‘Very impressed’ with QBs, Richt plans to rank them soon (PLUS: scrimmage notes)
(Scrimmage statistics are here.)
ATHENS -– After Georgia’s second scrimmage of the spring Saturday in Sanford Stadium, coach Mark Richt said: “Today, you walk away feeling like we’re in good shape” at quarterback.
Three quarterbacks battling for the starting job — Logan Gray, Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger — shared snaps, as they have throughout spring practice. And by all accounts from the intra-squad scrimmage, which was closed to the public and media, each of the three had a strong day.
“I’m not going to get into any pecking order today,” Richt said afterward. But he said, for the first time, that coaches will come up with a quarterback depth chart after spring practice concludes.
“We’ll rack ‘em where we think they are,” Richt said. “We won’t necessarily say, ‘This guy is the starter,’ but we might give a 1-2-3. We might give a co-No. 1 and a 2. . . . We’ll give some kind of indication of where we think they stack up going into the fall. . . . I just think it would be good at the end of the spring to give everybody a feeling of where we think they are.”
Richt added that he doubts “very seriously” he’d go so far after spring ball as to “say someone has won the job.”
Whatever the depth chart reveals, Richt acknowleged that Mettenberger will not start the season opener against Lousiana-Lafayette on Sept. 4 because he faces a suspension of at least one game under UGA Athletic Association policy for his alcohol-related arrest near Valdosta last month.
In Saturday’s scrimmage, Murray completed 13 of 19 passes for 159 yards and one touchdown, Mettenberger 10 of 16 for 126 yards and two TDs, and Gray 7 of 11 for 111 yards and a touchdown. Murray and Mettenberger threw one interception each, Gray none.
“The quarterbacks, I was very impressed,” Richt said. “They just had a very good command of what was going on out there. They moved well in the pocket. They made nice scrambles. . . . The throwing and catching, I thought, was outstanding. . . . Very accurate, just all of them, putting the ball on the money.”
Richt apparently wasn’t the only one impressed. “Some of the officials [working the scrimmage] even mentioned, ‘You guys are really throwing the ball well,’ ” Richt said.
Said Gray: “It seemed like our whole offense, QB’s included, just had a pretty solid day.”
“The offense was real good today,” Murray said. “I think we had our best day.”
The quarterbacks apparently have no inside information about what a post-spring depth chart might look like.
The coaches “haven’t really given us any insight or let us know yet,” Murray said. “They’ve done a good job of rotating us and making sure we had equal time with the first team and second team and stuff like that. So I really couldn’t say who’s where right now.”
———————————-
More from the scrimmage:
- A.J. Green said he was “about the second best” receiver on the field — behind Kris Durham, who caught three touchdown passes. Green had six catches for 80 yards, and Durham, who missed last season because of shoulder surgery, had four for 74. “From day one, I know he’s going to be a weapon,” Green said of Durham. “The question is, can he stay healthy?”
- Georgia’s top tailbacks have minor knee injuries. Caleb King sat out with a strained knee, and Washaun Ealey got only five carries before calling it a day with a bruised knee. King and Ealey said their injuries aren’t serious and that they should be ready to go in next Saturday’s G-Day intra-squad game. Carlton Thomas got a heavy workload at tailback in the scrimmage, gaining 93 yards on 16 carries.
- A defensive highlight was a leaping, one-handed interception by cornerback Vance Cuff in the back of the end zone. The Murray pass was intended for Green.
- Overall, Richt said the defense “didn’t have as much success as during the middle of the week, although they made some big plays at the tail end of some drives that really were impressive.”
- Richt was pleased by the scarcity of penalties –- just one against the offense and three against the defense. Two days earlier, practice had been marred by excessive penalties.
- Offensive lineman Austin Long, who missed his freshman season last fall after back surgery, has been cleared to lift weights for the first time since the surgery, Richt said.
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196 comments Add your comment
ToccoaDawg
April 3rd, 2010
11:37 pm
next weeks G day game will go a long way to solving the qb. lets hope Coach Richt doesn’t name a #1 until fall practice so all 3 keeps striving to get better. and lets hope the D continues to try to be great like we all want.
ReptilesRule
April 3rd, 2010
11:37 pm
And the Bama fan who was bragging about all the yards the QB’s had thrown with no int’s in the Alabama scrimmage. I know your team is going to be good this year but remember all those yards came against YOUR defense. Again, may not mean a thing in the spring, and of course Bama is also replacing most of their D so you would expect the veteran O to be ahead…
yentyl
April 3rd, 2010
11:43 pm
Zach is back! If Zach ins’t named the starter, BY A MILE, he’ll be robbed if that happens. He’s won this thing outright. Best in td’s, yards, completion %, and accuracy. Slam dunk.
