Georgia’s starting quarterback has never played in a college game, but the extensive experience around him has Mark Richt notably enthused about the Bulldogs’ offense.
“I’d much rather have that kind of maturity around a young quarterback than a very veteran quarterback surrounded by a bunch of puppies,” Richt told the Greater Atlanta Bulldog Club this week.
Particularly comforting to Richt is the experience on the offensive line, where senior Chris Davis has 37 career collegiate starts, senior Clint Boling 36, junior Ben Jones 23, junior Cordy Glenn 22 and senior Josh Davis 9. That’s a combined 127 starts.
Boling, Jones and Glenn have started since their true freshman seasons and Chris Davis since his redshirt freshman season.
“They played before they should have had to play,” Richt said, “but now they’re mature. They’re so much more ready for these games. They’re bigger; they’re stronger; they’re wiser. They have the confidence to know they can play in any SEC venue and have success. When you’re breaking in a young quarterback, that’s very important.”
Richt also feels good about the experience elsewhere on offense.
He has a senior tandem at fullback in starter Shaun Chapas and backup Fred Munzenmaier. “I can’t think of a better fullback combination in the country,” Richt said.
The tailback tandem is less experienced -– sophomore Washaun Ealey (two starts) and junior Caleb King (five starts) –- but Richt expects them to build on their confidence-inspiring successes of late last season.
“Washaun Ealey a year ago was kind of a chubby kid and didn’t really know what to do; he wasn’t in great condition,” Richt said. “But now he’s in tremendous condition and knows what to do. And we got Caleb King starting the season healthy, and he’s going to make a difference.”
Richt also expressed optimism about the mix of talent and experience at wide receiver, led by junior A.J. Green, and tight end.
Someone else should be comforted by all of this experience: Aaron Murray, the redshirt freshman quarterback who will be playing in his first college game on Sept. 4.
383 comments Add your comment
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
July 28th, 2010
8:41 am
yaz, what about the gt fans who still post 45-42 from 2yrs ago??? how is that any different??
How2fish
July 28th, 2010
8:46 am
ugag is irrelevant..son everyday hell every blog about UGA here you are..so its relevant to you at least oh and before you spew about CMR’s record vs Bama it 3-1 just like it was yesterday and the day before that…bug
Jackson
July 28th, 2010
8:49 am
Richt’s cautious optimism says a lot about his concerns for the upcoming season. I have no worries that Murray will have grasped the system having already spent a redshirt year learning. My worry is on Murray’s accuracy. I could care less if he can throw the ball 75 yards versus being able to hit that 15 yard slant in stride. You can’t teach accuracy. The scary thing is that we have no depth at QB. The good part of that is I think Bobo and Richt see that. Hopefully, this will lead to a run heavy offense vs a pass happy offense. First game will show how effective our running game will be. If we struggle there, things will be very dicey for the SC game. Bottom line, I agree that I would rather have an inexperienced QB with a veteran offense versus the other way.
» SEC: Masoli may be on way to Ole Miss John Clay’s Sidelines
July 28th, 2010
8:54 am
[...] Mark Richt prefers a young quarterback on a veteran offense, rather than the reverse, writes Tim Tucker of the AJC. [...]
Lilburn Dawg
July 28th, 2010
8:55 am
PS to Yaz…………By the way, I also should have mentioned that my nephew who graduated from Ga. Tech and is umemployed has a brother and sister who both graduated from UGA. The brother works in Atlanta and has been employed from the day he graduated from UGA. The sister is also employed in New York City. And my brother, their father, graduated from UGA as well as his wife and they have both have master’s degrees (as do I) and have been gainfully employed ever since they graduated. My wife also graudated from UGA and later earned her master’s degree. So the only one unemployed out of the entire family is the one who graduated from Ga. Tech!!!
Yaz wears red panties
July 28th, 2010
8:56 am
By the time Murray gets to the tek game he will be red hot…. He has AJ and Orson and Rantavious and Kris and Marlon to throw to… wow
He is gonna light up the honey bees and send them packing…….
