Georgia Bulldogs Football: Where Has The Running Game Gone?

This was supposed to be the year that the Georgia run game took off. Washaun Ealey and Caleb King were supposed to be the guys to make it happen on the ground—leaving Aaron Murray free to rule the air. Everything was supposed to be good for the Georgia offense in 2010 because the end of 2009 showed, without question, that "we run this state".

Well, proof-positive that things don’t always go as planned: Caleb King went back to being the guy that couldn't stay healthy, the offensive line forgot that it still has to supply holes for the backs to run through, and Washaun Ealey left his motivation for playing better on his key ring.

Washaun Ealey turned it on during the second-half of last season and, by the time Georgia met up with Georgia Tech in the finale, it was clear that he was going to be something special. Where has that dominance gone this year?

In 2009, he averaged 5.74 yards per carry (through nine games). This season, he's averaging 4.38 yards per attempt. That's not an altogether bad average, but if you look closer, he isn't doing that well where it matters—on those critical third downs.

In 2009, Ealey had nine attempts on 3rd-and-short (a distance of 1-3 yards), and he averaged 7.22 yards per attempt (h/t cfbstats.com). As a result, Georgia was able to extend drives and force defenses to  play the run more aggressively—thereby opening up the passing game.

This season, Ealey is averaging 2.25 yards per attempt—he's not getting it done. That means more attention is on Aaron Murray and his wide receivers. Teams have the luxury of abandoning their rush defense because there is not much threat of the Bulldogs converting a short-yardage situation via the run—hence the offense stalls.

Who’s to blame for this lack of effectiveness?

The first finger, naturally, gets pointed at the offensive line. They aren’t dominating at the line of scrimmage and, as a result, they are getting pushed backwards by opposing defensive lines. It’s an issue we have seen before—it happened on multiple occasions last season as well (the game versus Arizona State stands out).

Was the line overrated this season? Is the chemistry not yet clicking with the starting five? Is it a conditioning issue? Has offensive line coach, Stacy Searles, lost his ability to coach? All of these are questions that have come up—none have acceptable answers. The hope just seems to be that, whatever the problem, it’s fixable and, everything will be fine.

However, just as much of the blame could fall on the performance of Ealey. He isn't running with the
same amount of urgency or motivation that he did last season. Despite the questions surrounding the line, he should be doing better than he has thus far.  He played well, at times last season, in spite of the line—not because of it.

Perhaps there was more to his rivalry with Caleb King than met the eye. It's no secret that the two fed off each other's energy.  With no Caleb to share the load with this year, Ealey might not feel the need to give more than necessary—no true competition is there to unseat him, so why bother.

Does that mean Ealey’s not giving his all? No, but most can agree that some players perform better if they know there is a possibility they will be benched in favor of another. As it stands, at Georgia, there is Ealey and no one else.

Ealey shared carries with Caleb King, Carlton Thomas, and Dontavius Jackson (the latter two to a lesser extent) in 2009. This year, it's just him. He's played nearly every offensive down, as either a rusher or a pass-blocker, and it's not altogether clear that he's built for the increased workload.

Whatever the case, it's clear that this is not the same Washaun Ealey that turned heads last year. He's less confident, less effective, and less exciting to watch on the field. All three of those together contribute to an offense that has become more vanilla by the minute and a passing game that, if not for the legs of Aaron Murray, could be more of a concern.

This is an offense that has talent but, without a significant run game, Georgia is going to continue to struggle to put points on the board. Ealey needs to find his groove again—soon—and perhaps that will start with the return of Caleb King—assuming he’s capable of staying healthy this season.

Georgia Bulldogs Football: Ranking The 10 Best Performers In The Win Over Louisiana

The first Georgia Bulldog Saturday—Between The Hedges—is in the books, and what a lovely day it was to be a Georgia Bulldog football fan.

The Bulldogs started the game a tad out of rhythm—allowing a 40+ yard return on the opening kickoff—but soon found their groove and cruised to a 55-7 victory over the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. It was a well-deserved victory for Mark Richt's bunch who played well without starters Washaun Ealey (suspended), A.J. Green (team decision), and Tavarres King (suspended) on the field.

Todd Grantham's first game as defensive coordinator was marred only by a 60-yard touchdown to Louisiana's Ladarius Green on a play that their safety, Bacarri Rambo, allowed to get behind him. If not for that play, the Georgia defense likely would have pitched a shut-out in their home opener.

So, who were a few of the games best individual performers on Saturday?...

