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.
————–
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.
————————-
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.”
————————
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.”
——————–
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.
———————–
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.”
————————-
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
SSIgator
February 10th, 2010
5:25 pm
patrick -
And the Gator era of 17-3 is not current.
Give it up patrick
February 10th, 2010
5:25 pm
patrick – dude, I love UGA and I love your enthusiasm, but you have to let the chips fall where they may. Shoot, if I were to have utilized your slant when I was younger I may have been able to convince the ladies that I actually had about 10 inches swinging between my legs.
patrick
February 10th, 2010
5:25 pm
Otto said:
Patrick, I have posted multiple reasons why LSU went and not UGA. All you can point to is UGA beat UK and the records were equal.
=============================
no you didnt. And no I didnt
I pointed out
1. LSU lost 2 of last 7 …UGA won all of its last 7
2. LSU lost its last regular season game
3. LSU was ranked lower than an idle UGA (its rare if ever that an idle team is jumped I cant another)
4. UGA beat Knetucky …LSU lost to Kentucky.
5. …well you get the point
patrick
February 10th, 2010
5:26 pm
SSIgator. No more than the 47-39 UGA advantage.
Many different coaches since then.
SSIgator
February 10th, 2010
5:27 pm
Give it up patrick -
He can’t. He is about to OD on chicken soup.
Yellow Fuzz
February 10th, 2010
5:27 pm
DawgInLace,
It’s like you got up and left the stadium early. Wait a minute, the dogs are famous for that. HAHAHAAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH
GT where you'll learn how to run...for your life!!
February 10th, 2010
5:28 pm
30-24
shane#1
February 10th, 2010
5:28 pm
Mett has lost about 20 lbs and if his footwork has improved he certainly has a shot because he is better suited for the pro style O. Murray has a lot of talent and if Bobo and Richt make the proper adjustments to the offense he can go far. I would like to see more multiple reciever formations when Murray is in the game to spread the D and give him some throwing lanes. I would also like to see Murray roll to his left instead of rolling to his right and throwing to the left across his body. I know Drew Brees does that and he is short, but I don’t think Murray is Brees yet. Gray has his shot so lets see what he can do. This will be an intresting year, but remember the old Chinese curse,”may you be born in intresting times.”
patrick
February 10th, 2010
5:30 pm
if you want to use 17-3 lets use this
UGA 12 SEC titles ..Fla 6
UGA is ranked 6th in alltime bowl victories…Fla not ranked top 25
UGA is ranked 11th alltime in wins…Fla is not ranked top 25
UGA is 13th alltime winningest program….Fla not ranked top 25
Should I go on?
I mean history is history. 20 years or 200 years.
Otto
February 10th, 2010
5:30 pm
1) Big deal 2 losses is 2 losses
2) Ranking were not final after the regular season
3) Rare? Not really
4) LSU Beat UT UGA didn’t
5) You havenext to nothing. Any argument for a national title with a win over UK in football as a key point is nothing.
So I will be corrected all you have is REGULAR season records were equal and the UK win.
SSIgator
February 10th, 2010
5:31 pm
Make up your mind patrick. Going back to before time or just about richt. BTW, remember when it used to be 44-22? Won’t be long before all tied up.
patrick
February 10th, 2010
5:32 pm
otto………… 5-2 over last 7 games for LSU
……………….7-0 over last 7 games for UGA
Claerly UGA was the better team to close out season.
Name another team that got jumped while idle
The Grinch
February 10th, 2010
5:33 pm
Yellow Fuzz
February 10th, 2010
5:27 pm
At least we have fans in our stadium who can get up and leave, and we don’t have to offer them a free hot dog and coke to show up.
Also, did you see all those fans in the A She She Champ game that were dressed up as empty seats? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
SSIgator
February 10th, 2010
5:33 pm
And when UF goes ahead all time? What then? Richt had the best overall sun tan, cool hair, most bail money? You have been good for a
patrick
February 10th, 2010
5:34 pm
SSIgator
my mind was made up. I was using last 9 years
You opened the topic to history over all by leaving that parameter (using last 20 years). I merely adjusted my comment to match yours. Nothing to do with me making up my mind
Diamond Dog's Parole Officer
February 10th, 2010
5:35 pm
If history is history… Then Army, Priceton and Yale are all better programs than UGA. (Number of National Championships)
patrick
February 10th, 2010
5:35 pm
if Fla does catch up I will probably be dead and we will not care. Fla would have to win every year the next8 years in a row. By then my 12 year old daughter will be a college grad….IF they do win them str8.
The Grinch
February 10th, 2010
5:35 pm
Getting back on topic – I believe Samuel has the potential to be a great college LB, but it’s gonna take some work. He will be a junior and I’m not convinced he has the footwork necessary to make an immediate impact. He’s greased lightning, but that’s moving forward and not side to side. He’ll be bringing a lot of expectations with him and I surely hope he can deliver. Already at 230lbs? Looks like he’s good with the change.
