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Thursday, August 14, 2008
How huge is UGA’s loss of Sturdivant?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This is hard to believe, but two weeks from tonight we will play the first games of the 2008 season. And because the injury bug has bitten frequently in the last seven days, there are some things that need to get resolved in a hurry.
Here are just a few of the burning questions that need to get answered in the next 14 days.
1. How huge will the loss of Trinton Sturdivant be for Georgia? I think it’s really huge but managing these kind of things is what coaches are paid to do and why recruiting for depth is so important. If this injury happens on an SEC team with serious depth issues, it could be devastating. But, as Chip Towers pointed out, over the past few seasons Georgia has made recruiting offensive linemen a priority. This is where that decision should pay off.
Georgia will put another really good player into that left tackle spot. But I also know this: There is a reason that Sturdivant has been holding down the left tackle spot pretty much since the day he walked onto campus. He was the best lineman Georgia had. The Bulldogs will still be good at that position. But they can’t be AS good. On such subtle distinctions championships are sometimes won or lost in the SEC. Only time will tell.
And here is the other question. Do you move right tackle Kiante Tripp, over to the left side? Some coaches say no because now you’re putting new players at TWO different positions, creating more disruption on the offensive line. Other coaches say you have to put the best player possible at left tackle because he protects the blind side of your quarterback.
And keep this in mind if you’re a Georgia fan. Under new defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, South Carolina is working on different ways to take advantage of the skills of its best pass rusher, Eric Norwood. Norwood has moved to outside linebacker but Johnson told me that Norwood would continue to put pressure on quarterbacks because he does it so well. Georgia will see a lot of Norwood when the Bulldogs go to Columbia on Sept. 13.
2. Will Mitch Mustain be the guy at Southern Cal? USC quarterback Mark Sanchez dislocated his left kneecap in practice last Friday. Sanchez said he hopes to be back for the opener at Virginia on Aug. 30.
This opens the door for Mustain, who won eight games as a true freshman at Arkansas in 2006 but transferred after a serious falling out with Houston Nutt and the Razorback coaching staff.
A lot of people have questioned whether or not all the drama surrounding Mustain’s transfer was really necessary. I know because I was one of them. But there were a lot of people in Arkansas who are convinced that Nutt completely mishandled the entire Mitch Mustain situation and forced a great player to go elsewhere. The fallout on all sides was considerable and the hurt feelings are still significant.
It would be sweet redemption for Mustain if he were able to take over the USC offense and have some success. And it sure would make a lot of Arkansas fans ever madder to see Mustain playing pitch and catch in a Southern Cal uniform on national television against Ohio State on Sept. 13. This will be fun to watch.
3. Will Tennessee have a cakewalk at UCLA? Last spring Patrick Cowan, projected to be UCLA’s starting quarterback, injured his knee and was lost for the season. On Tuesday Ben Olson, his backup, had surgery to repair a broken right foot. Now the Bruins and Rick Neuheisel are down to junior college transfer Kevin Craft and redshirt freshman Chris Forcier.
One of those guys is going to have to take the first snap against Tennessee on Sept. 1 at the Rose Bowl.
Any time a team has to fly out to the West Coast to play it is not easy. But this injury increases the possibility that Tennessee won’t have to fight tooth and nail to get out of Pasadena with a win. Understand that the first three weeks (UCLA, off week on Sept. 6, UAB on Sept. 13) for Tennessee are about getting ready to host Florida on Sept. 20 and then go tot Auburn on Sept. 27.
The injuries at UCLA could make that process a little easier. Or not.
4. Who is going to be Auburn’s starting quarterback?: OC Tony Franklin told me that at some point he would name a starting quarterback-either sophomore Kodi Burns or JUCO transfer Chris Todd. That decision is coming soon.
Burns got more work in the new offense during spring practice because Todd had a dead arm. But Todd knows the offense inside and out because he’s been running some version of it for most of his football life.
My money is on Burns, who has made great strides as a passer since the end of last spring.
“At first I wasn’t sure if Kodi could throw the ball well enough to run our offense but then I saw his high school tape. He was a very good passer but something happened after he got here,” Franklin said. “It wasn’t anybody’s fault. But these things just happen.”
Burns also has the ability to plant his foot and make defenders miss, which is very important in this offense. Todd will play a lot because he’s very talented. The fact is that if you run the spread offense, you have to have two quarterbacks ready to go at all times.
5. Will Josh Jarboe make the most of his third (and probably final) chance at Troy?
I think so. Jarboe was released at Oklahoma when it was discovered that he had made a short video with references to gun violence. This was after he had been kicked out of high school for bringing a gun onto school property.
Now he lands at Troy, which could be the best possible move for him. Troy has a very competitive program on the rise, but it is not in the white-hot spotlight of a place like Oklahoma or the SEC. He’ll get a chance to develop as a player and a person.
Ryan Perrilloux got a second chance at Jacksonville State and Jarboe deserves this third chance at Troy.
But at the risk of sounding like a dad, here is a piece of advice to the young man: If football is really important to you then you’ll simplify your life. Concentrate on football and going to school. That’s it. This is your last chance.
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