Amid all the change, some familiar refrains in Athens
Logan Gray decided to give it another shot at quarterback. (Brant Sanderlin / AJC)
Whew, a lot to digest from the fount of information spewing out of the media briefings held this week at Butts-Mehre.
We learned who’s going to line up where on defense, at least initially, and that the DL will be anchored by the “nose,” not nose tackle or nose guard. The outside linebackers will be primarily pass rushers while the more athletic inside linebackers will have more pass coverage responsibilty.
We were told that in the new defensive scheme cornerbacks won’t be as much involved in run support as in the past (which led to Bryan Evans getting badly beaten time after time) and that new secondary coach Scott Lakatos is teaching his players completely different, NFL-style footwork from what Willie Martinez taught them. (Now if he can just get them to turn their heads to see where the ball is.)
We found out who’ll be coaching what on special teams, including that kickoff coverage — the area in which the Dogs most drastically need improvement — will be handled by Warren Belin, whose Vandy kick coverage team ranked second in the SEC and 29th nationally last year. (UGA was last in the conference and 117th nationally.)
And we learned that Mark Richt has been open to suggestions from his new staff members, resulting in a reworking of the practice and meetings schedule, but that he still doesn’t think there’s any change needed in Georgia’s strength and conditioning program.
Speaking of which, this year’s mat drills supposedly have been the toughest ever but more A grades than ever are being given. The boys are really getting after it, Richt says. The team is really into it this offseason. There’s a lot of excitement. They’re working harder than ever, harder even than last year when we were told they were really into it and excited and working harder than ever.
Though now we’re hearing that not everyone was working all that hard, at least according to A.J. Green, who said “we thought things were just going to be handed to us and didn’t work as hard as we should.”
Well, that sounds familiar, too. Wasn’t that supposedly the reason the 2008 team didn’t handle its preseason No. 1 ranking all that well?
Loading ...Said Bobo: “The thing about this kid is, all he’s ever wanted to do is help Georgia and play and compete. And that’s what he wants to do this spring at quarterback.”
Which sounds way too close to what we heard in the past about Joe Tereshinski and Joe Cox to suit some folks, including former Georgia football player Ben Dukes, who blogs at The Dawg’s View.
Says Dukes: “You know what? When I was at Georgia, all I ever wanted to do was help my team win … and the coaches decided THAT would be best accomplished by keeping me on the sidelines. I don’t disagree. I wasn’t the biggest, strongest or fastest player … but I had a great deal of heart. My grit and determination earned me the respect of my peers, sparse playing time, a Varsity Letter, and a pair of awards. THAT’S ALL. NEVER would you have heard Jim Donnan say, ‘We’re gonna start Dukes at defensive end because all he’s ever wanted was to help this team.’”
Dukes says the QB competition should be about who has the tools to lead Georgia to an SEC championship. “It shouldn’t be about who has the most time in the system. It shouldn’t be about who ‘really wants to help the University of Georgia’.”
He raises an interesting question. Bobo’s comments have strongly indicated, though he won’t come right out and say it, that Gray stands a much better chance of playing at some position other than QB. And yet the coaching staff has let the player decide where he will spend spring practice. Which means if and when he eventually moves elsewhere, he will have missed a spring learning that position. It also means a bunch of reps in practice with the first-team offense will have been wasted — reps that could have gone to the eventual starter and his backup.
On the other hand, there are valid arguments that there’s value in having the only quarterback on the team who’s taken snaps in a real game participating in the spring QB competition, and that having to beat out Gray will make Aaron Murray or Zach Mettenberger a better signal-caller.
What do you think? Should the coaches have let Gray decide where he’ll play this spring or simply told him where they want him? Is letting him compete for the starting QB job the best use of what we’re told are his considerable athletic abilities? Should being a loyal Dog with several years in the program trump superior but inexperienced talent when Georgia chooses a starter at any position?
Feel free to vote in the poll, comment or have it both ways.
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114 comments Add your comment
SMALL JOHNSON
March 1st, 2010
7:38 pm
I will tell you what I think
Gray, Murry, and Mech should have been playing after the OSU game until somebody emerged as the starter.
Hopefully Richt has learned a lesson that MEYER AND SABAN know and that is you play the players who are going to give you the best chance to win
Oh and hopefully the coaching staff that will help you win as well
AltamahaDawg
March 1st, 2010
8:37 pm
So play the one guy even if he cant lift his arm, or the other guy who claims he himself wasn’t close to ready. Yea, that sound like what Saban/Meyers would have done.
Ben
March 2nd, 2010
1:57 am
Those of you who want to take pot-shots at how I “misinterpreted” Bobo’s words should take a good long look at my actual blog, and not just a quote. I don’t believe Bobo will start ANYONE based on seniority or a “he wants to help Georgia win” philosophy. I believe he’ll start the player who he believes is best suited to help the team win.
BUT
When the best credit you give someone is “he’s always wanted to help this team win”, you’re not saying much about him. 2006, Joe T wins the job over two freshmen, one being Joe Cox and the other being a far more talented Matt Stafford. Stafford wasn’t ready for the job yet. He proved it in his first start. Then, he bailed Cox out against Ole Miss, but still wasn’t the full-time starter until after the Vandy game. Why? Because the coaches weren’t sure that he had the mental game ready.
