Bulldogs enjoy spirited Wednesday workout

ATHENS, Ga. – The sixth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs conducted a two-hour workout Wednesday in full pads.

With an open date this Saturday, Georgia coach Mark Richt said the Bulldogs would hold their final practice of the week on Thursday and then take a few days off.

“We spent a good bit of time yesterday correcting mistakes from game one, and today we split it between fundamental work like blocking, tackling and special teams, and then doing scout work for South Carolina,” Richt said. “The earlier you can install the game plan, the more you can rep it.”

Following a 45-21 win over No. 16 Clemson last Saturday, Georgia moved up in the national Top 25 rankings. This week, Georgia is No. 6 in the Associated Press poll and No. 8 in the Amway Coaches Poll. While Richt said the team was pleased with the victory, it’s still only game one of the season. He added one of his favorite plays from the Clemson game was a tackle by Bulldog sophomore linebacker Tim Kimbrough on a kickoff.

“It got people excited, especially on our sideline,” Richt recalled. “We thought initially it was a fumble, but when we saw the replay, we knew we were going to play defense, and we sent them on the field.”

Richt added that punters Collin Barber and Adam Erickson registered solid performances this past Saturday. They combined to average 44 yards on six punts with four inside the 20. In the first quarter, Barber boomed a 60-yarder and coupled with a minus 9-yard return, it helped flip the field position. Georgia’s defense would force a three-and-out, and the Bulldog offense responded with a game-tying touchdown drive that covered just 57 yards.

“They (Collin and Adam) were a big part of the game, and we’ve got a good combo there,” Richt said.

Georgia (1-0, 0-0 SEC) returns to action Sept. 13 at No. 21 South Carolina (0-1, 0-1 SEC). It will mark Georgia’s SEC opener with kickoff slated for 3:30 p.m. and televised on CBS. The Gamecocks began the season ranked ninth nationally but fell 52-28 to No. 21 Texas A&M last Saturday in Columbia. South Carolina plays host to East Carolina (1-0) this Saturday at 7 p.m. (ESPNU).