Gary provides one of Georgia's most dangerous weapons

Posted 8:16AM on Monday 30th September 2002 ( 22 years ago )

ATHENS, Ga. - Damien Gary always takes the field wearing a special wristband. The number "20" is written on it, honoring a high school teammate, Rico Williams, who was shot to death. "You'll never see me without that on," Gary said. "I'm trying to keep him in my memory." Williams would certainly be proud of the impact his old friend is making for No. 7 Georgia, which has struggled offensively but gets a boost every time Gary drops back to return a punt. Gary returned one 71 yards for a touchdown Saturday, sparking the Bulldogs (4 (0)- to a 41-10 victory over New Mexico State. He is averaging 17.7 yards per return, ranking second in the Southeastern Conference and eighth nationally. "That's his thing," said fellow receiver Terrence Edwards, who is the backup returner but would prefer to watch Gary handle the job. "He may not catch a lot of passes, but when he returns punts, he's money. He's just got a knack for it." A big part of that knack is the ability to make tacklers miss. The first defender on the scene hardly ever brings down Gary, who can then pick up blockers and weave his way down the field. That's what he did late in the first quarter, helping wake up the Bulldogs after a lethargic start. Gary fielded a long, high punt at the Georgia 29, skipped away from a would-be tackler, got a big block from Ben Watson and was off to the races to tie the game 7-7. "Damien has tremendous quickness and the ability to make the first guy miss," coach Mark Richt said. "That's the one who gets the process started. Then, Damien can get into his blocking, which has been superb. He's exciting to watch. I doubt anyone is going to get popcorn when the other team is punting." For good measure, Gary also caught a 20-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second period, putting Georgia ahead to stay. The Bulldogs went on to score 27 points in the quarter for a 34-7 halftime lead. "The whole momentum of the game changed after the punt return," said Shalimar Jackson, New Mexico State's captain. Gary's punt return average is even more impressive considering he's lost 148 yards the last two weeks because of penalties, including an 80-yard touchdown against Northwestern State. If those three plays had counted, Gary would be averaging a staggering 23 yards per return. "I'm trying to play every play like it's one play and out," said Gary, who also had a huge TD on a punt return against Tennessee last season. "Unless they kick it out of bounds, I definitely think I can bring it all the way back." After being burned by Gary, New Mexico State's Brian Copple punted six more times. He tried to angle most of them out of bounds, which led to an 18-yarder that set up Georgia's second touchdown. Even so, expect future opponents to mimic Copple's strategy. "If we keep up this rate, I think you're going to see people trying to kick away from me," Gary said. "But we have a good plan for it." The Bulldogs could shade Gary to one side of the field, hoping to guess which way the kick is going. They also could drop two players deep, trying to ensure that someone gets a chance to return. Georgia's 27-point outburst against the Aggies was its highest-scoring quarter since putting up 28 against Northeast Louisiana in 1994. Even so, the Bulldogs fell back into many of the disturbing habits that plagued the offense in their first two victories. David Greene overthrew a number of passes, including two potential touchdowns to a wide-open Edwards. Watson dropped a pass in the end zone. Georgia went on cruise control in the second half, managing just 74 yards. Overall, New Mexico State held a huge advantage in plays 84 (56)- and time of possession 41:07-18:53). The offensive line played better, picking up blitzes and allowing just one sack. But there were enough troubling signs for Richt heading into one of the toughest stretches of the season. Georgia travels to Tuscaloosa next Saturday to meet No. 22 Alabama (4 (1)-. A week later, No. 10 Tennessee 3 (1)- visits Sanford Stadium. "The second half was very, very frustrating," Richt said. "I'm sure the guys will look at the film and see what might have been. We should have had a lot more yards, a lot more points." Fortunately for the Bulldogs, they have Gary to return punts.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/9/189520

Gary provides one of Georgia&#39;s most dangerous weapons

Gary provides one of Georgia's most dangerous weapons