Richt: Murray is expected to play vs. Tech despite knee, chest injuries

Georgia’s open date comes at a good time for quarterback Aaron Murray.

Murray might miss some practice time this week because of knee and chest injuries but is expected to play in the Bulldogs’ next game Nov. 27 against Georgia Tech, coach Mark Richt told the Touchdown Club of Atlanta on Monday.

“He’s beat up pretty good, actually,” Richt said in a speaking engagement that was streamed on the Internet.

Richt said “luckily there is no structural damage” to Murray’s left knee, which took a shot from Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley’s helmet late in Saturday’s game.

“It was more just a blow to the knee, to the bone, and it’s bruised up pretty good,” Richt said. “I think he’s going to be fine.”

Richt said Murray also suffered “a pretty deep bruise in his chest” against Auburn.

Officially, Georgia director of sports medicine Ron Courson lists Murray as “day-to-day” with knee and sternum bruises.

Georgia will hold its first practice of the week Tuesday, and Richt was uncertain whether Murray will participate.

“We’ll see how he handles it, if he’s able to throw the ball,” Richt said. “We think by game time he’ll be able to play, but right now practice is day-to-day.”

UPDATE: Asked about Murray’s status on his radio call-in show Monday night, Richt put it this way: “There is no guarantee he will play in the game, but we’re thinking there’s a good chance he will.” Richt said the bruised sternum “is probably bothering [Murray] the most right now.”

Both Saturday night and Sunday, Richt declined to comment about Fairley’s hits on Murray in Auburn’s 49-31 victory. But the coach did make a fleeting reference to the issue in his remarks to the Touchdown Club.

“I thought offensively we blocked No. 90 [Fairley] pretty good most of the game,” Richt said. “There were some times he did get free. Sometimes he got free a little bit late, but he did get free.”

Murray, a redshirt freshman, has 2,580 yards passing this season — the third most all-time for an SEC freshman. He has thrown 21 touchdown passes and six interceptions — “a tremendous ratio for any quarterback, even if you’re a veteran,” Richt said.

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Georgia’s A.J. Green was named Monday as one of 10 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to college football’s top receiver each year. The field will be reduced to three finalists on Nov. 22 and the winner named on Dec. 9.

Green has 41 catches for 674 yards and nine touchdowns this season despite missing the first four games while on NCAA suspension for selling his Independence Bowl jersey for $1,000. He had nine catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns against Auburn.

544 comments Add your comment

DevilDawg

November 16th, 2010
9:21 am

Lay blame where blame is due. The entire problem with the GA/AU game lies with the officiating crew. Flags should have been thrown way before anything got out of hand. Fairley should have been flagged for every indiscretion and so should all the other players whether they were UGA of AU. Officials should control what is going on. I think those working Saturdays game should be called on the carpet by the SEC. It is just a miracle that no one was seriously injured!

WarEagle!

November 16th, 2010
9:40 am

Cam Newton is a beast! He is worth every penny we paid him.

Vince

November 16th, 2010
9:49 am

Ironic….Name calling doesn’t change what happened. I give up. I realize that some Auburn fans are okay with Fairley’s attempts to injure Murray. One poster yesterday even said so much. She said, that’s “his job …to injure the quarterback and knock him out of the game.” No way you can look at the spear on murray and not think Fairley was trying to injure him. I guess the difference between scratches in the chin, bruises, etc in football are almost always accidental. Fairley’s actions were clearly intentional.

Not worth the time to enlighten you. You’ve made up your mind it is okay. I have made up my mind that it is not.

how2fish

November 16th, 2010
9:51 am

Don’t really give a crap about all the late hits and pile driving some of that is football some (and they were flagged) were penalties. However for all you Auburn fans crying about “the brawl” funny how it was YOUR players that got ejected. Let me ask you if Cammy boy had just gone out with a helmet to the knee..that was a questionable hit and then the player that had delivered that blow was strutting around acting like he was putting on “the belt” how would the Tiggers have reacted? My how the Cow Town would cry foul to the heavens!

