Richt faces decision on Hutson Mason: Play him or redshirt him?
Mark Richt must decide whether to play true freshman Hutson Mason early in the season. (Curtis Compton / AJC)
There’s been considerable debate here in the past over the way Mark Richt and Mike Bobo have handled Georgia’s No. 2 quarterbacks, with a vocal contingent arguing that the Dogs should always have a backup who has real-game experience.
This year, of course, that’s complicated by the fact that Georgia’s starter doesn’t even have any real-game experience.
Plus, no one’s entirely sure who the backup quarterback is. Nominally, it’s still Logan Gray, who has appeared in preseason camp to be on his way to establishing himself as a viable receiving threat, though he’s currently hobbled by an ankle injury. In practice, the backup has been true freshman Hutson Mason, who ideally would get a redshirt year to master the Richt/Bobo offense before having to take a snap when it counts.
Richt has described the lack of experience and depth at QB this year as “scary,” and the decision facing him and Bobo isn’t an easy one. Should redshirt freshman starter Aaron Murray play the whole game against opening opponent Louisiana-Lafayette to get as much experience as possible before facing South Carolina in Columbia the next week — even staying in the game after the third-string backs and linemen have rotated onto the field against the outmanned Ragin’ Cajuns?
If not, who gets the call for mop-up duty? Gray, who’d probably rather be catching as many balls as he could rather than acting as a human place marker? Or will Richt and Bobo give up any idea of redshirting Mason?
The young man in question told The Athens Banner-Herald he has no idea which way they’ll go. “I don’t know, we all don’t know, no one really knows right now,” Mason said. “It’s just a big question mark. All I can do is go out and perform every day in practice and try to prove myself.”
Said Richt, “I guess we really haven’t thought much about it. … We haven’t really got close enough to where we say, ‘What are we going to do?’ it’s coming up, we’re going to have to talk about it pretty quick. We just haven’t had that discussion yet.”
Frankly, it’s hard to believe they really haven’t had that discussion yet, but maybe they’re waiting to see how things go in today’s scrimmage. As Mason told the ABH, “I think it all depends on how I finish camp and how I finish these last couple of practices.”
Earlier in camp Bobo praised Mason’s “command in the huddle” and said he “liked a lot” what he saw in the young quarterback, who set Georgia state single-season high-school records for passing yards (4,560) and touchdowns (54) and a state single-game record for passing yards (552) last season.
So what do you think, should Richt and Bobo get Mason some early playing time? Or do you believe they should hold on to that redshirt unless it absolutely has to be burned?
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228 comments Add your comment
Scott W.
August 25th, 2010
2:51 pm
Even if CMR knows he isn’t redshirting Mason I would rather it be out in the media that it is an unknown.
gomdawg
August 25th, 2010
2:55 pm
EASY ANSWER !!!! IF HE EARNS IT, GIVE IT TO HIM. SIMPLE
Mobile Dawg
August 25th, 2010
2:59 pm
Uh, well, wait a minute, let me see, we really haven’t thought about it. I wonder what Mr. MaGarity is thinking about right now. GATA….
If this is really Richts answer to that question we’re in more trouble than I wondered if we would be in this year. If we had real CEO style leadership seems we would always plan to have an experienced quarterback to step into the system. Just a thought….
ugaclassof2004
August 25th, 2010
3:03 pm
Honestly,
I’ve watched both Mason and LeMay on Youtube, and if it seems to me that Mason is better. LeMay is shown throwing a lot of underneath routes and screens and his mechanics aren’t great. Seems like Mason has a better touch on the ball and his featured in an offense that really chunks the ball down field.
I know its high school ball so its hard to say, but Mason looks more polished to me.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
August 25th, 2010
3:03 pm
Murray- Red-Shirt Freshman
Mason- True Freshman
Lemay- True Freshman (next year)
I think if Mason see’s any field time it will be this season. Ya gotta play him
gomdawg
August 25th, 2010
3:07 pm
LEMAY IS NOT HERE (HORSE BEFORE CART ) MASON EARNS IT IT HIS TO LOSE.
PhilDawg
August 25th, 2010
3:11 pm
Reality speaks louder than the “depth” chart. Hutson plays 1.5 quarters against La Laff. Dawgs win 31 – 14. Everyone freaks out going into Columbia – why didn’t we score more? Murray needs reps! Hutson looked slow!, the Evil Genius is laughing. Would you rather have Garcia and Shaw or Murray and Hutson? What about poor old Florida starting that untested freshman Brantley? Brantley was No. 1 and Murray No. 3 coming out of high school. If you have it, you have it. Murray and Hutson will be good enough for the Dawgs to have a great season. My fear is totally different: which group of linemen and linebackers can stop the run in this 3 – 4. If “Bean” Anderson is ready to start, what did we have over there anyway? Guys too small and too tall to play nose, too slow to play end, too small and too slow to play inside linebacker. The offense will be No. 3 or 4 in the SEC – second in rushing offense, can the defense get above No. 8? That’s how you get from good to great, not worrying over a back up quarterback. I’d rather have Hutson than Gray, especially since Gray shows some potential to stretch the field as a receiver. Or is it that our corners can’t play the press, even in practice?
