Video Blog: Murray Staying Strong

Midway through last season, Aaron Murray developed some arm and shoulder soreness that sidelined him for nearly a month and likely kept him from seeing any action on Saturdays. This offseason, he's taking steps to make sure that doesn't happen again, and he discusses his routine here.



As always, thanks to Brandon Spoon for the video.

Notes: Sturdivant Question Lingers for O Line

With all five starters returning from last season, Georgia’s offensive line will be among the most experienced in the country this season. Still, there’s one big question mark looming on the horizon that could throw the established line into chaos.

After two years sidelined with injuries, left tackle Trinton Sturdivant is on pace to be ready for the season opener, and that could mean a shake-up among the five starters – Clint Boling, Cordy Glenn, Ben Jones, Chris Davis and Josh Davis – who performed so well down the stretch in 2009.

“Trinton looks good,” Josh Davis said. “I think he’s right on schedule to be back when they said he was. I saw him out there (last week). He looked real good. He’s moving around real well. He told me he feels strong and he thinks he’ll be able to come back and do what he’s supposed to do.”

That’s good news for the Bulldogs, no doubt. Sturdivant was a freshman All-American in 2007 and oozes potential – assuming he’s healthy.

But Georgia’s line jelled nicely in the latter half of last season, and a healthy Sturdivant would likely displace Boling – another potential All-American – and send either Josh or Chris Davis to the bench. That’s a possibility that Josh Davis has done his best to ignore for now.

“It crosses my mind but I have no idea,” Josh Davis said. “I have no clue about what (will happen). That’s why (offensive line) coach (Stacy) Searels gets the big bucks to figure that out. I’m sure the best five will play every week. That’s how we’ll roll with it.”

That’s been Searels’ mantra since he arrived at Georgia, so it’s likely a scenario that the current crop of Bulldogs linemen are familiar with. Still, chemistry matters more on the line than virtually anywhere else on the field, and even Davis admits that there will need to be some adjustments as the season progresses.

“Of course chemistry is important,” Davis said. “We played together the last six games of last year and we did all right. But it’s just as important to have a good player. Trinton is a good player. Any way he plays he’s going to do good. I feel like that about all of us. Most of us can play most of the positions. That’s why we did so well in the past because certain guys moving around just learning new positions. It really won’t matter about chemistry because he’s a good player and everyone that can possibly be put in that slot can play that position.”

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

As Georgia’s starting quarterback, Aaron Murray knows he’ll be viewed as a leader on the offense. As the lone new face on a unit that returns 10 starters, however, he also knows that leadership role won’t simply be handed to him either. So one of Murray’s biggest goals for this offseason is to prove to his teammates that he’s earned the job.

With that in mind, Murray has already been busy prepping for the 2010 season. He’s organizing passing drills twice a week around class schedules. He’s doing rehab and strength training on his shoulder nearly every day to make sure he’s healthy for the season. He’s putting in at least 90 minutes of time in the gym each day, working with receivers and defensive backs with some one-on-one drills, running a handful of seven-on-seven drills with the rest of the offense and then spending more than an hour a day in the film room. It’s a grind, but it’s something he knows he needs to do to earn the respect of the veterans around him.

“I’ve got to find my way of being a leader on this team, my way to motivate people and figure out ways to push them and make them do stuff they never knew they could do,” Murray said. “That’s not going to come in a week or two. It’s going to take some time to better understand the guys and what they can do and motivate them and hopefully by this summer hopefully I’ll make some strides in that category.”

So far, so good on that front. Murray’s teammates are already touting his work ethic and expecting big things from the freshman quarterback when the season gets going in a couple of months.

Last week, after players wrapped up a workout session, Murray got some of his linemen and running backs together to spend a few extra minutes practicing handoffs. He just wanted to work on the little things, lineman Josh Davis said.

“He’s stepping up to the challenge tremendously,” Davis said. “He’s putting in extra work. He’s trying his best to lead because the quarterback is a leadership position. He’s working his butt off to get it done every day.”

BRING THE PAIN

Last year, Justin Houston averaged more sacks per game than anyone in the SEC – and that was under Georgia’s old defensive regime.

This year, he’ll be turned loose on opposing quarterbacks as an outside linebacker – moving from defensive end in Todd Grantham’s new 3-4 scheme – and be given the freedom to play a more aggressive style than in years past.

“It’s going to allow me to get more pressure on the quarterback,” Houston said. I’m a stand up guy, so this defense is pretty much a pressure defense so it’s going to allow me to rush more.”

So, if he was already among the best in the SEC last year, how much better might he be now that he’s playing in a scheme that focuses his skills on getting to the quarterback?

Houston isn’t exactly giving away any answers to that question just yet other than to say he’ll do what it takes to win.

“I don’t have an individual goal really,” Houston said. “I just want to do my part and whatever that is to win I just want to do that. I haven’t really looked at individual goals lately. If it takes for me to get 15 sacks for us to win, I’ll get 15 sacks. That’s my goal.”

ON AN ISLAND

New defensive backs coach Scott Lakatos thinks he has a pretty strong corps of cornerbacks, and he’s planning to let their talents take over on the field in 2010 by waving goodbye to a lot of zone coverage and rolling the dice with a lot more man-to-man.

“He’s basically saying that my guy is better than your guy, and we’re going to see what happens,” junior Brandon Boykin said. “He’s basically putting you out there on that island, and you just have to have confidence in yourself. I think that’s something that he’s trying to build in us. If we make mistakes we just have to have that short memory, so he’s kind of teaching all those things.”

Those are some lessons Boykin is thrilled to learn. After two straight years with few takeaways and too many big plays allowed, Boykin thinks the new scheme plays to the Bulldogs’ strengths and will make the secondary a lot more dangerous.

“That’s what every corner wants is to get that one-on-one matchup,” Boykin said. “That’s what people get their respect from – not playing zone as much. It gives you a chance to just go out there and show what you have.”

Of course, Boykin also knows that the trust Lakatos has put in his corners has to be rewarded with a lot of effort by the players. The increased man coverage every Saturday means an increased level of importance in how Georgia’s defensive backs prepare for those one-on-one battles during the week.

“No matter how good you are, you still have to work on our technique,” Boykin said. “It’s something that you got to continually work on because everybody is different as far as receivers. You have to see what their strengths are. It will require watching film and things like that. I think we’re doing a good job of that early, and I think we’ll see those improvements going into the fall.”

NEW KID IN TOWN

In terms of hype entering their freshmen years, there probably isn’t much that Branden Smith has in common with the newest member of the Georgia secondary, but that doesn’t mean Derek Owens hasn’t already drawn some comparisons to his speedy teammate.

“He reminds me a lot of Branden Smith,” Boykin said of the 5-11, 180-pound Owens. “He’s quick, great hips. He doesn’t have a lot of technique right now but his quickness makes up for all of that. Really, really quick and has fluid hips. Once he gets the technique he’s going to be really good.”

Owens will likely be competing with Jordan Love and Sanders Commings for a backup role among the cornerbacks in 2010.

DIFFERENT STYLE, SAME RESULTS

As they did at the end of 2009, the Bulldogs figure to open this season with an even split in carries between tailbacks Washaun Ealey and Caleb King, and that’s OK with the offensive line.

For the line, Josh Davis said it doesn’t matter which player gets the football, the blocking schemes are still the same. The only difference between King and Ealey, as far as he’s concerned, is how much smack talk he hears coming from the backfield.

“The only difference we can tell between those two guys in the backfield is Washaun is more lively, and he talks more than Caleb,” Davis said. “You know Caleb is a quiet guy, and Washaun will be talking a little more trash. That’s the only difference to me is the personalities. They both have good speed, good power and a little swagger about them. It’s good having both of them.”

Greene, Murray Talk Shop

On Thursday, Aaron Murray chatted with reporters for about 20 minutes, discussing his approach to his new role as Georgia's starting quarterback. Among other things, he mentioned he had spent some time chatting with former Bulldogs QB David Greene this offseason -- and planned to talk to Greene a lot more about how to approach life as a starter when you're a redshirt freshman.

As fate would have it, this morning I chatted with David Greene, and I asked him many of the same questions Murray was asked yesterday.

While Murray says he hopes to learn a lot more from Greene in the coming months, comparing what the two had to say leads me to believe he's already taken some very good notes.

Here are some highlights:

David Greene on how a freshman QB should approach his role…
“Both of our situations are pretty similar in the fact that we were playing as redshirt freshmen, and the good situation that he’s in that I also had was that he’s going to have an experienced offensive line in front of him. That’s such a big advantage to have that, and I’d rather have an experience offensive line with a freshman quarterback than I would an inexperienced line with a veteran quarterback. So the key really for Aaron is just like what Coach Richt told me when I was a freshman: ‘You’ve got good players around you, you’re just kind of steering the ship and distributing the ball to guys who are open. You don’t have to do too much, just take what they give you. Just take care of the football, manage the game and go from there.’ Sometimes that’s harder said that done because we’re all competitive, we want to make plays, but at the end of the day, he does have a pretty good supporting cast around him on that offense.”

Aaron Murray on his approach to the job…
"It’s pretty much being smart with the football. What Coach Richt always says is respect the football. That’s pretty much the main goal going into this year is not to be a superstar or make spectacular plays. It’s to respect the football, make plays, make first downs, just utilize the great weapons I have around me. Great plays are going to happen just from ordinary plays because of the athletes we have around us. You can give a 10-yard curl to A.J. Green and he’s going to turn it into a 40 or 50-yard play. Me respecting the ball and making the right decisions and letting those guys do the dirty work – I’ve just got to be smart.”

