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Georgia: No. 1 Dogs down to business

By: David Paschall
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ATHENS, Ga. — Monday was the first time Georgia has opened football training camp as the nation’s top-ranked team.

After the Bulldogs were handed the top spot by coaches in last Friday’s USA Today preseason poll, coach Mark Richt has not received any congratulations from peers. But his mother called to express her excitement, and his players seem to be keeping the ranking in perspective.

“I think everybody knows what’s ahead of us, so you can’t really get too hyped up about it,” junior defensive end Roderick Battle said. “We would have the same goals if we started 13th, 25th or not ranked. I think that makes it pretty simple to stay grounded.

“It does have its advantage. You’re already in the driver’s seat, and you just have to do what you’re doing to maintain that.”

Richt doesn’t know if the ranking is good or bad but admitted it’s exciting. Georgia was last ranked No. 1 by a major service entering the 1983 Sugar Bowl against Penn State.

Bulldogs players learned of the USA Today vote in different ways. Battle and senior defensive tackle Jeff Owens found out while watching television. Senior tight end Tripp Chandler was among those who found out by newspaper.

Junior quarterback Matthew Stafford said he learned of it through a text message from his mom.

“I thought it was cool, but that’s about it,” Stafford said. “It doesn’t mean much as far as anything on the field. As far as the BCS or the polls and how far you fall, that’s stuff you can’t control. The stuff you can control is on the field.”

Georgia coaches clearly weren’t allowing their players to coast as the first practice began. Defensive line coach Rodney Garner lambasted freshman DeAngelo Tyson for slacking off during a sprint drill, and linebackers coach John Jancek did the same to freshman Marcus Dowtin minutes later.

Coaches yelling at players on the field was welcome after an offseason in which eight players were arrested. Senior punt-snapper Jeff Henson was the eighth following a public-intoxication charge early Saturday morning, but Richt spent much of the past weekend combing through details of a separate incident early Saturday morning at a downtown nightclub.

Richt dismissed defensive end Michael Lemon from the program following his arrest early last month on a felony charge of aggravated assault. Henson and junior free safety Donavon Baldwin are on indefinite suspension, while junior linebacker Darius Dewberry and sophomore fullback Fred Munzenmaier are suspended for the first two games.

Sophomore guard Clint Boling is suspended for one game.

“It’s certainly been a distraction,” Richt said. “There is no way you can say it hasn’t been a distraction. We’ve had more issues than I’d like to deal with in the offseason, no doubt.

“The reputation of the team has been damaged. I don’t think it’s beyond repair, but it’s taken some hits.”

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