SickandTired
July 28th, 2010
8:57 am
Saviour at Defensive genius for the Dawgs. Mark Richt offensive innovator and all around genius witih leadership skills that would make Bobby Bowden envious. 92,000 fans every time they open the gates at Sanford Stadium. Beautiful campus, outstanding academics. Georgia has everything going for it, yet 17 out of the last 20 times they’ve played the Gators they’ve left Jax with a loss. But hey, Mark Richt has reversed that trend, he’s won 2 out of the last nine so that’s looking up. Freshman QB, no problem, unproven DC, no problem. The Dawgs will roll and beat Tech 1000-0 this fall. Will win the SEC East by 8 games and roll to the National Title under Mark Richt and the porcelin caps. It’s great to be a Georgia Bulldog.
Yep
July 28th, 2010
8:57 am
Of course he does, that is why UGA is in the hole they are in.
The ghost of John Heisman
July 28th, 2010
8:57 am
Murray will be fine. He’s the real deal. Just have to keep him healthy. Georgia Tech fan’s who troll the AJC boards are pretty pathetic.
Mikey in the SAV
July 28th, 2010
8:57 am
Hey, at least Courtney had RED panties on instead of yellow ones. I’m just saying.
superDawg
July 28th, 2010
8:59 am
Yaz is a yellow Zit.
Reggie Ball
July 28th, 2010
9:00 am
I have a great idea — I’ll troll the AJC board pretending to be a big UGA fan. I bet no other nerd has ever thought of that one.
SEC fan
July 28th, 2010
9:00 am
“I’d much rather have that kind of maturity around a young quarterback than a very veteran quarterback surrounded by a bunch of puppies,” Richt told the Greater Atlanta Bulldog Club this week.
DUH!
But then that’s why Richt makes the big bucks with his keen sense of observation.
gomdawg
July 28th, 2010
9:00 am
Aaron Murray = David Green I can not wait he will be just fine .
Go Dawgs. Looking for a great season.
Yaz wears red panties
July 28th, 2010
9:01 am
Satchel Buzz…. only tek fans start a series over with every coaching change….. using your dumb logic CMR wins against tek 90% of the time CPJ wins agains Uga 50% of the time….. for a betting man those are bad odds… you get that nerd or is that over your head?
Paul in J-Ville
July 28th, 2010
9:03 am
Yaz – how about stating some FACTS before you run your ignorant nerd mouth. For instance, are you aware that UGA football players have a higher overall incoming SAT and ACT score than Ga Tech??? Thats right $hit for brains, and we still whip your butts year in and year out. Quit your self sanctimonous and self rightous blathering defining your football program like their chess players. They are what they are….recruits that are slightly less than UGA’s. Moron
Yaz wears red panties
July 28th, 2010
9:04 am
Tek fans never even get close to red panties….. not man enough
Will
July 28th, 2010
9:04 am
Supposedly, Aaron Murray is an excellent leader (hasn’t shown it yet in either Srping by performance). He won the leadership award at Elite 11 camp, and led his team to a state championship in high school.
Here’s the thing.
He HAS to earn trust. You earn trust by showing strong decision making. If Murray knows anything about leadership, he knows that he has to just come in, and not be noticed because of his mistakes. He wants people talking about his teammates and playmakers Green, King, Ealey, Olson. Not him. If they’re talking about Murray, it’s going to be a sign he doesn’t get leadership, because the talk will be about how many mistakes he’s making.
Trying to hard leads to mistakes. Ask Cox.
dawg daze
July 28th, 2010
9:06 am
Glad Right loves young QB’s…thats all he has.
Lilburn Dawg
July 28th, 2010
9:08 am
Of course I, too, am a believer that the Dawgs will beat Tech again this year! If they don’t, I’m willing to buy Yaz dinner at a restaurant of his choice! See…….even us Dawgs can be nice to those yellow tse tse flies that swarm around in their hive over on North Avenue.
Paul in RDU
July 28th, 2010
9:14 am
Lilburn Dawg – You seem to be taking pleasure in your nephew with a degree from GT being unemployed – you are quite an uncle.
lilburn bragger
July 28th, 2010
9:14 am
my friend in atlanter that grad from uga spreads pine needles. His sis and mom and dad help gather.
Lake Oconee Dawg
July 28th, 2010
9:17 am
I thought that was a “trade” school off South I-75 at 10th Street. Do they have football at that “trade school”!!!
My vote is for Coach Richt to be the new UGA Athletic Director.
Schmeckdawg
July 28th, 2010
9:17 am
I love Coach Richt, but, on this statement, I have three words…DUH!!!!!!!!!