David Greene on the progression of a young quarterback...
“I don’t think Coach Richt or anybody wants to hold him back from going out there and being the type of player he is, but at the same time, you’ve got to play smart. You want him to think things through, where if you’re in the red zone, you don’t want him forcing a ball and throwing an interception. You’ve just got to play smart, and as a redshirt freshman, you don’t exactly know the speed of the game yet, and you really are learning on the fly. It’s going to be no different than anybody else. There will be bumps in the road, you’re going to go through a little bit of growing pains. But at the same time, the thing I like about Aaron is he’s a kid that’s tough, he’s a kid that wants to be great. He’ll call me up and ask about studying film. He asks a lot of questions because he wants to be good. I’m excited about him. He’s definitely accepted the challenge and is working hard.”

Aaron Murray on how he thinks he will progress…
"Coach Bobo always jokes with me that you’re going to be what Matthew Stafford was in 2007 when we won the Sugar Bowl. You’re going to have to show me what you can do and gradually earn more trust. What I’m going to have to do is continue to learn the defense and become a better quarterback."

David Greene on playing in front of a big crowd, as opposed to practice or G-Day...
“It’s definitely different going out there and practicing and scrimmaging vs. playing in a game. But most people probably won’t remember back in 2002, we had the worst spring game probably in the history of spring games. I played terrible, the team played terrible, and that was probably one of the greatest years we had. We went 13-1. A lot of times, you can’t tell what’s going to take place from the G-Day game. That’s really the first time Aaron got introduced to Georgia when everyone was wondering how this kid’s going to be. You can’t tell that off of one performance. A lot of times in those spring games, coaches are pretty vanilla because it’s on TV, so I wouldn’t put too much stock in that. But also, when it comes to game time, he’s going to have to be ready to go because it’s full tilt.”

Aaron Murray on his expectations for what game conditions will be like…
“I’ve pretty much envisioned by now all the games. I’ve gone through every team and pretty much pictured the stadiums in my mind going to bed at night – just thinking about my goals for every game. I’ve definitely envisioned that first game, but it’s not going to be anything compared to when we actually get out there in front of 90,000 fans. I’m definitely excited about that.”

David Greene on handling the responsibilities of the job as a freshman...
“Sometimes being young and naïve is a plus. When I was a redshirt freshman, what Coach Richt taught me – I thought I knew everything. By the time I was a senior, I realized I didn’t really know anything, I just thought I knew everything. Sometimes being naïve and having a young guy on the field is good because he doesn’t know any better. It seemed like every year, Coach Richt gave me more and more responsibility. Later in my career there were a lot more checks at the line of scrimmage, but my first year, it was Football 101. I was on a need-to-know basis. If this guy comes, you throw hot. Don’t ask why, just do it. That’s the way we did it.”

Aaron Murray on his expectations of his role…
"I’ve never played a game before, so I can’t just go out there and he’s going to have me throw 40 or 50 passes a game. (Bobo) is going to slowly build me up in the offense. The better I do, the more I show him I’m capable of completing certain plays, the more he’s going to trust me in the offense.”

David Greene on how a young QB earns a leadership role...
“When you come in as a freshman and you haven’t really played and you’re surrounded by a bunch of guys that have played, you have to lead by example. You can’t come in there and talk in front of those guys like they don’t know what they’re doing. You have to go out there and earn their respect. That’s the only way you’re going to get it is to go out and work hard every day. Hopefully your play on the field will earn their respect. That’s the only way you can do it.”

Aaron Murray on how he's trying to earn respect…
“It’s not going to be given to me right away and I’m not going to earn it in a week or two from just working hard. It’s going to take some time because we have a very senior group – a bunch of seniors who are good leaders on this team. I just need to be me, not be someone I’m not. I’ve got to find my way of being a leader on this team, my way to motivate people and figure out ways to push them and make them do stuff they never knew they could do. That’s not going to come in a week or two. It’s going to take some time to better understand the guys and what they can do and motivate them and hopefully by this summer hopefully I’ll make some strides in that category.”

* I also want to remind fans that David Greene will be part of a Bulldogs charity auction in Buckhead tomorrow night. You can find details on the event HERE and I'll post a bit more on that this afternoon.

Video Blog: Murray's the Man

Georgia coach Mark Richt and receiver Kris Durham discuss the advantages and challenges Aaron Murray will have as the team's new quarterback in 2010.



*Video courtesy of Brandon Spoon

Does Size Matter For Murray?

Hoping to ease some of the concern, Mark Richt advised fans at last month's Bulldog Club meeting in Macon to go back and watch highlights of Aaron Murray in high school, telling them they would quickly be reminded of why he was such a highly touted recruit.

And it's true. Look at Murray's prep numbers -- 33 TDs and 4 INTs as a senior, despite missing time with a broken leg; 63 TDs and nearly 5,000 total yards passing and rushing as a junior -- and it's not hard to convince yourself he's going to be a stud at Georgia.

But aside from his G-Day performance, there is one number that I think scares UGA fans about Murray the most:

Murray: 6-foot-1, according to the UGA Web site.

Joe Cox: 6-foot-1, according to the UGA Web site.

Truth be told, UGA's official number might be a tiny bit generous for both, although both Mark Richt and I agree that Murray is probably a touch taller than his predecessor.

Still, it's Murray's physical stature that I hear the most about from concerned fans. After all, it's hard to argue with his pedigree. In high school, he was a stud -- big numbers, championship winner, highly recruited.

But other than the red hair -- he looks so much like the much-maligned Joe Cox, right?

Sure, they may be roughly the same height, but really, that's where those physical comparisons should end.

First off, Richt promises that height is more than a bit overrated as a measure of QB potential at the college level.

"Charlie Ward was about 5-11," Richt said. "I’ve had guys that were 6-5. Murray is plenty tall enough to succeed.”

That's not just covering up a weakness though. Instead of offering some concern over Murray's physical attributes, Richt is praising them.

No, he's not that tall. But his quick release makes him a tough target in the pocket.

Yes, he's roughly as tall as Joe Cox. But he's far more mobile, allowing him to move around in the pocket to find better throwing lanes -- an advantage Cox didn't have.

And sure, he's not the most intimidating physical presence. But don't underestimate him, Richt said.

“He’s not super tall, but he’s at about 6-1, and I’ve seen a lot of 6-1 guys have success," Richt said. "He’s got a very strong arm, a quick release, he’s more mobile than most people would want to give him credit for. He’s strong. That kid, if you saw him with his shirt off, you’d be surprised at just how physically strong he is.”

There is one comparison between Murray and Cox that Richt is happy to make, however: Their work ethic.

Murray still has a ways to go in terms of taking the same leadership role that Cox had, but he's already putting in the work this summer to make that happen.

“He knows it’s going to take a lot of work, but he’s willing to do that," Richt said. "He’s willing to put the work in.”

And he's not alone. Richt said he loves the relationship between Murray and his high school teammate, Orson Charles. While the two won't be the veterans of the offense in 2010, Richt said there probably isn't two players who work harder.

“Those guys are great friends," Richt said. "They’ve known each other, they love football, they love the game, they love to practice, they love the meetings and the preparation. Some guys don’t. If no one wants to throw one day, those two will be out there. They’re that type of guys.”

And just as a reference, here's the height and weight of each of the last 10 SEC championship winning QBs. Murray is listed as 6-1/209 on Georgia's Web site.

2009: Greg McElroy -- 6-3/225
2008: Tim Tebow -- 6-3/235
2007: Matt Flynn -- 6-2/225
2006: Chris Leak -- 6-0/195
2005: D.J. Shockley -- 6-0/218
2004: Jason Campbell -- 6-5/230
2003: Matt Mauck -- 6-3/210
2002: David Greene -- 6-3/227
2001: Mauck -- 6-3/210
2000: Rex Grossman -- 6-1/218

Key is Consistency for Murray

If you're looking for some Sunday reading material, I have a story in today's Telegraph on what Mark Richt hopes to see from Aaron Murray this season.

The lead to the story is one I thought was pretty interesting because, while fans would certainly love to hear some David Greene-Aaron Murray comparisons, I bet the play and the comparison in question isn't what most of those fans were expecting.

In addition to that, however, Richt actually thinks there's every reason to believe Murray might be a bit ahead of where Greene was at this point in his career -- and says it's simply on the coaching staff now to make sure Murray develops:

"David Greene had one spring when we got here, and then he started," Richt said. "Aaron's had a spring, a season, another spring, and now he's got his opportunity to play. So he's really got a whole other year ahead of David. So now it's got to be our job to start where he's comfortable and grow. We don't want to start too high and then he struggles and gets set back. You never want a QB to get set back. You always want him to feel comfortable and confident and maybe even bored with the material to where he's ready for the next level of information."

But since this is a blog and all... I'm also curious: What are your expectations for Murray?

The Logan Gray Paradox: You Only Need Him When You Need Him

Mark Bradley wrote an interesting piece for the AJC today asking a simple enough question: What's the big deal about Logan Gray potentially leaving?

It's a fair question, really. After all, was anyone particularly enthusiastic about the idea of Gray starting at QB for Georgia at some point during the 2010 season? Chances are, if something happened to Murray and Gray had to step in, most fans would be covering their eyes in anticipation of the worst anyway.

