Coming together

Yeah, the news about Eason was the big story from yesterday, but this is a pretty big deal, too.

But Friday, head coach Kirby Smart, during an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show, gave his most optimistic outlook on Michel, who suffered a broken left forearm in a July 3 ATV accident, yet.

“I’ve got great confidence in Sony,” Smart said. “He’s worked really hard to get in shape.”

The preface of Finebaum’s question to Smart was about any media reports that suggested Michel didn’t have much of a positive outlook for the season’s start.

Smart said that any reports stating this were not accurate. Since the injury occurred, Smart has played more of a wait-and-see approach with Michel.

While Smart didn’t say Michel would play against North Carolina, his tone was different than in previous comments.

“The kid’s out there doing everything he’s been cleared to do,” Smart said. “He hasn’t been cleared to do everything. He looks great. He’s running. He’s doing 7-on-7. He’s in a black jersey. He was returning kicks yesterday. He’s doing a lot of positive things. It’s just he hasn’t been cleared to play yet.

“We won’t know that and it may even be a game-time decision.”

Sounds to me like they’re preparing as if Michel will play.  Add to that Elijah Holyfield’s return and the disappearance of Nick Chubb’s brace, and the running back corps is in a different place than even the most optimistic of us expected.

It may also be one reason the coaches are turning to Eason as the starter.

23 Comments

Filed under Georgia Football

23 responses to “Coming together

  1. Jim

    Not a bad way to get Eason’s feet wet – hand the ball off until they prove they can stop it. If they do stop it hopefully there are some favorable match ups for the freshman QB

    Of course UNCs DBs are supposed to be really good so Chizik may leave them on an island from the beginning and make the freshman beat him.

    Can’t wait for it to get here…

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    • Even if I had questions about my DBs, I would still dare the Georgia QB to beat me rather than deal with death of a 1,000 cuts of Chubb, Michel, Holyfield, Douglas and Herrien.

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      • Walt

        I’m hoping our running backs will bring death by a couple swings of an ax.

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      • Jim

        Yep. And we saw how Lambert handled that last year. Looks like the coaches have determined Eason is the most likely to make the defense pay. Fingers crossed

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    • 92 grad

      Florida beat us last year throwing the ball something like 6 times? I’m prob not remembering correctly, but we all know that there are games every season where the forward pass happens less than punts.

      As question marks begin to be clearing up, mr Occam’s you-know-what keeps sharpening. Good line, world class RB’s, youth at WR, QB, serious TE personnel? Yep. A 3.3 YPC stat is looking real real good…..

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  2. UGA O line vs. UNC D line – who’s better?

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  3. Cojones

    I’m sure Courson is pulling those game-ready strings. Wouldn’t think he would let Michel take a hit on that arm in the NC game and that’s the reason Michel continues to be black-shirted in practice and not taking hits (“returning kicks” doesn’t mean he was tackled). Would think that Holyfield and Chubb will see the field along with Douglas, but not Michel.

    If you aren’t seeing it yet, I think that Kirby has the press and fan speculation right where he wants it for game week. The man is devious. I like devious.

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  4. What better way to learn the speed of college play than for Eason to do it. If the time experience of standing on the sideline holding a board and giving signals with the Dawgs can do it, then Brice Ramsey should already be the QB of choice.

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  5. Red Cup

    If the first play that UNC safetys creep up Eason will fake the the handoff to Chubb and hit some receiver long for a big gain.

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  6. Mad Mike

    The trollest thing ever would be for Kirby to trot Eason out on the first offensive play, have it be a handoff to Chubb, then sit #10 for the rest of the game. Heads would explode! (Yes, I know this would never happen.) I’d laugh my ass off.

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  7. TMC DAWG

    The stars are lining up for UGA football. Chubb looks ready to go Michel will be available and Holyfield is better than expected. Now the young QB is expecting to start. All they need is coaching up. And we all know they WILl be coached up! GO DAWGS!,

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  8. ElectroM

    Anybody heard what is going on with Tae Crowder?

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    • The other Doug

      He is buried deep on the depth chart. It’s not him. It’s the talent ahead of him.

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    • AthensHomerDawg

      This Tae Crowder?
      “Perhaps the most unusual, bizarre and extraordinary story from UGA’s 2015 football recruiting class was Tae Crowder.
      Crowder is the running back from Harris County High School who got an offer from UGA less than 36 hours before signing day, only after a longtime commit bailed on the Bulldogs for another school.”

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  9. So. IL Dawg

    Can’t wait for next week to get here so we can start proving all the talking heads wrong. the boys at the WWL didn’t even give the Dawgs a shot at making the playoffs. I’m not saying we’ll get there; but to say we don’t have a chance is BS. let’s prove them wrong. Luginbill said UGA is a 7-5 team. that MAY be correct; but I just don’t see CKS and the Dawgs losing 5 games.

    So, let’s prove them wrong and GO DAWGS!!

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  10. Cojones

    Uh, Senator…. do you have an Armpitin problem at the editor’s desk whereas they are too busy to catch your sexually-suggestive title? Shades of our favorite UGA comedian.

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