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It seemed like something that wouldn’t happen to the 2009 edition of the Georgia Bulldogs. After months of assurances that the team was different, more focused, Bruce Figgins, Justin Houston and Tony Wilson demonstrated that 2009 won’t be completely immune from the off the field issues that plagued the much maligned 2008 Georgia Bulldogs.

Figgins, the TE who played through shoulder issues last season received the stiffest penalty at 6 games. That shoulder should be plenty healed by the time his cleats hit the Sanford Stadium turf.

Richt didn’t disclose what the players did to warrant suspension, but ESPN reported Friday, citing a “Georgia staff member”, that Figgins failed a drug test. That triggers an automatic suspension of 50 percent of a season, according to Athletic Association policy.

Houston, the Dogs’ best option at the razor thin DE position is suspended for the opener in Stillwater against the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the following game vs. the South Carolina Gamecocks. Ouch.

He had three sacks in the G-Day game and two sacks and an interception return in another spring scrimmage. He was one of only two healthy players to end the spring at the position.

Wilson will apparently be leaving the team anyway because of an inability to recover from a nasty ankle injury.

Richt said during spring practice that Wilson was at about 60 percent as he tried to return to form following a second ankle injury, but Georgia announced he will be medically disqualified because of the injury’s slow recovery.

Well, what is there left to say? This is awful, especially Houston. The Dogs D will now be severely handicapped in Stillwater against a high-powered Cowboys offensive attack. Remember what we couldn’t do last year? Rush the quarterback. Well, our top rusher will be watching in HD like most of the rest of us.

Is there a silver lining? Not really, but this did give me a little bit of a kind of tiny good feeling.

Senior quarterback Joe Cox spoke to the team after the scrimmage about avoiding off field missteps that hurt the team last season. Georgia had eight players arrested last offseason, which resulted in six players being either suspended or dismissed.

Nice to see Cox quickly take the reigns to try and limit future trouble. I like the leadership. Love his moxie. He’s going to need all of that and more to engineer a win over the Cowboys.

Image: Kelly Wegel

The Diamond Dogs relied on excellent platoon pitching to win their fourth game straight by defeating the Blue Hose of Presbyterian at Foley Field in Athens.

“Pitching was the key,” said Georgia head coach David Perno. “Tanner threw the ball well, and kept it down. He did a great job funneling the ball through the strike zone.”

While the pitching was dominant the bats weren’t exactly dormant.

Freshman Zach Cone went 3-for-5 with a triple and an RBI to lead the Bulldogs (4-0), and Colby May and Rich Poythress each homered.

The Dogs will face off against Presbyterian again tomorrow afternoon at Foley Field. First pitch is at 4:00 p.m.

RELATED LINKS:

• UGA Baseball Schedule
• Freshmen play big role again in victory

Hale has a lot of updates on some injured dogs and some national signing day leftovers on his latest Football Notes.

Tennis Head Coach Manny Diaz selected as USOC National Tennis Coach Of The Year.

Chris Low breaks down “Kiffingate“. This should close the book until it reopens with a UT bloodletting in Gainesville this September.

It cost UGA 1.5 million dollars to fire former head basketall coach Dennis Felton.

Nice piece on Murray and Mettenberger making the transition to campus life. They’re roommates along with the other early enrollee Dallas Lee. According to Murray, Mettenberger is a total slob. Gotta admit, I was a bit of a Mettenberger at that age.

Buck Belue evaluates the 2009 QB crop including Mettenberger (he likens to Chad Henne) and Murray (he likens to Colt McCoy).

Another National Signing Day leftover; Chris Low catches up with Rodney Garner and CMR… they talk Branden Smith and Montez Robinson amongst other things recruiting…

The Birmingham News take a look back at recent classes and rates them on how they actually held up.

Man, did that first half feel like the UGA-Alabama game or what?