Injuries Continue to Mount
Georgia won't go to contact until two-a-days that begin Saturday morning but already injuries are mounting for the Bulldogs' wide receiver corps.
As reported first by UGASports, wide receiver
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Walter Hill did break his right hand in Wednesday's practice, snapping the 5th metacarpal. The school announced that Hill would miss 4-6 weeks, but head coach Mark Richt said Thursday night that he hopes the Gainesville native wouldn't miss but three.
Also, fellow wideout
Israel Troupe is expected to miss three weeks after suffered a trio of arm maladies after hyper-extending his right elbow, spraining his right wrist and spraining his right shoulder. Meanwhile, junior
Michael Moore suffered a slight hamstring pull.
"We'll normally run three groups in our pass skeleton and today we had to reduce it to two," Richt said. "You've just got to be careful not to try to get the same amount of reps with three less guys and all of a sudden those guys are taking their reps and fatiguing and pulling muscles, too."
The Bulldogs were already a bit gimpy in the receiver department as it was. Redshirt sophomore
Tony Wilson is still recovering from off-season foot surgery while freshman
A.J. Green tweaked a hip flexor earlier in the week, an injury which caused him to miss Tuesday's workout.
Troupe's injury could well open the door for Green, who unlike fellow freshman
Tavarres King, was not listed among the five-deep on the Bulldogs' preseason depth chart. King was tabbed the third-string split end after enrolling in January and going through spring practice with the rest of the team. Wilson is currently the No. 2 flanker behind
Mohamed Massaquoi, followed by Michael Moore. Demiko Goodman is still listed as the No. 4 split end behind King.
Longo hurt, Figgins dodges bullet
The school also announced that freshman defensive end
Jeremy Longo suffered a broken right hand, although the Florida native will continue to practice. Longo wore a soft cast and pad over his hand during Wednesday night's workout at the team's Woodruff Practice Facility. Longo wouldn't say how the injury occurred. "I don't think I can say that," Longo said.
At least tight end
Bruce Figgins wasn't hurt as bad as originally feared. Figgins limped off the field early during the two-hour workout but returned later in the session.
Defensive end Roderick Battle also has a slightly pulled hamstring.
Dawgs enjoy practicing at night
Early afternoon thundershowers forced the Bulldogs to push Thursday's practice back to the evening, but nobody was complaining. Temperatures in the mid-90s had welcomed Georgia for its first three practices of the preseason.
"They loved it. It was very nice to practice in that cooler temperature," Richt said. "You like to do that, but at the same time if you don't condition in the heat and prepare in the heat, you're going to get beat, you're going to get whipped."
Georgia returns to practice Friday evening in full pads but will not be allowed to hit. Full-contact begins Saturday morning, the first day of two-a-days.
Dewberry begins work program
Linebacker Darius Dewberry has begun his work program to help pay off his dept to St. Mary's hospital after damaging some property at the facility last weekend.
Richt said Thursady that Dewberry has a job at UGA that goes from 8 a.m.-noon each day and a second one at St. Mary's that he works from 8 p.m. to midnight.
Richt said that Dewberry will work the first two games while he is suspended.
This and that
Backup quarterback Joe Cox did not throw for the second straight day after complaining of a sore elbow. He will not throw again until Monday. … Former Bulldog Matt Stinchcomb has been selected to take part in a voting panel that will decide this year's members of the annual Good Works Team. … True freshman
Sanders Commings is working at nickel back and is among the players coaches are looking at a possible punt returner.