Dogs starting tackle out for season

By Tim Tucker

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

For the second year in a row, Georgia’s football team will have to carry on without perhaps its best offensive lineman.

Starting left tackle Trinton Sturdivant, who missed all of last season with three torn ligaments in his left knee, will be sidelined for the rest of this season after reinjuring the same knee in Saturday’s opening game.

An MRI on Sunday revealed the damage: a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Sturdivant “seemed kind of philosophical” about the news, Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “He wasn’t just in the tank. He was, like, ‘Well, I got two choices. I can give up, or I can go fight again.’ He knows — and we know — he is going to fight.”

The severity of Sturdivant’s injury is the latest — and surely the last — piece of bad news to come for Georgia from Saturday’s 24-10 loss at Oklahoma State.

Sturdivant started all 13 games at the key left-tackle position in 2007, playing so well that he was named to some Freshman All-America teams. He injured the knee in the first scrimmage of preseason camp in 2008, then went through almost a year of rigorous rehab. He rejoined the team on the practice field this summer and performed well enough to reclaim the starting job.

The knee held up only until the third quarter of the first game.

It “just kind of buckled ... just gave out” — Richt’s words — as Sturdivant was engaged with an Oklahoma State defender.

Sturdivant had to be helped off the field, and he left Stillwater, Okla., on crutches Saturday night. Even then, though, Sturdivant and his coaches were hopeful the injury would prove to be less than season-ending. They were surprised to learn otherwise on Sunday.

“If he rehabs the way he did a year ago, he will be able to play again next year,” Richt said. “It is one piece of ligament that can be repaired and replaced. And then you start over again. Psychologically, it’s tough.

“Trinton’s ... got goals in his life, and he is going to come back. He’ll be back next year.”

For now, Richt said, Vince Vance will move into the starting left-tackle spot. Vance started six games last season, including three at left tackle, before a knee injury ended his season.

Another option would be to move Clint Boling, currently the starting right tackle, to the left side, where he started the final seven games of last season. But Richt indicated Boling will remain at right tackle.

Richt also noted that Josh Davis, sidelined since the first of two shoulder surgeries in January, will be able to play soon and could be used at either tackle.