Athens — Vince Dooley has been involved in organized football for more than five decades and, for as long as he can remember, spring football games have been a part of it.

"Oh, yeah, always been a big part of college football," said Dooley, in the Sanford Stadium press box before Georgia's G-Day game on Saturday. "I've always thought spring games were very important because players like to perform in front of people. You find out a little more about them in front of a crowd. So I always tried hard to make them as interesting and competitive as possible."

Dooley in 1964 started the Georgia tradition of having the split squads play for supper — the winners get steak, the losers beanie-weanies — and promoted it as a spring event. He remembers drawing huge crowds in some seasons and not so big in others.

"When [attendance] started to go down we'd try to do something to shake it up," he said.

Dooley said spring games are as much about the fans as they are about the coaches evaluating their team.

"Coach [Shug] Jordan's first year at Auburn was 1950 and they were coming off an 0-10 season," Dooley said. "It was rough going, but it was a new regime and there was new enthusiasm. So a big crowd came out for the A-Game, and they were treated to an exciting game that ended up being tied 24-24. Coach Jordan was walking off the field, and he heard one of the fans say, 'Dang, we still haven't won a game."

Redshirt update

Georgia coach Mark Richt said after watching Ben Jones throughout the spring and the game, it is unlikely the freshman center will not redshirt.

"He is one of the guys I have kept a special eye on this spring," Richt said. "He is strong, smart and tough. He is hungry to win he has got a mean streak too and you need that to play inside like that. The chance of him redshirting is not very good right now. We are going to have to have him ready to play."

As for the other three early enrollees, it hasn't been decided whether running back Richard Samuel, running back Dontavius Jackson and wide receiver Tavarres King will redshirt.

King did not play in the spring game because of a knee infection. Jackson had two carries for five yards. Samuel had seven carries for 13 yards.

Samuel said he is doing everything he can to prove that he could be the third back for Georgia in the fall.

"I think I am showing that I am dedicated, and I am trying hard to play," he said. "I am not scared to run the ball. I am always trying to pursue and learn more. That is showing that I am not going to redshirt."

Kicking competition

Georgia could have a tough decision to make when it comes to kickers in the fall. The Bulldogs signed the top prep kicker in the country, Blair Walsh, with the expectation that he would come in and win the job. But two walk-ons, Andrew Jensen and Brian Behr, had 47- and 52-yard field goals respectively.

Neither kicker was rushed. But there was some pressure with almost 20,000 people in attendance. And the conditions were not exactly ideal as it rained throughout the game.

So given that, Richt has to make some decisions when it comes to who gets a shot in the fall camp. Richt said that no player has nailed down the job.

"It is going to be so difficult to decide how many kickers we are going to have in August," Richt said. "The NCAA only lets us bring in 105 before school starts, and we certainly are going to have to be competing for that kicking job. Normally we don't bring in five or six kickers, but we may have to bring in more than the normal three."

Georgia also needs to spend some more time on protection. Richt said that has "not been stellar" during the spring.

Injury report

Georgia decided to shorten the spring game because of a shortage of players. Several starters and key reserves were hurt and unable to play: defensive tackle Jeff Owens (shoulder), wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi (neck), wide receiver Tavarres King (knee), wide receiver Tony Wilson (ankle), lineman Clint Boling (mono), lineman Chris Little (ankle), fullback Brannan Southerland (foot), defensive lineman Brandon Wood (Achilles), wide receiver Demiko Goodman (hamstring), linebacker Marcus Washington (shoulder), linebacker Darius Dewberry (groin), tight end Tripp Chandler (hip flexor) and defensive end Jeremy Lomax (neck).

Guard Vince Vance (ankle) was hurt in the last two minutes of the game. Richt said it was not serious enough to require surgery.