Georgia 2005 Football Season Has Begun

August 31, 2005
ATHENS, Ga. --- The season opener for the 13th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs is only a few days away and Wednesday's practice session was a "dress rehearsal," according to Bulldog head coach Mark Richt.

Georgia worked out in jerseys, shorts and helmets for approximately 90 minutes and Richt said a couple more days of preparation will benefit the squad.

"Today was a dress rehearsal for the dress rehearsal Thursday," said Richt. "This was the first of two practices like this, and we did it because we're a little ahead of schedule like we normally are in the preseason. We made mistakes today, and tomorrow we need to cut down on them and be better prepared."

Kick-off for Saturday's game is slated for 5:30 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised nationally by ESPN. All Georgia games are broadcast live on the Bulldog Radio Network on AM 750 WSB in Atlanta and 106.1 FM and 906 The Ref in Athens plus can be heard on georgiadogs.com, the official website of UGA Athletics.

August 30, 2005
ATHENS, Ga. --- The University of Georgia football team continued its preparations for this Saturday's season-opener against Boise State, practicing for more than two hours at the Woodruff practice fields on Tuesday afternoon.

Following practice, Georgia head coach Mark Richt said he was satisfied with what his team was able to accomplish today.

"I'd say that overall it was a pretty good practice, not great, but a pretty good effort by everybody," said Richt. "We did not throw and catch very well early on, but we got a little better as it went."

Richt said that health-wise the team is in good shape as they approach the game. In the interest of keeping the Bulldogs fresh for Saturday's game, Richt said that the team would practice in shorts the next two days.

"They ought to be able to get their energy back, their legs back and be ready to go," said Richt.

Kick-off for Saturday's game is slated for 5:30 p.m. ET and the game will be televised nationally by ESPN. All Georgia games are broadcast live on the Bulldog Radio Network on AM 750 WSB in Atlanta and 106.1 FM and 960 The Ref in Athens and can be heard on georgiadogs.com, the official website of UGA Athletics, as well.

August 29, 2005
Photo Gallery
ATHENS, Ga. -- The 2005 college football schedule will kick off over the next few days, with just two games pitting teams ranked in the Top 25 against each other. One of those games will involve Georgia as the No. 13 Bulldogs entertain No. 18 Boise State. The other will be played on Labor Day as No. 9 Miami visits No. 14 Florida State.

On Monday, Georgia coach Mark Richt talked about his team's season-opening match-up.

"Boise State has kind of captured a lot of the nation's attention with what they've done the last couple of years," Richt said following his team's full-pads workout on Monday. "And now they're playing Georgia, and it's a big deal."

Monday's practice began a couple of hours earlier than scheduled because of rain in the forecast. Fortunately for the Bulldogs, they did not have to deal with any precipitation.

"It was kind of hot and humid. It was a good heat day," Richt said. "I thought the players looked a little sluggish. Maybe they thought it would be a hurricane day (and practice would be canceled), but it didn't turn out that way. They fought through it. It wasn't too bad."

Freshman Mohamed Massaquoi, who has been slowed by a hamstring injury, "looked OK," according to Richt.

"I'm not sure if he ran every drill, but I didn't see anything to think he went backward," Richt said. "He doesn't look like he did before the injury.

I think he looks a little tentative. The other guys have gotten all the reps and they know what to do and he hasn't done an awful lot. But if there's a spot we're certain he knows what to do, we might insert him, so I'm not saying he won't play."

Richt also said kicker Andy Bailey (shoulder) could return to practice on Tuesday.

Richt announced the Dog Walk will be held at 3:45 p.m., which is an hour and 45 minutes before the game.

Also, due to construction in Stegeman Coliseum, the Alumni Association has been forced to cancel the First Friday event held the last few years.

August 27, 2005
ATHENS, Ga. --- The University of Georgia football team continued its preparations for next week's season-opener against Boise State, practicing for more than two hours Saturday morning at the Woodruff practice fields.

Although the Bulldogs have been in training a little more than three weeks and still have one more week of practice before their first game, they have continued to maintain their focus and intensity, which is something that Georgia head coach Mark Richt noted on Saturday.

"I always look at it from the point of what kind of tempo and energy do we have and that was outstanding today," said Richt. "It could have been kind of a lackluster type of day but it was not."

