his career in a historical context. When diving into the Georgia record book, it is clear to see that AJ Green could have easily become the most decorated receiver in Georgia history. But some nagging injuries and the suspension last fall caused him to miss 7 full games over the last two seasons. The career of AJ Green will be remembered as brilliant but also as “what could have been”.