And as Bradley writes, how often does the backup QB play anyway?

He mentions that D.J. Shockley never started a game while David Greene was in Athens. It's a good point. Of course, when Shockley became the starter in 2005, it turned out that his backup ended up playing a pretty vital role in how the Bulldogs' season played out.

That's the thing about backup QBs… you never need them until you need them.

So I agree with Bradley's overriding sentiment here: If Aaron Murray stays healthy in 2010, it doesn't matter if Gray stays, transfers or dons the Hairy Dawg costume and parades through the stands high-fiving small children. Murray is Georgia's future, and this season's success will in large part be measured by his production.

But in 2005, Shockley did everything asked of him, and yet Georgia still had to turn to the backup during a moment of crisis. These things happen from time to time, and while Joe Tereshinski's lone start didn't define Georgia's season, I'm willing to bet a few fans still sit back and think about what might have been had Shockley started against Florida that year instead.

So while Bradley reasonably asks what the big deal about Gray potentially bolting Athens would be, I might offer these 10 relatively reasonable questions, too...

1. What's Logan Gray going to do?

This is, of course, the biggest question. If he transfers, that leaves Georgia with just two scholarship QBs -- one of whom hasn't even arrived on campus yet. If he stays, he still could move to receiver, which would at least make him a viable alternative in an emergency situation -- but if playing receiver is the crux of his decision, does holding down the role of potential QB -- i.e., you can be a receiver until we tell you you're not anymore -- really appeal to him? And will it appeal to the rest of the team?

2. How does the lack of competition affect Aaron Murray?

My thought on this is not at all. Now, we may not be able to take everything coaches say about practice at face value. After all, things always seem a bit rosier when players are only dodging each other and not angry Florida, Alabama or LSU defenders on the field. But every report I got on Murray's preparation and dedication has been glowing, and Mike Bobo told me routinely that Murray prepared last year as if he were the starter, despite the redshirt. Of course, all the preparation in the world is no substitute for experience, and perhaps that's the biggest impact on Murray -- he'll be the elder statesman despite having never played a down on Saturdays.

3. How ready is Hutson Mason?

If you look at his high school stats, there's every reason to be excited about Hutson Mason's future. And at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Mason's probably better than just the upper middle class man's Joe Cox. He's a pro style QB and proved to be reasonably accurate during his days at Lassiter, so all those things work in his favor. Still, he'll be a true freshman, and that's a scary proposition. Matthew Stafford struggled as a true freshman -- 52.7% completions, 7 TDs, 13 INTs -- and he had far more physical tools and all of spring practice to prepare for the job. Mason may be a solid QB in the future (and you have to love the maturity he's displayed thus far), but he's not exactly being called a future No. 1 draft pick by Mel Kiper right now, so the expectations for him shouldn't be too high in the short term.

4. Who would be the third-string QB?

Mark Richt routinely praised Bacarri Rambo for his efforts leading Georgia's scout team offense in 2008 -- notably playing the roles of Josh Nesbitt, Randall Cobb and Tim Tebow to rave reviews. Rambo played QB in high school at Seminole County, so the job wouldn't be entirely unfamiliar to him. Of course, there are two not-so-small problems with that notion. First, Rambo's style doesn't fit what Georgia runs in the least. His arm strength isn't good enough to be a real threat at this level, and Georgia's offense is designed for a QB who can throw, not run the option. Second, Rambo does have some other responsibilities these days. He's perhaps Georgia's best defensive back right now (apologies to Brandon Boykin, who certainly can make a claim to that title, too) and moving him to the offensive side of the ball would be nearly impossible. So, beyond that, who would get the nod? Hard to say. A number of guys played QB in high school, but there's a reason they aren't still there now. No doubt Georgia will try to bring in a walk-on or three, too. But I'm also guessing no one is going to get too excited about a first-year walk on as a potential starting QB in an emergency situation.

5. Does this put a target on Murray's back?

So if teams know Georgia only has two QBs, one of whom is a true freshman, wouldn't that put a thought into the minds of a few defenders that Mr. Murray is the one thing standing between them and enjoying the spoils of tormenting Mason in a crucial SEC game? Perhaps a well-time shot at Murray's knee is just what an SEC defense needs to slow down the UGA offense? I'd like to believe that, at this level, most players and coaches would be above such shenanigans. I'd like to believe that, but I'm not that naive.

6. Wasn't Murray hurt the past two years anyway?

Indeed he was. His senior season at Plant High School, he broke his leg and missed the latter half of the season before returning in the playoffs and leading his team to a state championship. A broken leg is hardly an indication that a player is injury prone -- these things just happen in football -- but he does like to pull the ball down and run a bit more than some other QBs, which will invariably put him in the line of fire more often, too. (Which leads to a Question 6a. -- If Murray and Mason are all Georgia has, does this affect playcalling in terms of allowing Murray to run with the football?) Last season, Murray may have had a real shot at playing time as Joe Cox struggled midway through the season. Unfortunately for Murray (and perhaps for Georgia fans, too), Cox's struggles coincided with yet another injury for the freshman QB. Arm problems developed, likely as a result of throwing more often than he had in the past, and it cost Murray several weeks of practice time and any shot at avoiding a redshirt. So, do two injuries in two seasons offer enough to label a guy as an injury risk? Hard to say, but three in three years probably would, and that's not a question Georgia is looking to answer.

7. What happens if there's a longterm injury to one of the QBs?

This is perhaps the most important question if Gray should end up leaving because there really is no solution. If Murray went down, Mason would have to step in, which would likely mean a very watered-down version of Georgia's offense would be in place. Moreover, Georgia couldn't risk Mason getting hurt, too, meaning the Bulldogs would be facing playing out the season -- to use a basketball metaphor here -- with four fouls. The Dawgs would essentially be one play away from flushing their season down the drain, and at this point, there's really nothing Georgia can do other than hope and pray that the QBs stay healthy.

8. Does this really matter all that much?

Hey, Georgia returns 10 offensive starters, has a veteran offensive line and a stable of running backs that should be able to run early and often, right? So who cares about the QB situation? I can understand that mentality from fans who remember the Herschel Walker era so fondly, but it's a foolhardy notion. First off, as much as I like Caleb King and Washaun Ealey, neither of them are Herschel Walker. Secondly, the SEC has changed a lot in the last 30 years, and teams cannot win by simply running, running and running some more. Yes, Alabama won a national championship last season with a foundation of Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, but the Tide had a better defense than UGA is likely to have, which kept scores low, and even then, Greg McElroy had to step up and lead Alabama to wins on more than one occasion. (Without McElroy, Alabama almost certainly would have lost to Virginia Tech and Auburn.) The fact is, Georgia can probably win six or seven or eight games this year by minimizing the role of the QB if the running game and defense play up to their potential. But if the Dawgs want to get to nine or 10 wins and have a chance at an SEC title, eventually the QB is going to have to win a game or two for them. And as The Senator pointed out earlier this week, Joe Cox's shoes might be a little harder to fill than most fans think.

9. How does this affect the 2011 recruiting?

It was Gray's flirtations with a move to wide receiver back in November that caused Georgia to change its recruiting strategy at QB last year, remember. Had he not discussed the idea then, Mason likely wouldn't be wearing a Georgia uniform this season… so at least there's that silver lining. But if Gray were to leave now, with Zach Mettenberger out the door, odds are the Dawgs would be looking to ink two quarterbacks in the upcoming class, and with Christian LeMay and Nick Marshall on their list of potential gets, people may not be too sad to see Gray and Mett hit the bricks.

I'm not sure it's that simple an equation though. First off, odds are if Georgia signs two QBs, one of them is not going to be a stud in waiting. The fact that Murray and Mettenberger arrived in the same class met with questions about potential transfers from Day 1. It's a rare occasion that two top talents are willing to sign up for the same recruiting class. And then there's Murray. No one likes the idea of not having a solid backup for Georgia's top QB, but at the same time, no one should be too worried about Murray's long-term potential either. Odds are, he's going to be a very good QB for a long time. And while Stafford had NFL written all over him from Day 1 in Athens, Murray's road to the next level will be a bit tougher due to his smaller stature. So, while there was always a good chance that Stafford would be gone in three years, Murray's just as likely to be around through the 2013 season. The question then becomes, does a top-flight QB want to come to Georgia and sit behind Murray for the next three seasons? Maybe. Mark Richt has certainly convinced QBs to ride the pine before. But as Gray has shown us, watching from the sidelines isn't everyone's idea of a fun way to spent a Saturday in the fall.

10. How did this happen… again?

Once is a problem. Twice might be a sign of some chinks in the armor. Three times though? It's probably fair to ask Mark Richt (and Rodney Garner and Mike Bobo) some questions about how the QB situation in Athens has become so desperate yet again. In 2005, when Shockley got hurt, Georgia's national championship hopes rested on the notion that Joe Tereshinski could beat Florida in his first career start (and first significant playing time). As such, Georgia lost the game and Thomas Brown had the only TD pass of the day. Last season, Joe Cox played with a bum shoulder and struggled mightily at the midpoint of the year, and yet, there seemed to be no clear backup plan. (Of course, the caveat here -- and it's no small one -- is that Gray would have been the backup plan then, but obviously the coaches weren't thrilled with that option, so how does he become a more viable Plan B now?) And now, if Georgia hadn't changed its recruiting strategy at the last minute when Gray began discussing a position change, the Dawgs might have found themselves with just one scholarship QB in the fall. (And is it worth a side note here that the indecision on recruiting a QB played a role in Da'Rick Rogers bolting for Tennessee?)

