I know keeping your starting running back off the field in spring practice is a good idea so he avoids injury, but I wonder if coaches think about how it affects the morale of the player. Based on the comments below, it sounds like Moreno is a bit frustrated with the lack of playing time in practice. He is an ultra-competitive athlete and doesn’t like seeing other running backs tearing it up in practice.

Here’s what was said in a Macon Telegraph article:

Georgia is keeping a tight rein on its starting tailback this spring to limit the chance of injury and to give its young tailbacks more work, but the inactivity, combined with Owens’ playful needling, clearly bothered the ultra-competitive Moreno.

“I don’t know how many plays they gave me,” he said. “I just hate sitting out there, but I guess I have to do it a little bit.”

No matter how bad you don’t want him to get hurt, the coaches will have to play him every now and then. You must keep your star players happy.

The AP opened up a story last week with the following two sentences…

Caleb King spent the 2007 season watching Knowshon Moreno prove the value of a productive redshirt year.

Now it’s King’s chance.

What?! Now, I know Caleb King is going to be good and all, but coming off the year Knowshon Moreno just had, can we really expect him to lose carries to King? I’m sure he’s just excited about getting to play since he has stepped on the playing field in over a year. Any young running back would be that way.

I don’t mind seeing King come in when Knowshon needs a breather, but I don’t want to see him getting a big load so soon. Make him work for it.

AthensOnline.com is reporting that Knowshon Moreno could be limited this spring. UGA is worried that he might injure himself in practice. It’s no secret that the Dawgs are out for a National Championship and will take any precautionary measures necessary to make sure they’re ready in September. Here’s what AthensOnline.com had to say:

“Hopefully, these young backs are going to provide competition for him,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “That’s one of the main reasons he was good last year. …Thomas (Brown) and Knowshon were constantly competing in practice for that playing time in games.”

Moreno will get some contact work this spring, but Richt isn’t sure how much after a breakout redshirt freshman season in which Moreno rushed for 1,334 yards and was a first-team All-SEC pick.

“Knowshon doesn’t have a lot to prove to us but he also is a part of this team and he needs to be working like the rest of the guys which he likes to do,” Richt said. “He loves to compete. We’re going to have to be pulling him out of drills because he really does enjoy the competition phase of this whole thing.”