Something from Richt in Macon yesterday:
— And Green won’t be the only receiving threat. While Richt praised the progress of Tavarres King and Kris Durham, he also said the tight ends will play a much more significant role in the offense this season than they had in the recent past.
“For a while there, whether through injuries or recruiting, we didn’t quite have the guys who could become a mismatch for a linebacker or safety, but we have that now,” Richt said. “So we’ll definitely use the tight ends, and I’d imagine we’ll have more two tight-end sets than we have since the days of having Watson and McMichael at the same time.”
Ain’t nothing wrong with that. Personally, I welcome our new tight end overlords.
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UPDATE: And here’s one more Richt quote that definitely isn’t nostalgic.
… As things stand now, every Georgia player is expected to be ready for the start of preseason practice in August. “It’s the first time I can remember any team I have ever coached where 100 percent of the players are due to be healthy enough to participate at the beginning of camp,” Richt said. “Which is huge.”
Get The Picture 
that quote makes me think that CMR is really looking forward to having a little fun on offense this season. He has his weapons, he just needs his point man to step up and we could really see some fireworks. I am sure it has been frustrating to not have the pieces to really let loose…
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Color me skeptical, Senator – I remember the season before Leonard Pope’s last year.
We were going to run the offense though him, he was a mismatch for any LB or safety and he’d be a lock for All American by Thanksgiving. It never really materalized.
I’ll believe the commitment to the TE as more than a blocking piece when I see it.
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I don’t remember Richt saying that. You had Gibson and Brown as the top two receivers in 2004, so I’m not sure who you’d take catches away from out of that group.
And it’s not like Pope didn’t have a good final season. He caught 39 passes in 2005. That’s more than anyone on the team caught in ’06. Only one player caught as many passes in ’07 (Bailey). And no tight end has made as many catches in a season since Pope left.
That sounds like somebody who was more than a blocking piece to me.
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In 2005 and 2006 UGA’s leading reciever was the tight end. In 2004, Pope was the 3rd leading reciever after Gibson and Brown, not shabby recievers.
I would say that the drop off the in 2007-2008 using the tight has more to do with with the lack of a talented tight end rather than a change of philosophy. Now with both Pope and White, I would suspect the production to be increased.
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I meant Charles and White.
Looks like you beat me to the punch anyway, Senator.
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I am not too skeptical – of course, injuries and suspensions can always affect things – but the two-tight end set, coupled with King and Ealey has to give defenses pause: are we running? are we throwing? is it a screen to a back? Basically, you can have blockers/receivers everywhere at different times but from the same look. As long as we don’t tip it off (like with OL stance, e.g.) it could be scary good. I admit it could be a little scary for us as well – freshman QB, concerns about healthy OL, confusion among our players about which play is on, etc., but I like our chances.
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Pardon my optimism, but not only are we going to win the East, we’re going to win the whole Motherfreckin’ SEC and leave those arrogant gator and bammer bastards wondering what happened to their precious rematch.
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Boom goes the dynamite.
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+1
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Murray mentioned a two TE set with White and Charles lined up in tight, then splittng one or both of them out. That would create mis-matches all over the field. I don’t think Murray would have mentioned that formation unless the Dawgs had been practicing it. UGA has four quality TEs and is thin at WR, so two and even three TE sets are an obvious solution.
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This quote took me back:
“I don’t do jumping jacks like some people do when they’re excited, but I can promise you, I’m as excited about this season as I have been for any one since I’ve been at Georgia,” Richt said. “I think we’ve got the right stuff.”
Granted, he hasn’t been at Georgia 55 years, but still.
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CMR:
““I don’t do jumping jacks like some people do when they’re excited,” he said, “but I can promise you, I’m as excited about this season as I have been for any one since I’ve been at Georgia. I think we’ve got the right stuff.”
Hot Damn.
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Dangit.
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Great minds.
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I’m telling you, we’re gonna F some people up who didn’t see it coming.
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After about the 3rd game everyone will see it coming.
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I like the 2 TE set for us this year. However, Chapas is a pretty solid FB and a 2 TE set would take him off the field in most situations.
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Forget the 2 TE set, go jumbo package with 3 te’s, fb and rb, then have 2 of the te’s go deep on a few 3rd and shorts. Could do the same thing in goal line situations to great affect. After doing this several times teams will have to back off a bit in those situations causing easier runs for the first down/TD. Just an idea but one I am sure the coaches have thought of.
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Richt hasn’t heard the axiom about talking about no-hitters? Don’t mention that everyone is healthy. That’s just begging ill will from the ACL hating gods.
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I will just be happy going to Columbia with no one suspended, for a change.
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Dawgfan17, I mentioned this earlier on the AJC blog. I like the 3 TE idea with Figgins, Lynch, and Charles. Line everybody in tight, then split Charles out wide. All the QB has to do is read the safetys and call a run or pass at the line. You are still in a power run formation if they split a safety out to cover Charles and drop the FS into center field to help against the pass. If the safety stays close to the line you have Charles and Green in single coverage.
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I forgot, if they try to cover Charles with a CB, there is your mis-match! Charles is simply too big and too strong for most CBs.
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