1. Aaron Murray, QB

Murray was as poised as you would have hoped he would be standing in front of a home crowd of 92,000+.  He made few mistakes and showcased his above-average scrambling ability whenever necessary—including one scramble near the end of the second quarter that led to seven points.
He spread the ball around well (10 players had one catch or more) and got good zip on his throws even when rolling out of the pocket. His decision-making was only questionable at certain points—particularly on what appeared to be a hail mary pass in the end zone that was nearly picked off.

He finished the game 17-26, for 160 yards, and 4 TD's (1 rushing). His lone interception was on a throw to Kris Durham that should have been caught by the senior receiver.

2. Carlton Thomas, RB

Thomas had some nice gains on Saturday. He fought through the Louisiana defensive front well and didn't seem to have trouble netting positive yards. His 16-yard run on a second down, late in the first quarter, set up a touchdown—leading to a 14-0 lead for Georgia.

The 5-foot-7 back from Frostproof, FL, took advantage of the extra playing time allotted him by the absence of Washaun Ealey—he was the leading rusher on the day for Georgia—finishing the game with 64 yards on 13 carries (4.7 avg).

3. Caleb King, RB

Despite the fact that he finished with less yards than Thomas, King ran strong on Saturday and showed some of the brilliant flashes of greatness that led him to an 800+ yard season in 2009.

King broke tackles, juked, spun, and ran through Cajun defenders on his way to 49 yards and a touchdown in the Georgia win.

His most impressive rush came late in the first when he ran 20 yards for a touchdown—Georgia's first scoring drive of the day.

4. Kris Durham, WR

Durham was Georgia's leading receiver on the day, and he did a fine job of filling in for the absent A.J. Green.

He made some tough catches, and took a couple of big hits, but he never hesitated to go up strong and come down with the big reception. He lost a battle for a ball late in the third—leading to an interception for Murray—but overall had a strong outing for Georgia.

He ended the game with five catches for 83 yards and a touchdown.

5. The Georgia Bulldog secondary

What a difference a year, and a coach, makes for the Georgia Bulldogs' secondary. The much-maligned, often burned, secondary of 2009 racked up three interceptions. Brandon Boykin, Jakar Hamilton, and Sanders Commings, all came down with picks for Georgia—Hamilton's turned into a pick-six.

The team had 10 interceptions total last season.



6. Shaun Chapas, FB

Chapas continues to be a stellar renaissance man for the Georgia Bulldogs offense. He blocked brilliantly on both passing and rushing downs and was an excellent short-yardage option for Murray when called upon. 

He had one touchdown reception and 18 total yards (ground and air), but it was his intangible contributions that made him so outstanding on the day.

7. The Georgia Bulldog defense

Todd Grantham's 3-4 still has some kinks to work out, after all this was nowhere near the level of competition that Georgia will face in the coming weeks, but overall you have to be impressed with the level of play that he has his unit executing at this early on in the year.

Georgia's front seven held the Cajuns to only five first downs on the day. Chris Masson felt the pressure on nearly every down and struggled to find any adequate passing lanes to throw into.

Justin Houston had one sack, and Akeem Dent and Daryl Gamble made life miserable for both the receivers and the ball carriers.

All told, the defense was responsible for three sacks for -18 yards and nine tackles for -26 yards. 

8. Drew Butler and Blair Walsh

This kicking duo is already in mid-season form. Walsh didn't get much work kicking field goals, but he did make two on the day—both from 48+ yards—with ease, while going a perfect 7-for-7 on PAT's.

As for Butler, he continues to boom it out. He had six punts for 280 yards (46.7 avg), with a long of 59 yards.

Clearly, Georgia will need the strong, accurate, legs of both of these young men next week when the Bulldogs travel to South Carolina to battle the Gamecocks.

9.  The Georgia Bulldog offensive line

The guys did a pretty nice job of keeping Aaron Murray upright on Saturday (zero sacks). The young quarterback had to improvise a time or two when the pocket seemed to break down, but overall the Georgia passing game was consistent all day.

The rushing lanes were there for the backs to get some good yardage on the ground (184) and the Cajun's defensive front had a tough time getting pressure on Murray or Hutson Mason—who threw a touchdown on his first pass (one of only eight collegiate quarterbacks ever to have done so).

10. Mark Richt

He wasn't on the field of play, but there is proof that his expectations for his quarterback have yet to ease.

After Aaron Murray rushed for his first collegiate touchdown, instead of being happy about the six points, Richt had this to say: "If he thinks that's how he's going to make a living in our league (SEC), that's not a good thing". His point being, Georgia was near the end of the quarter, and if Murray had not gotten the points, Georgia would have squandered an opportunity in the red zone to put some on the board—Murray's run ran the clock to zero.

