Georgia starting left tackle John Theus missed two days of practice last week due a lower-leg injury. There were simultaneous reports that Theus had either a knee or an ankle.
As it turns out, “it was a little bit of both,” Theus said after Wednesday’s practice. “I got rolled up (last Tuesday in practice), so I sat out a little bit to give it time to rest and recover. I’m thankful for (the bye week) because I’m 100 percent now. It was definitely a blessing for it to happen last week.”
That’s good news for the Bulldogs as they head over to South Carolina on Saturday to face a defense that, under coordinator Lorenzo Ward, is known for getting after the quarterback. The good news for Theus and the Bulldogs is they won’t be having to face defensive end Jadeveon Clowney or his cohort on the other side of the line, 6-foot-7 devin Taylor.
“It’s really nice; that kid’s a freak,” Theus said of Clowney. “He’s a really great player. But I mean South Carolina is always going to replace what they have. They recruit well and they have players that play tough and play hard. So we know we’re going to have to be on top of our game because they’ve got some other guys that can play.”
The Gamecocks are playing slightly more of a 3-4 alignment this season, but they still feature a strong pair of sophomore defensive ends in Gerald Dixon (6-2, 274 pounds) and Darius English (6-6, 241).
Theus held his own in Georgia’s opener against Clemson, which featured sack-specialist Vic Beasley at defensive end. Beasley, who had 13 sacks a year ago, was credited for the Tigers’ only one in the game. But it came on a play where quarterback Hutson Mason simply lost control of the football in the pocket, fumbled and had to fall on it himself. So technically nobody beat a UGA lineman and hit the quarterback.
“I did all right,” said Theus, who was making his first start at left tackle. “I’ve still got a lot to improve on.”
Said Georgia coach Mark Richt: “Not bad, not bad. I think the whole O-line had a pretty good day, but (Theus) did well. Football is a game where you truly get better or worse as you go. I think he’s putting in the work he needs to. And every week is a different challenge.”
