UGA blog finds new home
Morning all. As I’ve said a couple of times this week, we’re converting this blog over to a WordPress platform and it will be a permanent move the first of next week.
Those of you who are regulars probably know that I’m not what you’d call techno-wizard when it comes to these things. But from what I understand the technology offered in this new format should make the blogging and commenting experience better for all. Of course, I’ll be learning as we go along, too. But I’m hoping to provide more pictures and video and things like that which should bring the blog more to life.
Of course, this blog is nothing without all you guys so I want to heartily invite (read: beg) you to come over to the new site by CLICKING HERE ON THE NEW ADDRESS and save it in your browsers. As of Monday, Feb. 23rd, this will be the permanent home of the UGA blog you so love or, in the case of some of you, love to loathe. If you’d prefer to copy and paste or just memorize, the new address is: http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/.
See at the new place!
AJC > Sports > UGA > Blog > Archives > 2008 > July > 30
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Fullback a big concern for Bulldogs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Today we will begin to take a position-by-position look at the 2008 Georgia Bulldogs. We won’t necessarily do this every day but fairly regularly between now and the start of the actual season.
I figured we’d start with the fullback position, since that is one of some concern due to Brannan Southerland being out for the first few games with a leg injury and Fred Munzemmaier being suspended the first two. That would be a major issue if Georgia was opening with Arizona State or South Carolina. Less so, I think, with Georgia Southern and Central Michigan. But don’t be fooled, those first two opponents can play and will be supremely motivated.
And fullback is an extremely important position in the Dogs’ offensive scheme, particularly under coordinator Mike Bobo. Remember how much they ran the ball with Knowshon Moreno and Thomas Brown last season. Go to Youtube and take a look at the highlights of their best runs. Chances are you’ll see number 36 clearing out a linebacker or safety to lead the way.
Obviously Georgia will turn to redshirt sophomore Shaun Chapas (6-2, 236) to fill in for Southerland. But “fill in” is probably not a fair assessment since Chapas played a ton of ball last year. He played in every game, finishing with 11 carries for 41 yards and 3 catches for another 22 yards. And the Dogs often lined up with two fullbacks in the backfield in short-yardage situations, with Southerland in front of the tailback and Chapas on the wing.
Based on my own observations and my conversations with coaches and players, I believe Chapas is more than an adequate replacement. I think he’s really good and very much in the mold of the fullbacks we’ve seen under Richt (Jeremy Thomas, J.T. Wall, Verron Haynes). In fact, Chapas, who has worked some at tailback the last two seasons, is probably the best runner since Haynes and supposedly has real good hands. But it wouldn’t be wise to think anyone would not be a downgrade from Southerland. That kid, who I believe will be back by Game Four, is one of the best in America.
The problem is after Chapas. With Munzemaier out, there are no other scholarship players. As a result, the Bulldogs moved walkon linebackers Benjamin Boyd and Justin Fields over to fullback. Boyd, a senior, has been a terrific and valuable special teams player for the Dogs. He is listed at 6-1, 210 but there’s no way he doesn’t weigh more than that now. You can tell they got him in the weight room and trained him as a fullback. I bet he went up two neck sizes. Fields (6-1, 244, RSo.) was already built that way. Georgia has a couple of other walk-on freshmen in Josh Sailors (5-11, 220) and Josh Bagby.
The key here is keeping Chapas healthy those first few games and there are certainly no guarantees of that at such a contact-oriented position. So a position that would be a huge strength with everybody available is one of the Bulldogs’ chief concerns heading into preseason practices.
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