In his career -- both at Georgia and at Florida State -- Richt has coached some of the best quarterbacks in college football and has rightfully gained a reputation for being one of the best in the business at preparing a QB. No one is arguing with that -- and given what he did with Shockley, Stafford and Greene (and heck, given what he got out of the limited resources of Cox), he deserves credit.

But that begs the question: If he's so good with QBs, why have there been so many times when he doesn't seem to have enough of them? In '05, Tereshinski was ill prepared to step in for Shockley. A year later, Tereshinski was still Georgia's best option until the coaching staff threw up their hands and decided to let Stafford take his lumps. When Stafford left early -- a move that surprised no one -- Georgia was left with Cox and little else. And now, here we are, on the precipice of entering the 2010 season -- a year in which Georgia returns 10 offensive starters and should be thrilled about its prospects for moving the football -- without a QB on the roster who has taken a snap in a game situation. It's hard to fault Richt & Co. for what happened with Mettenberger, but this has still been a precarious situation for a long time.

I've made the argument enough times throughout the past few years (and I'll continue to do so) that Georgia's lack of a national title has been as much about luck as it has been about talent. In 2002 and 2007, Georgia was as close as anyone, but things just didn't fall into place.

But sometimes you have to make your own luck. And if Georgia enjoys a 2010 season in which A.J. Green is an All-American and Orson Charles torments SEC defenders the way he's capable of doing and the tailbacks really do look a lot like Herschel and the defense really does turn around under Todd Grantham -- but the Dawgs still fall short of an SEC title because they had to play with a true freshman QB down the stretch, that will be more than just some bad luck.

So what say you? How big of a deal would a Logan Gray transfer really be in your opinion? How much of this situation should be blamed on Georgia's recruiting strategy? And how many of you have some years of eligibility left in case you're needed in November?

Murray Reacts to Depth Chart

Thoughts from Aaron Murray on his spot atop the depth chart...

On the reaction he got from friends and family...
“I’ve heard from family and friends who have said congratulations thus far and continue to work hard and stuff like that. I’ve talked to my family and they have pretty much the same feelings that I do, that it’s just one step and it’s not a done deal. I have to still keep working. I’m No. 1 after the spring, I’m not No. 1 for the season. So there’s still work to do, but they’re excited and happy for me that I’m doing well right now.”

On his poor performance at G-Day...
“I was a little amped up. I talked to Coach Bobo about it, and he felt I was a little too juiced up, a little too excited. A couple of my passes were a little overthrown. You’re not going to have your best day every day, and it wasn’t great that it was on G-Day, that wasn’t my best day. But I think they took the spring as a whole, and my performances through the practices and the scrimmage, they went off that. It’s spring, it’s just the spring game, and I’m just thankful that it’s not the regular season. I can go back and look at the film and work on that in the summer now, and hopefully next year I won’t be making the same mistakes I made in the G-Day game.”

On the reaction around campus...
“It was cool. A couple people said congratulations on the news. It was in the paper. A couple of the guys on the team said congratulations on what happened. It’s pretty cool. It’s exciting, and it’s definitely something to look forward to in taking this job, and I have to just keep working to make sure I solidify my spot for the first game of the year.”

On his meeting with Mike Bobo...
“We really didn’t talk much about it. We talked mostly about things he wanted me to work on this summer, little things he thought I needed to improve on, things he thought I needed to improve on to become a better leader, a better football player, and stuff he was looking for on the offense in general. We really didn’t spend much time on it. It was mostly things he wanted me to do this summer with the team, 7-on-7, film study with the linemen and receivers, and just stuff to get ready for the season.”

(*Note, he said he was told by Bobo about being No. 1 a week ago.)

On what he needs to do to be a leader this offseason...
“Just keep working hard, basically. We have a great core of guys, and we have some great leaders on this team as it is. Being the quarterback, you’re going to be looked on in that leadership role, and I think the more comfortable I get just working with guys over the summer, working with the receivers in 7-on-7 and watching film with the line, the more they can trust me in what I’m doing out there and what I know is the right thing. The more trust I get in them, the more confidence they’ll have in me, and that leadership factor will start to build.”

On the higher standard off the field for being a QB at Georgia…
“If you’re a football player, everyone on campus knows who you are. Everyone around the state pretty much knows who you are just by walking down the street they can pick out some of the guys. That’s just something that comes with the territory. When you’re a football player for the University of Georgia, people are going to be looking at your every move. You always have to be careful whether you’re a starter or a back-up. You want to represent your school well, represent your team well and definitely don’t want to put any shame on the University of Georgia or your family. It’s a tough thing to do. You want to go out there and have fun, you want to be a kid and what not. But in the end, you are an athlete for Georgia, and we have to carry ourselves around campus a lot different than other students. You have to be more careful and mindful of that.”

On his reaction to Mettenberger's dismissal...
“Zach and I were pretty close. We were roommates my first semester and we were together pretty much every day in meetings and practice. When I got the news, I was definitely pretty upset and hurt for him because I know how hard he’s worked and he’s really busted his (butt) all season making sure he’s improved on his fundamentals and things coaches really wanted him to work on. It’s definitely hard, I know it’s hard on him, but he has a bright future, he’s a talented kid, everyone knows on the team he has all the intangibles to be a great quarterback. He just has to find the right place, and I’m sure he will and continue to move on with his career and put this behind him as just one little speed bump.”

On the pressure of the job...
“It’s a lot of pressure. It’s a big-time program, but growing up, this is something you dream about, being the quarterback for a major university. It’s a lot of pressure, when I go on the field that first game and there’s 90,000-plus fans out there screaming, it’s going to be a little hectic, I’ll probably be a little nervous in the huddle, but that’s why you’ve got to prepare all offseason hard. This summer, I need to make sure I know all my fundamentals are down pat, watch a lot of film, I know what I’m doing out there, my reads, hopefully that will take over in the end. Just me being more comfortable will help with that little bit of nerves those first few games.”

On how well he knows the playbook...
“I think I know it pretty well. I feel extremely comfortable with it. I’ve worked hard at making sure I know the playbook inside and out. There’s still some things I need to work on with that, but I want to make it my goal to make it second nature. I want to know the ins and outs and start learning the offensive line terminology. I want to know what they’re doing, what their calls are and what they’re doing up front. The running backs, the receivers, to really know the offense, I think you have to know what all 11 guys are doing on offense, what their jobs are, and I want to know what they’re doing, and be able to be that leader and be that quarterback to make sure everyone’s on the right page in the huddle. So that’s my goal is to learn as much as I can, meet with the offensive line, learn their stuff, what they’re doing, their communication, their calls. With the receivers, learn their routes, make sure I know where they are at all times and making sure they know where I want them to be.”

On his plans for voluntary workouts...
“I’ve talked to the guys a little bit here and there. We’ll probably start throwing when we get back in June about two times a week. We’ll go off that and run some routes, get the defense out there and do some one-on-ones, a little bit of 7-on-7, and come July we’ll bump it up to three or five times a week so we can make sure everything’s installed for camp. We’ll get it down pretty good and get some good work in and making sure the defense is continuing to learn their stuff out there since it’s new for them. I think it’s going to be a great summer.”

On how it feels to be No. 1….
“It’s definitely different. When you take that quarterback role, no matter what you’re looked at as a leader. Even though I’m a young guy, I’ve worked my way up to that leadership role, and all eyes are always on the quarterback. So I’ll have those other guys on the team looking at me, and so I’ve got to work hard and I’ve got to go out there and prove myself to these guys. They’re going to be looking at me, especially with a veteran offensive line and a veteran offense in general, they’re going to be looking at me. I am a redshirt freshman, so I’ve got to prove to those guys I’m willing to go out there and work my butt off each day, go in there and watch the extra film, do the extra drills and prove to them that even though I’m young, I’m willing to work hard and make sure I know everything and I’m not going to let them down when the season comes.”

Notes: Plenty of Options at Punt Returner

John Lilly joked last week that he was looking into finding another year of eligibility for former Georgia corner Prince Miller. As a punt returner, Miller was a consistent threat, and that’s a weapon Lilly said won’t be easy to replace.

It’s not surprising then that Lilly – who took over special teams coordination duties from Jon Fabris this season – tried at least a half-dozen players at punt returner during the spring, and he’s still not much closer to making a decision on who will eventually land the job.

“We’ve rotated a lot of bodies back there and we haven’t really made any decisions as far as paring that down,” Lilly said. “That’s one of those things that’s going to go deep into the fall before we decide.”

Rantavious Wooten, Carlton Thomas, Brandon Boykin, Branden Smith and Bacarri Rambo all took reps at punt returner during spring practice, but the practices never progressed to a point where anyone could get a firm grasp on who might land the gig full time.

“We’re just catching balls right now,” Wooten said. “We haven’t set a depth chart or said it’s this guy or anything.”

Of course, the wild card in the competition could be Georgia’s star receiver, A.J. Green.

Green floated the idea a few weeks ago, and Lilly said the All-SEC receiver has been working at returner during practice for most of the past three years.

