Focusing on Georgia

TODD TRAUB
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

Georgia Coach Mark Richt isn't wasting much time worrying about Arkansas State.
Nothing personal against the Indians, it's just that Richt already has a plateful of worry at home.
There are the usual problems that sooner or later plague all coaches: naming a starting quarterback, dealing with injuries, putting in the game plan. Throw in four players suspended for Saturday's opener with ASU and add in the fact that Richt is a rookie head coach, and the problems seem to double.
"We're still practicing how we're going to do our pregame warm-up," Richt said.
After 15 years as an assistant, all but one spent on Bobby Bowden's staff at Florida State, Richt was hired to replace Jim Donnan on Dec. 26. Over and over since then, from recruiting to spring practice, he has learned that everything is new again for a first-time head coach.
"Everything we're doing right now is for the first time," Richt, 40, said. "Even though I've been here eight or nine months."
Foremost among Richt's responsibilities is naming a starting quarterback for Saturday's noon kickoff at Sanford Stadium. Last week he elevated left-handed, redshirt freshman David Greene to No. 1 on the depth chart and said junior Cory Phillips and freshman D.J. Shockley were sharing the No. 2 spot.
But Richt also said it would be a game day decision as to who starts.
Greene, 6-3, 222 pounds, was a AAAA all-state selection at Lithonia (Ga.) South Gwinnett High School and had a standout spring that included 118 passing yards and two touchdowns in the Bulldogs' spring G-Day game. Phillips, 6-1, 214, is 90 of 159 for 1,146 yards with 6 interceptions and nine touchdowns.
Shockley, 6-1, 175, earned USA Today and Parade magazine honors while passing for 1,861 yards and 11 touchdowns at College Park (Ga.) North Clayton High School last year.
"I feel good about them," Richt said. "The guys have a lot of talent."
Other things leave Richt less confident.
Junior offensive tackle George Foster is questionable after having arthroscopic surgery to remove bone fragments from his right ankle over a week ago and junior Ian Knight has moved from tight end to center to guard, a position where he has never started.
No wonder Richt feels like the strength of his team, at least right now, is the defense, led by a quartet of returning linebackers that includes leading tackler Tony Gilbert.
"There's still a lot of things that are unsettled on offense," Richt said. "We're not quite sure what we're going to look like on offense."
That's why Richt is more worried about his team's grasp of the playbook and fundamentals than he is ASU's new, one-back set or the Indians' own quarterback competition.
"I think because of the fact that it's our first game as a staff and it's the very first game of the year for our team, it doesn't matter who we're playing," Richt said.
The suspensions haven't helped.
Junior tight end Randy McMichael is suspended for his role in a bar brawl during the summer, senior fullback Verron Haynes is suspended after he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of harrassment and criminal trespass involving his girlfriend, defensive end Charles Grant is suspended after he was arrested for pandering and backup cornerback Tim Wansley is suspended for violating unspecified team rules.
The players' brushes with the law have been unfortunate for Richt, a man of strong religious faith who has been welcomed with open arms by the fans and boosters in Athens.
But one doesn't spend close to two decades under Bowden without picking up some useful advice for trying times.
"The biggest thing [I learned] is there's a whole lot more important things in life than football," Richt said. "People don't want to hear that, but it's true. It helps you keep your perspective."

2001 SCHEDULE
DATE OPPONENT
Sept. 1 Arkansas State
Sept. 8 South Carolina
Sept. 15 Houston
Sept. 29 Arkansas
Oct. 6 at Tennessee
Oct. 13 at Vanderbilt
Oct. 20 Kentucky
Oct. 27 Florida
Nov. 10 Auburn
Nov. 17 at Ole Miss
NOv. 24 at Georgia Tech

2000 results/(Georgia 8-4)
DATE OPPONENT
Sept. 2 Georgia Southern W, 29-7
Sept. 9 at South Carolina L, 21-10
Sept. 23 New Mexico State W, 37-0
Sept. 30 at Arkansas W, 38-7
Oct. 7 Tennessee W, 21-10
Oct. 14 Vanderbilt W, 29-19
Oct. 21 at Kentucky W, 34-30
Oct. 28 at Florida L, 34-23
Nov. 11 at Auburn L, 29-16 (2 OT)
Nov. 18 Ole Miss W, 32-14
Nov. 25 Georgia Tech L, 27-15

JEEP O'AHU BOWL
Dec. 24 Virginia W, 37-14

This article was published on August 28, 2001

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