On the injury front, Richt said that he expects LB Dannell Ellerbe, DE Ray Gant and LB Danny Verdun Wheeler to return to practice on Monday after missing time with injuries. Richt said he was uncertain whether or not WR Mohamed Massaquoi, who has also been sidelined by injury, would be able to practice on Monday.

The Bulldogs will open their 2005 campaign next Saturday when they host Boise State, which has been ranked No. 18 and No. 19 in the AP and USA Today polls, respectively. Kick-off is slated for 5:30 p.m. ET and the game will be televised nationally by ESPN. All Georgia games are broadcast live on the Bulldog Radio Network on AM 750 WSB in Atlanta and 106.1 FM and 960 The Ref in Athens and can be heard on georgiadogs.com, the official website of UGA Athletics, as well.

August 26, 2005
ATHENS, Ga. --- The No. 13-ranked Georgia Bulldogs practiced for slightly more than two hours on Friday afternoon in shorts, shoulder pads and helmets in preparation for next Saturday's season opener against Boise State.

The Bulldogs enjoyed an up-tempo session in temperatures in the low 80s.

"We had a very good day today," head coach Mark Richt said. "I'm sure the weather had something to do with it. I always say that, but you usually have a little better practice when the heat is not turned up quite as high and the humidity is not quite as high. We had a breeze and cloud cover.

"It was really good work," Richt continued. "We concentrated on fundamentals and working against each other in passing drills, followed by break. We had about a half an hour of scout work, which we desperately needed, and then we finished up against each other. We had solid tempo all around, and I was pleased with the hole team."

August 25, 2005
ATHENS, Ga. -- With just nine days until their season opener with Boise State, the Georgia Bulldogs held a two-quarter practice game at Sanford Stadium on Thursday evening.

Georgia went through its pre-game warm-up session and during the first quarter the first-team offense and defense scrimmaged against scout teams. The second-teams had most of the work in the second quarter.

"(Quarterback D.J.) Shockley looked very sharp," said head coach Mark Richt. "Every ball was right on the money. He threw a touchdown pass to (fullback Brannan) Sutherland. Sutherland also scored on a rush. (Wide receiver) Bryan McClendon had a touchdown pass from Shockley and (quarterback) Joe (Tereshinski) threw a touchdown to (wide receiver) Sean Bailey."

Running back Tyson Browning also scored near the end of the scrimmage. Richt also mentioned LB Tony Taylor, DL Jeff Owens and Quentin Moses as superlatives defensively.

"Today wasn't the best test but we did go through our pre-game warm-ups and captain situations," Richt said.

Richt announced the four players that will represent the team as captains during the first game. Shockley and offensive tackle Dennis Roland will represent the offense, defensive tackle Gerald Anderson will represent the defense and cornerback DeMario Minter is set to be the special teams captain. The coaches choose a set of four captains prior to each game.

The Bulldogs open their season Sept. 3 when they play host to 19th-ranked Boise State. Kickoff is slated for 5:30 p.m., and the game will be televised nationally by ESPN. All Georgia games are broadcast live on the Bulldog Radio Network on AM 750 WSB in Atlanta and 106.1 FM and 960 The Ref in Athens. Games can also be heard on georgiadogs.com, the official web site of UGA Athletics.

August 24, 2005
Athens, Ga.-- The 13th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs continued preparations for their 2005 season opener, working out for an hour in jerseys, shorts and helmets Wednesday.

Georgia coach Mark Richt said the emphasis of Wednesday's workout was "assignment football." The Bulldogs went through the mental process, what they will see and experience in Thursday's closed session, which will feature a practice game.

The Bulldogs will head to Sanford Stadium and go through their normal pre-game routine, play a couple of quarters, head to the locker room for a half-time and then finish up with some drills.

The Bulldogs open their season Sept. 3 when they play host to 19th-ranked Boise State. Kickoff is slated for 5:30pm, and the game will be televised nationally by ESPN. All Georgia games are broadcast live on the Bulldog Radio Network on AM 750 WSB in Atlanta and 106.1 FM in Athens. All games can be heard on georgiadogs.com, the official website of UGA Athletics.

August 23, 2005
ATHENS, Ga. -- The Georgia football team worked out for just under two hours on Tuesday as the Bulldogs continue preparations for the 2005 season opener.

Georgia will kick off against Boise State on Sept. 3 at Sanford Stadium. Even though the game is quickly approaching and it gives the players something to look forward to besides practice, Coach Mark Richt said this is a critical week for the Bulldogs.

