Georgia Football: 10 Things to Expect from the G-Day Game

The Georgia Bulldogs have been sweating it out long enough and it's about that time to showcase what they've improved on throughout those spring practices. The spring game will take place on April 14 and is a chance for every player to prove what they're capable of in a game-like atmosphere.

The spring game is just a warm up for the team to see what they need to work on and where their strengths are. It's also a chance for players at the bottom of the depth chart to improve their ranking on the team. Overall it should be very beneficial for everybody and answer a few questions head coach Mark Richt and company had going into it.

Here are 10 things to expect for the Georgia Bulldogs spring game.

Banged Up Team

The injuries for the Bulldogs are beginning to pile up and the latest players that likely won't play in the game are running backs Keith Marshall and Richard Samuel and safety Shawn Williams. They all should be ready to go by the time the regular season starts up, but likely won't participate for the rest of the spring.

Coming out of the game healthy is a victory in itself and it appears that the Bulldogs have already lost that battle before the game actually began.

Malcolm Mitchell Impress Us Several Different Ways

Malcolm Mitchell was recruited as a cornerback in high school and was a 4-star recruit. He ended up playing the wide receiver position for Georgia his freshman season and ended up with 45 catches for over 600 yards and four touchdowns. This season he expects to play both sides of the field at wide receiver and cornerback.

“He could easily be one of our best corners if he wanted to do that full time and one of our best receivers if he wanted to do that full time. It’s great to see how spectacular of an athlete he really is.” Quarterback Aaron Murray said.

Mitchell is extremely fast and has great hands; it's going to be fun seeing him out there all over the field. Don't be surprised if he makes a play or two and gives everybody just a sneak peak of what's to come this season.

Christian LeMay to Play Well

We know what quarterback Aaron Murray is capable of, but do the Bulldogs have a reliable backup they can count on? Hutson Mason is a former 3-star recruit from the 2010 class who's looked great in the spring, but is expected to be given a redshirt this season, which opens the door for Christian LeMay.

LeMay is a former 4-star recruit who has great size at 6'3" and a very strong arm. He's making strides in practice and says that he will continue working regardless of where he is on the depth chart to help his team improve.

“I’m always going to continue to work to be me,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who’s ahead, who’s behind [or] to the side [on the roster], I’m just going to continue to do what I do and be myself and continue to work hard.”

If LeMay can continue the progress, the Bulldogs will be in even better hands at the quarterback position.

Devin Bowman to Earn Some Playing Time

With all of the recent injuries to the Bulldogs secondary, redshirt freshman Devin Bowman sees an opportunity right in front of his eyes. He's a former 3-star recruit with great size at 6'1", 180 pounds and is very athletic, with great ball skills. He's really coming along says defensive coordinator Todd Grantham.

“Devin Bowman has done a nice job coming along,” Grantham said. “He kind of came in late last year, so he was kind of behind. So I’ve been pleased with his progress.”

You'll see Bowman at the cornerback position in the spring game and although he may not be experienced enough to start right now, he'll make an impact to earn quite a few reps in the regular season.

Marlon Brown Will Provide Bulldog Fans with Some Hope

Marlon Brown was a 5-star recruit coming out of the 2009 class, but has yet to fulfill those expectations. In three seasons he has a total of 28 catches for 328 yards and four touchdowns. Last season was his best year as he had 15 receptions and three touchdowns, but his career is still disappointing. This spring players are beginning to notice him more and acknowledging his work ethic.

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Marlon Brown — the guy just gets so much better every time he steps on the football field. He wants to be the best at his craft, and when I see him do things out there, it pushes me, wide receiver Tavarres King said. He’s really come along as a receiver. I’m extremely proud of him.

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Brown has the skill set to be a great player at 6'5", with terrific hands. Expect him to recapture some of that magic he showed a little bit last season and put on a show in the spring game.

The Offensive Line to Remain a Mess

Sometimes there are questions that need to be answered, but simply need more time to develop one. For the Georgia Bulldogs, the offensive line is likely one of those questions that will need more time. After all, this is a team that lost three starting offensive linemen from a year ago.

“No, not a first five. Nobody’s separated themselves with the exception of Ken Gates. Right now if you were going to play a game I know he would be there. [Chris] Burnette has done some good things, too. We’re just trying to get all the pieces together.” Offensive line coach Will Friend said in a recent interview with Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Chip Towers

Getting all of the pieces together and to jell will take much more time than just a few weeks in the spring.

Corey Moore to Impress in the Defensive Backfield

Once again, with all of the injuries and suspensions in the secondary, the Bulldogs need young guys to step up and fill those voids for the time being. Sophomore safety Corey Moore looks to be one of those players, as he had a great spring and scrimmage game where he led the team with nine tackles and had an interception.

“He’s coming. He’s a very aggressive football player when it comes to coming up to make a tackle. He’s a good athlete. He’s learning a lot and he’s going to get better. And he’s going to have to play for us; he’s going to have to function for us.” Head coach Mark Richt said.

Moore is a former 4-star recruit, who saw limited action last season, but did end up blocking a kick. He has great speed, and like Richt said, is a very tough player. Expect to see him make a few plays on Saturday and make a name for himself.

Isaiah Crowell to Drop a Couple Jaws

I think we all know what running back Isaiah Crowell is capable of and the reasons why he was a 5-star recruit back in 2011. But his numbers didn't show us much last season when he rushed for 850 yards and only five touchdowns as a true freshman.

Now that reality smacked him in the face, he should be more focused his sophomore season and ready to put that work in.

"My first goal is to be a good teammate, help my team get to the national championship," Crowell told media after practice. "My second goal, I'm trying to run for the Heisman."

The Heisman is a pretty big step for a sophomore, but he can start by having a nice spring game and showing Bulldog fans that he was well worth the hype. With his skill set, I think he'll be able to do just that.

Defensive Line to Punish Offensive Line

This was probably expected due to the lack of answers along the offensive line for Georgia, but the defensive line is looking great in the spring. This is a team that had 35 sacks a season ago and returned nine starters on that side of the ball. The two big boys up front in Kwame Geathers and John Jenkins are making the most noise early on.

“You’ve got probably two of the biggest nose guards around and maybe two of the better ones around too,” Head coach Mark Richt said. “They’re making it tough on our centers … even if our centers do everything right. They’re still just big, strong guys that know what they’re doing and are just penetrating into the backfield quite often.”

Things could get ugly if the offensive line doesn't step up, but then again, it may not even matter. This defense is really that good and should take that next step this season.

A Subpar Spring Performance

I think it's going to be really hard to judge this team when the spring game takes place. With the injuries and suspensions taking place, the Bulldogs are nowhere near 100 percent. They have questions in the defensive backfield thanks to a ton of injuries and the offensive line will continue to have questions leading into the fall.

Of course there will be bright spots and young players stepping up (as we pointed out earlier) but overall I think this will be just a regular style spring game that is more of a scrimmage than anything. Don't expect too much in this game from an overall standpoint as many key players won't even participate.

When the fall rolls around, more questions should be answered, players should be healthy and we'll have a better feel to see if this Bulldogs team is truly ready to make a run for the national championship.