Let’s talk football: Murray on arm, Samuel on LB move, Mettenberger on improvement
Athens — Let’s talk some football this afternoon.
I’m at the Butts-Mehre building, planning to talk with a number of UGA football players. Hoping to chat with Richard Samuel about his move from tailback to linebacker, with Logan Gray about whether he intends to remain at quarterback for the duration, with Aaron Murray about whether his arm is 100 percent after last fall’s tendinitis, and others.
I’ll post updates through the afternoon. Please check back.
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UPDATE 1:
Richard Samuel seems very happy about the move to linebacker. ”I feel like I’ll be more comfortable, be able to play more freely at linebacker,” he said. He said coaches pretty much left the decision up to him about whether to remain at tailback or move to linebacker.
He said his biggest problem at tailback was blocking. “I couldn’t block correctly and keep a good pocket for the quarterback,” he said. With the play of Caleb King and Washaun Ealey at the end of last season, “my future wasn’t looking too good at running back.”
He said he’s gaining weight for the move to linebacker. He’s up to 230 now. His goal is to start at linebacker in the season opener.
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UPDATE 2:
For those wondering about the health of Aaron Murray’s arm: He says it’s 100 percent fine, thank you.
Limited by triceps and forearm tendinitis for a big chunk of his redshirt season last fall, Murray said he is not worried at all about his arm now.
Recounting last fall’s problem, he said: “I just tried to push through. It inflamed up and spread throughout the arm. I didn’t give it the proper rest I should have. If I had, I would have been out a week instead of going four-five weeks without throwing. I learned from that. This off-season I’m doing a lot more shoulder maintenance, making my arm strong, building the endurance.”
He said the arm didn’t bother him at all the final month or so of last season and through bowl practices. He said extensive medical tests revealed no problem beyond tendinitis. He said he’s currently throwing three or four times a week. He said he doesn’t expect any setbacks with the arm this spring.
But he did say the missed practice reps last fall “set me back a good bit.”
As for the upcoming quarterback competition with Zach Mettenberger and Logan Gray, Murray said: “I view it is pretty much anybody’s job to take right now. I’m looking forward to spring, going out there and working as hard as I can. It’s my goal to get that position. . . . It should be fun. It’s going to be interesting. Off the field, we are not enemies; we hang out, go out to eat. It’s not [a competition] where we will go out there in hatred. We’re just going out there to win a position. . . . Two days ago, Zach and I went throwing with Marlon [Brown], helping each other with footwork and mechanics. . . . It’s going to be a friendly competition, and in the end the best guy will win.”
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UPDATE 3:
OK, about all those rumors of a possible position switch for quarterback Logan Gray.
Gray said he expects to play quarterback exclusively in spring practice, and although he acknowledged giving some thought to a position switch, he said the rumors were overblown.
“I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t think about what my options were, but I just think it’s too early to make any decisions,” Gray said. “I’m just going to keep on playing quarterback. If there comes a time where I’m not going to be playing or contributing and I think I’d be better off somewhere else, then maybe I’ll make a decision.”
He said the coaches never approached him about a possible position switch for spring practice.
“It was kind of interesting [when] all this whirlwind talk started brewing up and everything,” Gray said, “because it seemed to me like Coach [Mike] Bobo was planning on me playing quarterback through the spring.
“I feel like obviously we’re looking for a starting quarterback, and I feel like I can compete for it. Last year, I didn’t get quite as much experience as I would have liked. But I feel like I’m ready to go this spring, and I’m excited about spring practice and what is going to happen.”
If there comes a time when it’s clear he has no future at quarterback, Gray said, “I’m not, like, opposed to playing receiver or trying to play defense.”
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UPDATE 4:
Still no official word on whether newly hired linebackers coach Warren Belin will coach the inside or outside ‘backers, although LB Chase Vasser said today, “I want to believe it’s inside, but not 100 percent on that.” Whichever group of linebackers Belin coaches, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham will coach the other.
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UPDATE 5:
Zach Mettenberger, whose shaky completion statistics in preseason scrimmages last summer caused some concerns in Bulldog Nation, said he is “10 times better than when I came in.”
The 6-foot-5 Mettenberger said he has lost 18 pounds in the past year, from 255 to 237, and has improved his footwork to the point that it is “as good as the other guys’, if not better.”
All three quarterbacks said they expect a highly competitive battle for the position in spring practice, which will run from March 4 through April 10.