BurningRedBleedingBlack
February 10th, 2010
5:36 pm
SSI gator hmmm i live on the island also, can’t say i see many gators over here, you must live a lonely life especially on SSI. thats a huge UGA area. Glad you feel good about the future of are program. you need to worry about the post tebow era….oh yeah have you found a DC yet???
patrick
February 10th, 2010
5:36 pm
Diamond Dog…….did I say they were not (alltime)? Again, I was using the last 9 years….not history
Yellow Fuzz
February 10th, 2010
5:38 pm
The Grinch
February 10th, 2010
5:33 pm
Yellow Fuzz
February 10th, 2010
5:27 pm
At least we have fans in our stadium who can get up and leave, and we don’t have to offer them a free hot dog and coke to show up.
Also, did you see all those fans in the A She She Champ game that were dressed up as empty seats? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Hey Grinch,
If you enjoy paying more to see less that’s fine by me.
BurningRedBleedingBlack
February 10th, 2010
5:38 pm
Are coach might have a amazing tan at least he can take the duties of a coach like a man, taking a leave of absence my chest hurts please!!!
Yellow Fuzz
February 10th, 2010
5:40 pm
Anyone know where DawgInLace went? He sucker punched me and left. About tired of calling him out right now. He’s probably working the sidewalks and parking lots by now anyhow.
patrick
February 10th, 2010
5:41 pm
At the end of the 2007, Georiga without a doubt had the best team in America. No one could have beaten that team in January of that year. They were rolling on both offense and defense and had total team chemistry. Too bad they did not get a chance to play for the national title that year. They derserve to be there. It will happen again in the near future I am sure. Richt is now focused on not only getting top notch talent, which he is, but on building the team approach it takes to win it all coming out of the SEC…
Otto
February 10th, 2010
5:41 pm
LSU Oct 5th ‘08 in the AP from 3rd to 4th.
Yellow Fuzz
February 10th, 2010
5:41 pm
Same Dawg, different day.
SSIgator
February 10th, 2010
5:41 pm
BurningRedBleedingBlack -
You must spend all of your time at Brogans. Lots of Gator fans here though not as many as the puppies. We do love how nice and quiet it is at home after the Jax game though.
The Grinch
February 10th, 2010
5:42 pm
Yellow Fuzz
February 10th, 2010
5:38 pm
If you mean do I enjoy paying more to see UGA beat tech 8 out of 9 years, then yes. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
And speaking of less, the Iowa coach, after the Orange Bowl win, stated that Wake Forest was a fine and deserving opponent. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
brucemac
February 10th, 2010
5:43 pm
You are killing them Patrick. Go man. They will resort to the name calling or quit soon. Either way, you are the winner of the College Football blogger of the day.
Dawg In Florida
February 10th, 2010
5:43 pm
I love how Florida and Alabama fans are constantly reading the AJC sports section that is primarily focused on GEORGIA based teams. It never ceases to amaze me how many of you get on here just to trash talk other teams in the SEC.
UGA fans only fuel the fire replying to them. The UF vs UGA tradition is long standing. Anyone who knows the history knows that each team has dominated the other over various periods of time. UF loves that they can shout about the passed decade or so. I’m sure UGA shouted just the same in the prior decades.
So UF has stepped it up since Spurrier arrived, congratulations. Now get over yourselves and hope that Urban can get his health in check. Don’t forget you guys have a few new coaches as well as a fairly untested offensive/defensive roster. Those that did see the field didn’t really help the not-so-dominant performances UF had this year. Though I will give you the win over the Head Coachless Cincinnati team.
Anyway, it’s going to be an interesting year for the SEC in 2010. Hopefully UGA will have finally awakened the sleeping dragon that was once their defense and rise again to be a dominant force in the SEC.
We shall see!
GO DAWGS!
Diamond Dog's Parole Officer
February 10th, 2010
5:43 pm
Can you imagine Patrick’s joy if Richt were to ever win a national championship? (Like four other current SEC coaches)
I bet he’s already has a periwinkle candle burning with his UGA knee pads…
I bet he’s like Ricky Schroder in the moive “The Champ”…. CMR is the best. I wanna go with the champ. (crying)
patrick
February 10th, 2010
5:43 pm
otto…….I call BS. Who did they jump? Oh thats right…no one that was idle. LSU jumped UGA when UGA was 4 and they were 7. Thats a 3 spot jump. I will wait for you to tell me another team that did that. I will order pizza
Alphare
February 10th, 2010
5:44 pm
patrick,
you are getting pathetic or twisting your logic now. 07 Georgia? really?
Any team winning a NC has some luck on its side. Not just BAMA this year (TN lost with 2 blocked field goals?), FL, and LSU in the past years. can SoCal have the luck to beat 3-4 good teams every year in SEC? They are lucky they are not in the SEC, my friend.
But you win the game you have to win to be there. UGA couldn’t do it the last 10 years. They either choke on Florida, or Tennessee when it counts the most.
patrick
February 10th, 2010
5:45 pm
Diamond dog…. you said four coaches won a NC??? Name just one in D1A history that has WON a NC. I will wait
The Grinch
February 10th, 2010
5:45 pm
Dawg In Florida
February 10th, 2010
5:43 pm
You know, I don’t have as much of a problem with the UF fans because face it, they have dominated for two decades.