“He’s caught them his whole career here in practice,” Lilly said. “He has the ability. Everyone knows the kind of hands he’s got and he can judge the ball and do those kinds of things. … He’s certainly one of the guys that’s in the mix.”

The idea of using Georgia’s most dangerous offensive weapon for occasional special teams duty hasn’t necessarily met with universal approval from fans who worry that Green could get hurt.
Lilly realized the concerns, but he said it’s hard to ignore a weapon like Green, which makes the receiver’s presence in the return game a real possibility.

“I think in any position on the field and in any area of the kicking game, if somebody can help you win a football game and has that ability, you would use him there,” Lilly said of Green. “Some people would like to see it, some people wouldn’t want to see it. But if you talk to him, I think he’s love to do it. I don’t know if we’ll necessarily do that, but it’s nice to have it as an option.”

ALL YOU NEED IS GLOVE

It began as an experiment early in the spring, but Aaron Murray said he plans to keep wearing a glove on his throwing hand – at least for a few more months.

Murray said he plans to use the glove during summer workouts before deciding whether the glove will remain a longterm fixture, but thus far, he’s been pleased with the results.

“I felt comfortable with it, I felt I’ve done well with it over the spring, and I feel like I have more control over the ball,” Murray said. “We’ll probably see how I do over the summer with the heat and see if that has anything to do with it, and I’ll talk with (the coaching staff) and keep them updates on how I feel with it.”

WORTH THE GAMBLE

Darryl Gamble didn’t get much practice time at outside linebacker before being thrown into the fire at G-Day, but all things considered, he’s pleased with his progress.

“I did all right having just off two days of practice,” Gamble said of his G-Day performance. “I mean, there wasn’t anything difficult to try to understand. I think I did a pretty good job in my assignments, and I didn’t have anything bad happen while I was out there.”


That’s more than enough to keep Gamble in the mix at a position seriously lacking depth – with just three other scholarship players on the roster at the moment.


Gamble’s familiarity with the position in the 4-3 scheme Georgia ran last year has helped ease the transition, however, and by the time fall camp opens in August, he figures to be on top of most of the major changes.


“In the 4-3 our Sam was pretty much on the line too,” Gamble said. “It’s pretty much the same thing, but we’re rushing more. So it’s just the fact of learning all the plays, and trying to learn more about defensive line than linebacker. That's the main difference.”

Video Blog: G-Day Wrap-Up

What better way to wrap up the spring than with some highlights and interviews from G-Day put together by the lovely and talented Mr. Brandon Spoon...

Notes: Depth Chart Won't Affect Murray's Summer

In the next few days, Aaron Murray and the rest of the world will get a big clue as to who might be starting at quarterback for Georgia in the fall, and while he’s anxiously awaiting head coach Mark Richt’s first post-spring depth chart, he’s not going to allow the results to change his focus.

“I’m definitely looking forward to it just so we know where we stand heading into the summer,” Murray said. “I don’t really think it’s too much of a difference. I know what I need to work on, and Coach (Mike) Bobo’s going to tell me what I need to work on. So if I’m No. 1 or No. 3, I’m still going to have to work on the same stuff fundamentally and with the playbook.”

Murray looked sharp early in the spring, but his G-Day performance – 8-of-19 passing for 96 yards and an interception – was hardly the crescendo he was hoping for.

The slow finish wasn’t ideal, but Murray said he wasn’t exactly planning on a relaxing summer regardless.

Throughout the spring, Murray said he has been keenly aware of a few shortcomings in his game – including his footwork and making quick progressions – that will require some tinkering regardless of his play on G-Day or his position on the subsequent depth chart.

“A lot of times I’m out there, and I’m stuck on one receiver, I’m hitching, hitching, hitching, and I just need to check it down to the running backs,” Murray said. “I need to work on getting through my reads faster and then – boom – hit the running back on the check down and get what you can get or run the ball. Just not stick on one receiver. I’ll be working on that, working on my footwork and making sure I know the playbook as best as I can.”

While Murray struggled in the final spring scrimmage, fellow redshirt freshman Zach Mettenberger shined, and junior Logan Gray continued his consistent progress.

Still, the eventual depth chart will consider more than just the spring game, Richt said, and the No. 1 quarterback going into fall camp isn’t guaranteed to be the starter when Georgia opens its season.

That means the next few months will be crucial for all three quarterbacks, Murray said, regardless of whether they open the fall with the first-team offense or the third.

“I’m just going to go out there this summer and work on the things (Bobo) tells me to work on and the things I think I need to improve on in my game, and use those two months to get better,” Murray said. “I’ll watch the spring practices, see what I can work on, and hopefully have a good camp and take it from there.”

IN THE LINE OF FIRE

With two minutes left in last week’s G-Day game, a minor skirmish broke out between tailback Washaun Ealey and safety Nick Williams. Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham immediately intervened, sending Williams to the bench with a stinging dose of criticism to boot.

When the game ended, Grantham was there again, patting each of his players on the back – including Williams – for a job well done after his squad held the first-team offense to just seven points.

That’s a perfect example of his style, Grantham said. He likes being a part of the action, and that’s why he plans to spend the upcoming season working from the sidelines, too.

“I like to get a feel for the players,” Grantham said. “I like to get a feel for the physicalness of how the game’s going, the protection, those kinds of things. Then also I think it helps you in the playcalling a little bit being down there.”

Grantham said it hasn’t been decided yet which of his assistants will work games from the press box, but he said those coaches will have a vital role on game day.

“You can’t see as well, so you have to have stable eyes in the box,” Grantham said. “At the same time, you kind of know who should fit where, and you’ve got a feel for those things. You’re going to rely on your eyes in the box for the breakdowns, but overall, I think it’s better for the coordinator to be on the field.”

STAYING STRONG

As a sophomore in 2008, Akeem Dent made huge strides, starting 10 games and earning the trust of his coaches. His future looked bright.

Things didn’t exactly play out the way he had hoped last year, however, as a myriad of injuries derailed his junior season. He missed much of fall camp, then was limited to just four starts during the regular season, finishing 32 tackles – the lowest tally of his career.

When the Bulldogs wrapped up spring practice last week, however, Dent was among the first players Grantham complimented for a strong performance, and Dent is hoping to keep that momentum rolling for a full season this time around.

“Last year was kind of disappointing for me, but injuries are something I really can't control,” Dent said. “Sometimes, it kind of hurt to sit at home while my teammates were traveling and things like that. I feel like this year I have to come out, and keep fighting, and stay healthy. I just want to stay injury free.”

Picking Sides in the QB Battle

Normally I'd say we've been through enough discussion of the quarterback derby already, but we've got three months to kill, so why not dive in a bit deeper, eh?

First off, I posted the combined spring scrimmage stats the other day, which seems to be the best evidence for Zach Mettenberger's claim to the top of the depth chart.

But two things to keep in mind about that...

First off, here are the stats if you take out the G-Day numbers:

Murray: 23-of-32 (72%) for 284 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
Mettenberger: 17-of-26 (66%) for 283 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT

Slight edge for Murray in completion percentage, but he threw one additional INT.

So the bottom line in Mettenberger's significantly better overall numbers comes down to a significantly better G-Day performance. And G-Day was perhaps the least game-like of the three scrimmages.

Of course, perhaps the stats don't really mean much of anything at all. To wit, here are the numbers from last spring:

Quarterback A: 19-of-30 (63%) for 207 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT
Quarterback B: 24-of-47 (51%) for 249 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT
Quarterback C: 13-of-21 (62%) for 325 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs

Which of the three would you have said should be the leader on the depth chart at the end of last spring?

Would it change your opinion any if I added the fact that Quarterback C had the longest completion of the day in each of the three scrimmages?

Well, as it turns out, QB A was Logan Gray, QB B was Joe Cox and QB C was Aaron Murray.

Was Murray anywhere near ready to be the starter when he posted those numbers? Not even close.

Was Gray in position to unseat Cox as the starter because of his better numbers in the spring? I think most of us agree now that he wasn't.

And was Cox a disaster because his spring numbers didn't look all that hot? He wasn't great in the fall, but he did lead all SEC QBs in TDs during conference play. His problem wasn't so much the low yardage or completion totals, but the high number of INTs -- an issue which didn't manifest itself in the spring at all.

It's understandable for fans to over-analyze the little bit of information we get from the spring, but the coaches have a much, much broader spectrum of evidence to review before making a decision. So be careful not to put too many eggs in one basket this time of year. Spring stats are like the tip of an iceberg -- it's just a small but visible percentage of a much larger picture.

Anyway, lots of responses on both sides to my recent posts on how seriously we should take what happened on G-Day. Here's a bit of what was said...

Anonymous writes: David why is it that everytime i read something about the QBs you are always baised for AM? man crush maybe? anyways a covered WR is a covered WR and ZM made some really good throws, so who are bring down here? Mett not good because of who he played or are you saying our 2nd teamers aren't any good?

David: Let's look at this conversation objectively for a second -- I'm a Syracuse fan from Delaware who is paid to write news about Georgia. I have no ties to UGA, no vested interest in UGA's performance (other than that I'd like to go somewhere fun for the bowl game) and I get paid the same no matter how much I write or who I write about.

Anonymous, on the other hand, is a Georgia fan who assumes because I wrote something he doesn't agree with that I must be the one who is bias and purposely trying to tear down some member of his favorite team.

So… which one of us do you think is writing objectively?

Look, Mettenberger had a good day. He's made huge strides. I've written both of those things numerous times. But G-Day is not everything.