UGAVII

November 16th, 2010
9:53 am

My friends it is all over.

The Gods have abandoned us.

Tech wins by 50.

Maybe Richt and his staff should start eating grass instead of smoking it.

UGAVII

November 16th, 2010
9:53 am

Auburn is God`a chosen. Let them be.

TardDawg

November 16th, 2010
10:02 am

WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF HUNKER DOWN WOOF WOOFWOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF HUNKER DOWN WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF HUNKER DOWN WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF HUNKER DOWN WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF HUNKER DOWN WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF HUNKER DOWN WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF HUNKER DOWN WOOF WOOF

DuckFan

November 16th, 2010
10:02 am

All these games are meaningless, Oregon is the best team in the nation.

how2fish

November 16th, 2010
10:07 am

DuckFan you’d have 3 losses if you played in the SEC west..2 if you were in the east.

Castle Pines Canine

November 16th, 2010
10:07 am

So what is up with Gene Cheatzit this week?

Fancey

November 16th, 2010
10:12 am

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulmer_Cup

A congrats to the UGA football team. Longest criminal record of any D-1 school in the nation this year. thUGA calling ANYONE else thugs is extremely entertaining. There was convicted Sexual assualt, Domestic violence, and several Batteries on the field at Jordan Hare, Saturday. None were wearing Orange and Blue. Our start Cam Newton hasn’t been officially accused of anything. You’re star AJ Green had to sit 4 games for accepting money and giving gifts to Agents. You should probably stop whining about the loss. It’s starting to get embarrassing for you. You lost to Colorado for heavens sake, just let the season go…just relax, and let it go.

DuckFan

November 16th, 2010
10:16 am

how2fish – I hear the same ignorant comments every year about the SEC being the best conference, typically it comes from SEC fans. Auburn couldn’t handle the Oregon’s speed) (or most teams out west). Enjoy your SE bubble hillbilly.

Cobb Dawg

November 16th, 2010
10:19 am

I can’t wait til we get Awbun next season (assuming that they still have football). I can only imagine the venom the Dawgs will be releasing against the Tigers or War Eagles or toilet-paperers or whatever they are. I hope they get to see some film before the game of the late and dirty hits that Un-Fairly made on our QB after he threw the ball and was defenseless. What a man he is to be able to make cheap shots like that. No wonder he celebrated so much. Wonder what he would do if he hit one of our cheerleaders!

Papadawg

November 16th, 2010
10:20 am

Oregon couldn’t hang with half the SEC teams, they waddle too much

Fancey

November 16th, 2010
10:23 am

(*your star – on the previous typo). One more thing to help you calm yourselves. Plenty of respected UGA people have pointed out that the fan base is silly and askew on the bitterness over the game.

David Greene, when asked about Nick Fairley’s rough play at the UGA post game show Saturday:
“All I can wish is that we had someone for Georgia who played as hard as he did and who disrupts the offensive line like he does. The kid plays like a champion.”

Who knows more about illegal hits on a QB – You, Me, or David Greene? I gotta go with the ex star QB on this one.

Buck Belue
Could he [Nick Fairley] have pulled up? Don’t believe so. How is a 300 pound beast a foot off the ground going to stop?…Fairley would be a rock star in Georgia, if he played for the ‘Dogs. But he plays for Auburn. So, we hate on him.

monty

November 16th, 2010
10:32 am

FAncey

No one’s “whining” about the loss. AU was the bettr team,(hey if we hadn’t beat yall in 5 years I’d be excited too,hence all the AU trolls on a UGA blog) 90% of the “whining” or complaining is about Fairly, kinda of an oxymoron there don’t you think?