Rotate 4 QB's
April 3rd, 2010
11:44 pm
Let’s put the decision off until Hutson Mason’s on campus, then have a 4 way battle during the season. Let’s wait, why decide now? Let’s divide the reps by 4.
YELLOW HAMMER
April 3rd, 2010
11:49 pm
hey big mike said ,that hand off boy for BAMA has never (repeat never) lost a game including H.S ,you say put 7 in the box try 8 or 9 like everybody late last year, ha ha howd that work out.oh yea BAMA’Sloaded at w.r so dont kid yourself.
TNhog
April 3rd, 2010
11:55 pm
One thing for sure Coach Richt needs to name a starting QB coming out of spring. It allows your entire O to rally around its leader. One other thing…..it is going to be a tough SEC start for you guys in losing to both SC and AR.
3 QB Comparison from 1st 2 Scrimmages
April 3rd, 2010
11:58 pm
Stats from 1st 2 Scrimmages:
Mett
17/26-65% completion rate, 3 td’s, 283 yards, 1 interception
Murray
23/34-68% completion rate, 2 td’s, 284 yards, 2 interceptions
Gray
13/25-52% completion rate, 1 td, 148 yards, 1 interception
Mett wins in scoring and less interceptions
Murray wins in accuracy and passing yardage
Logan wins in no categories
Richt is Clueless
April 4th, 2010
12:00 am
Why is Richt liking our QB situation?
Today they:
1) threw 2 interceptions in one game
2) had 2 fumbles (did recover both though)
3) couldn’t score on 2 tries form the 1 yard line
Why did Murray get 33% more touches than Gray & Mett?
April 4th, 2010
12:13 am
I thought this was supposed to be a FAIR 3 WAY QB BATTLE? Why is Aaron Murray getting 1/3 more passes than the other 2 QB’s? Of course his stats will be higher, but Mett threw for almost as many yards on 33% less touches.
St Lou Dawg
April 4th, 2010
12:17 am
Yall know the Dawgs will need two good quarterbacks this year. Someone will get hurt. Richt is playing his cards right. Keep em both confident and prepared. Competition is good. Besides the school presidents decide who wins and loses on the field yearly anyway. Thats why richt has had to hold the players back by leaving Matinez and company to run the defense. Follow the money. They know Georgia fans will be there no matter what.
Flo-Ri-Duh!
April 4th, 2010
12:23 am
Richt already said that Mett will most likely be suspended ONE game unless something else comes up he doesn’t know about. That penalty is standard for the offense. So don’t go off with all this mutiple game penalty crap. Keep up with the facts or get off of the VENT.
Richt is Clueless
April 4th, 2010
12:25 am
There is really one thing Coach Richt better pay attention to with the QB’s and that’s the td to interception ratio.
Having a 1.0 td-to-int ratio won’t even let you finish with a 8 win season.
Td-to-Int ratio for 1st 2 Scrimmages:
1) Mett: 3 td’s/ 1 int = 3.0 td-to-int ratio
2) Logan: 1 td/1 int = 1.0 td-to-int ratio (worse than Joe Cox’s)
3) Murray:2 td’s/2 int’s = 1.0 td-to-int ratio (worse than Joe Cox’s)
Richt is Clueless
April 4th, 2010
12:47 am
Just to add some perspective on what other SEC QB’s are doing look at the 2009 stats for td-to-int ratio for the qb’s:
TD-TO-INT RATIO 2009:
Florida 5.0 td to int ratio
Alabama 4.25
Auburn 3.5
Ark 3.0
Georgia 1.38
Georgia must be ABOVE 4 to win 12+ games in the SEC.
3.0 will get you a 9 win season.
1.38 will get you an 8 win season.
yentyl
April 4th, 2010
12:56 am
Logan’s back in the QB Derby. Like the 65% completion, like the 1 TD, REALLY LOVE the ZERO INTERCEPTIONS!
Stats Don't Matter
April 4th, 2010
1:01 am
With Bobo and Richt, stats don’t matter. They played Joe Cox for every game in 2009, even though the stats said bench him. They play their favorites, they go with their gut, stats are useless to these two guys.
