The unspoken question: Who leads the QB derby?
(UPDATE: Report on Saturday’s scrimmage, including the quarterbacks’ performance, is here.)
ATHENS –- Each day, Georgia’s quarterbacks meet with their position coach, Mike Bobo. One topic never comes up in those meetings: a pecking order among the three quarterbacks competing this spring to be the Bulldogs’ starter.
“Coach Bobo really isn’t telling anybody, ‘You stand here,’ ‘You stand here,’” Logan Gray said.
“No, Coach Bobo hasn’t said anything, him or Coach Richt,” Aaron Murray said.
The three quarterbacks -– Gray, Murray and Zach Mettenberger –- have evenly shared snaps with the first-team offense in the seven sessions of spring practice so far. And they will do so Saturday morning when the team holds a closed scrimmage in Sanford Stadium, undoubtedly the most important day yet in their competition.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Murray said. “Coach Richt was talking after practice [Thursday] that this is going to be the first test for everyone, [the time] to see where everyone is at, what we have learned and where we have come after two weeks of practice.”
The scrimmage will be Georgia’s first of three allowed by the NCAA during spring practice.
“This is my third spring, so obviously I’ve found out scrimmages in the spring are what are judged probably the most and the biggest,” Gray said. “With this being our first one, and with the quarterback competition going on how it is right now, obviously it’s going to be really important.
“But I don’t want to make it the end of the world,” Gray added. “If one of us has a not-so-good day, I don’t think that’s just going to kill us, or put somebody out of what’s going on. But I think everybody is going to be excited to go out there and go live for a long period of time and make plays at all positions.”
Gray’s view of the competition so far is that all three quarterbacks have had “really good days” and “days there could be improvement.”
The coaches’ silence about any sort of day-to-day pecking order is by design.
Said Richt: “Coach Bobo in the first meeting told them, ‘Men, don’t worry about the depth chart. Don’t worry about what the media might say. Don’t worry about what your hometown might say. Just focus on becoming a better quarterback each day.”
Gray said the quarterbacks have been able to focus on day-to-day progress, rather than fretting the high-profile competition.
“We’re just all three of us trying to get better and correct the mistakes we’re making,” he said. “I think all of us have done a good job of trying to come out and work hard every day and take care of our business.”
For his part, Gray believes he has improved his passing accuracy.
“I felt like I’ve had some really good days where I’ve been hitting my targets better maybe than I did in the past,” he said. “I just have to keep on running the offense on a consistent basis so the coaches know every single time I’m in the huddle hopefully something good can happen.”
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239 comments Add your comment
Gravy Train
March 26th, 2010
10:11 am
Don’t announce a starter until game day. The competition will make the eventual starter even better. I think Murray’s intangibles will see him to the top.
Matthews Dawg
March 26th, 2010
10:12 am
2nd and almost first!! Good job Gravy Train!!
chipperdawg
March 26th, 2010
10:18 am
This will be fun to watch right up until Sept. and will make all three stronger. I think they ALL have pros and cons. I trust the one that gives us the best chance to win will be the Game 1 starter.
chipperdawg
March 26th, 2010
10:21 am
Oh yeah, GGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DAWGS !!!! SIC ‘EM !! WOOF, WOOF, WOOF !!!!
The D
March 26th, 2010
10:25 am
They are all better than Joe C and Joe T. That is for sure, Go Dawgs, and QB’s please protect the ball
jp
March 26th, 2010
10:28 am
Its going to be Murray more than likely especially since Mett got in trouble
droopydawg
March 26th, 2010
10:30 am
Logan Gray better than Joe Cox? Really? Joe Cox wasn’t all world or anything but he could at least put the ball within 10 yards of a receiver.
SimpleDawg
March 26th, 2010
10:34 am
It will be an interesting battle all spring and summer…..may the best player win.
I feel like Murray will be the man, but we’ll see what happens.
Dude
March 26th, 2010
10:36 am
If the same coaches are evaluating who is best for the job like they did at RB last year, we may not know until late in the season, ie Richard Samuals was “clearly” the best RB on the team at the beginning of the year now he is a LB. Nothing against Richard but how can you miss that badly on the evaluation of position talent. Richt and Bobo may start Vince Vance at KO returns until they determine he should be on the O Line…. there is something to it.
Bill W.
March 26th, 2010
10:37 am
I think it will be Quincy Carter.
BurningRedBleedingBlack
March 26th, 2010
10:39 am
I think Gray has improved, but i just have a strong feeling murray has this locked. Just comapring all the games important aspects, Leadership accuracy, protecting the ball, knowing play, and the ability to take of or roll out if pressured. Murray just seems to be a awesome QB. However, if gray is better and can stay consistent throughout the season then God bless him. GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!
