The Junkyard Dawg Podcast #6 - Coach Bauerle allegations

It's a getaway episode just before the Junkyard is locked up for a week. Heading towards some vacation, but wanted to weigh in on the Coach Bauerle news as well as some developments from spring practice. We're one week away from GDay folks!

Links from this episode:
- Coach Bauerle suspended indefinitely
- Pruitt moving players all around
- Emerson's Tramel Terry feature
- Find the JDP in the Android Store!!
- Or on Stitcher!!

And email your feedback to thejunkyarddawgpodcast@gmail.com. Go Dawgs!!

Friday Feedbag - shower discipline in Athens GA

First, my sincerest apologies for pranking some of you the other day. Second, be forewarned that it won't be the last attempt at Mike Campo'ing y'all. To make up for it, I figured we'd start the weekend with something to eat. This has been slow roasting for quite some time. So it should be quite savory.

From the WTF file comes a tale of two young lovers, both wild-eyed and head over heels for each other. Undoubtedly planning to spend the rest of their lives together. Without question the most innocent and genuine relationship in Clarke County. Pure and unabashed contentment. Relentless passion and unconditional devotion to one another.

Like Mr. Ward, Lil Dools doesn't believe in cutting corners in the shower.

They even had so much passion for each other's personal hygiene that they decided to shower one another with an amorous lather. Cleansing each other...rinsing...repeating. Conditioning their inner affections and staring deeply into each others gaze, they reached towards the soap dish at the same moment, and...

...did I mention they were both sixteen? And that they thought they were in the apartment (the one rented by the girl's step-father) alone? Yes, well what happened next you've probably heard about. The step-father came home, assaulted the recently well rinsed young man and was later charged with battery and cruelty to children.

Which is why I dropped it in the WTF File. No, I do not condone grown men hitting teenagers. Especially when said teenager is wearing nothing but his birthday suit. But if I were the boy's parents I would find it hard to press charges against Mr. Clinton Ward. But then again, I'm more of a believer in you reap what you sow. After all, Life has all kinds of natural consequences. And if you want to pretend to be an adult, you best be ready to defend yourself.

Nekkid or not.

Now, some links to chew on:
- Condolences to the guys over at Sports and Grits. RIP samdizl.
- If you haven't already, make sure you check out the Mark Richt artwork contest. I still torn between Patrick's and Holly's. But I give the edge to Holly for including Grizzard.
- Garbin takes some comfort in adding a lot of numbers to the history of the offensive line's production.
- Blutarsky finds it hard to feel any sympathy for Ricardo Lewis.
- Bobo is "rolling through a lot of guys" until the reinforcements come this summer.
- Poole tries to keep up with the pace of practice.
- Just started a new book with some Georgia flair - The Killing King of Gratis. Written by a an actual reader here named Jay Jackson. Y'all check it out.
- Thirty-three years is a long time to stay up so late. Goodnight Mr. Letterman.

Speaking of Two Young Lovers, let's wish em every happiness.

That's all from here ladies and gents. I'm heading to the coast tomorrow by way of a beer festival in Greenville. I'll be updating the blog here, but it will be between salted rims and fried seafood. Until we meet again kids, stay clean and don't share any staph infections.

We don't need no stinking depth chart!

According to Coach Pruitt, his defense still has that new car smell:

“We have no depth chart,” he said. “We just have somebody who goes with the ones.”

On Thursday, that included nose guard Mike Thornton and walk-on Aaron Davis at cornerback.

Indeed. Yesterday JJ Green took some reps at safety after cornerback Brendan Langley got a look back there the practice before. Which Pruitt explained as such:

“Brendan was a high school wide receiver,” Pruitt said. “He’s got really good ball skills. Just looking for a guy who can play the ball in the deep part of the field.”

So the transition between Grantham and Pruitt continues with more questions than answers, but the new defensive coordinator is confident things will shake out just fine by August:

“Two weeks into fall camp, we’ll get them in their spots,” Pruitt said. “Maybe they’ll be some guys this spring that kind of take that step to where you say I know I can count on him but right now we’re just a work in progress.”

Hey, the defense was going to be a work in progress anyway. Just glad it's with new coaches looking over players that are eager to make an impression. GDay is going to be pretty fun!

 

Bostick to transfer

From what I can gather, it sounds like a mutual decision.

UPDATE
More here from Emerson, including this quote from Richt:

"After discussing the situation with Paris, we mutually agreed this is a good decision," Richt said in a statement. "He has a positive future in football and we wish him all the best in attaining his goals in football and in education."

In Keith Marshall's cleats, what would you do?

First off, I believe the decision of whether to redshirt this upcoming season or go ahead and play when physically ready is up to Keith Marshall. In many situations the decision to redshirt is heavily influenced by the coaches. Sure.

But in this case I think it will be Marshall who ultimately decides. Here's the rub:

Marshall and fellow tailback Todd Gurley are juniors. The top job is presumably Gurley's for as long as he's on campus, but he has the option of going pro after this season. If he does, Marshall could be the featured tailback for only one year - or two if he redshirts.

