UGA Notebook: Vandy looking at QB change
By Marc WeiszerMorris News Service
Vanderbilt quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels could make his first road start Saturday when the Commodores visit Georgia.
Playing a game at the home of the No. 5 team in the nation won't be a new thing for him.
"He's played in some pretty good environments," Vanderbilt coach James Franklin said Monday.
Franklin wouldn't say for sure that Carta-Samuels will get the nod as starter over Jordan Rodgers for the second consecutive week.
The 6-foot, 222-pound redshirt junior was 13 of 20 passing for 195 yards and a touchdown in a 58-0 rout of Presbyterian. The Commodores rushed for 410 yards.
"I think he managed the game fairly well, but we'll see," Franklin said.
"Doing it against Presbyterian is one thing. Doing it against Georgia is another. If we didn't feel like he could handle the things for Georgia, we probably wouldn't have made the changes against Prebyterian." Franklin said Rodgers, the brother of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, was "very upset" about being demoted.
Carta-Samuels is No. 1 on the depth chart this week.
"Last week we had Jordan as the starter and Austin started," Franklin said.
Franklin said he expected to know his starter by Wednesday night or Thursday.
• Base salaries increased under reappropriation of compensation
Georgia's assistant football coaches are in line to reap more rewards in performance-based bonuses after their base salaries were increased under new one-year contracts.
The money added to the base salaries was previously paid in retention bonuses.
"There's no new money, it's not raises," athletic director Greg McGarity said. "Their base salaries are being adjusted and it helps them if we do great things then, obviously, since their bonuses are based on their base pay." Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo's base salary increases $57,500 to $300,000 and defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner increases $32,500 to $275,000, according to information provided by Georgia.
Receivers coach Tony Ball, offensive line coach Will Friend, tight ends coach John Lilly and running backs coach Bryan McClendon get $10,000 more in base pay to $210,000 each. McGarity said secondary coach Scott Lakatos and inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti are also having their base salaries impacted, but their "request for salary action" has yet to be processed.
Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham has a three-year contract worth $825,000 annually.
McGarity said the rest of the staff's total compensation wasn't changed, it was just reappropriated. Bobo's total compensation remains at about $335,000 and Garner's is at about $300,000.
"They're getting the same amount of money that they would have been entitled to anyway," McGarity said of the staff. "I just don't want money to be a reason somebody sticks around." The base salary increase will also boost retirement benefits.
"It's a subtle way that we can help these guys out," McGarity said.
• Beard's moment to shine
Mark Beard figured before guard Dallas Lee went down with a sprained ankle on Saturday that he would be the first backup to get in the game at left tackle.
He did when starter Kenarious Gates shifted to Lee's left guard spot and Beard was inserted at left tackle.
"Yeah, I was cool with it," the junior college transfer said. "I was a little nervous, but it went away fast." Beard said it felt good to be a "part of history" for a Georgia offense that set a school record in total offense with 713 yards.
"I thought Mark did a pretty good job out there at the left tackle, and for the most part, pass protected well," coach Mark Richt said. "There might have been one pressure. I thought it worked out pretty good, actually.
Lee was limited without contact in practice Monday.
• Same schemes without suspended players
Georgia continues to list safety Bacarri Rambo and linebacker Alec Ogletree of Newnan as starters on its depth chart.
Just like it did in other games so far this season when they didn't play due to suspensions.
Rambo and Ogletree aren't expected to play this week, but Franklin says he's preparing as though they will.
"No, I mean, they're all playing," Franklin said. "They're all playing against us. That's how we have to prepare. We have to prepare that they're all going to be there. It's not like their schemes are going to change. I think that's when things get difficult as if it's a different quarterback and they're going to run the wishbone or something like that."
• Georgia-Tennessee on CBS
Georgia-Tennessee will be the Southeastern Conference's showcase CBS game on Sept. 29.
The SEC East tilt will kickoff at 3:30 p.m. from Sanford Stadium. Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson and Tracy Wolfson will be the on-air crew.
It will mark Georgia's first appearance on CBS this season. The Florida game on Oct. 27 is also set for 3:30 p.m. on CBS.
This is the first time Georgia-Tennessee has been selected for the CBS game since 2008.
• This and that
Linebacker Jarvis Jones was limited in practice Monday with the strained groin injury that kept him out of Saturday's game. "I'm not sure if Jarvis will be ready or not," Richt said on his radio show. "We're hoping he will. ... He's just got to go through practice and see how it feels. He's getting all the treatment he could possibly get." Offensive lineman Watts Dantzler (sprained ankle) and linebacker Josh Dawson (sprained shoulder) were limited without contact. Defensive end Cornelius Washington (strained hamstring) and receiver Rantavious Wooten (knee contusion) were limited. ... Calling the game for ESPN2 Saturday will be Mark Jones, Brock Huard and former Georgia volleyball and basketball player Maria Taylor.