"This is the toughest week to stay focused," Richt said. "It seems like the game is right upon us, but there's still a lot of practices to go. It's still not game week, and that's what you've got to guard against. That's why it's so important that the scout team gives great effort so that the others have to.

"I remind them of that everyday when we talk before practice. I ask them, 'What kind of habits are you going to create?' If there are great habits, it< will="" carry="" over="" into="" the="" season.="" but="" if="" you're="" just="" wasting="" time="" and="" have="" poor="" habits,="" that="" can="" bite="" you="" in="" a="" ballgame."="">

Richt said he was pleased with Tuesday's workout, again crediting the scouts for their performance.

"The tempo was very good today," Richt said. "I was really pleased with them today. The scouts gave us some great looks."

The Bulldogs, who have been ranked No. 13 in the pre-season Associated Press and USA Today polls, will open their 2005 campaign two weeks from Saturday when they host No. 19-ranked Boise State. That contest will begin at 5:30 p.m. ET and will be televised nationally by ESPN. All Georgia games also are broadcast live on the Bulldog Radio Network on AM 750 WSB in Atlanta and 106.1 FM in Athens and can be heard on georgiadogs.com, the official website of UGA Athletics, as well.

August 22, 2005
ATHENS, Ga. -- The Georgia football team returned to workouts in preparation for the season opener on Monday, again under a sweltering hot sun.

The Bulldogs strapped on full pads for Monday's session, which lasted nearly two hours on the Woodruff Practice Fields. Georgia is less than two weeks away from kicking off the 2005 campaign against Boise State.

"It was very hot and very humid again today," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "The guys had to suck it up, and they did. We did a lot of scout team work, some inside drills and some 11-on-11. We got a lot of work done today."

Richt was asked about the Bulldogs' receiving corps, which has been hampered by injuries throughout the preseason camp.

"Someone I think who has taken advantage of the injuries is T.J. Gartrell," Richt said. "He's shown me some things the last couple of days."

Richt also announced after practice that the football program had presented a $10,000 check to Athletic Director Damon Evans for the endowed scholarship program. The money was raised at the Football 101 For Women session held earlier this summer and it will be used for a scholarship for women's athletics.

"I want to thank all the ladies for showing up and participating," Richt said, "and also for helping us out in this way."

August 20, 2005
Athens, Ga. --- Despite beginning practice before 9:00 a.m., the Georgia Bulldogs worked out in smothering heat in shorts, shoulder pads and helmets at Sanford Stadium on Saturday morning. Temperatures at the beginning of practice were well into the 80s, and the heat index was in the high 90s by the end of the two-hour session.

"It was very, very hot today," head coach Mark Richt said. "Even though we went early, it was still very taxing on the guys. But they fought through it pretty good. It was one of those days where as fast as you could drink water, it pours right out of your seams, right out of your pores. We had a pretty good effort day today."

Richt confirmed that the shoulder injury kicker Andy Bailey suffered during Friday's special teams practice will likely keep him out of action four-to-six weeks.

"It came out and had to be put back in," Richt said. "Ben Wilson will start getting work behind (Brandon) Coutu."

Bailey was the Bulldogs' starting kicker for most of the 2004 season before being replaced by Coutu in the fourth quarter of the regular-season finale against Georgia Tech. Coutu and Bailey again were battling for the kicking duties this fall, with Coutu holding a slight edge prior to Bailey's injury, Richt said.

Wilson kicked off in games against Vanderbilt and Kentucky last season but has never attempted a field goal or a PAT in a game.

The Bulldogs were to take part in their annual Picture Day on Saturday afternoon at the Woodruff Practice Fields before taking Sunday off. Georgia will return to practice on Monday and continue preparation for their season opener two weeks from Saturday against Boise State.

"Today was really day two of working on Boise State," Richt said. "Originally, we were going to wait until Monday to do that, but we just have a lot of respect for Boise and what they do. We want to make sure we're as prepared as we can be so we went into scout team play two days earlier."

The Bulldogs, who have been ranked No. 13 in the pre-season USA Today coaches poll, will open their 2005 campaign two weeks from Saturday when they host No. 19-ranked Boise State. That contest will begin at 5:30 p.m. ET and will be televised nationally by ESPN. All Georgia games also are broadcast live on the Bulldog Radio Network on AM 750 WSB in Atlanta and 106.1 FM in Athens and can be heard on georgiadogs.com, the official website of UGA Athletics, as well.

