The Countdown 2010: 39 Days to Go

39: Rennie Curran, Linebacker #35 (2007 – 2009)

Like me, Rennie Curran grew up in Snellville, Georgia, and played his high school football at my high school rival, Brookwood. Despite his short height, Curran was one of the top linebacking prospects in the country after recording over 150 tackles in both his junior and senior seasons. Rennie is the son of immigrant parents from Liberia. Here is a great video on his family and how he came to Georgia:


Arriving on campus in 2007, Curran quickly made a place for himself in the Georgia rotation at outside linebacker. He made his first career start in Georgia’s 42-30 victory over Florida in Jacksonville, recording 5 tackles, including two for a loss. A continued to make big plays in the Blackout victory over Auburn and had his finest game of the season against Kentucky. As the Dawgs got revenge for the 2006 loss to the Wildcats, Curran was named SEC freshman of the week as he made 13 tackles in the victory. He closed his freshman season with a 7 tackle game in the trouncing of Hawaii in the Sugar bowl. For the season he played in 11 games (starting 5), had 53 tackles and 3 sacks. He was named to the All-SEC Freshman team and a Freshman All-American by Sporting News, Rivals, and Scout.

In 2008, Curran would win numerous awards including 4th team All-American (Phil Steele) first team All-SEC (Coaches, 2nd Team AP), and was also a Butkus Award finalist. He lead the team in tackles in 9 of 13 games, totaling 115 tackles, 3 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. He registered double digit totals in sacks and five games and forced a fumble at the goal line against South Carolina to help preserve a Georgia lead. Here is a look at some highlights from the 2008 season:


2009 ended up being Rennie final year at Georgia, but with a struggling defense around him, he played an even more important role than he had previously. In the second game of the season against South Carolina, he made a play that clinched the Georgia victory:

He recorded a career high 16 tackles in Georgia’s narrow loss to LSU, one of six double digit tackle games for him during the season. He led or tied for the team lead in tackles during eleven of Georgia’s thirteen games. For the year, he registered an SEC leading 130 tackles, including 10 quarterback pressures and 3 pass break ups. He was named a consensus first team All-SEC member, the permanent defensive captain, and a finalist for the Lombardi and Bednarik awards.

For his career, he made 30 starts (out of 37 games) and had 298 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 24 tackles for a loss. His 298 tackles is 15th all-time at Georgia and he was named a two-time All-SEC player. He left for the NFL following the 2009 season and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans.

NCAA Football 11: Georgia Covers

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:

Rennie Curran

AJ Green

Brandon Boykin

Washaun Ealey

Georgia Pro-Day 2010: A Defensive Minded Affair?

Spring practice has begun and while the current Georgia Bulldogs are using these next few weeks as their first official work for the 2010 season, a number of now former Bulldogs are using this time as their last chance to work out on the Georgia practice field. In a few weeks, Georgia will host its annual Pro Day, a chance for those players who are eligible for this year's NFL draft to showcase their talents in a familiar environment. Last year, Georgia's Pro Day was a show case on the offensive side of the football. Future first rounders Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno along with Mohammed Massaquoi (2nd round) were the stars on display. Dannell Ellerbe, Corvey Irvin, Jarrius Wynn, and Asher Allen would also go onto pro careers, but the defense was definitely outshone by the offense.

The 2010 Pro Day will be a much different story for the Georgia Bulldogs. There will no first rounders in this class and the majority of those looking to further their careers will be on the defensive side of the ball. Michael Moore and Vince Vance has nice careers at Georgia, but I do not expect to hear their names called on draft day. Here is a quick look at the players who are looking to make a name for themselves at Georgia's Pro Day:

- Rennie Curran, LB - The undersized linebacker was a tackling machine at Georgia. There has been concern about his size, but the numbers speak for themselves.
- Reshad Jones, S - Jones has all the tools to be a great NFL player. He improved his tackling in 2009 and should make for a nice mid to late round pick up.
- Jeff Owens, DT - One of Georgia's three outstanding defensive tackles, Owens returned from an ACL injury to put together a decent senior year.
- Geno Atkins, DT - Undersized for DT, Atkins can play some at defensive end as well. An impressive workout could push him into the second round of the draft.

Good luck to all of these former Bulldogs at the next level. We look forward to you continuing the proud Bulldog tradition on Sundays.

GO DAWGS!!!

Good Luck Rennie!

Junior linebacker Rennie Curran has decided to leave Georgia early and head to the NFL draft. Despite is short stature, Curran made a hell of an impact during the last three seasons. Curran made his splash as a freshman on the 2007 team that finished number two in the nation. Here are the highlights from his freshman season:


During the 2008 season, Rennie became the leader of the Georgia defense. He seemed to always be "around the ball", making big plays including forcing a fumble at the goal line against South Carolina that preserved a 14-7 lead and laying a huge hit on Rudy Carpenter to set the tone in the victory over Arizona State:


Rennie was one of the bright spots on this year's defense as he led the SEC in tackles and was named All-SEC. Image what the season would have been like if Curran had not tipped this pass to seal the win against South Carolina:


We wish the "Liberian Nightmare" good luck in the NFL.

GO DAWGS!!!

Top Ten Plays of 2009: Part 2

#5 - AJ Green Leaping Touchdown Catch against LSU

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!".

GO DAWS!!!

