Here are some highlights from Georgia football coach Mark Richt’s Sunday evening teleconference prior to Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. CBS game against Auburn:
–On the team being in the driver’s seat in the SEC East after South Carolina loss: “I know they all understand what’s at stake and the fact that we are in a better position now. We do control our destiny. We’ve been fighting like mad for that ever since the moment South Carolina beat us, but the thing that’s gotten us this far just on a weekly basis is just trying to take care of business. That’s got to be our focus for every man to do his job and starting tomorrow, not wait until Saturday. …Just focus on the process and we feel like good things will happen if we do.”
–As you might have expected, Isaiah Crowell will return from suspension to regain his role as the No. 1 tailback in practice Monday.
With Richard Samuel out for the rest of the regular season with an ankle injury, former walk-on Brandon Harton could now be in the mix after his 98 rushing yards on 15 carries Saturday against New Mexico State. He could even push Carlton Thomas for the backup role.
“We liked what he did, there’s no doubt about that,” Richt said of Harton. “With Richard out, I’m not going to sit here with certainty and say he’d be at worst the No. 3 back, but he’d certainly be battling for that spot as a No. 2 guy. We’re just going to have to play it out this week in practice real hard to just see who we think is best suited to play.”
Richt said of cornerbacks Branden Smith and Brandon Boykin that “I’m sure we’ll have a way to get the ball to those guys again, too.”
–Richt said he supported Missouri joining the SEC because he has faith in commissioner Mike Slive’s decisions.
On Missouri being in the East, at least initially, as Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long tweeted today, Richt said that makes sense.
“It probably made the most sense for scheduling and for traditional rivalries not to get messed with,” he said. “I think it makes good sense. Nowadays with travel, it’s not going to be that big of a deal. Up until about a year ago, we would drive to Atlanta and then fly to wherever we were going and bus. Now if we fly out of Athens we’ll probably get to Missouri quicker than we did to Nashville back when we would ride over to the airport and go through security and all that stuff. Travel’s pretty quick. It won’t be that big of a burden.”
–Asked if Georgia expects receiver Malcolm Mitchell to be available Saturday against Auburn after missing the past three games with a pulled hamstring, Richt said: “We do.”
Mitchell is expected to be limited from full-speed drills on Tuesday during the most physical practice of the week, but could go full-speed on Wednesday depending on how he progresses.
–Crowell, Thomas and Ken Malcome didn’t have an off week during their suspensions.
Richt said they were given “extra work” early in the morning, during practice (pulling sleds and sprinting) and probably did more lifting of weights.
“I think they’ll be very thankful to play,” Richt said.
–Please follow me at Twitter.com/marcweiszer