Lilburn Dawg
July 28th, 2010
9:18 am
No, I don’t take any pleasure in it at all. But I can’t have my ole buddy, Yaz, spreading misinformation around implying that anyone who graduated from UGA can only hope to find work at the Waffle House!!
Old Dawg
July 28th, 2010
9:24 am
ugag is irrelevant: CMR is 3-1 against Alabama. Check your facts before you post, you might learn something.
How2fish
July 28th, 2010
9:26 am
Will WTF are you babbling about ? Folks of course will talk about Murray if he makes a lot of mistakes…news flash he’s a SEC QB they are going to talk about him if he does bad and when he does good..its a natural fact..if he hogs the limelight he will not be showing much leadership agreed but there is no way in the world he won’t be the central topic of conversation.
Ellis
July 28th, 2010
9:26 am
The problem is, Richt doesn’t seem to be able to teach his QB’s how to protect the football.
Georgia’s td-to-int ratio is about 50% worse than Florida’s has been, for many years.
Joe Cox struggled with int’s, and Murray struggled this Sapring with int’s, throwing 1 every Sprimage scrimmage.
Georgia just doesn’t know how to fix that.
destin dawg
July 28th, 2010
9:29 am
Yaz = mental illness = depression = bipolar disorder…cause : stuck in the downtown getto… crime…. muggings,.. drug dealers… sirens all night.. NO women…. ESCAPE to Athens = best college town!!!!
Lake Oconee Dawg
July 28th, 2010
9:33 am
Now I know why the unemployment rate is so high!!! Engineers with a “trade” school degree. Waffle house would not hire someone with a “trade” school degree. Courtney put on yellow panties and cruise 10th street.
How2fish
July 28th, 2010
9:44 am
Ellis , David Green and Matt Stafford seemed to do a good job…and I think CMR was their coach too.
Schmeckdawg
July 28th, 2010
9:47 am
Ellis @ 9:28 Good call. Even Stafford going into his junior year had thrown something like 26 TD’s and 25 INT’s.
'94 UGA Grad
July 28th, 2010
9:51 am
Hey Yaz,
And what was Reggie Ball’s major? Your delusional if you think Tech doesn’t have any “dummy-athletes” as you called it. By the way, here are some numbers for you to crunch…..
(((((((((((((((((30-24)))))))))))))))))
(((((((((((((((((73-66)))))))))))))))))
(((((((((((((((((8 out of 9))))))))))))
Schmeckdawg
July 28th, 2010
9:54 am
How2fish, please see my 9:47 post. After his Junior year, Stafford’s stats looked much more appealing as he threw 25 TD’s and only 10 picks. That gave him something like 51 TD’s and 35 INT’s for his career. Still that averages out to 17 TD’s and right at 12 INT’s per season throughout his career if my numbers are right. Not exactly whopping numbers. Now David Greene except for one year, you are right on. I wish we could have a DG every 3-4 years!
Go DAWGS!!!!!!!!
Still@theBAR
July 28th, 2010
9:54 am
The linemen played before they should have! Well, with Cox last year don’t you think one of your young QB’s should have play early too? You might not be in this situation if you played Mett, Murry, or Logan some last year.
I-DOG
July 28th, 2010
9:56 am
Yaz:
tech has serious scholar athletes? You mean like Menza members Kenny Anderson, Josh Nesbitt, Dennis Scott etc.. etc…
How can anyone seriously say that tech players are all real students when Kenny Anderson somehow had no problem breezing through the academics there. Once you can explain that to me, I’ll consider taking your argument seriously.
38 Yardline Dawg
July 28th, 2010
9:59 am
Okay, seriously. Does Georgia Tech not have its own blog? Is that why over half the freaking panty-obsessed nerds on this blog have some delusional view of their hacky trade school football program and care to share with fans of the only best team in this state?
Sheesh.
I-DOG
July 28th, 2010
10:00 am
I’m hopeful but concerned about Murray as the QB this season. I know he did well in highschool, but he didn’t exactly tear it up in the Spring game or throughout the Spring practices. I think it is fair to say the jury is still out and we don’t know what he will do when he actually plays in real games. We will all just have to wait and see.
I-DOG
July 28th, 2010
10:04 am
Tommy P,
Didn’t see your post, before I posted something similar. I forgot about Marbury, once someone from tech can explain how all these guys get through taking all these engineering courses (wink wink), then I will agree that tech has real student athletes
superDawg
July 28th, 2010
10:07 am
what about tek having 17 academical idiots playing sports when they should have been put on probation.