Jen
April 4th, 2010
2:46 am
I’m a Mettenburger fan cause he’s from my hometown but I think Murray should and WILL be the starter…..UGA needs a leader and Murray is just more mature/seasoned head QB and guess what, if Georgia had not signed Murray, he would be starting for Florida over Brantley.
BuLLdawg
April 4th, 2010
3:19 am
Taxi Driver looks to me like he set this couple and their friend up. Homeboy and his 3 drunks with him feel mighty safe in the Taxi Driver’s van. Don’t passengers have the right to pay for a Taxi and go there ? He can stop and pick up as many as he wants ? I can see that if the couple and their friend want to pick up someone else to share the fare, that they would have that right to ask the Taxi Driver if he wanted to pick them up if they are willing to share the fare. Unilaterally, the Taxi Driver can pick anyone up, and add as many as he wants ? Obviously the Police are very tardy on a report from Wednesday that the Entire Easter Weekend goes without any report that obviously Homeboy is NOT an UGA Bulldog. Homeboy is not the tight end who transferred here and Homeboy is not the recruit at DT last year either.
What enrages almost everyone is that this is NOT Tolerable.
Instead, we have had Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and now Sunday, chalk full of excuses.
To all of you who made excuses, how do your posts saved forever on the Internet, look now ?
Taxi Driver needs to lose his license. Presumably, if you look up his cell phone number, you will find he has mysteriously been the Taxi Driver while multiple people were rolled after he picked up his Homeboys.
Instead, you personally attacked Hutson, Meghan, and Borganmeister. Clearly, they did wrong you, accusing UGA Bulldogs’ football team members when I see no mention of it by anyone but these 3 only, that they are UGA Bulldogs’ football team members.
Lost in the shuffle will be that the Taxi Driver knew the Homeboy.
It will be lost because these 3 made the statement that they were UGA Bulldogs’ football team members.
I would question the Taxi Driver. I would cross-reference how many times he isn’t even listed on the Police Report. He can pick up whomever the hell he wants, even his Homeboy. I have no say in that ? Beyond this is not a safe practice; I would NEVER take a Taxi A&A or anyone else, this guy or anyone else, with this Law that in Athens Georgia in April 2010, the Taxi Driver himself alone has the call of if and whom he picks up, including his Homeboy.
The 2 UGA Bulldogs’ Football Players who have reported that it is neither Derek on the roster, should not have done so. They should have let you make up yet more excuses for the next days up-coming before The Police themselves actually get off their butts and report that this is a false statement to The Police with Libel and Slander against a group who have 89 arrests / suspensions in the first 9 years of the Coach Richt Era.
And, therefore against you personally – so, you ran on here for the last 6 days now and made up excuses for their actions. There is NO EXCUSE. I would state that EVERY TIME, whether a Bulldog or NOT.
There is not anyone in this Taxi who is Innocent. No one.
Taxi Driver is an accomplice.
All of you who made up excuses as you always do for the last 6 days now and counting and all of the media and blog post writers as well who have acted as if these are UGA Bulldogs’ football players – should ALL – have been allowed to continue to post your EXCUSES and your wishful thinking that UGA Bulldogs’ Football Players would possibly say and do these vile criminal acts in cohorts with the Taxi Driver.
I have had a BLAST reading your posts and all the media coverage. This is my only post on the topic. You should have been allowed to continue to attack in here everyone BUT the Taxi Driver and should have been allowed to CONTINUE to MAKE UP EXCUSES for Homeboy and his 3 drunks with him. There are so many charges coming from this brief moment in time, that all of them and all of you will be in Court answering for it.
As a player myself, a walk-on here, I would have suggested we have a team meeting and agree to say NOTHING.
EVER.
We don’t need to.
tdog
April 4th, 2010
7:42 am
Five wins if we are lucky.
Nick Saban
April 4th, 2010
7:57 am
With UGA’s wussy schedule, I could live in Honolulu and go 11-0.