August 19, 2005
Athens, Ga. --- The Georgia Bulldogs practiced for two hours at Sanford Stadium on Friday afternoon in a session heavily dominated by work on special teams.

The Dogs concentrated on their punting and kickoff teams in full pads for about an hour and a half before removing their shoulder pads for offensive and defensive drills during the final 30 minutes.

"It was a good session with light tackling," head coach Mark Richt said. "During the special teams, the No. 1 punt and No. 1 kicking teams weren't tackled, but everyone else got tackled. After that, we divided up and spent about six periods on Boise State. We split up into scout teams for the first time."

Richt praised the scout kick coverage team for its performance.

"The scout team gave us a good enough effort to see we've improved there," Richt said. "We've still got to get better at it."

The Bulldogs will practice again at Sanford Stadium on Saturday morning as their practice facility is readied for Picture Day later in the afternoon. All four football practice fields at the Woodruff Practice Fields will be utilized for the annual event, which is scheduled from 1:00-5:00 p.m. In addition to members of the football team, student-athletes from all other Georgia athletic teams will be on hand to greet fans, as will Uga VI, the Bulldogs' mascot. For the first time ever, interactive games will be included in the Picture Day festivities.

"I hope it works out for everyone," Richt said. "I do think there will be much more to do than just get pictures and autographs."

August 18, 2005
Athens -- Georgia will not hold regular football practice today (Thursday) and will instead head coach Mark Richt will allow the players to concentrate on getting organized on the first day of classes which begin today.

"This will be a good day for players to have extra time to finalize their class schedules and get organized for the beginning of the semester," said Richt. "We have not missed a day of practice yet for weather or other reasons so it's not a concern at all in terms of preparation and staying on schedule."

Georgia will resume practice Friday with a special teams practice in the afternoon. Media interviews will also resume following the Friday practice.

August 17, 2005
Photos from this moring's "Watermelon Cuttin'"
Athens -- After a morning practice and Georgia's annual watermelon cutting, the Bulldogs held a two-hour scrimmage in Sanford Stadium on Wednesday afternoon to conclude two-a-day workouts for the year.

Classes begin on the UGA campus Thursday.

The defense outscored the offense on the afternoon due to three turnovers. Defensive End Marcus Howard and LB Marcus Washington scored on recovered fumbles, and DE Charles Johnson scored on an interception return.

On offense, QB D.J. Shockley scored on a rush and threw a touchdown pass.

Following the scrimmage, head coach Mark Richt said RB Kregg Lumpkin (knee) looked rusty for two plays but ran the ball well.

"I think today really helped his confidence with his knee," Richt said. "His assignments on blocking were the rusty parts, but his running was not rusty. Danny Ware ran good and so did [Thomas] Brown. But Kregg didn't disappoint us with his running today."

Richt also said he was pleased with the camp FB Tony Milton has had so far.

"He's not the biggest fullback in America, but he's holding up well. He's playing the I-formation fullback position," said Richt.

The Bulldogs, who are ranked No. 13 in the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll, are set to open the 2005 campaign on Saturday, Sept. 3 against No. 19-ranked Boise State at Sanford Stadium. That contest will be televised nationally by ESPN at 5:30 p.m. All Georgia games also are broadcast live on the Bulldog Radio Network on AM 750 WSB in Atlanta and 106.1 FM in Athens. Radio broadcasts can also be heard on georgiadogs.com, the official website of UGA Athletics.

August 16, 2005
Athens -- Due to a weather delay (lightning in the area), the University of Georgia football team moved its single practice from the afternoon to the evening on Tuesday. A little more than three hours after the original start time, the Bulldogs took to the practice fields and worked out under the lights for a little more than two hours.

According to Georgia head coach Mark Richt, the team was still able to get a lot accomplished despite having the sudden change in schedule. Richt said the change in climate was a contributing factor to the solid practice the team had on Tuesday.

"I'd say it was between 20-25 degrees cooler than the usual temperature (the team has been practicing in) and it showed," said Richt. "I was very pleased with it."