McDawg
March 26th, 2010
10:42 am
Quincy was a Warrior too bad the blow was too much for him
txdawg
March 26th, 2010
11:07 am
I would like Murray to get the job and in my estimation he would for sure if he was 2″ taller. It just depends what is more important to CMR and Bobo – time in the system (Gray), pocker passer with a cannon (Mett), or a dual threat QB (Murray) who can stand in the pocket, throw on the run with accuracy and turn it up field when there is nothing there.
I couldn't disagree
March 26th, 2010
11:09 am
more Gravy Train. Let’s be honest here. It won’t be Gray. Fantastic athlete and worthy of some playing time elsewhere. But, there’s a reason that the guy played on the KICK-OFF TEAM last year. This is between the two freshmen. Let them compete over the spring and make a decision. The starter needs to take all first team reps when fall practice begins. Neither have any college experience, so the more reps the better.
Tom
March 26th, 2010
11:13 am
Gray sucks……..Mettenburger now has issues, my money is on Murray.
30-24 Dawgs - WE RUN THIS STATE!
March 26th, 2010
11:15 am
No question it’s Aaron Murray all the way. A much needed upgrade from the Ginger Ninja last season, but hey I give Cox credit for beating tech 30-24!
Bruce Mac
March 26th, 2010
11:15 am
Yea Dude, unlike you our coaches are not perfect. Give it a break.
Duckafawg
March 26th, 2010
11:18 am
I say go to the Wing-T and directly snap it to Ealey
tony
March 26th, 2010
11:21 am
My bet is on Aaron Murray. Gratham will have the defense playing at a very high level more so than what the offense is use to competing against. I believe Aaron Murray can handle the pressure better than Mett and Gray. Aaron proved last spring that he can hit his targets consistently and his quick released and mobility will bail him out of trouble more so than not.
Jax Dawg
March 26th, 2010
11:22 am
I just hope Logan Gray has learned after 3 years to not throw it to the other team.
GT BBall Fan
March 26th, 2010
11:23 am
Are we tailgating at the Shreveport IHop again this bowl season?
MikeDawg
March 26th, 2010
11:25 am
20th!!
Sweet Home Alabama
March 26th, 2010
11:26 am
Bulldogs this is big boy football,lets see a punt returner,a tight end who does the pokey shuffle and another one that weights 180 pounds.
Might be OK in the ACC ,bring it over to Bama and we will put a fifty on before you blink and eye.Just like we did in the Famous black out.
ROLL TIDE ROLL……..4 and 5 stars only for the TIDE………
ugadogsfan_365
March 26th, 2010
11:31 am
man i cant wait for this season to kick-off this is going to be a special year i wont make any bold predictions but this yr will be totally opposite from last yr go dogs
bigdawg01
March 26th, 2010
11:43 am
Typical Douche Bama Fans….What does “blink and eye” mean.
I know you got your Bama shirt at Wal-Mart.
Bammer Rules, not
March 26th, 2010
11:46 am
Sweet Home, the last time we were there UGA walked home with a smile on there face. Our players did have some beer on them thanks to a bunch of redneck Bammer fans like you. What a class act, are you still vacating wins or are you done with that round of cheating penalties?
Really?
March 26th, 2010
11:48 am
Hasn’t this article already been written AT LEAST five times???
alabamadawg
March 26th, 2010
11:49 am
I love our coaching staff. That said, I do worry sometimes about their ability to judge talent. I mean they did start Joe C., Joe T., Richard Samuel, and they redshirted Moreno…
Nick
March 26th, 2010
11:50 am
I too liked Quincy. The guy could flat out throw a football a mile and could run out of bad situations with ease. I’d love to have someone with his mobility back in there.
But yeah, too bad he was a drug addict.
Big Albany Dawg
March 26th, 2010
11:52 am
Can’t afford to tell Mettenburger he’s the backup until Aug. Otherwise, he’ll transfer.
Dave In Tampa
March 26th, 2010
11:52 am
I was one of the people last year that thought Cox was going to be awesome. Heck, looking at his credentials out of High School it seemed like a good bet. However, we can’t stay down on him for last seasons performance. Anyone of you that has played sports at that age knows that to stay sharpe you have to play “live” all the time. He sat without playing basically for 4 years. I think it was unfair that myself, and others, expected what we did out of him last year.
Oh, Sweet Home Alabama I’m guessing math was not a strong suit for you in school. Don’t remember you scoring “fifty” on us 2 years ago.
Nick
March 26th, 2010
11:52 am
Can some Tech fans tell me where the Humanitarian Bowl is? Not that any of them actually showed up for it, but the location should be on several of their past final schedules.