CO-STARRING LEE VAN CLEEF AS THE BAD
August 25th, 2010
3:15 pm
I believe that UGA can wait untill the third or fourth week of the season to decide the red shirt question. Let’s see how the kid does and how Murray holds up before moving on the red shirt thing. If Murray gets half way through the year and Mason hasn’t been needed, maybe, otherwise, play Mason.
G Day performance
August 25th, 2010
3:18 pm
Someone mentioned Gray and Mettenberger outplayed Murray at G Day. There are too many variables involved in a glorified scrimmage that G Day is for the public to anoint one QB better than another. The coaches have a MUCH larger body of work from practices to go on, and I imagine none of the posters on here rating the UGA quarterbacks have seen practice sessions.
I saw the Georgia High School All Star game in the summer of 1980. Playing for the South was one Herschel Walker. His stats were nothing to write home about. You would never have guessed from that one game what he would do a few weeks later in Athens.
Intrasquad games are for the fans and alumni, and I put very little value in them. Think back over the years to some G Day stars that had mediocre careers.
3DawgKnight
August 25th, 2010
3:27 pm
Burn it – may be the only time he ever plays!
Vick=Dog killing thug
August 25th, 2010
3:33 pm
Bothers me that CMR hasn’t thought about it yet ?????
Just a fan
August 25th, 2010
3:35 pm
this game and Idaho St
Dogit
August 25th, 2010
3:38 pm
The days of “red-shirting” is over….now it’s red panties!!!!
Just a fan
August 25th, 2010
3:39 pm
its all just rhetoric for the talking heads
Natureboy809
August 25th, 2010
3:39 pm
I’m not worried about our QB situation in 2014 right now. Play him and get him ready ASAP
Ted Striker
August 25th, 2010
3:43 pm
Murray needs to be on the field at into the 3rd quarter because he hasn’t played live ball. Then bring in Gray for at least 2 series to see if he’s even viable as a backup (since he hasn’t practiced at the position), then acclimate Mason. This is one year where you wish you had 2 easy games to start, rather than one cupcake.
LHardingDawg
August 25th, 2010
3:48 pm
I don’t blame Coach Ricth for not letting the entire world know what’s going on in Athens. It’s his team, win or lose, and when he decides to do something with his quarterbacks, he’ll let the AJC know. I’m sure they didn’t just decide today, “we need to figure out who the 2nd. team quarterback is. Get real guys.
charles
August 25th, 2010
3:51 pm
This shouldn’t even be a question. Of cource, Mason should play and be ready if Murray goes down.
JB
August 25th, 2010
3:52 pm
Most SEC teams have the same problem….Not just Richt……
Gangster of love
August 25th, 2010
3:53 pm
Just wanted to remind yall that even though he’s committed as a DB, the legendary Nick Marshall may be an option as a QB next year if something happens with Lemay.
JB
August 25th, 2010
3:53 pm
Aaron likes to break pocket and run…….WE will playing Mason by mid season I’m afraid.
papadawg
August 25th, 2010
3:54 pm
Dumb question, who is our backup
JB
August 25th, 2010
3:54 pm
Good point Gangster, and he’s a stud.
MountainDawg
August 25th, 2010
3:56 pm
Mason is very talented & needs reps, so no redshirt. Plus, Gray is quite an athlete & needs to be leveraged at WR (w/ plenty of reps).
Birrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrd Man
August 25th, 2010
4:11 pm
No red shirt. Put him in mop-ups (if any) to gain experience.
Neil sain
August 25th, 2010
4:11 pm
Give the kid a shot, hell, if something happens to Murry (God Forbid)he might end up being the second coming if he comes in and blows evreyone away, is poised and doesn’t turn the durn ball over. Its not like we don’t have the tools around him to succeed.
Reality Check
August 25th, 2010
4:11 pm
I secretly LOVE the dawgs, i just come on here because i need something to excite me while i put my other hand in my pants
Dogit
August 25th, 2010
4:13 pm
Reality Check, can you come pull down MY red panties and give me a spanking? i was out of line for that comment before.
SSIgator
August 25th, 2010
4:15 pm
I know that no matter how indecisive Coach Richt seems, he will still beat us in October. Woe is me.
wsewell525
August 25th, 2010
4:16 pm
this is where we tell mark, we told you so. Should have went a head and started murray last year to let him get experience.
DawginLex
August 25th, 2010
4:20 pm
MURRAY WAS HURT LAST YEAR AND NOT READY TO PLAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PMC
August 25th, 2010
4:26 pm
Let’s not be so hard on Richt/Bobo in this blog. Writers write this stuff because the coaches have to be political about it. They know EXACTLY what they are going to do with the QB situation… they just aren’t saying it publically.