DuckFan

November 16th, 2010
10:38 am

PapaDawg – UGA can’t hang with half of the teams in the SEC. Their record speaks for itself.

how2fish

November 16th, 2010
10:38 am

DuckFan and yet the NC has come from the SEC how many years in a row? You really have to play someone sonny before you can brag..at least you do down South.

monty

November 16th, 2010
10:41 am

FAncey

You must have missed Tony Barnharts stern condemnation of Farleys play on Sports South, I think he knows a few things about football. Belue and Greene were right in not getting into a verbal war over his cheap hits. Just like Mark Richt, let those outside the program condemn him, then you don’t come off as being a (whiner)right Fancey? Which is what you would have said about Greene and Belue if they had said anything. Right? So you built yourself a straw man to defend your thug. If Belue and Greene complain, they’re just whiners, if they don’t complain, your guy was legit. LOL!

Snoop Dawg

November 16th, 2010
10:49 am

If we continue to play the 3-4 defense, we’ll lose to Tech. Grantham should know we dont have the personnel to run this scheme this year.

DuckFan

November 16th, 2010
10:57 am

how2fish – When was the last time UGA has even played in the GA dome in December? UGA is like South Carolina, your only claim to national relevancy is being in a competitive conference. Congrats on geographical location.

THE FBI

November 16th, 2010
11:00 am

John Bond, the former QB for MSU will be interviewed by the FBI. It is on all the national and local ( WSB ) tv stations. No, they are not going to stop with him. Why would they stop??? They will follow the $$$ trail left by Daddy Scam Newton. They are involved now and they are involved because of what taking money can be part of on a bigger, grander scale, as far as the games go. Between the lines, if you will. Y’all know what I mean, as Peter Paul & Mary once said in verse.

Yes, my alma mater( UGA ) had dumb ass kids drinking while drunk or side swiping cars or that very evil thing of stealing a biker’s helmet or pinching a gal in some Valdosta bar or worse like the FORMER DE from Inidana that is gone …………..all were bad things. NONE was involved with the FBI. Athens PD is as far as it got or in Social Circle. NOT THE FBI !!!

AU is gonna get drop kicked by the FED laws and the NCAA and all of that strutting and huffing and puffing is gonna look really like AU was desperate to win at any costs. The NCAA will impose some tough ass sanctions on them. OUCH !!!

AU will end upw ith a forfeiture of 2010 games and two years HARD probation and no Heisman as a result.
Cam? Oh, he will walk away like nothing ever happened straight to the “ultra clean” NFL. Ugh!!

AU …………when you play …………you pay.

See you in Athens.

greg

November 16th, 2010
11:03 am

How do the those sour grapes taste?

how2fish

November 16th, 2010
11:22 am

DuckFan really great comeback go a suggestion beat someone famous play more than one real game a year then come back and thump your chest until then..your dismissed. And you didn’t answer the question did you..?

BullDawgMike

November 16th, 2010
11:42 am

DuckFan, UGA twice SEC champ since 2002. How about reading up on real football games played in a real good conference before you start talking out the wrong side of you beak…

Roy Wood

November 16th, 2010
12:07 pm

No complaints payback is hell I would have chop blocked fairly on ever play.You Auburn fans think you are king of the hill .Once ever 5 yrs is as bad as we do againts FLA.But it is right the friendly series is over.Next yr in Athens

Face the Facts

November 16th, 2010
12:11 pm

I’m glad you Dawg fans are allowing the Fairley drama to take your attention away from the cold, hard facts:
1. Georgia’s D is very soft. They need a player like Fairley, but the best D line recruits are looking out of state.
2. Mark Richt has lost control of his team.
3. Georgia has had too many top recruiting classes to be an SEC doormat.
4. The Dawgs are not bowl eligible, and there is zero indication your program is “on the rise.”

billdawg

November 16th, 2010
12:28 pm

Haven’t reviewed film, expect that the SEC office will. “Driving into the ground” is specifically a penalty but “unnecessary roughness” is and there were three other shots by unFairley that would qualify. Those who a hollering about chop blocks should read the rule book about what constitutes a chop block including where it occurs. Yes, both teams played hard and aggressive football most of the time and there were a few incidents that went beyond good football. Still like Auburn, just lost a little respect for their head coach.

