Practices, Turtle, Sugar, Lucious is Back

Dave Reardon writes about the second day of practice, has injury updates on Jacob Patek and Keao Monteilh, among others, and talks to Mike Lafaele about getting ready for the Sugar Bowl.

The 6-foot-1, 300-pound former offensive lineman thrived, despite a variety of injuries. He enjoyed the 11 days off since the end of the regular season.

"Everything's good, everything's ready," said Lafaele, who graduates next spring with a sociology degree. "Just trying to get back into the groove. Pretty much focused on school these last two weeks, today was the last day to turn in papers and stuff."

Here's an AP article by Jaymes Song from yesterday about the Warriors' return to practice.

Thursday's practice was the first of nine before Hawaii leaves Christmas Day for New Orleans. For the first time this season, Jones has closed the practices to the public to avoid the hoards of fans and autograph seekers who had been attending.

Security guards have also been posted at the practice.

``It's too much autographing,'' Jones said. ``It's taking two hours to get back to the locker room, so I'm just trying to relieve some of that.''

Here's a short report from Georgia's practice, from DawgPost.com:

The Bulldogs (10-2) practiced under the lights on a chilly evening in shoulder pads and helmets. Georgia is scheduled to practice again on Saturday and then Monday through Friday as it prepares for its Jan. 1 meeting with 12-0 Hawaii. All other practices will take place in New Orleans.

Before practice on Friday, Georgia coach Mark Richt met with the media and was asked about the importance of resuming practice.

³I told the staff that I expected them by today, when we meet with our players for the first time in a while, to have a good bit of that game plan ready to implement and not waste a day,² Richt said. ³We have a lot of respect for this team, and we feel like it is going to take everything we have to win it.²

Ferd Lewis writes about the motivational powers of Mark Richt.

And here's a lot more press conference quotes from Richt and some Georgia players. An excerpt:

"The University of Hawaii is undefeated, plain and simple. No one has beaten them. A of teams have had a lead on these guys, but they are very resilient. They will not give up no matter what happens. I've watched a lot of film like we normally do as coaches just to study end zone and side copies. I have also watched a couple of TV copies of some of these games, and it is much more impressive to see them on the TV copy, quite frankly. You get a little better feel for the spirit of the team and just the mental toughness and resilience that they have. I think you have to start with Colt Brennan. There is no question he is the key. You hear about him having a lot of numbers with touchdown passes and yards, and after studying the regular film and the TV copy, he is really good. He is special.

Here's an AP article by Paul Newberry covering the press conference and taking a look at the matchup.

Here's a Dawg Post article by Josh Kendall, titled "Dawgs Know: Hawaii all pass no run", in which the coaches and players discuss facing the UH offense.

Kealoha Pilares is the University of Hawaii’s leading rusher this season. He has 362 yards.

“That speaks a lot,” Georgia cornerback Thomas Flowers said.

What it says is the No. 4 Bulldogs’ defensive backs will be in for a long day when Georgia meets the No. 10 Warriors at 8:30 p.m. Jan. 1 in the Alltel Sugar Bowl. Hawaii, which employs the run-and-shoot offense of former Falcons head coach June Jones, throws the ball on 70 percent of its offensive plays.

“This team right here is just pass, pass, pass,” Flowers said.

You know, he's right. I think they should play eight defensive backs the whole game.

When we last heard from heralded recruit Lucious Henderson back in July of 2006, he was getting ready to enroll in Navarro College due to some academic requirements. Here's what he said at the time:

"I still want to be a Warrior," Henderson said. "This is a little side trip."

And here's what he's saying today:

"I'm coming back to Hawai'i," Henderson said. "I'm coming back home."

Henderson said he has gained about 10 pounds the past two years.

"I'm beefing up to play at the next level," he said.

He added: "I think I got a little better, a little stronger, a little faster."

As a McCallum senior, he ran 40 yards in 4.46 seconds. During training camp in the summer, he sprinted the distance in 4.44 seconds.

Congratulations to Lucious! Now we finally get to hear Jim Leahey call you Delicious, woot woot! Also in that Stephen Tsai article is an injury update on Desmond Thomas, profile of Mike Lafaele and a few words from Le'Marcus Gibson, who will get to go back home for the Sugar Bowl.

And finally, here's more coverage about the songs people are writing about the Warriors.