Thoughts on Louisiana State

After LSU scored to take a 20-13 lead, I looked at the time left on the clock and immediately thought something special might happen. Georgia was about to receive the kickoff with 1 timeout remaining and 46 seconds on the clock. 8 years ago, the Dawgs received a kickoff with one time out remaining and 44 seconds on the clock after Tennessee had scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter on the Dawgs in Knoxville. Unfortunately, there were no hobnail boots to rescue the Dawgs this time. Here are my final thoughts from a tough game that leaves the Dawgs at 3-2 and a tough game next week against the Vols in Knoxville:

- Despite the score only being 6-0 at half, this game felt a lot like the 2008 Bama game. The fact that we held it that close is a testament to the defense's performance. If you were to remove the final 3 minutes of the game, that was one of the top 10 defensive performances of the Mark Richt era (and yes, there have been some great defensive games during that time).
- People have been complaining about Richard Samuel and Caleb King in the first half, but really they should be complaining about the O-line. The offensive line was great on pass protection, but every time we ran there were mutliple guys through the line. However, it was nice to see the number 24 bursting through the line again. Washaun has a bright future in Athens.
- The lack of effort to both block and return punts is horrible. Put Carlton Thomas back there and let him give it a try if Prince can't. Every time we send out Logan, we might as well be raising a white flag.
- Rennie Curran and AJ Green continue their wonderful play. Our offense would be nothing with AJ right now. He is not on any Heisman lists (and with the team at 3-2, he stands no chance of winning it) but he is clearly the most valuable player in college football right now.
- The penalty was crap and the make up call against LSU was BS as well. Bottom line is the first one should have never been called, it changed the game. Walsh had two touchbacks during the game and I believe he could have done it again if we kick off from the 30.

This game was a heart breaker. After an exhausting 5 week stretch to open the season, the Dawgs have yet to play a game that they either had a no chance to win or lose. The won-loss records of the teams Georgia has played so far is 16-5 (I believe). To come out with a 3-2 record, while disappointing, is still something to be proud of. We've got two games in Tennessee and then the week off before Florida. I hope the Dawgs can right the ship like we did in 2007.

GO DAWGS!!!

Thoughts on South Carolina

That was one of the most painful, gut wrenching, exciting, competitive, and all out strange games I have ever witnessed. Georgia and South Carolina put up a 78 points and the game still comes down to the final seconds. While there were plenty of things that were completely wrong with this game, the most important thing was right and that was the final score. We're back to 1-1, 1-0 in the SEC and all of our major goals are still in front of us.

Let's start with the things that went bad. Two turnovers in the first quarter led to 14 Carolina points and more importantly left the defense on the field for almost the entire quarter. While Branden Smith did have a nice return later in the game, for now he needs to be taken off of the return team. On the fumble return, the ball was kicked about 5 yards into the end zone and despite making the same mistake against OSU, he still brought it out. He is playing both offense and defense and I think that is enough for a freshman to handle.

Penalties were also once again a major problem for the Dawgs. While I think the call against Reshad was completely crap, most of the other penalties were the proper calls. After looking much more disciplined last week, the Dawgs fell back into some bad habits from last season.


But of all the things that went wrong last night, I think the biggest problem was coaching. The defense played fairly well but I did not see an adjustment to the South Carolina passing attack after they threw nearly 20 times in the first quarter. I know that the zone is designed to prevent long plays, but Carolina essentially ran short outs and passes to the tight end unchallenged all night. When the opposing team throw 53 passes, your linebacker should not have 15 tackles (as Rennie Curran did). We also failed to get any type of pressure from our defensive ends. It will be very nice to have Justin Houston back next week at Arkansas (and we need him more than ever with the announcement that Rod Battle will now miss the remainder of the season with a knew injury).

For the second week in a row, I also am left wondering what Mike Bobo is doing with the offense. Richard Samuel was running the ball great, but for some reason he disappeared for nearly an entire quarter. Then, we finally get Logan Gray in the game for a grand total of one play. And once again, Marlon Brown and Rontavious Wooten went unused (other than appearing on two plays after the Joe Cox sack and fumble that put the Dawgs at second and 30). Another thing that really bugs me is how we handle short yardage situations. In the past, it was a no brainer that we would turn around and hand the ball to the fullback. Last night on a second and 1, we run a stretch play with Carlton Thomas that loses 3 yards. Chapas has some ability, lets use him.

For all the things that are wrong, the Dawgs did a lot of things right in this game. Brandon Boykin, often overshadowed by highly touted Branden Smith, made a name for himself with the huge TD return for the toughdown, another 50 yard return, and a big interception. If Boykin can keep this play up, we may forget the loss of Asher Allen quicker than I thought. Branden Smith also had a nice game after his horrible fumble early in the game. The 61 yard run was a thing of beauty and he may be one of the fastest players in the SEC already. It should be a fun next few years watching this guy mature.

Joe Cox and Richard Samuel also played much better this week than they did against Oklahoma State. Samuel ran hard all night, breaking tackles and learning from the mistakes he made in week 1. He scored his first rushing touchdown of the season and I have a feeling we may see a lot more this season. Now, we just need to keep his running consistent throughout the game. Cox also came back strong, putting up some nice numbers. The interception was horrible and even he admitted to seeing Norwood. AJ Green had a phenomenal night and saved Cox's tail on a couple of occassions. Any person who thinks AJ Green is not the best receiver in the country should watch the replay of those catches he made last night.

While Boykin's play was amazing, a lot of credit also needs to go to Georgia's other MVP of the night, Rennie Curran. With South Carolina throwing short passes all night, Curran had 15 tackles, repeatedly preventing short gains from turning into big plays. And for the second year in a row, Rennie came up with a huge play to prevent a South Carolina touchdown. This guy played his heart out last night. I can't imagine what our defense would be like without him right now.

This was one of those games that hopefully teaches the team a lot about themselves. They have now faced two tough games, one a loss and one a win. If the Dawgs can take what has worked the last two weeks and cut down on the turnovers, the results should turn out in our favor in Fayetteville next week.





GO DAWGS!!!

The Countdown 2009: 63 Days to Go

63

Number of solo tackles by Rennie Curran in 2008. The Bulldog junior lineback had 115 total tackles last season.