LLUGA

November 16th, 2010
1:31 pm

Love the Auburn fans telling us we suck this season…really, what gave it away…our 5-6 record or our crappy play…

Now if only some of you could admit that Fairley is a dirty thug, we would both live in the real world…by the way, Fairley will be suspended this week…that dumba$$ should have saved the cheap shots for a good team…Alabama…now he’ll have to sit…hahahahaha

aladawg

November 16th, 2010
2:00 pm

So, the dawgs do stink this year. I never expected them to win the game against AU. I have rallied for AU all season, but after the game against UGA and the dirty tactics AU used, I’ll pull for anybody to beat the bunch of shmucks. I don’t consider this to be whining…i expected the loss, just not all the poor class that the AU players showed.

Evansdawg

November 16th, 2010
2:17 pm

I never thought I would see it, but Georgia fans are going to be big Gamecoock supporters in the championship game.

RussDawg

November 16th, 2010
2:21 pm

I will enjoy watching Fairley try to pull that bully crap on Bama.
I hope he does too !

Let's Talk About UGA!

November 16th, 2010
2:57 pm

DawgNation,

I missed the game with Auburn. I got locked up — again.

While I was in jail, the same thing happened to me that happened to UGA. I was made someone’s b!#ch.

Anybody want a beer?

Go Dawgs!
Sic ‘em!
Woof! Woof! Woof!

DawginLex

November 16th, 2010
3:00 pm

Duckfan,

2002, 2003 2005

When is the last time Oregon won anything?

You lost to Ohio State last year in the rose Bowl.

the SEC owns Ohio state.

0-9 vs the SEC in bowl games.

Win something then get back to me.

Georgia | MrSEC.com

November 16th, 2010
3:09 pm

[...] chest bruise on Saturday.  His status for practice is day-to-day.The AJC reports that Richt said Murray is “beat up pretty good, actually.”  As for the scary knee injury, “It was more of a blow to the knee, to the bone, (which) is [...]

Georgia Real Problem

November 16th, 2010
4:03 pm

The real problem with Fairley is that he is playing for Auburn and not for Georgia. How soon you DAWG fans forget the menace that was Eddie “Meat Cleaver” Weaver.

http://blogs.buckbelue.com/2010/11/05/my-favorite-meat-cleaver-story.aspx?ref=rss

Every fan wants a Fairley. Every fan without a Fairley will just cry, and cry, and cry some more…

al.com

November 16th, 2010
4:29 pm

Why weren’t the ga. players kicked out of the gams? http://www.auburn.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1153683

DodgerDawg

November 16th, 2010
5:28 pm

Email Commissioner Slive and let him know that the SEC will not stand for Fairly’s dirty tactics. According to a report on al.com the SEC has reviewed the tape and no suspension is in for Fairly in the Iron Bowl, they will handle it internally with the institution (a nice way of white washing just as they have done with Auburn all year). Commissioner Slive’s email is commissioner@sec.org.

Coffee Bluff DAWG

November 16th, 2010
7:29 pm

Fairley had better watch his knees next yr in Athens – might have to go home via St Mary’s Hospital.

Cobb Dawg

November 16th, 2010
7:50 pm

I just watched the replays of that thug Fairley’s cheap hits on Murray and I all I have to say is I hope he gets his. I’ll be rooting for Bama, USC, and anyone else they play to not only beat Auburn, but to embarass them. Auburn has disintegrated in to a pathetic shell of what I used to think of it, even after the water cannons. I guess being in Bama’s shadow all of those years has finally gotten the best of you Aubies.

Cobb Dawg

November 16th, 2010
7:58 pm

You know why Aubies TP Toomer’s Corner? “Cause their mommies taught them to dispose of toilet paper in the toilet, in this case, central Auburn.

Stinger

November 16th, 2010
8:00 pm

Tech will finish what Fairley started. Get over it you bunch of babies.

Stinger

November 16th, 2010
8:01 pm

Colorado is putting a whuppin on your sorry BB team.

Carole

November 17th, 2010
10:15 pm

Glad that Aaron is fine. Auburn should be ashamed of themselves for acting like “thugs”. Its totally unheard of for anyone to act the way they acted on Saturday. Go….Dawgs!!!