University of Georgia Athletics
Pre-Arkansas Press Conference Notes
October 19, 2004 | Football
Oct. 19, 2004
Coach Richt Press Conference Opening Remarks:Head Coach Mark Richt
"Well, we're excited to be back in the win column, and now we're getting ready to go on a four-game road stretch. We haven't been on the road in a long time, but we have a pretty good record on the road over the years, but we just haven't done it in so long I probably have to remind the guys of that."
On the Arkansas offense:
"Arkansas is a very interesting team to me. They lose ten starters on offense, but they're still 15th in the country in total offense. The one guy that's back is the quarterback, and he's obviously the difference maker on the team. Jones is like no other. He is a guy that makes so many big plays off of his ability to buy time, stay calm, run and throw at the last moment He's very unpredictable if the play breaks down, if it's a protection issue or good coverage. When it breaks down it makes us nervous."
On the Arkansas defense:
"They're fast as always, and run pretty much the same scheme they've always run over the years. They have the same defensive coordinator as the last time we played them two years ago. We' excited about playing this game and can hopefully get on a two-game winning streak."
On the running backs:
"Thomas Brown has to be a pretty mature kid period to get into position to play. As we all know, Danny (Ware) has been here a little longer, he had a spring, he knows how things work around here. Thomas really hasn't had a lot of time with us, so he had to be mature to get into position to get the playing time he's getting right now. They're both pretty confident guys and we really like how they've been doing."
On Ware's fumbles:
"We always got discipline for penalties, fumbles, etc. I think he knows if he does a whole lot more of it then its going to seriously cut into his playing time. I hope he understands that enough to make him hold on to the ball. "
On the tight ends:
"It was a good game for Leonard. He probably would have caught a couple more balls. One of them should have gone for about 20-30 more yards, it was meant for Pope. Another time he avoided on an official and ran himself into a linebacker, when if he went underneath the official he probably would have been open. He's improving though and I think we'll see more and more of him as his career moves along."
On Martrez Milner:
"He's starting to practice. He won't get any work today, but he might be ready by Wednesday. If Martrez is back, he would get a very similar number of reps as when he left. Once he's healthy and practices a full week then it will be about 50/50 with him and Leonard. "
On Ken Shackleford:
"Shack was working his way into more playing time, all of the sudden he got a start and did well, as did Velasco. We don't' think Nick (Jones) and Bubba (Velasco) are quite as close as maybe Shack and Inman, but I think it would help. I think it would help Roland if we had a three-man rotation, like we did with Stinchcomb, Marshall and Foster. Those guys all played two-thirds of the game and stayed nice and fresh and healthy. I think Velasco will play some, but not quite as much as Shack will."
On the two-center system:
"It's worked out pretty well. One thing you always worry about is the exchange (between the center and quarterback) but we've been pretty fortunate to this point not to have too many problems there. We're making sure that we get snaps with the new center before every series. I think it helps those guys, they're very much alike in their ability, they both fight hard, they're both intelligent and when you keep those guys fresh they play better."
On David Greene's record:
"We probably should have made a bigger deal out of Greene getting the school record. It was a pretty good record to break considering that Rauch had 36. If Greene is lucky enough to break the national record I hope we're able to make a big deal out of it."
On the penalties:
"We have a new appreciation for penalties after last night and yesterday's staff meeting. We all, coaches and players alike, need to respect the fact that we're not doing a very good job and we need to do something about it. We had a good heart to heart on that."
On DeMario Minter:
"He's done a great job. That's what happens a lot of times is when a guy knows that he's the guy and everyone is counting on him. He really has done a nice job, supporting the run and the open-field tackling, and his coverage as been good. We're proud of how he's coming along. You could see it in his eyes and in his practice habits, he knew he had to step up."
On Mikey Henderson:
"We're giving him the go-ahead. We'll let him go and its really up to him whether something is bothering him. After Wednesday we'll have a good idea of how he is."
Following are UGA player quotes from Tuesday's football press conference.
Kedric Golston Interview | DJ Shockley Interview
Jeremy Thomas Interview | Fernando Velasco Interview
DeMario Minter, Junior, Cornerback
(on Matt Jones) "We know he is going to create things. We just have to be in position to make the play. When he scrambles, we have to lock on to our man. When he starts going north-south (upfield), that's the key, then we go after tackling him. If he is still looking, we have to stay locked on our man."
| Quarterback D.J. Shockley fields questions from the media on Tuesday. |
(on teams throwing to his side) "(Teams) have not thrown a lot to my side too much. I thought they would test me this year since I am a new face, but they haven't really. I'd like a few interceptions, but I am not complaining."
D.J. Shockley, Junior, Quarterback
(on having four straight road games) "It is going to be interesting for our team. We had an offensive team meeting yesterday and Coach (Neil) Callaway asked who had been to Arkansas, and I think only two people raised their hands. We have not been on the road since South Carolina (Sept. 11), so it is going to be interesting to see how our team responds. It is going to show our true character. It is going to show how well we respond to adversity."
| Sophomore guard Fernando Velasco talks to the television stations Tuesday. |
(on penalties the last few games) "The penalties have been awful. They can really hurt our team. I am going to be focusing on not getting any penalties."
(on Arkansas' defense) "They are going to give us a lot of different looks. Coach Callaway is going to do a good job preparing."
(on coming out and being more physical in last game) "You can look at the running backs, with two backs rushing for 100 yards. It all starts up front with the offensive line. I think we came out real physical."
(on watching the Tenn-Ala game) "We just have to focus on Arkansas. We can't worry about Tennessee. We have to focus on taking care of business. If we worry about Tennessee and Alabama and then lose to Arkansas, then it doesn't mean anything. We just have to worry about Arkansas."
(on having second road game this deep into the season) "It is very strange. We have not played on the road since Week 2. We just have to get used to the noise so we can hear all the audibles and checks from the quarterbacks at the line of scrimmage. We will get some simulation of crowd noise at the stadium this week. I think that prepares us a lot."
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