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Thursday, Octobkk 15, 2009 | The Red a Black
More playing time for freshmen defensive backs
By TYLER ESTEP
Thk Rku & Black
For Georgia fans, it’s an
image that has graced their
eyes all too often this sea
son an opposing receiver
catching, running and, a lot
of times, scoring, all seem
ingly without a Bulldog
defender within 10 yards of
them.
Wholesale changes
aren’t happening in the
secondary, at least for
now. But coach Mark
Richt did say in his
Tuesday press conference
that a few youngsters will
be getting more chances
this week and in the
future.
Comer Prince Miller and
safeties Reshad Jones and
Bryan Evans are all fourth
year players, but their poor
performances have left the
door open for freshmen
Bacarri Rambo and
Branden Smith to get more
playing time.
Rambo plays at Jones’
strong safety spot, and
Smith plays at Miller’s wide
comer position.
“We’ll just continue to
play the guys we’re play
ing, and give guys more
reps,” said defensive coor
dinator and secondary
coach Willie Martinez.
"Certain guys, I kndw from
the secondary standpoint,
I’m going to play Bacarri
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“We’re not even
down. We’ve still got
our heads up.
Everybody knows
we’re 3-3, but we’re
just trying to move
on besides that and
play our hearts out.”
Branden Smith
CoKNEKBACK
Rambo more. I’ve been
doing that, but he’s been
very productive and he’s
getting really confident in
our scheme."
Added Evans: “Rambo’s
playing good. Any time you
have somebody out there
playing to his caliber, I
think that he needs more
playing time. It’s just how
football goes.”
Richt pointed to the fact
that both Jones and Miller
are “getting a ton of reps”
as the main impetus for
giving the youngsters more
cracks at it.
“To get every rep is not
good for anybody in my
opinion,” Richt said. “I
think there needs to be a
time when you are not on
the field every single
down.”
He didn’t mention that
a unit consisting mainly of
Jones, Miller, and Evans
has surrendered 249 pass
ing yards per game this
season, good enough for
llth-best in the SEC and
97th in the FBS.
In moderate playing
time, Rambo has account
ed for two of Georgia’s
four interceptions this
season.
The other two also came
from a younger player,
sophomore comer Brandon
Boykin. In more intermit
tent time, Smith has two
pass breakups, the same
amount as Miller.
“That’s everybody’s
dream, to get more playing
time, playing as a true
freshman,” Smith said.
“That’s my goal. Really my
goal is to start, but I’m
behind Prince Miller, and
I’m still learning every sin
gle day. He’s a great play
er.”
The Georgia secondary
would presumably have an
easy task this week, going
against Vanderbilt quar
terback Larry Smith and a
Commodore passing
attack that averages a
league-worst 146.7 yards
per game. That’s good
enough for 114th-nation
wide, just below a Georgia
Tech team that’s thrown
the ball only 75 times all
season.
But, as the Bulldogs
SPORTS
showed against previously
maligned Tennessee quar
terback Jonathan
Crompton, nothing’s a
given for the Georgia sec
ondary this season.
“There were a couple of
days that we felt like
throwing in the towel, but
it's just not our nature to
give up,” Evans said.
"Anytime that we can go
out and try and get a win
to get our win streak going,
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that’s what we’re going to
do.”
Added Smith: “We're not
even down. We’ve still got
our heads up. Everybody
knows we’re 3-3, but we’re
just trying to move on
besides that and play our
hearts out.”
Even with criticism run
ning rampant and a couple
of younger players making
a move on veterans’ previ
ously established positions.
JgA V* JSIhSB
ERI
Freshman
Bacarri
Rambo has
two of the
Bulldogs’
four inter
ceptions.
the Georgia secondary is
sticking together.
“We’re one big family,”
Smith said.