When the Bulldogs line up to play Boise State in their season-opening game they will be without their top two wide receivers - Reggie Brown and Fred Gibson - from last year who are now playing in the NFL. There are several candidates who will be looked at to fill the void. Among them is sophomore T.J. Gartrell, who Richt said has been impressive in preseason workouts.

"T.J. has had a nic e couple of days," said Richt. "He has high energy and has been a hard worker, coming back to balls and working hard on blocks. He has impressed me."

Tomorrow the Bulldogs will go through their last set of two-a-day practices before classes start for UGA students on Thursday.

The Bulldogs, who are ranked No. 13 in the preseason USA Today coaches poll, are set to open the 2005 campaign on Saturday, Sept. 3 against No. 19-ranked Boise State at Sanford Stadium. That contest will be televised nationally by ESPN at 5:30 p.m. All Georgia games also are broadcast live on the Bulldog Radio Network on AM 750 WSB in Atlanta and 106.1 FM in Athens. Radio broadcasts can also be heard on georgiadogs.com, the official web site of UGA Athletics.

August 15, 2005
Athens -- The Georgia Bulldogs conducted their third of four two-a-day practice regimens on Monday in Athens, working out in sweltering heat in both the morning and afternoon.

The Dogs practiced for approximately an hour and a half in the morning in full pads and returned later in the day in helmets, shoulder pads and shorts for a session which lasted just under two and a half hours.

"This morning, we cut it down to 12 periods instead of 18," head coach Mark Richt said. 'We cut about 40 minutes off the practice, but we did go full pads and got a little live work in -- not a lot, but a little. Even though we cut it down, it was still very, very tough on these guys, and they struggled mightily this morning.

"I'm glad we did what we did," Richt continued. "We got a lot of work done this afternoon. There was more energy than I thought we might have this afternoon."

Richt confirmed two position changes following the afternoon session.

Senior Tony Milton is working exclusively at fullback, and junior Olaolu Sanni-Osomo has shifted from safety to outside linebacker.

"Tony has worked at fullback throughout camp," Richt said. "I told Tony the other day that I wouldn't have any problem starting him there if he won the job. With Olaolu, it has a lot to do with his body type. He's just naturally a big, thick, strong guy. He loves contact so I think he'll be fine."

The Bulldogs will practice once on Tuesday before their final two-a-day on Wednesday. Fall Semester classes begin at the University on Thursday.

The Bulldogs, who are ranked No. 13 in the preseason USA Today coaches poll, are set to open the 2005 campaign on Saturday, Sept. 3 against No.

19-ranked Boise State at Sanford Stadium. That contest will be televised nationally by ESPN. All Georgia games also are broadcast live on the Bulldog Radio Network on AM 750 WSB in Atlanta and 106.1 FM in Athens.

August 13, 2005
ATHENS, Ga. - The Georgia Bulldogs held a pair of scrimmages at Sanford Stadium Saturday with the morning session concentrating on special teams and the afternoon focusing on situational 11-on-11 work.

Georgia coach Mark Richt said the emphasis in the afternoon scrimmage was to run the football. He said all the tailbacks had some nice runs including sophomore Thomas Brown who got the scrimmage off to an electric start with an 80-yard touchdown run. Later in the scrimmage, sophomore cornerback Paul Oliver made a highlight play for the defense with a touchdown-saving interception that drew cheers from those in attendance.

"The conditions were very close to how it could be on the (Sept.) 3rd, it was very hot and humid at kickoff but then it got cloudy and we got a bit of breeze and you could tell a different energy level," said Richt.

The end of the scrimmage featured goal line situations which brings out the best of the players and coaches.

"It's high energy and comical at the end, everyone is having good, clean fun," said Richt. It's a mad celebration for one side depending on if the offense scores or the defense stops them. It's like a boxing match with everyone real close together watching to see which side wins."

The players and coaches were not the only ones watching closely Saturday as the afternoon scrimmage featured a crew of replay officials. The Southeastern Conference will implement the use of video replay this season, and they had their own scrimmage of sorts. Richt said he knew of a couple of plays that they reviewed, and the calls on the field were correct.

The Bulldogs take Sunday off before resuming workouts on Monday.

Georgia opens the season against Boise State on Sept. 3. Kickoff is slated for 5:30 p.m., and the game will be televised by ESPN. All Georgia games are broadcast live on the Bulldog Radio Network on AM 750 WSB in Atlanta and 106.1 FM in Athens.

