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
Pi$$onaDAWG
March 26th, 2010
7:17 pm
NGC for my undergrad and the Coles School for my MBA. You can wrestle and play basketball. You can play Baseball and golf too. It all depends on your coaches. Football Head coach was Wrestling coach and the Foorball D backs coach was the Basketball coach. Smallbore Rifle Shooting was during Baseball season too. NGC also had the only FULL Contact Intramural Football in the country, but I guess you guys have all the answewrs to everything because you are DAWGS. HAHAHAHHAAHAH. I can prove what I said Look it up it is all on the WEB. Go ahead and prove me wrong. I have been going to Tech games since 74, went to Peper Rogers football camp and Carolina Basketball camp when MJ was a nobody Freshman. NEXT you A..hole DAWGS.
option smoption
March 26th, 2010
7:18 pm
Murray is the only one of the three with the talent to win in the SEC. He should have been in there last year midway through the season. Then we wouldn’t have the QB with no experience deal this spring. And to all those who drank the Kool-Aid last year, yes, maybe Cox gave us the best chance to win, but in the SEC who cares after you lose 4 games? I would rather have lost an extra game last year and have an experienced qb coming into the spring. Competition is good for the individuals in the competition but not necessarily for the team. Please end this charade and name a clear starter for the team’s sake, CMR.
Ely from Plant in Tampa...
March 26th, 2010
7:22 pm
Philip Ely did a real good job when he stepped in for Murray…the coach made adjustments when Murray went down by keeping a blocking back to help out…Plant also started to run a more balanced attack by running the ball more…point of fact was that Murray during his Jr year was the leading rusher on the team w/ about 1000 yds on around 100 carries (yea right, he’s injury prone)..BTW, Ely didn’t play at the start of last year because of cracked bones in his back and they still won all but one…now days Plant plays a really balanced attack, and I’m sure that all you real fans are aware that your DAWGS are trying to get their RB/LB James Wilder Jr…see Plants coach makes adjustment to his talent…interesting concept
UGA SUCKS AT EVERYTHING
March 26th, 2010
7:43 pm
it’s a known fact bulldawgs like to lick their own ass!!
Oh my
March 26th, 2010
7:51 pm
UGA SUCKS AT EVERYTHING – Does your mom know you wrote that using her computer lil’ Timmy?
Buckhead Bulldog
March 26th, 2010
7:53 pm
UGA SUCKS AT EVERYTHING : Wow! That was REALLY funny!
Small Johnson
March 26th, 2010
8:08 pm
Option Smoption
Thank you for agreeing to what I said at half time during the OK St game and the 11 games after.
Finally a dawg fan with some sense
Oh and hopefully CMR will stop the 5th year loyalty crap and realize you play the players who will win you games
Or you will end up like the GREAT WILLIE MARTINEZ D coach of the Decade
CatsFly
March 26th, 2010
8:40 pm
Home and away package, fb and bb. Who had you rather see UGa have a home and home series in both fb and bb (as a package) with, FlaSt., or UNC? I would luv to get the Heels in Stegman (sp), and Chapel Hill is a good place to see a game.
Pi$$onaDAWG
March 26th, 2010
9:06 pm
I hear UGA is going with RUSS and a case of White Spray paint. You G A can’t a nonWhite Player on the TEAM now can they. I guess Russ can’t be buried in the Septic Tank of Sanford either.
Bo Williams
March 26th, 2010
9:17 pm
Cats…why would we want to play UNC? We can’t beat them in roundball, and their fb program appears to be on even par with UGa football.
GoDOGS1
March 26th, 2010
9:22 pm
Yeah riiiiiiiight, Bo. Sure!
dawgma
March 26th, 2010
9:31 pm
Hey Bull**maniac – It’s first week of spring dude. let’em fight all spring. Plenty of time for reps in he dogdaze of summer. it da rookie not gray to start anyway.
What??
March 26th, 2010
9:31 pm
All of the trash talking by those who are not DAWG fans really gets in the way for some good conversation.
That being said, I HOPE that Grey does not get the QB job based on seniority. We need to play the best and develope them.
We have the coaches on defense. Lets see what Bobo will do. I fear that he is out classed by the DC’s he will face.
Mark had better take over the OC duties and quick!
To all Dawg fans
March 26th, 2010
9:45 pm
Seriously, which games to you predict you will lose in 2010? Just askin.
spudrick
March 26th, 2010
9:50 pm
I saw what Aaron Murray and Orson Charles did at Plant High School in Tampa. Folks this will be an lethal combination. They gave Plant HS two state titles.
Mocha Dawg
March 26th, 2010
10:15 pm
Has richt taken the team swimming yet?
To all Dawg fans
March 26th, 2010
10:21 pm
Spudrick murray wasnt a starter in 2006 when he was a soph when they won. They didnt win in 07, but did in 08 and 09 when he was a fresh at uga.
Big L
March 26th, 2010
10:32 pm
I’m glproux to be a Bulldog and not a ramblin wreck. I’m glad I’m from Georgia and not from Georgia tech. Georgia’s so much better, as anyone can tell, oh Glory to ol Georgia and tech can go to hell. Hey Paul Johnson, the forward pass is legal before he last two minutes of the game. Just sayin.
Shreveport Shorty
March 26th, 2010
10:46 pm
It doesn’t matter who the dawg QB will be. The dawgs are losing 4-5 games again and heading back to Shreveport, home of the coldest PRB in louisiana! Better hurry dawgs—that motel 6 near the freeway fills up fast so get your reservation in!!