TampaGator
April 4th, 2010
8:24 am
Spring springs eternal hope, doesn’t it? And phrase man….it is good to see that you are as crazed as ever about Brantley being no good with his 53% completion rate rants. Man, go take a pill or something. Fall and reality will soon be upon you.
well RCF
April 4th, 2010
8:31 am
Going down and not scoring is WHAT you’re suppossed to do…it’s not a look at me…I’m sure Met and Logan have been coached the same way…right…it’s about TEAM, not ME, ME, ME…what are you any way a “Letterman Jacket Wearing High Sschool Harry” w/ your football patches all over…know what you’re talking about before engaging brain
Calhoun Dawg
April 4th, 2010
8:36 am
MY PREDICKSHUNS FOR 2010 IS:
Louisiana /W
at South Carolina /L
Arkansas/L
at Mississippi State/W
at Colorado/W
Tennessee/L
Vanderbilt/W
at Kentucky/L
Florida/ VERY CLOSE GAME / L
Idaho State/W
at Auburn ANOTHER CLOSE GAME /L
Georgia Tech/L
We will have a rebuilding year until one of them QBS proves to me that he is good and can win games by playing smart and not throwing intercepshuns and being able to run the ball while not getting tackled by players from the other team who wont to stop him during the game being played.
BuLLdawg
April 4th, 2010
8:40 am
By the way, has anyone seen my Prozac? I really need it because those funny voices are in my head again……..make them stoppppppppppppppppppppppppppp.
Adele
April 4th, 2010
8:42 am
Richt is praying that no more of his quarterbacks are arrested.
And hoping that his parolee will get permission to travel out-of-state to away games.
It’s hard to coach when half your team are felons.
And those ankle monitoring bracelets are heavy.
Jim
April 4th, 2010
8:42 am
Mett will spend time in jail, most people do for what he did.
GoDOGS1
April 4th, 2010
9:01 am
BuLLdawg- Gee….thanks for all that psycho-babble diatribe. You just proved to me that you are FUBAR! You are cooked, dude! Watch out there BuLLdawg…the pastel colored bunny rabbits are coming to get you.
Punk!
April 4th, 2010
9:02 am
Felons?
Dawgbreath
April 4th, 2010
9:07 am
It all starts to really fall apart for Richt in Columbia, I’m afraid. Oh, well.
Georgia law..
April 4th, 2010
9:30 am
Is Georgia law different from the rest of the US…1st time felons for underage drinking, and associated crimes are given reduced sentences, after completing an alcohol diversion program, community service hours, and then everything is dropped…why ruin a kids life…is Georgia somehow less tolerant…did someone see a police report that states otherwise…think how easy it could happen as you walk around outside Sanford before, during, and after the game…a buddy of mine used to like to say…
“Judge Not Lest Ye Be Judged!” and “Let He Who is Without Sin Cast the First Stone”
ckgator
April 4th, 2010
9:51 am
Why would Richt “rack ‘em?” I thought he liked his QB’s. Strange coaching methodology though Georgia has always struggled with player development….
FLORIDA IS FINE
April 4th, 2010
9:53 am
So what if the Gators had 10 bad snaps, 4 fumbles, 3 interceptions, and 2 missed field goals on Saturday’s scrimmage. All is in super duper shape. Meyer couldn’t be happier.
tums for urban
April 4th, 2010
9:58 am
10 bad snaps, 4 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 2 missed field goals.
ReptilesRule
April 4th, 2010
9:59 am
So Murray would be starting over Brantley if he had gone to UF?? Based on what? Jen, you need to go back to watching the WNIT.
zulucanbial
April 4th, 2010
10:03 am
all i got to say is watch out of Reuben Faloughi: 3 sacks in the pratice yesterday…this redshirted freshman out of evans Georgia is working his way towards a scholarish fast…going to be a great outside lb for use for years to come.
tums for urban
April 4th, 2010
10:05 am
oops, forgot about the 3 fumbles, so it’s 10 bad snaps, 4 sacks, 3 fumbles, 3 interceptions, and 2 missed field goals. Urban is jazzed and excited about the offense. They’re executing SO well.
Stinger
April 4th, 2010
10:07 am
Guilty until proven innocent. UGA thugs.
shreveport
April 4th, 2010
10:15 am
which quarterback is the leading candidate for MVP at the weedeater bowl next year? Zach is looking good!
Big L
April 4th, 2010
10:20 am
I tell you what, Murray and Mett are looking good. What is Richt gonna do if the two both are standing out? Any word on who is reading defenses best. A UGA QB is gonna have to make adjustments. Looking good baby. GATA.
harold
April 4th, 2010
10:23 am
GEORGIA IS JUST AN AVERAGE FOOTBALL TEAM. THE NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK ARE CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAMS LIKE ALABAMA AND FLORIDA. GEORGIA HAS NOT BEEN TO THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN FIVE YEARS. THIS WOULD GET THE HEAD COACH FIRED AT CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAMS!
Joey
April 4th, 2010
10:24 am
I got fired up about the passing success yesterday until I remembered it was our D that allowed it all.
