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Sound bites from players, coaches as Bulldogs now in countdown for Tuesday's kickoff

Posted on Dec 31, 2012 by Murray Poole  | 

5 Comments  | 

Some interesting and informative sound bites from the Bulldogs’ Capital One Bowl practices and press conferences as the countdown is now underway for tomorrow’s 1 p.m. kickoff at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium.

Georgia coach Mark Richt, upon being asked by Bulldawg Illustrated at this morning’s bowl press conference about the need for Georgia’s defenders to wrap up when they make contact on Nebraska’s backs … something the Bulldogs didn’t do in the second half of the SEC championship game against Alabama:

“You don’t knock good backs down. If that’s your way of tackling, they’re going to bounce off you more times than not and keep running. You’ve got to come with pace and attitude and you’ve got to wrap up. You’ve got to do a good job of that, especially the first guy there. If the first guy goes for a strip and misses, that guy’s still running. That first guy has to be sound, face him up, butt him up and get help from his teammates.”

Richt on the potential of next year’s young and rebuilt Bulldog defense”

“We’ll have very good defensive players sticking around and we have young guys waiting in the wings. I think we’ll be a very athletic, fast defense. It’s just a matter of how quickly can they play a championship style of defense. That’s the big push. Starting this year, we had questions about the offense and people said, ‘Wow, Georgia could be in trouble.’ But we played better than expected. I think the defense can be the same way next year.”

Bulldog senior cornerback Sanders Commings on if the Georgia defense will be distracted a bit after losing senior nose guard John Jenkins (to academics) and defensive line coach Rodney Garner (Auburn coaching position):

“I don’t think we’ll be distracted at all. We want to come out and win this last game, just play together one more time as a defense even though we’re missing a couple of big parts … our starting nose guard and also a D-line coach. “We still feel like we’re a great defense and just want to finish strong.”

Commings on Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez saying this about the Georgia defense: “It’s just another typical Big Ten defense. If we just go out there and play, we’ll be perfectly fine.”

“He can talk whatever he wants to talk. We’ll just handle it on the field.”

Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo on freshman tailback Keith Marshall getting more running opportunities against the Cornhusker defense after carrying the ball just twice against Alabama:

“He did not get as many touches in the Alabama game, but that’s just how the game went and how the other guy (Todd Gurley) was running the ball. But we’ve got a big plan for Keith in this game, and expect him to make plays and play well in this game. He’s running good.”

Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham on what the team’s seniors have meant to the Georgia program:

“We have a chance to win 22 games in two years, and in the history of Georgia football, that hasn’t happened very often so that would be unique plus there’s a chance to finish in the top five. It’s important to send our seniors out the right way and for the guys coming back too. The seniors are a special group. The fun part of my job is to see how they’ve gotten mentally and physically tougher over the past few years.”

Junior linebacker Alec Ogletree on the Bulldogs’ defense being prepared to play tomorrow:

“We’ve been together so long, guys pretty much know what they’re doing. With Coach G being gone, the D-line has got to go with Coach (Todd) Grantham now. But guys are still willing to work. We know we’ve got to prepare and come out and play hard because Nebraska is a good team.”

Richt on some of the Bulldogs’ younger players having the opportunity to step up next season:

“I was talking to (freshman wide receiver) Justin (Scott-Wesley) yesterday and I told him I was proud of him for how he’s worked all season. He’s gotten better. (Freshman corner) Sheldon Dawson has had a really good bowl practice so far. (Sophomore safety) Corey Moore has picked things up, but I think sometimes they’ll look around and see all the veterans leaving and think well, ‘I’m the guy, I’m it’ when in reality they’ve still got to earn it.”

Richt on the importance of highly-recruited sophomore defensive end Ray Drew making an impact for the Georgia defense next season, what with the Bulldogs losing so many starters on that side of the ball:

“He needs to. It’s time for him to step up and be a great player for us. He’s in the same boat as those DBs. All of them, no one’s got a job out there. There are some guys who have played enough where they’re going to play, we understand that but there’s going to be a lot of starting positions up for that. Ray needs to be a guy that plays better for us.”

Freshman tailback Todd Gurley on all the off-the-field activities the team has enjoyed in Orlando this past week:

“Yeah, the theme parks have been fun and the good thing, everything’s been free, but what I’m really looking forward to is that going to Best Buy (on Sunday with $300-plus gift card each player received).”

All-America junior linebacker Jarvis Jones on the possibility of being the No. 1 player picked in the 2013 NFL draft when he surely declares for the draft after Tuesday’s bowl game:

“Has there ever been a defensive player from Georgia drafted No. 1? I’m not talking about the University of Georgia. I’m talking about the state of Georgia. (There hasn’t been). It’d be great. If I decide to come out I’m going to train to be No. 1. I’m not going to train to be in the Top 10 or the Top 5. I’m going to train to be the No. 1 draft pick.”

Richt on senior defensive end Abry Jones playing in tomorrow’s game after missing Georgia’s last six games with an ankle injury:

“I don’t know how much he’ll go. I wouldn’t say he’s just flying around right now. He’s been working really hard to get back to where he could play. Just what kind of condition is he in and just how quickly can he move. We don’t want to put him out there if he’s really not ready to play full-speed Georgia football, you know? I’m not 100 percent sure how much he will play.”

Junior quarterback Aaron Murray on how soon, following the Capital One Bowl, he will make his decision to remain at Georgia for his senior season or opt to enter the NFL Draft:

“Definitely, I’ll sit down with my parents right after the bowl game and discuss everything. It’s not like I don’t have plenty of time to decide. I have until January 15 to decide, right?”

Richt on the month layoff from the Alabama game and all the practices in Athens and Orlando leading up to Jan. 1 and the Capital One Bowl kickoff:

“I’d have more fun if the game was today or tomorrow (said prior to Friday’s practice). After a while, it’s like let’s just play this thing. You’re in practice 13 and 14 in the game plan, we’ve been here having a good time but after a while, let’s just play. I’d be all for practicing for three days, play and hang out another three days afterwards to really enjoy the thing.”

Tagged: murray poole, capital one bowl game, georgia bulldogs, nebraska cornhuskers, mark richt, sanders commings, taylor martinez, mike bobo, keith marshall, todd gurley, justin scottwesley, sheldon dawson, corey moore, ray drew, alec ogletree, abry jones, aaron murray, jarvis jones, todd grantham