Again... I'm not picking a side with any QB. I'm reporting to you the most objective information I can because I want you to be informed. If you don't want to read information that may clash with your opinions, I can't help you.

The best information I have says Murray was the favorite entering the spring. Aside from G-Day, Murray performed well this spring. G-Day, as we've discussed, is an inaccurate representation of overall performance. So that formula leads me to believe that Murray is still the favorite -- though probably by a smaller margin than he was before. I'm not rooting for him -- I'm just telling you what I think best sums up the situation.

If and when the time comes that the information I have changes, you'll hear about that, too.

Anonymous writes: Last year Logan went out and had a good spring game, many debated if he should start over Cox. I was a Cox fan and thought Logan maybe deserved it.

Murray has been subject to much hype since grabbing him out of Plant HS and many seem to want to justify him as that hyped player when none of these kids have proven anything at game speed including Logan.

IMO Mett fits Bobo's play calling the better than any QB he has had since becoming OC. If CMR was OC I could see Logan or Murray being better.

David: I'm not trying to pick on this commenter, because his views are probably indicative of many readers' take on things, but a couple things confuse me.

First off, why the hate regarding Murray's "hype"? You guys do realize he plays for Georgia, right? Shouldn't you be excited that one of your own is getting hype? Aaron Murray was a spectacular high school quarterback. His coaches at Georgia have raved about his preparation and willingness to accept coaching. Other scouts and QBs have raved about his potential athletically. AND HE PLAYS FOR GEORGIA. What's not to like? He's not someone who just fell out of the sky and started being hyped for no reason. He's earned it, and he continues to work hard.

Now, does that mean you have to write off Mettenberger or Logan Gray? Absolutely not. Again, Mett has made huge strides. But I don't get why this has become anything remotely close to an emotional debate for Georgia fans. You have (at least) two good quarterbacks who have four years of playing time in front of them. That's a good thing, right?

And as for who fits the system better, I think that's a moot point. Bobo wasn't OC for D.J. Shockley, but he was the QB coach. And moreover, Richt has been heavily involved in the QB meetings and offensive meetings this spring, so who's to say that he's not working closely with Bobo to develop ways to employ a more mobile QB?

Dog44 writes: Someone other than Mett is going to start the season at QB for the Bulldogs. That's a fact. If that QB does really well, there will be no reason to make a change and he'll likely be the QB for the foreseeable future. So that leaves two QBs as potential season-starters: Murray and Gray. It may not be a coincidence that those were the two guys who split reps with the ones on Saturday. So in essence, Mett is playing for the back-up role to begin the season. If the starter struggles, Mett will get his shot. So any debate right now over whether he should start over one of those other two guys is a bit pointless. He's not going to start the first game regardless, and might not ever start unless the other guy can't get the job done.

Based on everything we've heard about Murray and on Mett's suspension, the job is still Murray's to lose. If he struggles, I'm glad we'll have a very talented back-up in place.

David: Depending on who you're talking to, the suspension Mettenberger faces is either being over-analyzed or under-analyzed.

Dog44 is right in that the suspension can't be ignored. Richt specifically said that whoever starts the first game is going to have a leg up the rest of the way. Well guess what -- Mett isn't starting the first game, and that isn't going to change no matter how well Mett performs.

That said, in 2006 Joe Tereshinski started the first game and played well against a lower-tier opponent. Then a week later, Georgia went to Columbia, Tereshinski got hurt early, and Matthew Stafford came in for his first serious action as a college player and helped lead Georgia to a win. So it can happen, and Mettenberger actually has more experience than Stafford, who was a true freshman at the time.

The bottom line is that the suspension is a big plus in Murray's favor, but it doesn't necessarily guarantee anything. I said two days after Mett's arrest that this wouldn't disqualify him from the competition, but that he would now need to do more than simply show he was a little ahead of Murray to win the job. He's going to have to prove unequivocally that he's the better quarterback -- and while that's still a possibility, that hasn't happened yet.

Anonymous writes: What's interesting to me is that a lot of people have resolved in their mind that Aaron Murray is the QB based on what he did in High School and last year in according to practice reports. I believe I was one of those people until I went to the G-Day game.

The fact is that Mett has made great strides and has performed equally well if not better in all of the scrimmages from a stat standpoint. This includes whether he went against 1st team or 2nd team defenses. Granted there is more to it than stats. However, it does give us some indication.

People tend to pick a horse and want to see that horse win..but these kids are all representatives of a team. A team that we want to see win.

I'm cool with Murray or Mett and know that they are loaded with talent. If our line is dominant and we can run the ball both of them could do some damage.

But I am no longer going to discount Mett because of where he started last year. He looked cool and calm from the time he stepped on the field for warm ups. And I don't care if he was throwing against a high school defense..he looked good.

If Murray is the starter that will be fine too. The great thing is that we have 2 highly talented kids at QB. No longer is there going to be a huge gap if someone gets hurt. Remember when Shockley's backup was Joe T :(

We've got 2 guys that can play. I trust Richt will handle the situation and I look forward to watching the Dawgs kick tail in the Fall.

David: I don't think anyone should discount Mettenberger's accomplishments. The best news to come from this spring was probably how much Mett has progressed since last fall.

But let's look at the logic here: "What's interesting to me is that a lot of people have resolved in their mind that Aaron Murray is the QB based on what he did in High School and last year in according to practice reports. I believe I was one of those people until I went to the G-Day game."

So what you're saying is that it's silly to buy into all the evidence in support of Murray if you saw one watered-down practice on G-Day? That seems like the opposite of the logic you should be taking.

If Murray was a star in high school, one of the most highly recruited QBs in the country, had exceptional scrimmage performances last year, earned praise from coaches for how he prepared as a redshirt, and then played well this spring right up until G-Day, wouldn't logic dictate that G-Day was the exception, not the other way around?

And as I noted at the beginning, Mettenberger wasn't far superior in each scrimmage. Just the last one.

Of course, the last point is the best one: There are two good quarterbacks here, and that's good news for Georgia fans.

Anonymous writes: Mett had the best touch on the ball.

Murray overthrew targets and tossed a Stafford style brain fade pass to the defender. I should have known right then he was Bobo's boy for the job. I have heard enough about picking up nuances and quick releases, it does nothing if the ball isn't catchable.

Tebow had terrible mechanics if you listen to the NFL scouts but won a BCS title as a starter and played in a defacto playoff for a 2nd.

David: I honestly want to know what joy people like this get from being fans? You hate Bobo, you're willing to throw one of your QBs under the bus after one ugly throw, and you've made up your mind about a player and a coach already. You're still upset with Stafford for -- OK, I'm not sure exactly what. And you don't think the nuances like release, footwork and reading progressions are important keys to the puzzle because your QB isn't completing every deep ball he throws.

I'm a Philly fan and even I'm not that masochistic.

The interception Murray threw was probably the ugliest pass by any QB all spring. I haven't seen the previous two scrimmages, but I feel comfortable in saying it'd be hard to throw one any uglier. But it was one throw out of literally thousands that the QBs made this spring, and if you think Richt or Bobo or any other coach should let that be the overriding factor in selecting a QB, then you're going to be sorely disappointed.

Richt-Flair writes: One throw? Really?

Greene probably made that throw in his first or second G-Day game. I seem to remember him having a forgettable game against Clemson in 2002 as well. I know Shockley and Stafford have made those throws. Cox ... well, yea.

None of the Qbs are ready. that's what fall camp is for. It's a coachable moment and I'm sure it's already been pointed out, and probably corrected. Who knows if the scrimmage rules didn't play a hand -- it looked like they were going to stop the play, and I'm sure it crossed Murray's mind.

I came away impressed the with progress of the QBs, and that's about all I'm taking away from it.

David: Exactly my point. The G-Day scrimmage is a contrived event that doesn't give anything close to an accurate picture of the progress anyone has made this spring. Mettenberger looked good, and he deserves credit. And Georgia fans should be excited by this spring, but understand that all three QBs still have a ways to go.

Wooly Butts writes: Just wondering why people must choose sides in the QB competition. I want the best guy to win the job and win games for UGA. I'm happy to see that all 3 contenders have competed well this spring and that we'll have someone under center next year who's beaten out impressive competitors. It's all about the Dawgs, and I'm feeling better about the QB position heading into summer and fall, based on strong showings in the spring.

David: Well said. So let's all relax, see what the depth chart tells us when it's finally released, and then continue to see how the QBs progress over the summer. The competition didn't end Saturday, so let's just sit back and enjoy watching two talented young quarterbacks develop their games. I'll continue to report to you the best, objective information I can get, and you can choose to believe that information or not.

Mettenberger Shined During Scrimmages

Add this to the "For What It's Worth" category...

Final scrimmage stats for Georgia's quarterbacks this spring:

Aaron Murray -- 31-of-53 (59%) for 380 yards, two touchdowns and three INTs

Logan Gray -- 23-of-42 (55%) for 280 yards, two touchdowns and one INT

Zach Mettenberger -- 23-of-36 (64%) for 433 yards, five touchdowns and one INT

Again, this doesn't tell us how they performed during the 12 other days of practice, it doesn't distinguish between plays with the No. 1 offense and No. 2 offense, and it doesn't necessarily tell us what the coaches have seen in terms of the fundamentals that don't show up on a stat line.

But... going just by those numbers, Mettenberger certainly looks the best.