2009. Joe Cox gets the start. Why? Because the more athletic Logan Gray didn’t show a good handle of the offense. This is backed up when Gray plays sparsely, and not very effectively. Also, the two freshmen have their own problems. Murray is injured for much of the season, and Mettenberger does not yet have the offense down.
In both of those situations, starting the senior was the right choice. Unfortunately for the Dawgs last year, none of the QBs behind Cox proved themselves enough during the season to unseat him.
So, 2010 looms ahead. Many fans have already written off Logan Gray, and when the coach’s highest praise is “He really wants to help the team win”, they probably have good reason to.
Ben
Top Dawg
March 2nd, 2010
7:15 am
The previous poster calling himself “Top Dawg” is a phony. I am TOP DAWG. Get another name, dude.
virginia dog
March 2nd, 2010
8:32 am
Players play because they have talent… coaches coach because they have heart and a love for the game. these coaches see themselves in players like Logan Gray and Joe Cox and they give them a shot. It is that simple. Of course these coaches do so at there own risk. Because the QB is the most important position on the field and when they can’t out run a talented linebacker or can’t make the throw because a talanted safty broke on the ball. well coaches get fired and the new coaches know better than to let there hearts make decisions that can get them fired.
MK52
March 2nd, 2010
9:31 am
I think that it should be an interesting spring. In a perfect world the starter at QB would be decided on before spring was over…but this isn’t a perfect world. I have no doubt that Gray could help the Dogs win playing QB, but I would like to see one of the young pups be the starter. I think if we are going to go through another year of first time starter at QB then lets have that guy for at least three years, possibly four
Ben
March 2nd, 2010
2:55 pm
And another thing….
I’ve seen a number of posters across multiple boards support Logan Gray with comments such as “He had the best performance at G-Day”
G-Day is NOTHING. It’s a scrimmage of guys who practice against each other day-in and day-out. They learn each other’s tendencies, and can use those tendencies against them. I still remember in 2006, when our DBs were making so many interceptions, everyone thought our defense would be unstoppable. Nobody stopped to think that maybe the interceptions weren’t coming from stellar DB play…but from bad QB play. Who remembers how 2006 turned out?
G-Day is not a predictor of what’s to come in the fall…it’s the culmination of what the kids have learned in the spring. It’s a chance for them to turn it lose and try to prove something at game speed. But, sorry, the UGA bench is NOT deep enough for us to assume that the way someone performs against a mix of starters and reserves will project how that player will play against the best the SEC has to offer week-in and week-out.
Many fans place FAR too much on that one performance. Look through player stats over the years and you’ll see games where they don’t perform. You’ll see games when Knowshon couldn’t get over 80 yards. You’ll see games when David Greene had 40% completion. But, these guys were great players. You’ll also games when Corey Phillips (one of my favorite people) threw for over 400 yards and 5 TDs….but he was never a full-time starter.
The coaches have the unenviable task of watching all of the players day-in and day-out and deciding which ones are doing the best for the team on the most consistent basis. The QB will be a very watched position all spring. Most likely, and preferably for me, the #1 will be named BEFORE G-day.
RxDawg
March 2nd, 2010
4:17 pm
Well……you need 3 QB’s on the depth chart ya know.
Camden Mark
March 2nd, 2010
4:28 pm
Logan was never really given a chance last year,he had a handfull of snaps after games were all but lost and its not fair to judge him by last season because of that.Nobody on this blog has any idea about who is going to win that starting job,all I care is that its the best one of the three
Ben
March 2nd, 2010
5:08 pm
Logan had snaps on offense before games were put out of reach, but he didn’t fare too well on those rare occasions. It’s not poor athletic ability that I see out of Logan..it’s poor decision making. We all remember the pick-six against FL. yikes. But, there’s another play that sticks out in my mind. I don’t recall the opponent, but I remember Logan coming in BEFORE the game was decided (I want to say 2nd quarter) he handed off to Richard Samuel, who did his typical “run to contact and fall” maneuver for a three or four yard loss.
Then, Gray left the game. Folks were upset with Richt, wondering why he’d put Logan in to just hand the ball off and then pull him.
Well, folks…Gray was put in with a QB-read-option. He made the wrong read, and handed the ball off. We were stopped cold. If Gray had kept the ball, he had plenty of running room. This is the kind of play tailor-made for Logan…but he faltered.
That one play doesn’t crucify him…but I think it’s an overall sense of just not quite “getting” it that has put him behind-the-8-ball in the minds of fans and coaches.
Also, Logan Gray had 21 snaps on offense. Branden Smith had 17. Sometimes it’s all about what you do with the snaps you DO get.
Dawgs Down
March 3rd, 2010
11:17 pm
UGa will be fighting tennessee and south carolina for 3rd in the SEC east. Logan gray isn’t any good—look for another blowout loss to florida and a big loss to Tech in athens. The jackets will be loaded.
38 Yardline Dawg
March 4th, 2010
11:41 am
Folks, Gray HAS HAD a chance to earn the QB position, and he WASNT better than Cox. Take one for the team and move to another position.
38 Yardline Dawg
March 4th, 2010
11:44 am
Rx, we have more than 3 QBs now with new recruits. Check the chart.
38 Yardline Dawg
March 4th, 2010
11:46 am
Camden, what do you think Gray was doing this time last year? He had plenty of opportunity.