“It’s definitely a big spring for us three quarterbacks,” Mettenberger said. “It’s pretty much going to determine who’s going to be the quarterback for possibly the next couple of years. We’re all excited about the competition, and we’re pushing each other to be the best we can. Whatever happens happens. We’re still going to be friends at the end. And it’s whatever Coach Bobo decides.”
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UPDATE 6:
Here’s wide receiver Marlon Brown summarizing the different styles of the three quarterbacks:
“Zach can throw the ball 100 yards. Zach has a cannon. And Logan, he’s been here three years and is real smart and so he knows the offense better. And Aaron, he’s just an all-around guy [who] can make a tough throw and he can run. They’re all pretty good.”
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530 comments Add your comment
DawginLex
February 10th, 2010
4:19 pm
2007 team did not deserve anything other than what thye got.
I could make a strong argument that the 2002 team deserved a shot but there were 2 undefeateds ahead of them. You have to wonder if that happened today, 2 undefeateds(OSU,Miami) and a 1 loss SEC champion, who gets left out? I bet it wouldn’t be UGA.
sky high
February 10th, 2010
4:19 pm
Logan has the most experience in the system so he has that advantage, and he’s a dual threat QB. Tremedous athlete, can do it all. Speed, intelligence, and leadership.
Murray, the only worries are size–he’s not tall–and he is injury prone so far in each of the last 2 years. Murray, if he can stay healthy, is a dual threat and a scoring machine. Big game player and leader–2 state championships.
Zach has the edge over Murray because of the 5 weeks Murray missed. Zach has great size and accuracy.
Mason is the new kid on the block, great size, accuracy, decision making, extremely productive, but they’ll probably red-shirt him.
patrick
February 10th, 2010
4:20 pm
Blue……… The NC is not the SEC.
So you are saying the New York Giants didnt really win the Super Bowl a couple of years ago because they didnt win their division. Hmmmm
Yellow Fuzz
February 10th, 2010
4:20 pm
At the end of next season it won’t matter in
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ga gator
February 10th, 2010
4:20 pm
Saw every home game this year and Samuel even looks like a head hunter. I always thought he ran to straight up for a RB anyway.
Jona
February 10th, 2010
4:20 pm
TYPICAL BULLDAWG FAN
You’re so original. Now go down to the flats and see if they have anymore free hotdogs leftover.
Otto
February 10th, 2010
4:21 pm
Patrick, LSU also lost both their games in OT and beat UT in the SECCG, a team that blew UGA out. Ultimately again I get back to my post above UGA had their chance to control their own destiny and blew it. If you don’t do that you can’t gripe.
Blue Max
February 10th, 2010
4:21 pm
patrick, the NFL has a playoff. Apples and orange dummy.
Jona
February 10th, 2010
4:22 pm
Yellow Fuzz
B
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Otto
February 10th, 2010
4:22 pm
Shreveport > Boise
DawginLex
February 10th, 2010
4:22 pm
30-24
8 out of 9
Coeds who are babes vs coeds who need bags over the head.
SEC vs ACC
GA vs GT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ealey
February 10th, 2010
4:23 pm
Been on campus a whole year now, can anyone tell me what a library is? and what are those buildings people carrying books are going to?
ga gator
February 10th, 2010
4:24 pm
Yellow Fuzz, I guess you came in 3rd in the ACC behind UGA and South Carolina.
patrick
February 10th, 2010
4:24 pm
apples and oranges???? did the New York giants deserve the Super bowl win? They didnt evn win their division. Same agument dummy
Jona
February 10th, 2010
4:24 pm
Yellow fuzz says the bags don’t work. He tries it all the time
Otto
February 10th, 2010
4:24 pm
Reggie Ball. Could someone tell how to count to 4? But I passed Calc….
patrick
February 10th, 2010
4:26 pm
this is the same argument everyone used to deny UGA a shot even tho they were clearly better than LSU. OU didnt win its conference and got invited. New York Giants didnt win their division so I guess their super bowl win is not real.
DawginLex
February 10th, 2010
4:26 pm
BREAKING NEWS:
Yellow fuzz arrested for riding with blow up doll in front seat in the HOV lane. Officer had to be sedated from uncontrollable laughter when YF introduced him to “his date”.
Film at 11:00
Todd - Dacula
February 10th, 2010
4:26 pm
PLEASE, PLEASE… Stop with teh 1st, 2nd, 3rd and yes 4th, Andy. If you just want to post a position and have nothing to say, do it on soem other blob. We are sports people and love UGA… not loving being 1st, etc…
Bring on Spring Practive…
brucemac
February 10th, 2010
4:26 pm
Tell em Patrick, I don’t even have to post. I am lovin this short vacation. I will say that we have got to get some offensive discipline. We will not continue to win 10 games a year with 10/12 penalties and 3/4 turnovers a game. I don’t think CTG can fix that and it isn’t all on Cox either. I think it will get fixed but I am quite tired of throwing things at my big screen TV.