It's obvious that Richt is going to make certain that Murray is aware that the SEC is a different animal altogether and, come next Saturday, things will be a lot tougher for him. Nice to know that Richt is keeping everything in perspective.

What say you, Georgia/SEC fans? What stood out for you on Saturday?

Next up: South Carolina. 

Georgia Bulldog RB, Washaun Ealey, Arrested for Hit-and-Run (UPDATED)

(This article will be updated frequently throughout the day. Scroll to the bottom for any updates on this situation. The initial article, posted after the news of the arrest broke, follows)


According to College Football Talk, Georgia Bulldog running back, Washaun Ealey, was arrested and jailed on a hit-and-run charge last night. He was placed into the custody of Athens-Clarke County law enforcement and is being held in jail on a $3,000 bond.

Ealey was charged with hitting a parked car in a university parking deck and then leaving the scene—Ealey's license was later found to be suspended and the vehicle he was operating did not belong to him.

University police chief, Jimmy Williamson stated that the gold Chevrolet Impala that Ealey was driving was registered to his roommate.

Ealey remains in jail at this time and the natural question for the Georgia Bulldogs is, what now?

This charge is sure to warrant some time off the field and, depending on how Athens law enforcement chooses to handle Ealey's blatant disregard for following procedure, there could be a need to make an example of this behavior.

Ealey was the team's leading rusher last season and there were high expectations that he would be a major part of the running game this year. Georgia no longer has Dontavius Jackson—he transferred in order to gain more playing time.

That means the depth chart for Georgia includes only Caleb King, Carlton Thomas, and Ken Malcome—King being the only player with on-field success.

That said, there was some indication that Caleb King was going to be the No. 1 tailback at the end of summer practice. Mark Richt stated that both running backs were doing well, but he was more impressed with King's pass-blocking ability. Ealey was lagging behind a bit in that area and, as is well known, the Bulldogs want to be sure that Aaron Murray has all the protection he needs this season.

Either way, this is not good news for Mark Richt as his team was finally gaining some positive momentum heading into the first week of the season and seemed to finally have recovered from the mishaps and disappointments that surrounded the team earlier in the summer.

More info as it becomes available, but, just as a side note, my mama always told me to never let anyone drive my car unless I knew for sure that they 1) had a license, and 2) were able to tell me where they were going when they left—there was no open policy where car-borrowing was concerned.

Of course I know that not everyone subscribes to that ideal, but, it does make you wonder if Ealey's roommate knew that he was without a license before he allowed him to drive his car and, if he did, the natural question would have to be...why?

(UPDATED 1:45 PM): According to Tim Tucker of the AJ-C:

Ealey, 21, was booked into the jail at 5:22 a.m. and released at 11:18 a.m. on bonds totaling $3,480.

In addition to $1,500 bond on each of today’s two misdemeanor charges, Ealey was required to post another $480 bond because of an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in July in Athens-Clarke County Municipal Court on speeding and vehicle registration charges. A bonding company posted Ealey’s bonds (it was Ealey's failure to appear for said earlier violation, that triggered the suspension of his drivers license).

(UPDATED 4:55 PM):

...jail records show the first charge against Ealey as hit-and-run of a parked vehicle,  Williamson said the charge technically will be  violation of the “duty-upon-strike” law. The law, Williamson said, is that “you have a responsibility when you hit another car to report it, same as if you hit a fence you have a responsibility to report it. . . . You can’t drive off.”
Williamson said officers determined that alcohol was not involved in the incident. No one was injured. (Tim Tucker, AJ-C)

Five SEC RB's Who Have A Shot At Eclipsing 1,000 Yards in 2010

The SEC is a conference that isn't short on running back talent. As a matter of fact, the current holder of the Heisman trophy currently makes his home at the University of Alabama—Mark Ingram. That said, there is plenty more talent where that came from and, at least some of it, is a tad under-appreciated due to a lack of exposure.

However, the way to the big time is paved in a 1,000 yard runner. The SEC, for all it's great talent, only saw five players hit that mark in 2009. In 2008, it was four, In 2007, a banner year, there were eight, and in 2006, there were only two (Both from the University of Arkansas).

So, as much as it is an expectation in the pro ranks to see a tailback cross the 1,000 yard threshold, it's not an easy feat in the SEC where the defenses often make every yard count and the running back by committee (RBC) method of employing the ground game is more than the rule than the exception in this day and age.