Big L
April 4th, 2010
10:31 am
Calhoundawg, are you kidding me. At this point our QB’s are already better than Stephen Garcia, win over South Carolina. Arkansas has NO defense, win over Petrino’s pigs. Tenn. Has a absoloutely nothing coming back, win over UT. Spurrier’s 20 year deal with satan ends with the most decorated qb(Saint Tebow) leaving . W over Floriduh. And Tech, losing it’s playmakers and best offensive lineman, BIG W over the Atl bug brigade. UGA wins 9 or 10. Oh yeah , it is totally gonna happen.
Big L
April 4th, 2010
10:33 am
I was feeling great until Joey kicked me in the hind quarters with reality. You’re kilin me bubba. Damn, damn , damn. Where is the defense at?
» SEC links: Matt Simms feeling comfortable at Tennessee John Clay’s Sidelines
April 4th, 2010
11:03 am
[...] Tim Tucker of the AJC reports that Georgia coach Mark Richt is “very impressed” with his quarterbacks. [...]
1eyedJack
April 4th, 2010
11:11 am
shreveport
“which quarterback is the leading candidate for MVP at the weedeater bowl next year? Zach is looking good!”
That would be GT,s QB since it will be an ACC bowl for runner-ups.
I would love to hear more about Reuben Faloughi…sounds like a diamond in the rough…a Richard Tardits maybe?
Please don’t project next season based on spring stats. I do believe the offense will be potent…can you imagine an empty backfield 4 wide set with Murray in the shotgun, AJ and Durham wide, Charles at TE, and Gray and Branden Smith in the slots? You would have to defend the pass but you could put all kinds of people in motion, direct snap to Gray or Smith or throw deep or put five people out in the patterns. We should really be able to create matchup problems.
For the stats guys you need to temper your enthusiasm with the knowledge that this is against a defense in transition.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict 12-0, unless we lose one in which case I’m predicting 11-1, unless we lose two in which case I predict 10-2. But…if we lose three then I predict 9-3. But that’s it!
Go Dawgs!!!
Allen Iverson
April 4th, 2010
11:19 am
Practice? We talkin bout practice? PRACTICE?
Big L
April 4th, 2010
11:31 am
Yeah…….practice.
BuLLdawg
April 4th, 2010
11:39 am
Not I.
Were I to though, I would report as everyone else that our QBs continue to fumble, throw interceptions and have penalties – worst in the nation.
SEC links: Matt Simms feeling comfortable at Tennessee « MrSEC.com
April 4th, 2010
12:21 pm
[...] Tim Tucker of the AJC reports that Georgia coach Mark Richt is “very impressed” with his quarterbacks. [...]
Balance is the name of the game
April 4th, 2010
12:28 pm
UGA has for several years now, been an imbalanced football team. UGA simply did not dictate on defense. That forced the O to score quickly if possible and when turnovers resulted, it put the worst feature of the squad back out on the field. A tired and poorly focused D. team hit the field. Look what resulted.
Balance or the ability to control the ball ( like the Tech game, allthough Tech is no real indicator ) and move the chains and score. eat the clock with nice long drives being accented by quick gains via the pass is what Mark richt is seeking. . The D can become rested AND CONFIDENT in their abilities within this scheme.
Throw in the atrocious UGA kick coverage and directional kicks and we can see why UGA was all ways out of synch and imbalanced in the recent past. They ( we ) were not a complete team.
The new coaches are addressing ALL of this. We have some talent and with newly engendered attitude , UGA ought to win 9 or 10, plus a major bowl. This is where UGA’s natural place is.
They ( we ) should always compete for the EAST and in every third or 4th year have a shot to WIN the SEC in the Dome and go on from there. The rest will always, always fall into place by playing in and winning the SEC. The Cap One or the Outback ought to always be the worst that UGA does. There is a Tech alum/Dodd era football player on the Outback committee and he is very, very,very anti UGA, so maybe the Outback will not be routine. The Cotton WILL SOON be a top tier bowl and IN NEW DIGS, so maybe UGA enjoys that more routinely, now. Dallas vs Tampa? Please compare the two venues side by side.
I am starting to realize that a top program ought to fire the position coaches or see them move on to head jobs, in order to be a really competitive program where big time kids want to play.
Change we actually CAN count on.
Bruce Mac
April 4th, 2010
12:31 pm
Thanks for the excellent report on the scrimmage. It is great to be a Georgia Bulldawg.