Monday Mini Mailbag

Running through a handful of questions from the past week or so on this lovely Monday afternoon...

Story: It seems odd that with all the depth issues at wide receiver the coaches are standing firm Branden Smith will focus primarily on defense. I'm not so sure Thing One couldn't be a Percy Harvin clone.

David: For now, Smith is only working on defense, according to DBs coach Scott Lakatos.

“For the most part, he’s been working at corner," Lakatos said. "He’s got some things he does with special teams, but as far as how they’re going to utilize him of offense, that’s to be determined.”

I think this is more of a spring practice mentality though. There's a new defense being installed and a new coach at Smith's position, so it was important to maximize his time on that side of the ball. When the fall rolls around, my guess is we'll see a bit different approach, and Lakatos said he doesn't mind sharing.

“That’s up to whatever we need to do to win games,” Lakatos said.

As for how Smith is doing in his job at corner, it's been a little bit of an up-and-down spring, but he's not lacking for action.

“We’ve had him with the second unit and in the nickel stuff and he’s worked with both groups," Lakatos said. "He’s played corner and some nickel, and we’re trying to get him exposed to as much stuff as we can.”

Carter writes: We fans found out after the season ended that Joe Cox's actual height was significantly shorter than his listed. We were told he was a Drew Brees when he was actually a Doug Flutie. Please allay my fears and tell me that Murray is a legit 6'1".

David: Well, I've never held a tape measure up to make sure, but Murray looks to me to have an inch or two on Cox for sure. That said, he's definitely the shortest of the three QBs competing this spring.

But it's about more than height, too. Cox's physical issues were threefold:

1.) He wasn't particularly tall -- probably in the 5-11 to 6-foot range.

2.) He didn't have the strongest of arms and was also battling a shoulder injury. Despite what most fans seemed to think, this didn't bother him on the deep throws, which he actually connected on at a decent clip. It was the throws over the middle that needed some extra zip to float over a linebacker. Cox's arm strength issues weren't about throwing for distance, they were about throwing with heat.

3.) Cox was slow-footed, which exacerbated the issues with his height.

In Murray's case, he isn't significantly taller than Cox, but every little bit helps.

Moreover, his arm is a good bit stronger. While Zach Mettenberger gets the hype for his Stafford-esque cannon, Murray's not that far behind. The kid can zip passes over the middle with plenty of heat.

And the most important thing with Murray is that he's mobile -- not just in terms of breaking contain and picking up yards downfield, but he moves in the pocket.

When you're shorter, you need to be able to move around to find a throwing lane. Cox did that, but not nearly as well as Murray can. Heck, even if you're a QB who is 6-5, there are going to be a number of linemen who still tower above you, so movement in the pocket is still going to matter. Murray does it as well as anyone.

Meat writes: I was doing the Red and Black crossword while reading this blog while not studying for my test tomorrow and one of the answers was Hale. The definition is healthy. For whatever that's worth.

David: I ate tacos for breakfast today. For whatever that's worth.

Trae writes: What are the "rolls" that you keep speaking of? I know they are punishment but what exactly do the players do?

David: They're pretty much exactly what they sound like. Players essentially roll from one end zone to the other and back again. And if this doesn't sound all that bad, I'd encourage you to try it. I think Thursday was the worst I've seen players look coming off the field in a long, long time.

Dawgjammin writes: Odd to not see any receiving stats on the TE's Charles or White. How is Figgins doing this spring? What about WOOTEN DA BALL CARRIEAH?

David: The scrimmage stats we get from Richt are generally the leaders in the stat categories, rather than a complete list. If you notice, the QBs had 30 completions total, but we only had 15 receptions listed on the stat sheet. So most of those were going to guys like White, Charles, Wooten and Figgins.

As for Bruce Figgins specifically, I talked to Orson Charles about him and he said Figgins looks great so far.

HVL Dawg writes: I've heard more about hips this year than any time before in life. Who knew hips were this important in football?

David: It's amazing how much you can learn from Shakira about football, isn't it?

AppleDawg writes: People better prepare themselves for our D to have major issues at time for 2010.

A 3-4 D is not put in and working in less than a year. Glance at Saban's first years of installing his system at MSU, LSU, and Bama and you see struggles and embarrassing loses his first year (UAB at LSU, ULM at Bama)

We will have a LOT of players out of position during big games, imo

David: I wrote about reasons for optimism last week, and I think there are plenty.

This, however, is not one of them.

As much as I believe this defense will be improved longterm, it's not an overnight fix. The players are learning more each day, but being able to execute a new scheme at full speed during game conditions takes a lot more than 15 spring practices to perfect. Moreover, Grantham is still coaching with players brought in for a 4-3 scheme, not a 3-4. There's no traditional nose, far too few outside linebackers, and while the corners should be decent this year, Scott Lakatos much prefers taller players for the job.

I'd say there's a good chance the defense will be better overall in 2010 than it was in 2009, which is a good thing. But make no mistake, there will be problems, there will be some big plays, and there will be some games you'll leave shaking your head wondering what happened.

It's a work in progress, which means a good bit of the situations these players see on the field this year will be situations they'll be seeing for the first time. I think Grantham is a heck of a coach, but as you wrote, if it takes Saban at least a year to get things right, it's hard to hold anyone else to a higher standard.

BigMuddyDawg writes: I feel really terrible for all of those involved. I've read that Montez has led a rough life and I'm certainly not making any excuses for his actions. But I was very hopeful that under the guidance of Mark Richt and his staff, Montez would be able put a lot of the bad stuff behind him. I still believe in him and will continue to hope for the best for him.

David: That's been one side of the fallout from Montez Robinson's dismissal. This has been the other...

Trey writes: Really? You are on scholarship to a great school and you can't keep from beating the crap out of people even though you know it will probably be strike three? Nobody should feel sorry for this young man, what an idiot.

David: And I get that, too. If you're a fan who has seen your school's reputation take a hit because of a player who had multiple chances to do the right thing, you have every right to be angry.

I'm not going to make any excuses for Montez. He had more than enough chances, and Mark Richt's decision was no doubt the right one. But having said that, anyone who doesn't think this is sad news all around simply doesn't have a clue what Montez has been through.

I had planned to write an in-depth story on Robinson's background and what led him to Georgia. I may still do that, but obviously it will have a far different tone now. In order to finish the story, I'd need to talk to Montez again, too, and for a kid who has some very serious trust issues, I can't help but wonder if that will be an option. We shall see.

I did start working on the story though, and I learned more than enough about who Montez Robinson is to share a few things:

1.) The people who are blaming Rodney Garner now for bringing Robinson to Georgia are absurd. First off, Garner recruited a heck of a football player, and Georgia was hardly the only top school going after Robinson.

Secondly, Robinson and Garner have a similar past, and I know Garner saw something in Montez that made him want to believe this kid could turn his life around. I didn't spend nearly as much time with Robinson as Garner did, and I wanted to believe, too.

But most importantly, football at this level is often about giving kids a chance, and Montez is hardly the only player with a problematic background to come to Georgia. In fact, he's not the only player on this year's team with a background that involves group homes, foster families and very little parental oversight. The impressive thing is how many of those kids have become exactly what Garner hoped Montez would become.

I'm sure I'll be ripped for being a flaming liberal by a handful of people who think I'm making excuses for people who aren't taking responsibility for their own behavior, but I think Garner -- and obviously Mark Richt and all the college coaches who undertake the responsibility of trying to change the lives of kids like Montez -- should be credited for the immense number of success stories rather than trashed by fans because a few didn't manage to overcome the immense obstacles set before them.

For someone like Montez to turn his life around, to become the person his background never gave him the chance to be, to find happiness in a life that has been filled with disappointment -- that almost takes a miracle. And while it's the sad situations like Robinson now finds himself in that steal most of the headlines, I'm continually amazed at how many miracles the game of college football continues to provide for kids like him.

2.) Montez ruined his best chance to turn his life around, and he did so by hurting the people who most wanted to help. I can understand why some fans now think he's not deserving of their sympathy. But this is a story that goes well beyond Montez. He supported his family. His younger brothers looked up to him as if he were some sort of god. He was supposed to be blazing the path out of an awful situation that the rest of his brothers and sisters could then follow. I can't fathom what a crushing blow this is for them, particularly given all the disappointment that they've already faced in their lives. The ripple effects of this situation go well beyond the depth chart at outside linebacker.

3.) I understand the sentiment that Robinson had more than his share of chances, and I understand the frustration that comes when he knew what would happen if he messed up again, and he did it anyway.

But I'll share one final story with you that I hope helps shed a little bit of light on all of this.

I talked to Rodney Garner about Montez back in November, and he told me that he was particularly happy about a recent breakthrough the two of them had. A few weeks earlier, Garner had sent Robinson a text message telling him he loved him.

Robinson's reaction was utter confusion. He didn't understand why Garner would say something like that. Garner told me Montez was actually afraid Garner might be gay, or that responding to the sentiment would make him gay.

It was the first time in Robinson's life that an adult male had said he loved him, and Robinson had no idea how to respond.

This is the inherent problem for kids like Montez. What most of us take for granted as normal ways of handling our emotions are completely foreign for him. For Montez to properly channel his anger or communicate his feelings is like you or I trying to speak Latin. He simply was never given the training or education or tools to do it, and that's not something that a few months of therapy or coaching oversight can change.