Even still, there are a few guys who have the potential to reach that milestone in 2010—in no particular order:

1. Derrick Locke, University of Kentucky

2009 Stats: 196 attempts, 908 yards, and 6 touchdowns

Derrick Locke missed one game last season in order to rest a sore knee. That one game, against Eastern Kentucky, could very well have been the difference in him eclipsing the 1,000 yard mark in 2009.

2010 brings some challenges his way as the Wildcats lost four starters on their offensive line at the end of last season. That said, a player as talented as Locke has never had a problem being productive on the football field.

If he can get the ball rolling early, starting with three fairly manageable opponents, he could have enough momentum to keep it going all year long.

2. Warren Norman, Vanderbilt University

2009 Stats: 145 attempts, 783 yards, and 3 touchdowns

Last season, the rising sophomore averaged 12 carries per game—12. He parlayed that into 783 yards of ground offense for a Commodore team that often had trouble creating much offense at all. He did it against lesser tiered opposition as well as some of the better run defenses in the league (Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee all gave up better than 5.0 ypc to Norman in their contests).

If new coach, Robbie Caldwell, can quell an offensive line that is competent enough to open a running lane or two, and Vanderbilt can find a way to get Norman the 3-4 more carries a game, there is little reason to believe he won't eclipse the 1,000 yard mark in just his second season.

3. Jeffery Demps, University of Florida

2009 Stats: 99 attempts, 745 yards, and 7 touchdowns

Not sure if many people know this yet, but...Jeffery Demps is really, really, really, fast. His 7.53 yards per carry average was tops in the SEC last season and he did more with less than any other back in the conference—despite the presence of No. 15 on his team.

This year, he will have more opportunities to showcase his world-class speed as new quarterback, John Brantley, will concentrate more on the pass than the run and someone will need to pick up the slack on the ground that Tebow left behind.

Add to that fact, the Gators have one of the best offensive lines in the country coming into 2010, and you have to like Demps chances to not only make it to 1,000, but eclipse it substantially.

4. Trent Richardson, University of Alabama

2009 Stats: 144 attempts, 749 yards, and 8 touchdowns

The Alabama Crimson Tide have a very good chance of producing two 1,000 yard rushers next season.

The prowess of Richardson is already well known by SEC fans and he isn't expected to scale it back one bit come 2010. His biggest roadblock might very well be his Heisman winning teammate, Mark Ingram, who will look to match his stellar 2009 numbers (1,658 yards and 17 touchdowns) while, hopefully, leading his team to another SEC Championship.

That said, Richardson is all about having fun and there is little pressure on him to do anything more than play his brand of football and tons on Ingram (carefree and all-out). If he continues to do that, 1,000 yards is not only manageable but, quite possibly an expectation in 2010.

5. Washaun Ealey, University of Georgia

2009 Stats: 125 attempts, 717 yards, and 3 touchdowns

Ealey didn't put in his first appearance of the year until the Bulldogs faced LSU in game five of the 2009 season. He was limited to a handful of carries but, ask any fan of the team and they will tell you, without a doubt he was a definite spark in the Georgia Bulldog's offense that day.

Ealey only got better as the season progressed and he added an exclamation point at the end by delivering a 183-yard performance against the teams bitter in-state rival, Georgia Tech.

2010 offers a new quarterback, a more-experienced offensive line, and a heavier reliance on the run game to get the offense moving. Ealey, along with Caleb King, will be expected to get his mojo going early and it's expected that he will be ready for the challenge.

If he can keep his head on straight and maintain his focus, he will have little trouble making his presence felt in the SEC East this season.

Georgia Safety Nick Williams Is Ready To Terrorize SEC Offenses

Nick Williams is a talented, aggressive, and physical safety for the Georgia Bulldogs. However, before being named the starting safety on the 2010 post-spring depth chart, he was not remembered as such. Why? Because he has spent the better part of his career vacillating between safety and linebacker—mostly playing the latter.

Williams appeared in 12 games for Georgia last season—all at linebacker—and recorded nine tackles. He performed decently, but he never excelled at the position and he often seemed out of place playing there. However, he continued to bulk up and put forth his best effort every game.

Enter a new defensive scheme and a new defensive coordinator, Todd Grantham, and there would be no more linebacker for Nick Williams. He was going to return to the place he calls “home”—safety.

It proved to be a good move all around as Williams has the obvious size, speed, and skill-set suited for playing the safety position.

The switch is something that Williams has repeatedly expressed his pleasure in, and his excitement has translated into some exceptional play during spring practices.

What exactly has he brought to the Georgia secondary?

For one, the size that worked against him as a potential linebacker, is now an advantage for him at safety. He stood 6’2” and weighed a solid 220 pounds at the end of spring.