When will Georgia win a National Title?
March 26th, 2010
10:55 pm
??????????????????????
oledawg
March 26th, 2010
11:41 pm
I have news for everyone: since you don’t know who will be selected wouldn’t it be better if we accepted the verdict as we accept the Election of the President? He’s Head Dawg because the ones who matter, the coaches, are the ones who determine that from closeup observation and if it ain’t one of the ones you cheer for, then they are Vice-Presidents-in-waiting. Long live the President and the Vice-Presidents are there because they are capable of running the system if anything happens to the Pres. All are Dawgs that have our best wishes in their experience at Georgia. I’ll scream louder than any of you for all three. They are all worthy recipients of our fielty, no matter which one is first.
oledawg
March 26th, 2010
11:51 pm
Big L -Quit typing. You’re stoned. Those ole fat fingers jus do’t hit them little bitty keys very well even when we are sober. While you are catchin a nappy-poo, I’ll tell you about my wife, the Amnesian. What the heck, I’m thirsty for a pure agave tequila. I’ll do that first.
splitting reps
March 27th, 2010
1:10 am
the longer this goes on, the more time spent developing rapport and timing with AJ Green is lost
so as a UGA hater, this couldn’t be a better scenario
MikkUGA
March 27th, 2010
2:11 am
People talk about how UGA having a new qb will hurt them. CTG is going to have this defense ready with 2 of the best pass rushing LBs in the SEC in Houston and Washington. Team that with a good dline and talent all over the secondary. King and Ealey have said they will be the first tandem at Georgia to have 2 1000 yard seasons, behind our oline I believe them. The best WR in the country in AJ and the best TE corp in the country with White and Charles. Murray will be the starter and did not Bama just win a NC with a qb who had never taken a snap in college football before last season. Get ready here come the DAWGS.
??
March 27th, 2010
8:15 am
The problem with the Defense MikkUGA, is you lost 6 starters off of a crappy defense. It wasnt just willie, it was the players too.
DawgFan24
March 27th, 2010
9:12 am
Where was the story here?
Steve
March 27th, 2010
11:21 am
Murray is gonna be your QB. Gray couldn’t beat out Cox last season, and if Murray hadn’t gotten hurt he would have taken over for Cox imo. You can forget about Mettenberger, and don’t blame it on the trouble he got into, Murray is just on another level. Murray, Gray, then Mett is your QB depth chart in ‘10.
Mettenberger Rules
March 27th, 2010
11:42 am
Mettenberger will win the starting QB job—mark it down! He’s got a rocket arm and is better than Murray in the pocket.
Paul Johnson
March 27th, 2010
12:39 pm
I have man boobs
go dawgs!!!!
March 27th, 2010
9:46 pm
The reason you see alot of these talented freshmen red-shirted is because Richt has a hard time letting freshman get a whole lot of playing time much less start. Look how long it took him to play ealey this past season. He is getting better and just needs to let the best players be on the field regardless of age. GO DAWGS!!!!
Bama
March 28th, 2010
5:56 am
LA-Monroe…..hahahahahahhahahaha…LMAO Sorry I digress….hahahahahaha…That is funny right there I don’t care who you are. Oh and UGA has a better winning percentage than Bama for the last upteen years. Ba
Stinger
March 28th, 2010
2:18 pm
Who cares? I mean really who cares, none of the 3 are Divn 1 players. Your grade school offense will be pathetic.
HBTD1
March 28th, 2010
7:13 pm
Stinger,
We just need a QB to hand it off to Ealey or King and wacth them rip another 300+ on your Jackets. Make no mistake, Stinger, the Dogs are gonna rip one on GT in November to the tune of 45(+) to 14.
If I were I would not even make the trip to Athens…..you be slapped all over the place for all of the crap you little techies have been spewing. ha ha haaaaa, ha ha haaaa.
Jim
March 28th, 2010
8:53 pm
I would love to see Coach Bobo run the wishbone with either Gray or Murry at QB, Chapus or Munzenmaier at FB, Green at WR, Charles at TE, and Ealey & King at RB. The D would go crazy trying to figure out who to double team while we piled up the yards and ran up the score. Our O line should be prime to suppoet this formation this year. Looking forward to the season.
u people don't know anything
March 28th, 2010
10:15 pm
I love how all of you people think y’all have such great football minds…. 90% of you have never played a down past middle or high school and if you did…. i would bet you were not worth 50 cents. How do any of you know who is going to play QB next year? You have only seen one kid play. If you were sober enough to remember the Gray kid playing…. I also love you guys that are always on our coaches, if you think you can do a better job, quit your current one and go apply for a Grad Asst. job, they work about 80 hours a week don’t make crap and have no life outside of football. So, go for it, you football gods…. also, lastly if you never went to school at UGA please, find another team to cheer for, us graduates are tired of y’all giving us a bad name.
Standing on the sidelines
March 29th, 2010
7:47 am
I wonder if this year will be the year that Richt wises up and realizes that Willie was only part of the problem. If he finally figures out Bozo was the other half, his win record against FL might improve. You can’t beat somebody—Urban—with a nobody—Bobo.
Rich
March 29th, 2010
1:59 pm
Go to the spread option and have Logan Gray as the starter.
PSU/UGA
March 29th, 2010
2:02 pm
PSU will knock whatever teeth those bama fans have left in their mouth out the 2nd week of the season. Tide will stop rolling!!!!
georgiadawg70
March 31st, 2010
7:18 am
They fact the Logan Grey is still being considered tells you we are in trouble.