Searels speaks! More 2010 gloom!

Maybe he’s getting jealous about all of the face time Coach Grantham is getting with the media these days (that’s a joke, people), but in any event, Stacey Searles Searels had a couple of comments for the Chattanooga Times Free Press about the hand he’s been dealt with regard to injuries.

Surprisingly, I didn’t find that he provided the most interesting quote of the article.  That came from Clint Boling.

“I think towards the end of the year we just started building a lot of confidence,” said Clint Boling, who had starts at right tackle, right guard and left tackle. “At the beginning, I think some guys were unsure about what was going on. Moving Josh Davis into the starting lineup certainly helped, because he brought a lot of energy and some fresh legs, and once we got that momentum, we kept it going.”

The facts bear that out.

… Davis underwent left shoulder surgery in January 2009 and made his debut last season as the starting right tackle in the seventh game at Vanderbilt. The Bulldogs rushed for 173 yards, more than their previous two games combined, and rolled to a 34-10 win.

Georgia scored 27 or more points in every game but one from that point, with Boling and Davis as the tackles, Cordy Glenn and Chris Davis the guards and Ben Jones the center. The Bulldogs ended the regular season by stunning Georgia Tech behind Washaun Ealey’s 183 rushing yards and 166 by Caleb King.

That one game was the Kentucky Florida debacle.  So, maybe Washaun Ealey’s confidence isn’t entirely misplaced when he says, “I think it’s a very big deal running the ball… Every great team runs the ball. We’re a major key to this team’s success, and for us to keep winning, me and Caleb are going to have to run the ball.”

Hmm… run-heavy offensive attack where the quarterback isn’t asked to carry the load, and a 3-4 defense run by a Nick Saban-disciple.  Maybe, as David Hale infers, this could be a case of if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

… The success he and King enjoyed against Tech last year combined with the run-heavy offense employed by national champion Alabama provides ample evidence that the ground game blazes a clear path to victories.

That would work for me.