For Immediate Release–UGA Sports Comm.
ATHENS — The Georgia Bulldogs returned to the practice field Tuesday with a 2-hour workout at the Club Sports complex on South Milledge Avenue.
The Bulldogs will enjoy an open date in the schedule this Saturday before resuming the schedule on October 29 against Florida in Jacksonville. Several defensive players met the media after practice today. Following are excerpts from their interviews:
Junior ILB Reggie Carter
(On depth issues at LB) ’’We need everybody. This week is a perfect opportunity to take advantage of it. It’s a bye week and we’re focusing on a lot of ways we can get better, how we can be better as a team, as individuals. Bye week comes at a good time because it gives everybody time to work on themselves and not really prepare for another team, but for us to go back to basics and fundamentals, so we can get better individually.
(Plans for Saturday) ‘’Definitely going to order some Papa John’s pizza and wings and just watch football all day.’’
‘’I have 100 percent faith in our coaching staff and my teammates. That (outside noise) doesn’t bother me because I completely trust our coaches and teammates.’’
Junior DL John Atkins
‘’There are always some plays in every game where you say, ‘If I could have done this right, it might have changed the outcome, but Vanderbilt had a good team. I don’t want to say that I had to pinch myself, but it felt kind of unreal.’’
(On using the bye week)
‘’After every loss, you want to get that taste out of your mouth, so the bye week gives us the chance to focus on ourselves and come together as team.’’
Senior FS Quincy Mauger:
‘’Right now, we’re really focused on, ‘how can we get Georgia better?’ How can we fix things, as far as the simple things: our eyes, reading our keys and playing fast. Those are the biggest things we’re focusing on this week.’’
(On practicing special teams) ’’I’ve always taken pride from playing on special teams. Anywhere I can help my team, I definitely want to take that challenge. (In Vandy game) There were just some things we could have fixed with our keys and assignments. We gave great effort, but at the end of the day, we just needed to execute. You know, they’re on scholarship just like we are. We’ve got to make more plays than they do. Everybody takes pride in special teams. We can’t win a game just off offense or defense. It takes all phases of the game to win. So we all have to come together and execute. Special teams issues fixable? Definitely. It all goes back to fundamentals, knowing your keys, knowing what to do.’’
(On Shakenneth Williams’ move to defensive back): ‘’It’s a fresh start for him. We older guys just have to take a look out for him and kind of guide him through it. It’s just an opportunity for guys to get better. They should seize the moment. Any chance you get to make your team better, take the opportunity. If they want me at the D-line, I’ll do it for ‘em. It’s all about team, not I’.”