In the weeks after that, however, Montez came to grips with things. He talked to Thomas Settles, the chaplain at Georgia, and he talked about his feelings a bit with Garner, too. Those were big steps for a kid who doesn't trust anyone easily. By the time I interviewed Garner for the story, Robinson was at a point where he could tell Garner he loved him, too.

That was a monumental step forward for Robinson. The shame of it is, I can't help but wonder how many more steps forward he might have been able to take if he hadn't let down the people who care the most about him.

Ultimately, we're all responsible for our own actions, and I have no doubt Montez knows that, too. His decisions and his actions are what led him to where he is now.

Mark Richt made the right decision Sunday. Montez made too many of the wrong decisions along the way. But I think the best response to all of this -- and perhaps the only thing to take from a very sad situation -- is this one...

Young Swole writes: Life is more important than football. I hope you can find some peace in your life one day Montez.

David: Well said.

Georgia returns to the practice field tomorrow. We're still waiting to hear if there will be any announcement from Mark Richt today about the taxi incident. If anything comes up between now and then, I'll have it posted here.

And if you have a question for future mailbags, feel free to email me at dhale@macon.com.

Notes: Brown's Progress Slow But Steady

Hype sets the expectations, but it doesn’t necessarily mean results will come in short order. That’s a lesson Georgia fans have learned all too well when it comes to receiver Marlon Brown, who was one of the most coveted prospects at his position two years ago, but thus far his career with the Bulldogs has amounted to just two receptions.

“Marlon is a little bit raw and has to fine-tune his skills,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “He’s getting close there, but he needs to practice.”

That’s been easier said than done for Brown since he first arrived in Athens last summer.

A hand injury set back his progress in fall camp last year, a series of nagging dings limited him at time during the season, and although he’s been practicing during conditioning drills, he’s donned a green non-contact jersey for the past week during spring practice.

That’s one of the frustrations, head coach Mark Richt said. This spring in particular, Brown seemed to be making steady progress. But the injury bug has made life a bit more complicated.

“I felt bad when he got hurt,” Richt said. “He looked so much quicker to me and a much smoother route runner this spring that he was in the fall. He’s made great, great improvement.”

Despite the setbacks, Bobo said Brown has kept a positive attitude. He’s as frustrated as anyone that he hasn’t earned more playing time, but that frustration hasn’t reduced Brown’s desire.

“All these guys tend to get a little bit frustrated if they come in and don’t play as well as a recruiting service or somebody ranks them,” Bobo said. “That’s just part of the process, and sometimes I think it’s good to go through that and learn how to have a little adversity and learn how to fight and push. Marlon’s a kid that has accepted that well and I haven’t seen anything that he’s a guy who is sulking or disappointed. He’s playing hard.”

So while Brown’s freshman campaign fell well short of fan expectations, he isn’t in his coach’s doghouse by any stretch. In fact, Richt may be the one person who might be the least surprised by the extended development time for Brown.

“I knew Marlon was going to take a little bit of time to get used to Southeastern Conference football,” Richt said. “But he really made great strides, and he’s a very physical football player, he’ll block, he’ll get after you, he’s got strong hands. He’s going to help us and I’m looking forward to seeing him blossom.”

THE WAITING GAME

Regardless of whether he wins the starting job, odds are Zach Mettenberger won’t be playing in Game 1 of the season for Georgia after an offseason arrest last month that will most likely result in a one-game suspension.

Mettenberger’s punishment has already begun, fellow quarterback Logan Gray said, and the redshirt freshman has already learned a valuable lesson.

“(Mettenberger) has finished up his discipline runnings in the mornings, so hopefully it’s letting him sleep more now instead of waking up early,” Gray said. “But it’s definitely helped him mature a lot. It’s got to be tough. He’s only 18, so he’s young just for a freshman, and especially with going through all the scrutiny he did. But I think he’ll keep on growing from it.”

Of course, there’s still the matter of the on-field dynamics of getting prepared for the season – something that would be complicated if Georgia needed to start either Gray or Aaron Murray in its first game, then make the switch to Mettenberger one week later.

That will be a problem, Bobo admits, but it’s an issue he’s hoping to avoid for as long as possible.

“Right now, we don’t want them looking ahead, and I want us trying to get better,” Bobo said. “We have a lot to get better at, and it’s too early to decide that. We’ll cross that bridge when it comes to it. In a perfect world, I don’t want to rep two or three quarterbacks before the first game because we’ve still got to get a guy ready. But all of that is the head coach’s decision, too, so we’ll see.”

MURRAY GETS COMFORTABLE

One of the biggest things Bobo is still looking for in his next quarterback is a commanding presence on the field.

“I think all three have to work on that just because of being young,” Bobo said. “They’re in that role now of being that guy, and that was one of our main objectives this spring is we’ve got to take command of the huddle. That’s a work in progress with all three.”

Bobo gets no argument from Murray, who has never taken a snap in a college game and admits he’s still getting used to the idea of being the leader in the huddle with 10 other returning starters.

But while the role of field general at Georgia is still a bit foreign, Murray said he’s getting more comfortable each day.

“I think I’m slowly coming into that,” Murray said. “Leadership comes with confidence, and the more confident I feel, that will start to come out more. So I just need to concentrate on making sure I know what to do before I can tell everyone else what they need to do.”

EXTRA POINTS

-- Be sure to check out my story in today's Telegraph on the battle at safety among a diverse collection of Bulldogs.

-- And check back here later this afternoon for complete stats from today's second spring scrimmage.

Bobo Breaks Down the QB Battle

No, we still don't have a depth chart. And we probably won't for a while. (More on that in a minute.) But that doesn't mean each of the quarterbacks -- Aaron Murray, Zach Mettenberger and Logan Gray -- hasn't made some strong impressions with their coaches.

I talked to Mike Bobo this week about what goes into deciding who the starter will be, and while the overall winner is yet to be decided, he offered some interesting insight into the more detailed analysis of the competition.

Here's what he had to say about which quarterback has excelled the most at each area of interest:

Release mechanics: "Murray." One word answer, short and sweet. Bobo didn't take more than a fraction of a second to think about this one.

Footwork: "I think Murray probably and Logan does a nice job in the pocket, but the other day in the scrimmage, Zach probably moved better in the pocket than any guy we had out there just by being fundamentally sound and getting up in the pocket and stepping under a blitz. He did an outstanding job the other day."

Presence in the huddle: "I think all three have to work on that just because of being young. They’re in that role now of being that guy, and that was one of our main objectives this spring is we’ve got to take command of the huddle. That’s a work in progress with all three."

Knowledge of the playbook: "I would say Logan is probably ahead of everybody in the meeting room. His is just that he’s got to do it on the field. And on the field, I’d say all three are probably, they’re all doing well and I’ve been really pleased with how they’re progressing. We’re looking for a guy who can go through a progression and his feet and his eyes, and I think all three are doing a pretty good job of that."

Reading defenses and making progressions: "All three considering they’re going against a new defense this spring and not really having a 100 percent of what they’re doing or what they’re trying to do, as opposed to the last few years when you’re going against the same defense all the time. But I think all three have done a nice job of taking what they give us and protecting the football."

Decision making: "(Tuesday) there wasn’t anybody very good. They’ve all had their moments, and I think a lot of decision making is just facing something new for the first time. But I wouldn’t say one’s better than the other right now. I’d say some are a little faster at picking it up a little bit, but that’s a lot to do with the look or the protection or some of that stuff you get up front."

That last one is particularly important because, for everyone who falsely blamed Joe Cox's noodle arm for the turnovers, the truth was that it was a series of bad decisions that were the cause of most of Cox's interceptions. (Just think about the Arizona State and Kentucky games for a minute.) So for me, I'd call decision making a top concern.

Bobo wasn't providing an answer on who's ahead overall, and neither was Mark Richt, but the head coach did provide a little insight.

“When you watch them play, you’ve got days where one guy may be a little hotter than the other, but I’ve been pleased with the accuracy of our quarterbacks," Richt said. "I’ve been in every single meeting, I’ve listened to Coach Bobo go through their assignments, the progressions of their reads, their understanding of the running game and protections, and these guys are on the ball. They really understand it. They’re good students of the game. They’re very diligent, and then when you watch practice, you see them putting what they’ve learned in the meeting room to practice."

And, of course, there's also the little issue of Zach Mettenberger's potential suspension to start the season. That's an issue Mike Bobo is hoping to avoid for the time being.

"Right now, what we’re trying to do is get better," Bobo said. "I know that’s not the answer you want, but right now, we don’t want them looking ahead, and I want us trying to get better. We have a lot to get better at, and it’s too early to decide that. We’ll cross that bridge when it comes to it. In a perfect world, I don’t want to rep two or three quarterbacks before the first game because we’ve still got to get a guy ready. But all of that is the head coach’s decision, too, so we’ll see.”

So, when might we actually get an answer on the depth chart? Sounds like it won't come until a few weeks after G-Day.

"We’ve got some good players, and when you rotate them like we have, you could grade every three days or something if you wanted to, but I’m more inclined to just take it all in and then when the spring is over, try to look at it again," Richt said. "I will take our practice film and we can click a button that will sort every play by No. 11, then every play by No. 6 and every play by No. 5, and you can watch them in succession and get a better overall feel of how they did in the spring. That’s probably the first time I’ll really sit there and go, Hey, let’s start trying to pack up a little bit of a pecking order.”