Marshall taking a redshirt was labeled a possibility back in December by offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. Since then Marshall has recovered ahead of schedule, but that doesn't mean he will definitely play in 2014, running backs coach Bryan McClendon said Tuesday.

"Right now the plan is to see how far along he is, and then do what's going to be best for him," McClendon said. "That's going to be priority No. 1. To do what's best for him. And that way, I think everybody will be able to sleep good at night."

Gurley will be the starter for every game as long as he's healthy. JJ Green is on the other side of the ball. Brendan Douglas had an impressive freshman season but is still mostly a situational tailback option. The two freshmen have a lot to learn, but I doubt they both redshirt.

Add in how well Marshall has recovered from his knee surgery and there's a lot to consider for the junior's near and distant future. Regardless of what the ultimate decision is for this season, it's good to read this:

"I've gotta scale him back a little bit, and tell him: Hey, don't do that, or obviously constantly modifying things for him," McClendon said. "But I'm very pleased with how he's been. Obviously you've just gotta know when you've gotta know when to say when. And that's what I'm talking to him about."

Whether it's this fall or next, looking forward to seeing Keith Marshall back in action.

Offensive line, filling in the blanks. Again.

In early April this statement is about as close to innocuous as you can get in terms of the offensive line's depth chart:

"A bunch of you have a shot this spring."

It's when spring turns to late summer and there's still rounds left in the chamber that I really begin to fret. To his credit, Coach Friend goes there:

"And if we don't see things like we need to in the spring then it'll be the guys' who get here's chance. So they kind of know that. Those guys were recruited to give them an opportunity, and we'll give them a shot.

"Now if we can get some guys going ... There's still eight days left, I guess we're halfway there."

It's a familiar tune to Georgia fans' ears, one that might perpetuate a pattern in Athens. But I like the freshmen we have coming in. Don't get me wrong. I just hope before they get here someone like Kublanow and DeBell have gotten well and situated themselves atop the depth chart.

Mike Campo fired as special teams coach

Working off a source whose name rhymes with Merence Toore, I reported a minute ago that a dude from central Montana had been hired to coach special teams for Georgia.

In a word, I was duped. Happy Mike Campo day y'all! Save some gas and ride a Schwinn!

"I've always thought Ken Griffey Jr
could really help UGA with
special teams."

Related posts:
- Last year's celebration
- The original Moore "article" from which a national holiday was born
- Hale brought it to our attention

Mike Campo hired as special teams coach

In a stunning development late last night, Coach Richt hired a little known high school assistant from Ismay, Montana as Georgia's new special teams coach. As yet it is unclear how UGA will fit Mr. Campo on an already full staff, or how the previously assigned special teams duties will relate to this developing situation.

Reached at his home last night, Mr. Campo sounded eager and enthusiastic:

"I'm thrilled. I mean, to go from doing the laundry of a bunch of 8th graders to managing punts and kicks and what not for a major program...Jeez Louise I can't wait to buy a pair of actual shorts!!"

Pressed for more of an indication as to how this move developed, Coach Campo added:

"Just crazy, crazy stuff. I was reading something called the AJC that was just chock full of comments about all the help Georgia needed with special teams. So I sent Mark Richt an outline I drew up for how to revamp all the punting and kicking for the Bulldogs and what not. Mostly highly technical stuff like having punters wear gloves and kicker people taking karate. Did you know there's no rule against punters using stilts?"

Incidentally, calls to Coach Richt and AD McGarity have not been returned. But that didn't stop Mr. Campo from confirming the news for us.

"Oh, it's a done deal. The contract was easy to finalize because I'm getting a base salary of $2 million per year, with $500,000 fines for every missed kick, blocked punt, or fair catch."

At which time I pointed out that Georgia is about half way through spring practices. When is this guy planning to start this special teams overhaul in Athens?

"Well. As soon as I can get to the General Store and pick up a map. I've never been south of Cheyenne. Has the snow melted down there yet?"

Oh boy.

Gaining weight

Reggie Davis plans to be up to 185 pounds by the start of the season. That might not sound like much, but he played at 160 last season, "soaking wet". And he's now up to about 168.

“I can do a lot more things that I couldn’t do last year, so it’s been coming around, but it’s still a work in progress,” Davis said. “I can get off jams a lot better and actually establish a vertical line.”

Georgia head coach Mark Richt also has noticed a difference in Davis this spring. Davis caught three passes for 59 yards in the Bulldogs’ first spring scrimmage, but it wasn’t his receiving work that impressed Richt.

“We had a screen early in the scrimmage. He didn’t make a devastating block, but he was supposed to crack a defender,” Richt said. “Come inside and crack him and pin him when we had a screen coming outside, and he wasn’t strong enough to keep him from going, but he was athletic enough and played hard enough to stay on him and stayed with him all the way until he went out of bounds.”

All of that together kind of reminded me of this play by another diminutive Bulldog. Big Texas! (Fast forward to about the 7:40 mark if you're pressed for time.)