Murray doesn't practice, Gray gets QB reps

Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray did not participate in practice Thursday, as expected, but Monday will be a key day in determining how far along the freshman is in recovering from his injuries.

Murray hurt his knee and sternum against Auburn and has not practiced this week. While his teammates were practicing, Murray stood on the sideline throwing and catching.

“He was throwing the ball gingerly, or carefully—nice and easy,” head coach Mark Richt said. “That did not bother him, but he couldn’t throw anything that resembled a route…it was just standing there nice and easy playing catch.”

Murray’s bruised sternum is hampering him the most, Richt said. The Bulldogs are on a bye week, so Murray will now have three days off to recover. If Georgia had a game this weekend, Murray would, “probably not,” be able to play, Richt said.

“We just ask him day-by-day,” Richt said. “He’s a competitor. He’s going to want to play if he can.”

Murray, a redshirt freshman, will receive treatment this weekend, and will be re-evaluated Monday.

“I’m hoping he’ll do everything Monday, which will give him and us more confidence he’ll be able to play,” Richt said. “He’s just not there yet. He’s improving pretty rapidly.”

If Murray can’t play against Georgia Tech, true freshman Hutson Mason would get the nod, Richt said. Mason has seen action in two games, throwing 9-of-17 for 102 yards with one touchdown.

“Hutson would go,” Richt said. “Hutson’s gotten to the point where he would go… he’s ready to run our system.”

Former quarterback Logan Gray, now a receiver, has taken snaps behind center in practice this week. Richt categorized Gray’s potential use at quarterback as, “more of an emergency.”

“We haven’t put Logan in the (quarterback) meetings or anything like that,” Richt said.

- Fletcher Page, blog correspondent