However, it was a big moment for Georgia, a sign that not only are the
depth problems of 2003 fading but also that the program is finally
recovering from a damaging two-year recruiting drought.
Last season, when the Bulldogs gave up an SEC-worst and
much-publicized 47 sacks, it was the first time they really felt the
affect of the recruiting classes of 1999 and 2000. In 1999, the Bulldogs
signed three offensive linemen -- Kevin Breedlove, Alex Jackson and Josh
Billue -- and Billue never made an impact. More glaringly, Georgia
didn't sign a single offensive lineman in the 2000 class.
It's not that the Bulldogs didn't want any linemen that year, they
just ran into a string of bad luck, said recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner, who joined Jim Donnan's staff in 1998 and was retained by Mark Richt.
"We were on some big-time players, and we kept coming in
second,"
Garner said.
That was the year Alex Barron went to Florida State and Justin Smiley
went to Alabama, Garner said. Both players strongly considered Georgia
and both turned out to be excellent linemen.
"We were there, but we were the bridesmaid," Garner said,
"not the
bride."
The result was, three years later, the Bulldogs were starting four
sophomores and a true freshman across the front in 2003. As importantly,
they had no reserves that were ready to play. When Bartley Miller and
Josh Brock were hampered by shoulder injuries, the Bulldogs didn't have
anyone ready to fill their shoes.
"It really was a nightmare," Coach Mark Richt said.
"Forty-seven sacks
is just an unbelievable number."
The Bulldogs now have made enough progress that they can overcome
injuries even without Brock and Miller in the rotation. Both players are
being redshirted this year to allow nagging shoulder injuries to heal
completely.
Jean-Gilles was moved from tackle to guard and Nick Jones from center
to guard to fill the spots left by those two, they and have been more
effective in those spots. That was never more evident than against LSU.
Last year, Richt said, the Tigers disrupted Georgia's offense with
pressure in the interior.
"Their big men in the middle just worked their way through our young
line," he said.
On Saturday, the Bulldogs held starting Tiger tackles Kyle Williams
and Glen Dorsey to seven total tackles and just one tackle for loss.
LSU's entire offensive line had just one sack overall. The interior of
Georgia's offensive line is playing better now than it did at any point
last season, offensive line coach Neil Callaway said.
"The more guys we have to play, the better we're going to be,"
said
Johnson County's Russ Tanner, the Bulldogs' starting center.
And the group's effectiveness didn't diminish much when Velasco
replaced Jean-Gilles, a first-team All-SEC selection, or when former
walk-on Ryan Schnetzer rotated every other series with Tanner.
"There is a lot of experience in this group now," Richt said.
"If we
continue to recruit well and not hit a spot where we just don't sign any
(linemen), we're going to be OK."
One of those spots is plenty.
|