For Mark Richt, this is harsh:
“Washaun has a ways to go still to show me that he deserves to start or even play right now,” said Richt, who was asked about Ealey during the question-and-answer session at the end of the program. “He has a ways to go in my book. We’ll see. I love him, though.”
“Or even play right now”? The doghouse Ealey occupies is a lot bigger than I thought. And I’ve got to think a certain incoming freshman has something to do with the floor plan.
I confess that I’ve taken Richt’s words about Crowell being in the mix to start as more about motivating the guys already on campus than as a prediction of Crowell’s future this season. But I’m beginning to change my mind about that. Notwithstanding that King and Malcome showed me flashes at G-Day, right now I’d put Crowell’s chances of starting in the Georgia Dome on September 3rd at 60/40. And it’s Ealey’s future this season that’s in question now.
Get The Picture 
Ealey and King have become my poster boys for what is wrong with the Dawgs. They both can’t stay out of trouble, do the right things in class, or crush the weights.
They don’t try to be their best.
I’m secretly hoping that Crowell takes a page from Knowshon and jumps back up after the play. I miss that kind of enthusiasm.
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Doug.. I hear ya, plus they fumble at the worst time and Ealy cannot pass block.
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Although Ealey and King have been kind of a dumpster fire while at Georgia, it’s hard to put all your faith in a freshman RB. Most freshman suck at pass blocking and ball handling could be a concern. I would prefer Ealey and King to grow the hell up and preform like we know they can.
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How about we get away from calling slow developing pass plays that require the RB to stay in and block, huh?
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Not many pass plays were the RB will not have to block. (i.e. the blitzing CB/LB, etc.)
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Teams run pass plays with an empty backfield all the time. You just have to get the ball out of the QB’s hands fast.
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I think 60/40 is rather conservative. The only thing that would surprise me now is if Crowell doesn’t start on opening day. Yeah, his pass blocking will probably suck but that still puts him even with Ealey. And it’s pretty much impossible for his ball handling to be any worse than Ealey’s. So we’re even there too. Crowell is a better runner so he wins on that account. One positive plus two evens equals a starting position.
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I think we all can recall Braden Smith’s first game, it was like the ball was greased with lard. As much as I can’t wait to see Crowell tote the rock, I also don’t want the “5-star, game-changer” pressure to mindf*ck him any more than it already has/will. We need one of the three (King, Malcome, Ealey) to be this year’s Thomas Brown (I know that’s probably a pipe-dream, maybe a Kregg Lumpkin/Danny Ware is more realistic) to Crowell’s Moreno.
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Mark Richt never takes it to a player in public unless he is trying to send a message. CMR knows that he needs Ealey to be a player for us this year and is trying to get a response from him. He’s been hammering him in the media since January and probably won’t let up on him until camp breaks. Everyone knows Crowell is an immense talent, but can he be counted on? How’s he going to work? Will he fumble? Will he show up to class? Will he show up in shape? There are so many what ifs about incoming players that if you can get a veteran like Ealey to buy in and lay it all on the line you won’t have to put the pressure on a player that’s, to steal a phrase from CMR, “never been in the arena”. We all know that Ealey has the physical ability to tote the rock in the SEC, it’s just a matter of if he can get it together between the ears.
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I agree, Ealey will play this year and I think he will play inspired football. We need him to, King just hasn’t shown he is the talent people expected and his lack of effort has been because he thought he was too gifted to fail. I sincerely hope Crowell is close to what all you expect but I will be concerned if he is the starter on September 3. If the OL isn’t significantly better it would take Herschel himself to provide us with a running game. If the OL deleivers the passing game and running game will be fine.
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+1
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You’re right, Richt has been hammering Ealey since January. And he wouldn’t still be doing so if Ealey had done anything in response. If he hasn’t stepped up during the spring while he had the spotlight to himself, what would make us believe he’ll do so once Crowell is on campus? I wish it weren’t so, but it’s hard to see this ending well for Ealey.
