Richt Confirms Cox is His QB

Give Mark Richt credit for this, he knows how to deliver a punchline to a captive audience.

Richt entered today’s meeting with the media and immediately addressed the various reports by UGA Sports and ESPN that Joe Cox was injured and Logan Gray would get the start against South Carolina.

“There were some reports that Logan Gray was going to start at quarterback for Georgia, but that’s not true.” Richt said. “Aaron Murray is.”

A nice, long pause followed before Richt admitted he was kidding – a joke I think he found slightly more amusing than the rest of us.

“Joe’s the quarterback, and we’re good,” Richt said. “It’s not unusual to have your second-team QB take a couple snaps with your (first) unit.”

Of course, while Richt’s denial of the report was adamant, he’s diffusing of the details of the rumor weren’t quite as enthusiastic.

Richt was asked if Cox took snaps with the No. 1 unit Wednesday and whether the senior quarterback was experiencing any shoulder problems, as was reported in the UGA Sports story, and he didn’t directly respond to the inquiry.

“What we’ve been doing with Joe is giving him off Wednesday as far as throwing the ball, and then Thursday he’ll work,” Richt said. “The guy’s been here five years, he’s getting old. We want to make sure his arm is as fresh as it can be.”

The “getting old” part was meant as a joke, too, but Richt did say the Wednesdays off would remain the routine for Cox in order to ensure the quarterback is ready for game day.

“We want Joe to have as much pop as he can have, and that’s why he’s doing it,” Richt said.

Richt also said Cox is completely over the virus that forced him to take a later flight to Oklahoma after experiencing flu-like symptoms a week ago.

As for Gray, Richt said he’ll continue to get work with the first-team offense and Murray and fellow freshman Zach Mettenberger will only work with the scout teams.

“He’ll get the second most amount of reps behind Joe,” Richt said. “I don’t think the other two will take a snap.”