August 12, 2005
ATHENS, Ga. - The Georgia Bulldogs continued preseason workouts, holding a two-hour session in full pads here Friday.

"It was a tough, grueling practice, and we fought through it to complete our eighth workout of camp," said Georgia coach Mark Richt. "That's what's going to happen in games, there will be times when you will be tired, but you got to suck it up and play, and we did that today."

Richt added he has been pleased with the play and leadership displayed by the seniors thus far in camp. When the subject turned to the Bulldog wide receivers, Richt said they are getting tougher, and their effort has been good.

"The last few days, the receivers are making more plays then they are missing," said Richt. "It will be nice when we get a few more back because we've got some that are injured. With our numbers, the true freshmen probably will all end up contributing. They will all get a chance."

Georgia will hold its second session of two-a-day practices Saturday.

The Bulldogs play host to Boise State Sept. 3. Kickoff is slated for 5:30 p.m., and the game will be televised by ESPN. All Georgia games are broadcast live on the Bulldog Radio Network on AM 750 WSB in Atlanta and 106.1 FM in Athens.

August 11, 2005
ATHENS, Ga. - The Georgia Bulldogs completed a series of firsts Thursday including a two-a-day workout featuring a morning session in full pads as preseason football camp continued on the Woodruff Practice Fields.

The Bulldogs donned full pads during a two-hour morning workout while the afternoon session was scaled back to jerseys, shoulder pads, helmets and shorts. Georgia coach Mark Richt praised a couple of Bulldogs who have had an outstanding camp to date.

"(Senior quarterback) D.J. Shockley has been extremely sharp and (junior tight end) Leonard Pope has been the most dominating player so far," said Richt.

Richt added he was pleased with how the Bulldogs responded to their first set of two-a-day practices.

"In the morning, I thought it went outstanding, the team had fun and got after it," said Richt. "We've had more interceptions in this camp than in the past, a lot of guys are taking an opportunity to get them. The only negative thing in the morning was some mistakes that were correctable, some basic things like lining up in the neutral zone or bad center/quarterback exchanges. In the afternoon, our number one defense shut out the number two offense and the number one offense went 3-1 versus the number two defense."

The status of sophomore split end A.J. Bryant was updated after he was injured Wednesday and missed practice Thursday. Bryant has a dislocated left shoulder and may miss the season opener against Boise State. Richt said he is not counting out Bryant for the first game, but said it's more realistic that he will return for the South Carolina game. With Bryant sidelined, redshirt freshman Kenneth Harris saw more action in his spot.

August 10, 2005
ATHENS, Ga. - The University of Georgia football team continued preseason workouts Wednesday afternoon with a two-and-a-half hour practice. According to Georgia head coach Mark Richt, the practice was a productive one after a slow start, which he attributed to the weather and to some of the commonplace routines that go on with daily preseason workouts.

"It was a little lethargic out there at the start," said Richt. "Once we got to 11-on-11 it livened up to game-tempo out there. The guys got a lot of work in so overall it was a good practice."

Sophomore split end A.J. Bryant was forced to leave practice early after injuring his shoulder during a special teams drill. Richt said the severity of Bryant's injury would not be known until tomorrow. Bryant (6-2, 195) entered the 2005 preseason as Georgia's No. 2 split end.

Tomorrow the Bulldogs will be having their first two-a-day workouts of 2005 and will also have their first practice in full pads, which will be during the morning session.

August 9, 2005
ATHENS, Ga. ---  Georgia continued preseason drills in shorts, helmets and shoulder pads at a muggy Woodruff practice fields on Tuesday.
The workout of just over two hours was the fourth of 28 total practices the team will hold leading up to the 2005 season opener against Boise State on Sept. 3 in Sanford Stadium.

"It was a good day," said head coach Mark Richt. "It was rainy until we went to (stretch) and the sun came out and turned up the humidity. That is what we needed. It was the first hot day where we had a good energy level.

"(D.J.) Shockley looked exceptionally sharp and made some great calls and decisions. We had guys catching balls and the defense played well. The No.1 units are executing very well," Richt said.

Richt announced after practice that junior guard Bartley Miller has decided to end his playing career after battling shoulder problems for three years with the Bulldogs.

"His shoulders have just not responded," said Richt. "Both of them have been significantly bothering him. But he¹s going to stay with us and will be a field coach. He'll help us set up the defensive line on the scout team, which is something we need, and will still be a big part of this team."