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Paul, it’s possible that he’s done nothing but it’s just as likely in my eyes that maybe coach is trying to set a new standard for him. He’s probably always been a guy who did just enough to get by. Going to workouts but maybe not giving full effort, doing just enough to hold off Caleb King, doing just enough not to get kicked off the team. But just enough isn’t what we need at Tailback and I think coach is trying to send the message that he has to elevate and be ready to go on August 1. I just don’t think CMR would lay into him this much in the media if he really didn’t believe that Ealey could potentially turn it around.
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If Ealey doesn’t salvage his career this year, he’ll go down in my book as one of the bigger wastes of talent in UGA’s history. I remember watching him in the Dome in the GHSA quarters thinking, “wow, this is gonna be a fun kid to watch!” I remember several plays from his freshman year watching him run wearing #24 and having to remind myself that it wasn’t Knowshon that I was looking at. Then last year, the way he ran at Tech with Caleb… wow. He’s still got a chance to turn it around if he works hard. I’m trying to keep the faith. Either way, I have zero problem with Richt stating the obvious, Ealey’s in third place at best right now, and given what I saw out of Malcome at G-Day, Ealey’s fourth. Does getting put behind a true freshman before the kid even shows up stoke his fire? Hope so.
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by “last year”, I’m referring to the ’09 Tech game, not the ’10.
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Ealey did run for 800 yards and 11 TDs at a 5.2 clip last year. He fumbled at highly inopportune times early, but he was clearly the most talented back on the team. It’s a shame he’s lazy, but there’s reason for hope.
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I’m not sure “lazy” is the right word. More “troublemaker with a bad attitude.”
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Red-shirting a QB is different…immense amount of education and development needs to occur before he’s ready for college speed. But I hope CMR is feeling enough of a “hot seat” that he’ll risk using Crowell early. Frankly, I’d hope he’s in the tailback position and both sides of the ball know we’re going to run (thus ignoring the “he can’t pass block” issue). Some solid first down runs, then switching to a few bootlegs by Murray later in the game off of this formation can really loosen-up a defense.
Oh, hell, who am I kidding. 1st & bomb, Carlton up the middle, 3rd & long desperation play-action pass is already scripted for the season….again!
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And then we all get to come here and prognosticate about who the new coach should be. At least Bobo gets tossed with the bathwater.
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I see what you did there sir. +1.
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Some guys get mad and sulk. Some guys get mad and fight and some guys get mad and quit. Ealey might just transfer to GA Southern and play out the string.
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I actually am predicting that for Garcia. Graduate and show up at another program a la Masoli.
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I don’t buy the send him a message idea. CMR means what he says and says what he means. If Ealey wants to remain in the rotation he will have to step up. I do not like calling a player out in public. CMR needs to learn that it is not always wise to speak out. What needs to be said can be said to the young man in private.
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In the players defense, CMR & Co don’t have a very good record handling RB’s. With the exceptions of Knowshon in ’08 & Musa in ’02, Dawgs have changed #1 backs repeatedly over the past 10 years. Ealey & King are just the latest version of the same old merry-go-round of “issues”. Of course, it’s always the player’s fault when something goes wrong. Maybe coaching is the problem.
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Coaching, as in putting a freshman (Carlton Thomas) in the game near the five yard-line in his first game (Okie State). Critical situation. Fumble. Okie State recovers, then scores either three or seven. Ballgame.
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We should be as aggravated with Ealey as Coach is and should back Richt completely. Ealey is screwing with our school and we shouldn’t take it lightly that a player can get tweeked and let the Coach, the team and alums down just on his whim. Richt is my coach and whatever and however he treats Ealey is fine with me. The kid needs a good rear-kicking until he begs to be let go. Sittin’ around and waiting to see whether the little sh**head makes his mind up to do his best is disgusting . And anyone laying anything back on Richt for this kid’s actions/results needs a swift kick in the butt also.
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The sh**head scored 11 tds in ’10, including 5 against a team that beat us in ’09.
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1 of those TDs doesn’t count. Tech let him score.
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