Thanks to icy-cold temperatures and rain that fell from dawn to dusk Tuesday, Georgia was unable to practice at Woodruff Practice Fields. Instead, the Bulldogs traveled by bus an hour to borrow the Falcons’ indoor practice facility in Flowery Branch.
That resurrected the annual discussion about whether the Bulldogs should have an indoor practice facility. Every other team in the SEC does but Florida, and so does Georgia Tech. In fact, the Yellow Jackets proudly tweeted that fact three minutes after The Atlanta Journal-Constitution sent a tweet that the Bulldogs were headed to Flowery Branch.
“Cold November Rain? No problem. #GaTech practicing at Brock indoor facility today prepping for #UGAvsGT #GNR,” was sent out on the official Twitter account of Tech athletics, @GTAthletics. A picture of the Yellow Jackets conducting a warm, dry practice at that moment Tuesday afternoon was attached.
Georgia, of course, has something resembling an indoor practice facility. But the “Nalley Multipurpose Facility,” named after an Atlanta car dealer, is inadequate for accommodating an actual practice. Included in the nearly $40 million expansion of Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall a few years back, it’s only 55 yards long by 20 yards wide and useless to conduct a full-scale practice or to run a live play.
Coach Mark Richt repeated at his weekly news conference Tuesday that he would like a full-scale facility, but understands the logistical issues that have prevented UGA from building one. The football coaches don’t want to give up any of the four outdoor practice fields, and the athletic association doesn’t want to displace the Spec Towns Track complex next door or the Foley Field baseball facility across the street. So the only other option would be to build one at the South Milledge athletic complex four miles away.
Richt indicated he would favor Georgia having its own facility off-campus.
“South Milledge is closer than Flowery Branch,” he said. “And we wouldn’t have to ask permission to use it.”
Richt said the Bulldogs could have practiced in the rain and cold Tuesday if the forecast for Saturday’s game against Tech called for similar weather. But it’s supposed to be sunny and dry.
Georgia could have switched to a walk-through kind of practice and conducted it indoors at the Ramsey Center or in shifts inside the Nalley structure. But the Bulldogs planned four days of full-contact work to get ready for Tech’s cut-blocking, option offense and physical brand of football.
That meant finding an indoor facility that could accommodate full-speed, full-scale football. The Falcons came through, as they have on other occasions.
“It was real important because you’ve got to get some good work in,” defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said. “You try to simulate as best you can. But being able to go in there and basically go live and tackle and live block is the only way to play this stuff. You’ve got to get in there and experience it. We were able to do that today.”
Etc.: Senior quarterback Aaron Murray and sophomore wide receiver Justin Scott-Wesley underwent success ACL reconstructive surgeries Tuesday in Athens. … UGA's football program found itself standing in some impressive academic company Tuesday when it learned it was a recipient of the American Football Coaches Association's Academic Achievement Award. The Bulldogs shared the 2013 award with Rice, Stanford and Tulane after recording a 100 percent graduation rate for members of its freshman football class of 2006. … Georgia's 2014 game at Arkansas was moved from Fayetteville to War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
About the Author