Blue Max
February 10th, 2010
4:26 pm
patrick, yes because they won the game. I cant argue with ignorance, If you hadn’t been blown out by the VOLS you would have played LSU, then if you had of won that game, you could have played.
Otto
February 10th, 2010
4:27 pm
I hate Jan Kemp caught us changing grades, or we’d been sec champs a whole lot of times.
patrick
February 10th, 2010
4:27 pm
LSU lost 2 times in last 7 games. UGA won their last 7 games. LSU lost its final regular season game. and even tho its a loss in overtime ITS STILL A LOSS.
DawginLex
February 10th, 2010
4:28 pm
Redneck threat to whip my butt coming from yellow fuzz in
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2
1……………….
patrick
February 10th, 2010
4:30 pm
By your logic….the Giants didnt deserve to even play in a championship game because (according to you) you have to win your division to be legit. So them winning the Super Bowl does not count. LOL see the folly of your argument?
patrick
February 10th, 2010
4:32 pm
Also, to add insult to injury, UGA played LSU in Baton Rouge the following year and destroyed them
Cherokee
February 10th, 2010
4:34 pm
Patrick lets forget the past we cannot change it….concentrate on this year and what will be a turn around year for the dogs!
Otto
February 10th, 2010
4:35 pm
to the Jan Kemp every program has had a black eye.
Patrick your crying about ‘07 is pathetic.
DawginLex
February 10th, 2010
4:35 pm
Patrick,
1.) I believe you are strongly advocating for a playoff?
2.) PLEASE don’t try to argue that beating LSU in 2008 had ANYTHING to do with 2007.
We didn’t deserve to be in the NCG in 2007 because we lost to SC and UT and din’t win our division. Fair? No. the way it was? Yes.
patrick
February 10th, 2010
4:35 pm
Let’s set the record straight on this.
.
In 2007 LSU lost to Arky and Ky both 8-5 teams that year.
UGA beat KY handily, 24-13.
UGA did lose by 21 to UT in Knoxvegas, though, and to S. Carolina 16-12 in Athens.
At the time S.Carolina was a damn good team and highly ranked
UGA was actually ahead of LSU in the polls going into the week of the SECCG. However, intense lobbying by the nattering nabobs of ESPN, Jesse Palmer and Lou Holtz, using the “UGA didn’t win their conference” mantra swayed poll voters enough to allow LSU to jump UGA in the polls and the BCS, locking UGA out of the big game.
This, despite the fact that both Nebraska and Oklahoma had played in the BCSNC game previously (look it up) WITHOUT having won their conference championship. (Palmer and Holtz never bothered to mention that.)
Now, if that isn’t getting screwed out of playing in the BCSNC game and being MNC I don’t know what would be. Also, to add insult to injury, UGA played LSU in Baton Rouge the following year and beat the Tigers by 2 touchdowns both teams being basically the same as the year before. This couldn’t be more clear.
Be Be Thomas
February 10th, 2010
4:36 pm
Ealey
February 10th, 2010
4:23 pm
I does not no whut dem bildings iz. I wuz on teks kampus fo many yearz and I saw dem two….to……also.
DawginLex
February 10th, 2010
4:37 pm
LSU 2008 was nothing compared to the 2007 team.
QB graduated
RB graduated
DL graduated
No comparison.
patrick
February 10th, 2010
4:38 pm
as far as winning their division………
UT and UGA had the same conference record in 2007 (6-2) and UT got to play in the SECCG because the first tiebreaker is head to head and they beat UGA that year. Fine. But UGA was still the co-champion of the SEC-East that year. Why do people not acknowledge that
The Grinch
February 10th, 2010
4:39 pm
To patrick
Because as bad as it hurts, the co champ doesn’t get to play in the SECCG.
bama rick
February 10th, 2010
4:41 pm
ok ga. fans, time for get started telling everybody else how good uga is gonna be this year. remember you guys all ways have braging rights until the season starts.
patrick
February 10th, 2010
4:41 pm
there were clearly only tow teams in the running to play OSU in 2007 of the two teams One gets picked over the other because of a poll not the winning of the conference.