RJM Dawg
August 25th, 2010
4:27 pm
Definitely play him in mop up duty so he can get some experience…
jasont13
August 25th, 2010
4:41 pm
I see a lot of posts from unemployed football coaches in here. First off, why would Richt worry about this before the season starts. They have until the 7th game to decide wether to redshirt a player or not. So you want him to go ahead and say yep were going to redshirt him or wait until there is a chance to use him. If I was a coach I would never show my cards (as what Richt is doing) to the media. You all forgot one thing there wouldn’t be any issues with the QB depth if Mettenberger wasn’t an idiot one night.
jasont13
August 25th, 2010
4:43 pm
SSI Gator, I have a question. What is Florida’s back up plan if Brantley gets hurt? From the looks of the roster its freshman and walk ons at QB as well.
Carnac
August 25th, 2010
4:47 pm
With Murray’s history of injuries in HS and then last year, only a fool wouldn’t have Mason ready. Of course there were those who said after the 2008 season that only a fool would not hire Willie.
Carnac
August 25th, 2010
4:48 pm
Freshmen Jason, not walkons
Mobile Dawg
August 25th, 2010
4:52 pm
Jason, why let yourself get in a position where you have two, or three freshman QB’s on the roster? You know these days a good QB isn’t going to stay around 4 years. Use them while you’ve got them. It’s the most important position on the team….
jake
August 25th, 2010
4:53 pm
i love uga too death however i do not see the program improving . hopefully the defense will be dominating . if the season is anything like last year there needs to be a change …
McGarrity
August 25th, 2010
4:55 pm
Jake, that’s why they hired me; there change coming to Athens and it’s name is accountability.
doug dawg
August 25th, 2010
4:55 pm
this is no tough decision at all. play mason early and often. forget thinking about lemay – he may be here or not, and he may be all he’s purported to be or not. it is a no brainer. get that young man on the field.
Not so fast
August 25th, 2010
4:56 pm
I think Michigan was planning on rotating their QB’s against Appalachian State a couple of years back but they ran out of time…
doug dawg
August 25th, 2010
4:58 pm
we dawg fans always look at crystal balls and see the future. it never works. the future is now. the ‘balls’ we need aren’t crystal. let’s not leave them sitting on the bench.
McGarrity
August 25th, 2010
5:00 pm
Good doug; I don’t understand the love fest after home losses to Kentucky and Vandy in recent years. I guess being a nice guy means more than I thought.
Gratefuldawghead
August 25th, 2010
5:00 pm
He needs game day experience..play him! GO DAWGS
Blackberry Cobbler
August 25th, 2010
5:02 pm
What a freakin’ mess in Athens!
Here we 2 weeks before the 1st game and CMR “really hasn’t thought about it” when it comes to the backup QB. Unfreakin’ believable.
If Logan Gray was going to be your #2, then he already needs to be practicing like the #2, not wasting time at reciever.
All I can say is Murray better be real damned good and better not get injured because CMR and Booboo have made a real mess of the QB situation.
doug dawg
August 25th, 2010
5:14 pm
with all respect to ‘cobbler,’ i don’t think there is a ‘mess’ in athens at all. i don’t believe the coaching staff is ‘out to lunch,’ on these issues, and i think there is some good reasoning going on. but, again, the mason business is not, as they say, ‘rocket science’. and even that can’t be too complicated given that our tech bretheren take it for a major. play the guy. let him get some experience, and what comes of that can only be good down the road. what i absolutely hate is to witness some games, like last year, when you KNEW you had talent on the bench that could step in — and it never did. all for the sake of another year of eligibility, but you weren’t convinced of that either. go, hutson. and aaron. and lemay if you materialize.
GADawg4Life
August 25th, 2010
5:28 pm
I am so sick of you so called “Georgia Faithful” bashing CMR on this blog. It’s not like we are re-living the Goff era again. I really don’t think that any of you doing the bashing and being over critical of his decisions as head coach could do any better. If you are sick of being a Dawg, jump your sorry selves on the Gator or Bama bandwagon like everyone else. If not suck it up and be a true fan through thick and thin. The record shows that he is a pretty smart man when it comes to this stuff and have a little faith that he will make the right decision.
Man Enough
August 25th, 2010
5:28 pm
I say play him. From what I’m hearing, Mason has impressed, so give him a chance to get experience when the time is right. Besides, with all the hype of LeMay, if as good as adverised, when he gets here then what have you redshirted for? Just like last year, Murray should have taken his lumps in my opinion and would have game experience now. I just dont see the point in redshirting him. But I’m no coach so what do I know? Just my 2 cents.
Secret Society
August 25th, 2010
5:34 pm
If he’s a Mason – he should be sidelined. They all want to take over the world. It’s a secret society you know?