Bama fans are a different story. They hibernated an entire decade until Saban’s second season. Now they’re out crowing like a banty rooster.
SSIgator
February 10th, 2010
5:46 pm
Dawg In Florida -
Careful. You are stepping on patricks turf with reference to history. Watch out, he may make you stand in the corner.
patrick
February 10th, 2010
5:46 pm
Alphare…..wins get you in you say???? really??
UGA 12-1 winning SEC in 2002 didnt get in.
FLA 12-1 winning SEC in 2006/8 did get in
arent those the same amount of wins????
ok tell me again how wins get you in??? I will wait.
Diamond Dog's Parole Officer
February 10th, 2010
5:47 pm
Four other current coaches in the SEC.
Let me see if I can get all four…
Meyer
Saban
Miles
Spurrier
I believe the two of the four have won multiple NC’s, right?
BurningRedBleedingBlack
February 10th, 2010
5:48 pm
Hey SSI gator you name the place i’m sure where ever it is you’ll be out numbered. And no i live on the northside of the island. so no brogans but im friends with the owners so if you’d like we all can arrange a little pregame party i’m sure you’ll have a fun time wearing your orange and blue…..thats what i love about you swamp lizards you mostly stay were you belong below EXIT 1 camden county
Diamond Dog's Parole Officer
February 10th, 2010
5:48 pm
Patrick… Penn State has gone undefeated without winning a national title.
Why don’t you champion their cause?
The Grinch
February 10th, 2010
5:48 pm
Yellow Fuzz, I must admit it’s quite humorous to hear a tech fan talk about fan attendance. But since you brought it up let me leave you with this:
“TOP 10 REASONS TO ATTEND A TECH FOOTBALL GAME”
10. You won’t have to worry about the crush of a crowd.
9. Bopping up and down to the Budweiser song is soooooooo cool.
8. When you look at the tech student body, you begin to feel pretty good about your own appearance.
7. You see guys who actually seem to be content WITHOUT having pretty women around.
6. Plenty of available parking close to the stadium.
5. Watching high school caliber football is such an American thing.
4. It’s a relatively safe refuge from the surrounding area in Atlanta.
3. Singing “helluva helluva…” all night long makes you feel like such a bada$$.
2. Those delicious free hot dogs and cokes.
1. It’s such a great way to spend a Thursday night.
patrick
February 10th, 2010
5:48 pm
alphare…
so UGA losing to a ranked Fla in 2002 at a neutral site is worse than Fla losing to an unranked Ole Miss AT HOME in 2008?
Really?
But you criticize my logic?
Gators 17 Dawgs 3
February 10th, 2010
5:50 pm
Patrick, you little twit. You like history so much, go check this out. Georgia owned the Gators from 1904-1936 (13-2-1), kinda of of like the Gators own you now. Since 1936 the Gators lead the series 35-34-1 and lead the will continue to grow until you get rid of Richt.
patrick
February 10th, 2010
5:51 pm
Diamond Dog…….those didnt win a NC. They were awarded a chance to play in a BCSNC bowl and won that game. How did they get into that game??? Oh by votes. Hardly winning a NC. In fact no team has ever WON a NC. All have been awarded by votes on an opinion poll.
patrick
February 10th, 2010
5:52 pm
I am not a Penn State fan. But I am championing a playoff over the current system ………..not championing a single team being awarded a NC whether its Penn State or UGA
SSIgator
February 10th, 2010
5:52 pm
Uh Oh. Patrick has got us now. It is not wins or loses that count. It is a conspiracy! Brought on by everyone who does not like UGA. ESPN will have the NCAA police at their studios the evening. Oh no, the NCAA is in on it too!!! Run for the hills!!!
Diamond Dog's Parole Officer
February 10th, 2010
5:55 pm
Well then, I don’t guess Richt will ever win won either. Unless they change the rules.
And until they change the rules, the governing body (NCAA), schools and the rest of the country (except you) accept the winner of the BCS championhip game as national champions.
patrick
February 10th, 2010
5:55 pm
diamond dog and SSIgator
Did you know that Division I-A football is the only NCAA sport (at any division level) without a championship tournament?
Any other sport, played by either gender, at any other level, and they decide the thing on the field.
Just not Division I-A (now called the “FBS” – no kidding), which gets voted on by reporters.
Of the 119 FBS schools, 68 got into the record 34 bowls this year.
That’s not a “commitment to excellence”, it’s a commitment to mediocrity.
SSIgator
February 10th, 2010
5:56 pm
BurningRedBleedingBlack -
Live on the south end SSI, but since you know Stan, he must have told you he has Brogans North so you don’t have to drive all the way to the Village.
Gators 17 Dawgs 3
February 10th, 2010
5:56 pm
Patrick,
I’ve noticed you respond to other posters, is just TOO PAINFUL for you to type
Gators 17 Dawgs 3?