Still@theBAR
July 28th, 2010
10:13 am
38 yardline come up with something new. The Tech blog is full of dawgs too. Don’t even act like you never go on the TECH blog.
Heywood Jablowme...
July 28th, 2010
10:16 am
The other day CMR was asked about Florida’s dominance and he said, “What do you want me to say? We need you to come fire up the guys before the game.”
Here’s what I want you to say CMR. I want you to say that we have dressed out the scout team in UF jersey’s just to get the feeling of what success versus those jerseys feels like. That 5 minutes of every practice is dedicated to stopping a favorite play out of the spread that UF likes to run. I want you to say that you understand that a Gator is on the lid of the program that you want to knock off. Until the Gator is butchered, the lid stays on. I want you say that you spend every waking hour thinking about how to beat the Gators. I want you to say that claiming the heat was hotter for us than them in Jax was one of the dumbest things you have ever uttered. I want you to quit complaining about where the game is and start preparing for who the game is against. I want you to acknowledge the fact that the SECE goes through Florida. I want you to admit that if you want to continue to impact the lives of young men that attend our University you are going to have to learn how to beat UF. I want you to say that Jesus appeared to you in a dream and said it was cool with him if you broke one off in UF. He’s also down with stopping the bootleg vs. UT…..
Still@theBAR
July 28th, 2010
10:16 am
superDawg the players were not cheating. The Academis advisor made a mistake in telling the players how many classe would qulifly as progressing towards their degree. The player took to few classes before the season and tried to back load classes after the season. Tech did get punished for the mistake and have moved on. The players were not cheating like during Kemp or Harrick’s joke tests.
Reality Check
July 28th, 2010
10:18 am
UGA has become a second tier school that can not compete with Florida. Alabama or any other school at a national level. For the last two years every big game has seen UGA embarrassed on national television, mostly by large scores. It also became national news when Dawg fans were seen trashing the campus for home games. Now an offseason of arrests and NCAA investigators on campus are added on. UGA football is disgraceful to most honest Georgians and gives the who state a black eye. Not a GT fan but at least their program is cleanly run and not an eyesore to the rest of the Southeast.
Schmeckdawg
July 28th, 2010
10:22 am
Reality Check @ 10:18 Yech runs a clean program? Is that how Rueben Houston who got busted with 100 lbs. of weed ON YECH’s CAMPUS ended up back on the team.
Where I come from, that would earn you a trip for quite a while to the Gray Bar Hilton!
Tide Roll
July 28th, 2010
10:34 am
RICHT HAS ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT. YOUR STARTERS SHOULD BE STURDIVANT, GLENN, BURNETTE, ANDERSON AND DAVIS. THIS IS BETTER TALENT THAN FLORIDA”S OL OF NIXON, CARL JOHNSON. POUNCEY, WILSON AND GILBERT.THE STARTERS I”VE LISTED WOULD PUSH FLORIDA’S DL ALL OVER THE FIELD,YET RICHT AND BOBO WON’T PLAY THEM! YOU’RE GONNA GET BEAT 49-3 AGAIN. RICHT WEARS RED PANTIES. DAMON HAD PICKED THEM UP FOR HIM AT THE WOMEN’S SECTION AT LENOX,AND WAS SIMPLY DELIVERING THEM. UGA IS PITIFUL. ROLL TIDE TIDE ROLL!
38 Yardline Dawg
July 28th, 2010
10:35 am
Trust me, Still@theBAR. I have better things to do that read the Tech blog.
38 Yardline Dawg
July 28th, 2010
10:36 am
sorry, “than”
BurningRedBleedingBlack
July 28th, 2010
10:39 am
GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
objective opinion
July 28th, 2010
10:47 am
Well of course he prefers this to the reverse…still doesn’t discount the fact that the QB position is the most important position on the field. Its gonna be a weird year in the SEC east…the most experienced QBs are Stephen Garcia at Carolina, and Larry Smith at Vandy. The champion of the east could very well go 5-3 in conference. UF’s QB has a little bit of game experience but it was in cleanup mode…I dont see an elite team coming from the east. If they were to somehow beat the champion from the west…than the SEC would likely miss out on the BCS championship game.