UGA’s Aaron Murray: ‘Nobody’s on hotseat or worrying about that’
Quarterback Aaron Murray says stronger internal leadership and a lot of returning talent has Georgia confident about its prospects next season. (AP photo)
Q&A WITH GEORGIA QUARTERBACK AARON MURRAY
Today is the first day of Georgia’s spring football practice. So what better way to kick it off than a question-and-answer session with quarterback Aaron Murray?
I actually sat down and talked to the rising junior from Tampa earlier this month, along with several other reporters, shortly before the Bulldogs concluded mat drills and adjourned for spring break. Murray and some buddies were heading down to Key West for a few days, then returning to re-focus and get prepared for 15 practices over the next three and a half weeks.
Following are some highlights from our conversation. I’ll have a football-heavy “Ten at 10″ blog posting later and, of course, will be at practice late Tuesday afternoon. So be sure to check back often today. For now, here’s Aaron . . .
Q: Have y’all come up with some kind of theme about building on last year’s 10 wins or returning to the Dome or something like that?
A: “We haven’t really talked about last year at all. Once I got my film done – the first couple of weeks of January we went back and watched the game – I think everyone’s really put last season behind them. With the potential we have for this season, everyone’s working really hard. . . . It’s been a great offseason.”
Q: What do you think of Malcolm Mitchell trying to make the transition to playing defensive back?
A: “I know he’s a competitor; I know he’s in great shape. Skill wise I know he can definitely play [cornerback]. He goes out there all the time and plays against our receivers when we don’t have enough DBs or if we’re just messing around and throwing. He’s a lock-down at DB. It’s pretty impressive. David Andrews was out there snapping to me the other day and he was, like, ‘it’s just not fair; he’s good at everything.’ And he is. He really could, if he wanted to, play both ways and play kick returner and punt returner. If he wants to do it he just needs to make sure he’s in shape and ready to go. He’s a kid that can not only play but compete at a high level if he wants to every facet of the game.”
Q: Do you agree that offensive line is the biggest concern?
A: “I think everybody is putting these guys under the radar a little bit. Those guys have been working hard. You could even tell last year, going against our defense during the season. We go 1s versus 2s during the season. In the beginning of the season, Hutson [Mason] would get the ball and pretty much have to hurry up and throw it right away. They were going against one of the best defenses it the country, and you could see them get better throughout the season. Hutson started getting more and more time to throw the ball. By the time we got to bowl practice those guys were giving him plenty of time to throw the ball against some of the best defensive guys in the country. So, I mean, those guys who were the 2s last year definitely got better just to be able to compete against guys like Cornelius [Washington] and Jarvis [Jones] and Abry [Jones] and [John] Jenkins. They definitely pushed them and I think they got better and are ready to go. Guys like Andrews and Watts [Dantzler] and Austin [Long], those guys are ready to step up and compete for a starting job this spring. The new guy, the big guy, [Mark] Beard, he looks awesome. He’s been working hard. He’s a very impressive looking dude. So we’ve got plenty of guys. We’ve just got to figure out who goes where.”
Q: What do you think about left tackle in particular?
A: “I love that position! We’ve got a lot of guys who are going to move in there in the spring and we’ll see who’s going to get that spot. You’ve got guys like Austin and Watts and Kenarious [Gates] who can play tackle. I think Beard is more of a right tackle from talking to him, but I’m sure they’ll throw him over there to see what he can do. So it’s open tryouts. But we’ve got three or four guys who can play the position and we’ll just see who does the best and gives me the most time and not get me killed.”
Q: It looks like the clouds are finally parting for Arthur Lynch at tight end. What cdo you know about him?
A: “I’m very excited for Artie. I know he’s definitely very excited. He’s worked hard ever since he got here and he’s been through some hard times, not being sure whether he wants to stay or leave or if this is the right spot for him. But he has stayed through it and stuck it out and he’s looking great right now. Weight wise he’s doing great. He’s about 255 now. He looks very fluid running his routes. He and I have been throwing a lot, too. I’m his roommate and we talk about it every night. He’ s just so excited, always saying, ‘I want to get to practice, I want to get to practice.’ I think he’s ready to go and I definitely think he’s going to show what he has.”
Q: What do you need to improve on most?
