LITTLE ROCK — Richt coy on absent starters
ATLANTA - Mark Richt would not confirm expectations No. 5 Georgia finally will be at full strength this week against Tennessee.
Georgia has won its first four games, including Saturday night’s 48-3 rout of Vanderbilt, with All-America safety Bacarri Rambo and starting linebacker Alec Ogletree serving suspensions.
Richt has never clarified how long the suspensions will last. On Sunday he continued his weekly ritual of not updating the status of the two defensive stars.
“We’ll figure it out in pregame warmup I guess, just like last week,” Richt said.
It has been difficult to notice the Bulldogs have been missing two key players on defense.
Georgia’s balanced offense, led by quarterback Aaron Murray and freshman running backs Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall, has kept the Bulldogs winning.
Georgia (4-0, 2-0 SEC) has topped 40 points in four consecutive games for the first time.
Murray completed his first 12 passes, Gurley rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns, and Marshall added two touchdown runs, including a 52-yarder, in the impressive victory over the Commodores.
Saturday night’s victory matched the Bulldogs’ largest margin of victory in the series. It also matched a 62-17 victory over Kentucky in 2004 as Georgia’s most lopsided victory under Richt.
Now the Bulldogs could gain more momentum if they have Ogletree and Rambo back this week.
Rambo led the SEC with eight interceptions last season, giving him 13 for his career.
Alec Ogletree had 52 tackles, 3 sacks and 3 forced fumbles in eight games last season.
Ogletree’s twin brother, fullback Alexander Ogletree, strongly hinted on his Twitter account Wednesday the suspensions will end this week. He said the Ogletree brothers and Rambo will be “on a mission!” on Monday.
Rambo’s high school coach said this summer the suspension followed a second positive drug test for marijuana. Alec Ogletree was suspended for an undisclosed violation of team rules. Cornerback Sanders Commings and linebacker Chase Vasser were suspended for the first two games.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Spurrier mum to media
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Call it the Head Ball Coach media blackout.
South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier refused to take questions for a second consecutive session with the media, doubling up Sunday on the trend he began during Saturday’s post game session after the sixth ranked Gamecocks defeated Missouri 31-10.
Spurrier started his regularly scheduled Sunday teleconference as always with about a five-minute review of the previous day’s contest, an update on player injuries and a look ahead to the Gamecocks next opponent, Kentucky.
And then Spurrier said, “I believe that covers it all. I don’t need to take questions.”
Spurrier hung up as callers began to protest.
South Carolina athletic spokesman Steve Fink did not want to speculate Sunday about why Spurrier wouldn’t take questions.
There was little indication Saturday that Spurrier’s move to end his post game session with the media before answering questions would continue.
He seemed good-natured and jovial after the sixth ranked Gamecocks (4-0, 2-0 SEC) won their eighth consecutive game dating back to last year.
Spurrier joked his quarterback Connor Shaw, who was 20-of-21 passing and connected on his last 20 throws, “got off to a slow start. Missed his first one, I think.”
WISCONSIN
Preparing without Ball
MADISON, Wis.- Whether tailback Montee Ball returns to the Wisconsin lineup for the Big Ten Conference opener or not, the Badgers (3-1) appear equipped to compensate for his absence, at least temporarily.
The reasons: junior James White and redshirt freshman Melvin Gordon.
White looks more like the back who rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a freshman in 2010 and less like the back who struggled at times last season.
Gordon is beginning to show why Ball believes the standout from Kenosha, Wis., may have more physical ability than any back on the Wisconsin roster.
Ball left Saturday’s 37-26 victory over Texas-El Passo for good in the first minute of the second quarter after suffering an unspecified head injury. A decision will be made later this week on whether he plays against Nebraska. He had 40 yards and a touchdown on nine carries.
Gordon rushed 6 times for 82 yards after Ball’s departure to finish with 112 yards on 8 carries. White carried 13 times for 60 yards after Ball left to finish with 65 yards and 2 touchdowns on 13 carries.
“The good news is we haven’t showed a lot of the things that we have been working on,” Coach Brett Bielema said, “so I think there are nice things that can come down the line.”
Sports, Pages 20 on 09/24/2012