Miller, an Atlanta, Ga., native and product of The Marist School, filled a backup role at guard during Georgia's 2002 SEC Championship season. He started the first nine games of the 2003 season before shoulder and ankle injuries forced him to miss the final stretch of that year. He missed all of 2004 after shoulder surgery, but participated in spring drills.

The Bulldogs will get back to practice on Wed., Aug. 10 with a workout in shells during the afternoon. Practice with full pads begins on Thursday.

August 8, 2005
ATHENS, Ga. -- The Georgia football team pushed through a practice session on Monday despite heavy rains at the outset.

After their period of stretching, the Bulldogs were drenched by pounding precipitation for nearly an hour. However, rather than postpone or cancel practice, Georgia coach Mark Richt had his team continue with its third preseason workout. And as it turned out, the sun came out for the final half of the practice.

Cornerback Tim Jennings, left, works against receiver Mario Raley at one of the Bulldogs' practices. Photo by Kevin Works

"We still got a lot done," Richt said. "We decided we'd stick it out unless we had thunder and lightning, which we never did. You've got to play football in the rain sometimes. If we'd had a game today, we would've had to play in it."

Even though the players had to deal with slippery footballs and heavy shoes, Richt said he was pleased with the team's energy level.

"We're still installing things," Richt said. "But we had people flying around the ball on defense, which is a good sign."

Georgia will return to the field on Tuesday and Wednesday for practices, followed by the first two-a-day practice on Thursday.

The Bulldogs will open the season Sept. 3 against Boise State. The game will be televised by ESPN with a 5:30 p.m. kickoff. All Georgia football games are broadcast on the Georgia Bulldogs Radio Network, including flagship station AM-750 in Atlanta and 106.1 FM in Athens. Fans Picture Day will be held Aug. 20 on the Woodruff Practice Fields.

August 6, 2005
ATHENS, Ga. ---- The University of Georgia football team held a two-and-a-half hour practice at the Woodruff practice fields on Saturday.

According to Georgia head coach Mark Richt, today's practice was more productive than Friday, the first day of Georgia's preseason practices.

"Yesterday was a little disappointing," said Richt. "I thought there would be more energy. I guess there was also a lot of nervous energy out there yesterday. It could also have been because of the weather; it was really humid outside. Today was more of what I expected the first day to be like. The competition and energy was better and people were making plays. Once again the weather could have played a role in how they performed seeing as it was not as humid today as it was yesterday."

Some of the highlights Richt noted from Saturday's session included the play of the defense, some good catches by the receivers and the play of the true freshmen.

The Bulldogs will have a day off on Sunday before returning to the practice fields on Monday for a single practice in the afternoon.

August 5, 2005
Photo Gallery
ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia began preparations for its 2005 season with a two-hour workout at the Woodruff practice fields on Friday. The practice was nearly 20 minutes shorter than scheduled as afternoon thundershowers made their way into Athens around 6 p.m. EDT.

Friday's workout was the first of 28 practices that will lead up to the Sept. 3 season opener against Boise State at 5:30 p.m. in Sanford Stadium.

Prior to Friday's practice head coach Mark Richt met with the media and said he was excited about getting the preseason started.

"It's real exciting for us. I woke up at 3:30 this morning and was wide awake," said Richt. "D.J. Shockley told me he couldn't sleep a wink. And our team chaplain (Kevin Hynes) said he was up last night praying for everyone. We're all excited about it. There's a lot of nervous energy going into the first day, which is typical. Spirits are high, expectations are high. We're ready to get going."

Receivers Kenneth Harris, left, and Mohamed Massaquoi go through a special teams drill with assistant coach Kirby Smart looking on. Photo by Kevin Works

Richt also discussed his team's season opener with the Broncos.

"The thing that is always a curiosity to me is how we'll handle a close ballgame. How would we handle being down 21 points at the half to Boise State? Would we push the panic button or stay poised and work our way back? As coaches, we feel very comfortable with the players that we have to play well. Also, how will the seniors lead? Last year, we had very high-profile seniors, but there weren't very many of them. We've got a larger group of seniors and by virtue of the numbers, they'll help us lead," Richt said.

The Bulldogs return to the practice fields Saturday. The first two-a-days will be held Aug. 11, with the first practice in full pads to be held that morning.

University of Georgia Athletics

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