No matter what transpires during Georgia’s preseason practices, the 14th of which took place Tuesday afternoon, the Bulldogs won’t know whether turnovers will plague them again this season until the games actually start.
Georgia ranked 118th in turnover ratio last season among Bowl Subdivision teams, ahead of only Tulane and Miami of Ohio. The Bulldogs suffered 28 turnovers – including 17 interceptions of Joe Cox (15) and Logan Gray – and gained 12.
“That would be wonderful if we turned that around,” coach Mark Richt said. “We would have a much better chance of going where we wanted to go.”
The Bulldogs lost three turnovers in each of their first four games a year ago yet started out 3-1. They didn’t win the turnover ratio until the 10th game, a 31-24 win over Auburn, and followed that up with four turnovers in a 34-27 home loss to Kentucky.
Georgia closed the season by committing one fewer turnover than Georgia Tech and Texas A&M in the Independence Bowl.
“In some ways, it’s amazing we won as many games as we did,” Richt said.
Fond memories
Senior tackle Clint Boling has been entrenched as a starter since his freshman season in 2007. His first career start was at Alabama, a game Georgia won 26-23 in overtime, and he can look back with more good memories than bad.
“Now it’s great, because at first you were forced to learn everything on the go,” the 6-foot-5, 310-pounder said. “Playing as a freshman provided a ton of experience. We had a lot of big road games, and you can learn from all that. It’s made me that much more of a better player and that much more experienced.”
Taking a break
Georgia commitment Christian LeMay, rated by Rivals.com as the No. 3 quarterback prospect nationally, has decided not to play his senior season at Butler High in Matthews, N.C., and plans to enroll at Georgia in January. LeMay was suspended 30 days by the Charlotte-Mecklenberg County school system in June for a campus incident that took place during the spring, and an appeal was unsuccessful.
In one of several statements the LeMay family has released to various media outlets, the latest read, “We are quite honored that other colleges continue to show strong interest in Christian attending their school. However, we have continued healthy communications with UGA coaches, and the commitment remains the same on both ends.”
Odds and ends
Richt repeatedly has labeled sophomore safety Shawn Williams as the most improved player since the spring. … Senior tackle Josh Davis (ankle) returned to practice Tuesday, but junior inside linebacker Richard Samuel (leg) will be out another week. … The final scrimmage will take place next Wednesday. … Freshman tackle Brent Benedict, who tore his ACL, MCL and PCL last season as a high-school senior in Jacksonville, is doing some drill work but will redshirt this season. … Rivals.com’s No. 3 overall prospect, athlete James Wilder Jr. from Tampa’s Plant High, is set to commit today to Florida State, Georgia or Florida.