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.

Just when you think it couldn’t get any worse the Gators unleash a deluge of runs in the ninth inning to complete a sweep of the reeling Diamond Dogs.

The Bulldogs (33-15, 14-10 SEC) led 7-3 when the Gators (34-14, 16-8 SEC) scored a run in the eighth, then pulled to within 7-5 on a passed ball with one out in the ninth. Tucker then gave Florida its first lead on his 11th home run of the season. The Gators added two more runs in the inning and handed Georgia its fifth straight SEC loss and sixth overall. Florida now holds a two-game lead over the Bulldogs in the SEC East.

What a difference a weekend makes. With two series left to go the Diamond Dogs now find themselves two games behind the Gators in the SEC East.

The Diamond Dogs desperately need a W to get this thing back in between the lines.

Favorite ones are #8 and #2.

DGD

After leading the Gym Dogs to a fifth straight national championship Courtney Kupets returned to the floor in Lincoln to collect three event titles for herself, thank ya very much.

The Georgia gymnast and 2004 U.S. Olympian won three event titles on Saturday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, making her the NCAA’s all-time winningest champion with nine individual titles.

After becoming the first NCAA gymnast to win a title on every event she earned the ultimate praise from Gym Dog Coach Suzanne Yoculan.

“There’s no question she’s the greatest college gymnast of all time,” said Georgia coach Suzanne Yoculan. “She’s the Muhammad Ali of gymnastics. The greatest.”

Despite such high praise Kupets keeps still sees herself as someone fortunate to do something she loves.

“I don’t really believe that because, I don’t know, I just do what I do and I love it,” she said. “It’s kind of crazy for someone to say that about me. It’s really an honor. I just don’t believe that people would think that about me. I just have fun with what I do.”

Coutney Kupets, Champion.

Matthew Stafford is everywhere. Here is a great clip of him doing some damage to the fine china on Jimmy Fallon last night. This time last year he was winding down from spring practice at UGA. What a difference a year makes.

Image: Athens Banner Herald

Hah, I guess Lane Kiffin thought he’d let the situation cool a little bit before going after released UGA commit Dexter Moody.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Moody said he was invited to Tennessee’s Orange and White game on Saturday by the Volunteers. ”Me and my dad are planning on going up there,” Moody said. “They talked liked they were going to offer me a scholarship. I don’t know. I guess we’ll see. They just want to meet me in person and everything.”

At the time the thinking seemed to be that a guy released from one SEC school for a dust up with a teacher probably wouldn’t be offered a scholly from another SEC school.

But alas, this is the age of Kiffin! Really, isn’t he just conforming to Tennessee’s already subterranean standards?

Mr. Moody spices things up a little more.

“Coach Thompson said they need some linebackers really bad,” Moody said. “I’m definitely very interested in Tennessee. It wouldn’t be bad to go there and be able to play against Georgia every year. That would be something, taking out some of my feelings against the team that released me. I think it would be fun.”

A little sour grapes? It’s too bad Moody couldn’t walk the straight and narrow long enough to become a Dawg but it is starting to sound like he was just saving us some trouble later on.

Who knows? I hope he gets it back between the lines and has success against every team but Georgia… the team he most wants to be successful against.

On the morning drive this AM the fine fellows at 960 The Ref replayed an interview they did with the late voice of the Philadelphia Phillies Harry Kalas back in late January.

It was a great interview by Dave Johnston and Dave McMahon. The guys at 960 do a great job in general and especially at covering UGA athletics.

Until this week only folks in the Athens area were able to enjoy their content. Beginning this week though they began live streaming over the Internet (Opens live stream).

For the best UGA radio coverage by a mile tune in to The Morning Show with Dave Johnston and Stephen Hartzell from 6:00 a.m to 10:00 a.m and The Home Team from with Jeff Dantzler and Chris Brame.

It was a perfect to get out and enjoy some spring football. Since it wasn’t packed there were also plenty of opportunities to get up close to the action. So, I marched up to the 50-yard line and enjoyed the game from seats I could really only dream about watching a regular season game from. I had the camera around the neck and got some nice shots of the action.

[View with PicLens]

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I hope everyone has a happy Easter.

A fun clip from Mark Bradley’s G-Day blog.

Garrison Hearst is a DGD. Never went to a G-Day game that he didn’t attend. So great of him to come back to the program and support the current players and pump up the Dawgs in the upcoming NFL draft.

I’ll never forget being in the student section at the ‘92 Tennessee game when he caught the corner and took it the distance on a run where it looked like he had no chance. The place went crazy.

Image: GeorgiaDogs.com

The 2009 G-Day game should be one of the best ever. The weather is looking perfect, admission is FREE and ESPN will be broadcasting live with Kirk Herbstreit and Brad Nessler calling the action. Paying attention recruits?

Gates open at 10:30 a.m. and kick-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

Tim Tucker of the AJC has a couple of good G-Day updates to share as we get closer to toe hitting leather. Outside of the bad news about the injury to Kris Durham, a couple of things in Tucker’s first G-Day post stood out.

You will see A.J. Green, and in more places than last year.

“I’m learning different sides. I’m sometimes on the short side. I’m in the slot sometimes,” the SEC’s leading receiver of 2008 said Monday. “I’m trying to extend my game to help me out and help my team.”

It’s kind of difficult to imagine A.J. Green being much better than he was last year. He seemed to catch everything thrown his way and was definitely the guy on the receiving corps that struck the most fear into opposing defenses. Now that he’s operating at 100% and has a better understanding of the offense, the sky is the limit. Life is good.

You’ll also probably get a glimpse of Fred Munzenmaier, the backup fullback the past two seasons, carrying the ball at tailback. He’s intrigued the coaches in recent practices at the position, and Richt expects him to get some tailback carries on G-Day.

Is anyone else thinking Verron Haynes? I know that’s putting the cart out about a mile before the horse but this is what I visualize when I hear about Munzenmaier lining up at TB.

Staying on the topic of TB… Carlton Thomas will be another one to watch.

He, by all accounts, has impressed teammates and coaches this spring.

“He’s a little bit like [former Bulldog] Tyson Browning,” Richt said, “because he’s not a real big guy and he can make people miss. He runs with more power than Tyson did. He’s not as fast as Tyson was, but the agility and change of direction [are] very similar. That’s probably the closest comparison to anybody we’ve had here or even at Florida State. He’s coming right along. He’s doing a nice job. Going to be a pretty good player.”

Will Caleb King end up being just another runner in a three man platoon? Will Logan Gray challenge Joe Cox? Will Murray challenge Gray for the No. 2 spot?

Many interesting story lines for Georgia fans to follow on G-Day. After all, this will be our last look at the Dawgs before they tackle the grueling 2009 schedule. Better enjoy.

See you on Saturday.

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