Bulldogs not pleased about Christmas trip

ATHENS, Ga. -- It's not the location. It's the date.

Georgia football players weren't irked Wednesday about having to travel to Shreveport, La., for the Independence Bowl. What isn't so inviting is reporting Christmas Eve for the Dec. 28 game against Texas A&M.

"I don't know who came up with that rule to keep us away from our families on Christmas Day," linebacker Rennie Curran said. "It's going to be my first time away from my family, which is everything to me."

The Bulldogs will hold on-campus workouts through Tuesday. They will resume practicing in Shreveport on Christmas Day and Dec. 26 before holding a walkthrough the day before the game.

Coach Mark Richt said players will have a nice Christmas meal and that he may assemble a Christmas program.

"We might even get our own players involved in seeing what kind of talents they have," he said. "I would imagine most things are going to be closed that day, so we'll have to provide our own entertainment. Hopefully the guys will get into the spirit of that."

Tackle Clint Boling also was disappointed but pointed out the Bulldogs could have been better off by winning more games. Cornerback Branden Smith admitted he had never heard of Shreveport, and several players have been searching the Internet to learn more about their impending trip.

"I looked up some of the attractions and saw a national park or something like that," Curran said. "Sounds exciting."

It's up to Gray

Richt said he has talked with backup quarterback Logan Gray about possible scenarios this spring. The redshirt sophomore has completed 5 of 12 passes for 31 yards and two interceptions, and he will vie with freshmen Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger should he stay put.

"Logan is the one who is going to decide what he wants to do this spring," Richt said. "If he wants to stay strictly at quarterback and compete in that area, I'm all for it. If he wants to try another position to see if he could get more playing time in that role, I'm fine with that. Logan is not going to forget what to do at quarterback, so even if he does something in the spring at another position, it doesn't mean he won't be back at quarterback in the fall."

Richt has not held a similar conversation with former starting tailback Richard Samuel, who also played linebacker in high school.

Odds and ends

Texas A&M, which will be the visiting team, has sold out of its 12,000 tickets. ... Bulldogs defensive end Montez Robinson, who was arrested earlier this month on battery charges, will not make the trip. ... Defensive tackle Jeff Owens has been invited to the Senior Bowl. ... Receiver A.J. Green (shoulder) will wear a noncontact jersey in bowl practices but will play barring a setback. ... Graduate assistants Mitch Doolittle and Todd Hartley will coordinate kickoff coverage, while tight ends coach John Lilly will oversee the punt-block team.