He hopes to slim down a bit more but his size and speed, coupled with his aggressive approach to playing the game, should make for some highlight reel hits in 2010 if he continues to develop as well as he has thus far.

Second, he’s got plenty of motivation to grow and do even better once fall practice starts because he’s likely to share time with Jakar Hamilton—the highly touted JUCO transfer who many feel will eventually become a star in his own right—and that makes him well-aware of the fact that he is only as good as his last performance; there is no loyalty.

So, his goal has been to play hard, learn the playbook, and enjoy the fact that he’s finally feeling comfortable on the football field again. He’s enjoying the freedom that the 3-4 has given him on the field and likes the idea that he can play a hard-hitting, assertive, brand of play on the field.

That said, some might wonder if Williams’ play might be a little too bold. Can he learn to play both aggressive and smart? After all, it was only last season that he grabbed negative headlines after being accused of a late hit on former Florida quarterback, Tim Tebow.

Williams defended the play but some who saw it felt that it was over the top and a bit dirty.

If the above point seems irrelevant given the overall tone and intensity of the Georgia-Florida game, then we need only look to the recent events of the 2010 G-Day game.

For those who don’t know or remember: after making a tackle on running back, Washaun Ealey, Williams held Ealey down. Ealey responded by taking a swing at Williams—Williams responded in turn and a skirmish broke out between the two late in the game. It ended with Williams being reprimanded by coach Grantham and  he was subsequently benched.

Most fans pointed the finger at Ealey, saying he was out of line, and I agree with that assessment. However, given the Georgia Bulldogs' issues with penalties last season, situations like this are cause for concern.

Does anyone care who’s at fault if the result is a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct?  Especially if it comes during a crucial moment in a close SEC contest?

As much talent and potential as Williams has for being a breakout player this season, he will need to learn to maintain his composure on the field. If he can do that, the sky is clearly the limit as he still has untapped potential that has yet to be realized.

Georgia RB Duo Will Try To Eclipse 2009 Success

At the start of 2009, Richard Samuel was thought to be the guy who was most capable of running the ball. However, it was apparent after just a few games that he was not the guy that Georgia needed—enter Washaun Ealey—and the dynamic of the running game appeared to change for the better.

His ability to be mix both power and speed proved to be a nice compliment to Caleb King’s overall skills and the Georgia run game finally seemed to find some ground as the season progressed.

The tandem of Washaun Ealey and Caleb King proved was every bit as effective as hoped and the pinnacle of their ability to work successfully together came in the Dawgs season-ending triumph over Georgia Tech where the two combined for 349 yards rushing. Ealey and King pushed each other to do well and they finished the year with a combined 1,311 yards on 239 carries (an average of 5.4 yards per carry).

If Georgia can duplicate that production in 2010, there will be little need for Aaron Murray to play hero and Georgia could be well on their way to reigniting the smash mouth brand of football that fans are accustomed to seeing in the SEC.

That said, smart money will be on opposing defenses loading the box with eight-man sets to stem the rushing attack. After all, with a freshman quarterback standing under center, a defense is better served to focus its energy on rattling him than succumbing to the long grind of a running game where eating clock and time of possession play a significant role.

Can King and Ealey overcome the increased attention their jersey numbers will receive or will they wilt under the pressure of expectation?

The chance of success, at least for 2010, seems good if the offensive line can remain consistently effective. There were times last season where it was frustratingly out of sync and completely ineffective.

In the game against Arizona State last year, fans watched flabbergasted as the line  failed to block effectively in short-yardage situations. Even more perplexing was the way in which they were at times completely dominated at the point of attack—leading to many a jail break situation on former quarterback Joe Cox.

The line will need to play with more toughness and fire than they did in spots last season or the chance of Georgia being anything close to effective in the SEC will be significantly decreased.

Georgia has plenty of offensive talent present and with the emergence of both Orson Charles and Rantavious Wooten as quality receivers, the passing game has nowhere to go but up if Aaron Murray executes as expected. That being said, if they cannot  establish the run, it will be much ado about nothing.

In the end, King and Ealey are both talented enough to keep defenses honest and mixing in the specialized talents of both Carlton Thomas and Dontavious Jackson should keep the ground game diverse.

So, honestly, it just comes down to whether or not both Caleb King and Washaun Ealey are up to the challenge of becoming a bigger focus than they were in the early-going last year.

If they can rise to the challenge, stay healthy, and continue to run as well as they did during the spring when pushed by each other, they should flourish. If that does happen, then the offense should perform well in 2010.