Richt unsure about Ealey's workload

By Andy Johnston

For the AJC

ATHENS – Washaun Ealey invigorated Georgia’s offense against LSU on Saturday, but coach Mark Richt isn’t sure how many carries the freshman running back will get against Tennessee.

Ealey, who rushed for 33 yards on eight carries in the 20-13 loss, likely will play an expanded role Saturday because Caleb King is out with a concussion and a fractured jaw.

“I would think it would be not a whole lot different than Richard [Samuel] and Caleb,” Richt said. “Probably similar to that. Whatever that’s been. I haven’t been tracking carries.”

Samuel has averaged 13 carries a game, but his carries have steadily decreased from a season-high 20 in the opener against Oklahoma State to a season-low four against LSU. King took a portion of those carries when he returned from an early-season injury that forced him to miss the first two games and had 11 in each of his first two games.

No Georgia back had more than eight carries last week.

Ealey didn’t play in the first four games and entered Saturday’s game midway through the third quarter. Now he gets to face the intimidating environment of Neyland Stadium.

“He seems excited about it,” Richt said of Ealey. “I think he’s practiced pretty well. He thinks he’s ready. We’ll see. It’s hard to describe what it’s like [at Tennessee] to the guys who have never been there.”

Injured Gloer part of problem

Special-teams ace Chad Gloer, who missed the LSU game with an injured hamstring, will not play Saturday and “might be ready the next week,” against Vanderbilt, Richt said.

Without Gloer, who is a backup cornerback, Georgia gave up a 40-yard kickoff return to Trindon Holliday that set up LSU’s game-winning touchdown.

“[Gloer] was the star of that team, if there was a star,” Richt said. “He certainly was doing really well for us there and making some big plays. If one [player] goes down there with a lot of experience, and he’s next to a guy on each side who are not as experienced, that’s not quite so bad. But if you pull him out of there and, all of a sudden, there are three guys who don’t have a lot of experience, it can hurt you. And it has hurt us.”

Georgia allows 27.1 yards a kickoff return, 112th in the nation.

“I can’t sit here and say we’ve got 10 guys who are really getting after it and getting it done,” Richt said. “Like I’ve mentioned before, they’re trying their tails off, but there’s a lot of youth on that thing. They have to continue to mature.”

Behind Bowden

Richt hasn’t talked to Florida State coach Bobby Bowden this week, but doesn’t like the growing pressure on his former boss to step down. Richt was an assistant at Florida State from 1990-2000.

“I’m not there and in the heart of it,” Richt said. “I have read some things about it. I’ll make the comment I always make, which is very true. I love Coach Bowden, and anything that happens to him that’s not a positive thing; it bothers me. I want the best for him.”

Injury update

Defensive end Kiante Tripp remains out with a shoulder injury. Linebacker Akeem Dent also is out with an injured hamstring. “He’s been slow to recover,” Richt said. “There hasn’t been a setback. There’s a 100 percent chance [of Dent playing] after the open date and a possibility of him playing [against Vanderbilt]."