Dogs Start to Get Healthy

It's been almost two weeks since running back Knowshon Moreno has worn a jersey other than green, but head coach Mark Richt said Monday he's not concerned that his star sophomore isn't getting the reps he requires.

Although the green jersey is supposed to signify no-contact, that hasn't necessarily been the case.

"He's getting contact. The green jersey is supposed to keep you from ever having to strike anybody or have anybody strike you," Richt said. "But when the ball's in your hands you tend to get shots. He's getting plenty right now."

Richt again maintained the decision to have Moreno wear the green jersey is strictly a precaution, and he's on schedule to start the season-opener against Georgia Southern.

Moreno wasn't the only Bulldog running back wearing green Monday. Redshirt freshman Caleb King has been limited for the past two practices after tweaking a hamstring. Again, Richt said the injury isn't serious.

"You hate for anybody to miss (time) right now, but it's not like he's missed a lot of time at this point," Richt said. "This only happened recently, he's just missed a few days and hopefully we'll have him back by mid-week."

Richt relatively pleased with workout

Classes started Monday at the University of Georgia as the Bulldogs settled into their normal game-week routine at the team's Woodruff Practice Facility. The nation's top-ranked team worked out for just over two hours, and considering the confusion generally associated with the first day of school, Richt was relatively pleased.

"Considering today was the first day of school and there were a lot of things going on today, it was pretty good," Richt said. "It wasn't great, and if it wasn't for the fact that it was Monday and we were coming off a day off and it wasn't the first of school, I would have said it was not very good."

The Bulldogs also got their first look at the schemes employed by Georgia Southern, Georgia's season-opening opponent on Aug. 30.

"We spent just a little bit of time working on our opponent just to get a little taste of that," Richt said. "The first day of that is usually a mess just trying to get that first thing organized, but we looked halfway decent. But (Tuesday) we've got to get a lot better if we want to get where want to go."

Temperatures Monday also approached 90 degrees, for which Richt was grateful. August has been unseasonably cool in Athens, and Richt has been worried that his players haven't been properly indoctrinated to what it's going to be like come September when it's not usual for temperatures to soar into the mid-90s.

"I'm glad it was a little warmer because we need it. We need to feel it and we need to work in it because I'm certain it will be extremely hot on the 30th," Richt said. "We just haven't had much of that. It's been like a big umbrella lately, so we need the heat."

Houston keeping mum about GSU game

Georgia's season-opener against Georgia Southern will be a home-coming of sorts for defensive end Justin Houston. Houston is one of three Statesboro natives with the Bulldogs, along with redshirt freshman John Knox and freshman DeAngelo Tyson.

"That's home, but if I go back it's nothing but trouble," Houston laughed. "So I just stay up here and work out."

Houston is all but assured of seeing considerable action against the Eagles, who are 0-3 lifetime against the Bulldogs.

Injury update

Defensive end Jeremy Lomax (turf toe), linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and wideout A.J. Green (hip-flexor) ditched their green jerseys for Monday's workout, but there was still a number of Bulldogs taking it easy.

Along with King, some of the more prominent players included defensive tackle Kade Weston (bone bruise), wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi (lower back) and Roderick Battle (hamstring). None of the injuries are considered serious. Walk-on defensive end Andrew Gully was wearing a cast on his right arm.

This and that

Richt said that redshirt freshman Kiante Tripp continues to get the most reps at left tackle. … Junior Vince Vance is virtually assured of opening the season at left guard. "He's played well," Richt said. "Right now, we're trying to keep from moving him out to disrupt that." Richt also had praise for redshirt sophomore Chris Davis at center. …Freshman Ty Frix continues to push senior Bo Fowler for the starting long-snapper duties. "Right now it's still up for grabs. It's not a solid deal. He's No. 1 on the depth chart right now, but it's not a done deal. Frix does a nice job. He's snapping extremely well and if he can prove to do better blocking and covering, he's going to make this a competition." … Ballyhooed freshman A.J. Green will definitely play this fall. Richt just isn't sure when. "All I can tell you about him, we're going to get him in the game. I don't know when, but we'll get him in the game. I'm sure we'll get Tavarres (King) in the game, too."