Ten months later they play (with basically the same personnel) and the team that didn’t get picked kicks the other team’s ass by 2 touchdowns–and you think that means nothing!
I think it means 3 things:
First, it means that UGA was a better team than LSU in 2007;
second, it means that if LSU and UGA (2 teams with identical conference and overall regular season records) had played in the SECCG, UGA likely would have dusted LSU and been SEC champion;
third, since one of the most often cited playoff formats is the “plus-one” game, had there been a “plus-one” game pitting #1 vs.#2 after the bowls were done for the 2007 season UGA would most likely have won the BCSNC in 2007.
The Grinch
February 10th, 2010
4:43 pm
To bama rick
You’ve definitely got the bragging rights now, but for the 10 years prios to the 2008 season you bama fans were veeeeeeeeeery quiet.
Blue Max
February 10th, 2010
4:43 pm
patrick, with that logic; as co champion then Tenn and UGA play for the NC. Dude you need help.
2010
February 10th, 2010
4:43 pm
3-4 defense you losers…..Be ready for it along with Hit Man Hamilton.
Otto
February 10th, 2010
4:47 pm
Well Patrick, You don’t know much about the Leach/James thing and you don’t know much about ‘07.
Search youtube for local news coverage on Leach and the places James was treated hardly what his member of the bribe taking Pony Express represents.
LSU never lost a game in regulation (2OT losses). UGA was blown out and lost S Car on play calling. UK had players out due to injury by the time UGA played them which is more less your ‘08 excuse. I see you keep the double standards behind those rose colored glasses.
patrick
February 10th, 2010
4:48 pm
co champ, champ, or independent.
.
These are not factors when determining who plays in the BCSNC.
There were clearly only 2 teams in 2007 that were in the running to play OSU and UGA got jumped in the voting due to lobbying by ESPN.
UGA was on a 7 game winning streak ranked higher than LSU prior to the SEC title game and LSU had lost 2 of its last 7 games and its last regular season game.
Only a moron would think UGA was not better than LSU in 2007. Any morons here?
2010
February 10th, 2010
4:48 pm
Facts about why UGA will be fine in 2010
easy out of conference schedule
no bama or lsu
Tenn and Tech @ home
No Joe Cox, Rashad Jones or Bryan Evans
It’s not 2009
New defensive coaches and a pro style d
NO JOE COX!
Otto
February 10th, 2010
4:48 pm
*Pony express father
patrick
February 10th, 2010
4:50 pm
Otto…..LSU lost to Kentucky. UGA beat Kentucky.
LSU lost (overtime or not) 2 games in last 7. How do you not count losing as a loss????
UGA won all of its last 7
UGA was ranked higher than LSU
FSU
February 10th, 2010
4:50 pm
Patrick, I hope you are getting some help for that inferiority complex. I have
never seen such an insecure person rave on about nothing.
patrick
February 10th, 2010
4:51 pm
……..prior to the SEC title game
patrick
February 10th, 2010
4:52 pm
FSU…….. I am stuck at the house with the flu.I have nothing else to do. LOL
BurningRedBleedingBlack
February 10th, 2010
4:52 pm
UGA will be ready for next year, with a new defense and a fire lit under there butts…plus easier schedule, i find that Georgia returns to top of the SEC. Also guys lets remember who all is coming back from injury, that will have a huge impact, Todd Grantham and Richt have created a fine coaching staff. They’ll get the job done, i know its hard to feel posistive becasue of the long haul of willie martinez tenure. Things in athens will turn around real soon. The offense will be ready to play, we already established the running game, we have fine recivers and tightends, the offensive line is loaded again. The defense has been waiting to get aggresive. When we played man last year and blitzed the results were amazing!! Can’t wait to see those red jerseys and Black G’s between the hedges!! GO DAWGS !!!!!
Bryan
February 10th, 2010
4:52 pm
CMR the past 4 years
1-3 to UF
1-3 to UT
2-2 to UK and a late INT away from 1-3
Vandy won in Athens for the 1st time since Goff and celebrating a win at Vandy was cause for major celebration
You could also say UGA under Martinez! He’s gone…..only time will tell if he was the problem, but it is pretty obvious D has been our problem. All those that think we should fire CMR are idiot’s! CMR record speaks for itself/ now that we dropped WM dead weight….we will be back on top! GO DAWGS!!! F#@& the CMR haters….should have your UGA cards revoked!
FSU
February 10th, 2010
4:53 pm
Patrick, you may want to go to a very dark room and start counting backwards slowly from 100, while taking even deep breaths. I hope this helps.