ATHENS — Asked if the Boise State game was one he would just as soon forget, Georgia wide receiver Tavarres King shot back, “What game?”
In addition to having quick feet, the junior flanker from Mt. Airy also is quick-witted. He’s also resilient, which he has needed to be since Saturday in the Georgia Dome.
Known as the leader of the Bulldogs' receiving corps as well as one of their more dependable targets, everybody was surprised when King dropped two passes against Boise State. He finished with a single catch for three yards as the Bulldogs lost 35-21.
» PHOTOS: UGA opens season against Boise State
“Individually it wasn’t up to par,” said King, who had 27 catches for 504 yards last season. “Everybody knows that. Everybody knows that I make plays. But for some reason in that game I lost focus on two plays and didn’t execute.”
One of the plays was particularly big. Georgia was down 21-7 but on the move in Boise State territory midway through the third quarter when quarterback Aaron Murray found King open deep over the middle on second-and-12. The ball was delivered right on target, but King dropped it.
Murray was sacked on the next play, then Blair Walsh missed a 54-yard field-goal attempt.
King had another drop late in the third quarter, but was bailed out later in the possession when Orson Charles hauled in a 36-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-2.
“In this business you’ve got to have a short memory,” said King, who needs 50 receiving yards to go over 1,000 in his career. “That’s in the past. I put it behind me as soon as it happened. Even the greatest drop balls, so I’m fine.”
The question for the Bulldogs is whether this is what life after A.J. Green is going to be like. Wideouts accounted for only seven catches for 92 yards Saturday. Freshman Malcolm Mitchell led the way with three for 64 and a touchdown, Marlon Brown added two for 12 and Rantavious Wooten had one for 13. Charles, a tight end, led all receivers with six catches for 106 yards and a score.
Crowell’s carries
Georgia freshman tailback Isaiah Crowell said he has been impressed with what he has seen from South Carolina’s star runner Marcus Lattimore. Most of all he likes how many times he runs the football.
“That’s a tailback’s dream,” Crowell said.
Lattimore had 37 carries for 182 yards and two touchdowns in South Carolina’s 17-6 win over Georgia last year. Later he surpassed it with 40 carries for 212 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Florida. He finished with 249 carries and 1,197 yards and 19 touchdowns in 13 games last season.
Crowell had 15 carries for 60 yards in his Georgia debut Saturday. “I think I did pretty good. I could have done a little better on pass protection, but overall I think I did pretty good for my first game,” he said.
He would like to get significantly more against the Gamecocks.
“I know everybody’s going to be comparing me and Lattimore with each other,” Crowell said. “I just have to go out there and do my best. Hopefully I’ll get as many carries. But I’m just trying to help my team win, that’s the main thing.”
Ogletree’s status
Fullback Zander Ogletree told reporters Wednesday that his injured twin brother Alec Ogletree plans to make it back for the Florida game Oct. 29. If that’s the case, he will be out longer than expected.
Alec Ogletree, Georgia’s starting “Mo” linebacker, broke a bone in his right foot in the first quarter of Saturday’s game. Afterward, coach Mark Richt said Ogletree would be sidelined for four to six weeks. It will have been eight weeks by the time the Bulldogs play the Gators. Ogletree underwent surgery Monday in Athens.
Scheduling matters
Georgia has added Southern University and Louisiana-Monroe to its 2015 home schedule, according to open-record documents obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution this week. The Bulldogs will pay Southern $650,000 to come to Athens on Sept, 5, 2015, and will pay Louisiana-Monroe $1.2 million to play Nov. 7, 2015.
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