Senator Blutarski
March 26th, 2010
11:53 am
would be interesting to see some wildcat variation since both Gray and Murray can run as well as pass…
Hawk n the Ham
March 26th, 2010
11:54 am
*Ginger Ninja* LOL, that’s too funny.
Matthews Dawg
March 26th, 2010
11:55 am
That a baby MikeDawg being 20th. I was 2nd this time!!
TheItalianDawg
March 26th, 2010
11:55 am
I honestly can tell you that Im very concern about the inability of our coaches to pick a starter. I love our coaches but they did few serious mistakes that made me very concern and dont trust their analyses and I can list few examples that support my concerns:
1- Clearly Moreno was our best back and they red shirted him, that was a killer mistake
2- Joe T should have never started in 2006, clearly Stafford was the best QB, that was a huge mistake.
3-Rambo is clearly better that Bryan Evans and he was red shirted, while you kept Bryan screwing assignments
4- Cornelius Washington and Montez Robinson should have seen the field more often, they were doing great jobs in stupid Martinez system
Im just glad that Martinez is gone because his evaluation of talent is pathetic
Kevin "Big Sexy" Nash
March 26th, 2010
11:57 am
I believe Joe Cox has another year of eligibility. Richt “He gives us the best chance to win” Prime example, Kentucky game. Thank you Mark Richt.
Anyone will be better.
matt
March 26th, 2010
11:57 am
Bama…
Correct me if I am wrong, but didn’t we beat you the last time we played you in Tuscaloosa?
Claudel Washington
March 26th, 2010
11:58 am
I have 3rd cousin who is dating the ball boy’s 2nd best friend and she told me that Aaron Murry looked good in shorts. I translate that to he is definitely the #1 guy going into September.
Just A Big 'Ole Brew
March 26th, 2010
12:03 pm
What about a three-way beer chugging contest? Intestinal fortitude is one of a QB’s top traits, no?
Waka Flocka Flame
March 26th, 2010
12:09 pm
i wanna know what love iiiiiiiiiiiis, i want you to show meeeeeeeeeeeee
mansup
March 26th, 2010
12:16 pm
Who cares? Whoever it is, the AJC and the redneck nation will declare him the most talented QB on the most talented team, in the toughest conference EVER. That is, right up until the time they are facing another mediocre season…then they’ll be demanding his replacement. Martinez won’t be around either.
Dawglasville
March 26th, 2010
12:17 pm
GT BB FAN- If you want to see a team from this state win a bowl game you may want to travel with us. Richt won a BCS bowl game in his second year.
A lot of people rag on Quincy but he had two huge bowl comback wins. One against Drew Brees. He had one big comeback against Tech the we lost with the phantom Sanks fumble on the goal line. Everyone remembers the bad but he had some really big moments.
70 Dawg
March 26th, 2010
12:20 pm
I get a little tired of reading some fans’(?) criticism of our coaching decisions. Hindsight is 20-20. You guys don’t see these players practice every day for months and most of you never played football, let alone coached football. We need to get over the fact that we redshirted Knowshon Moreno. That redshirt year probably helped him learn a lot about the college game and made his RFr year much better. As far as Samuel being a RB, King was hurt during the early part of the season and Ealey had not learned the playbook as evidenced by his blocking early on. Kindly get off the coaches backs and act like fans.
Delbert D.
March 26th, 2010
12:20 pm
A top-secret spring practice? Strange, since Florida isn’t the opponent in the spring game. Maybe CMR is actually going to do some in-your-face yelling and doesn’t want any outsiders to see that.
On second thought…nahhh.
Alabama Jack
March 26th, 2010
12:28 pm
ho hum. dawgs remain irrelevant.
SEC East Headlines – 3/26/10 « MrSEC.com
March 26th, 2010
12:35 pm
[...] at receiver.9. The accuracy of quarterback candidate Logan Gray is improving.10. The QB race is still wide open.11. UGA’s linebackers are stepping up in the new 3-4 scheme.12. Two reserves from Mark [...]
dawgfan71
March 26th, 2010
12:35 pm
Alabama Jack don’t you have anything better to do than to post day after day on a dawg blog? We get it you hate Georgia. Why not just move on? Pathetic
Dawgforlife
March 26th, 2010
12:36 pm
GT two things…first, at least we have some tailgating, and don’t have to worry about unsold tickets. second, the bowl we went to last year, though definitely a down year for the dogs, was a credit to the california play on blue turf and invent a new bowl so tech can go to a bowl and get beat bowl ya’ll went to about three years straight as the Gailey dynasty was ending.
Dawglasville
March 26th, 2010
12:44 pm
Alabama Jack- who is your team?