A: “Continue to improve my footwork. There were still times last year that Coach [Mike] Bobo and I talked about where I rushed my footwork and maybe got out of the pocket a little too early, maybe didn’t slide up in the pocket or around in the pocket as smoothly as I needed to. That’s the first thing. With all quarterbacks, that’s the biggest thing is having your feet set and being able to maneuver around in the pocket and get into a position to be able to throw the football. Obviously my accuracy, I wasn’t as accurate as I needed to be last year. When you look back at a couple of games, there were a couple of interceptios where I let the ball get away from me. So I’ve got to improve on that, too.”
Q: What have you seen of the new, early-enrolled tailback Keith Marshall?
A: “He’s a hard working kid, first off. He’s coming in from Day One working hard, watching film, going over the playbook, going out there and doing as much as he can in the weight room and mat drills and things like that. He’s a kid who’s going to work hard and I think that’s great. Talent-wise it’s all there. I’m sure y’all saw the film of me taping him and Malcolm run the 40. I was like, ‘wow, that’s pretty impressive what he can do.’ I’m pretty excited about that position with all our running backs.”
Q: What do you think of the competition at tailback?
A: “It’s going to be a good one. I know they’ve all been working hard and out there working with me and working hard in mat drills. They know what’s at stake. We’re going to have like six guys, seven guys, and all of them could start. So it’s going to be, ‘you better get your butt going or might not see the field next year.’”
Q: Have you seen changes in Isaiah Crowell?
A: “I definitely think he’s matured over the past season. It’s tough to come in here as a freshman and have so much put on your plate. You know, ‘the whole Georgia football team is depending on you, you, you, you.’ It’s tough as a freshman to come into that kind of pressure. I think he definitely learned a lot out of that. He’s matured and I know he’s excited about the challenge with those couple of running backs coming in and the running backs coming back from last year I think he’ll be ready to go.”
Q: You guys were close against South Carolina, LSU and Michigan State, leading all those games at halftime. What was the lesson in that?
A: “Just finish. I think that’s one of the main reasons why we brought back mat drills. It’s having that, when you’re dead tired and things aren’t going right, you have to suck it up and keep battling. I think that’s the whol idea behind mat drills. It’s not fun. It’s one of the most painful hours of your life and you just have to suck it up and keep going and going and find it within you to finish. I think that’s what we didn’t do last year. We had a bunch of great starts but didn’t finish all our games. So I think this is teaching our guys you’ve got to finish the drill all the time. We’re working on it.”
Q: What do you think of next season’s schedule?
A: “You can’t look ahead, but we’re real excited about the season. I think we’re more excited about the amount of guys that came back. I think with the leadership we have right now, guys are doing a great job of leading the guys in the right direction. Since my freshman year, I think the leadership has just gone up and up and up. We’ve had more and more guys step up into that role this year. With all the guys we’ve got back, there will be even more guys stepping up. Guys that were pivotal to this team, those are the ones who are stepping up, which is great. You want your best players to be your leaders. Those guys are going to set the examples for everybody. The biggest reason to feel excited for the season is not just the talent but the leadership we have coming back.”
Q: Are there concerns behind you at quarterback with Mason wanting to try to redshirt this season?
A: “We have plenty of guys. [Christian] LeMay has been doing awesome. I’ve been working with him a lot. He’s definitely picking up the playbook and watching more film and trying to understand our offense. He has the whole spring and another camp to work on the offense. I think he should have it down pretty well and he’s going to start getting more reps If Hutson does get redshirted — I don’t know if it has been officially determined or not – but he’s going to get more and more reps, just like any position. So they’ve all been working tails off.
Q: Is there a different feel to this season with no one talking about Coach Richt’s job possibly being in jeopardy?
A: “It’s one less thing to worry about. Last year the whole talk was, ‘if you don’t get to the SEC Championship Game or win 10 games, blah, blah blah, Coach Richt is going to get fired.’ We didn’t talk about it too much, but I know everyone on the team didn’t want this coaching staff to leave. We love Coach Richt. We love all the coaches here. But it was stressful, not only for us but also for the coaches. This year, everyone is is a little more relaxed and ready to just go out there and play. I don’t think anyone’s on the hotseat or worrying about that.”
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111 comments Add your comment
Jbzm
March 20th, 2012
5:35 am
First!!!
just sayin'
March 20th, 2012
5:59 am
and it begins…..3..2…1…..
tenn.DAWG
March 20th, 2012
6:11 am
I think most would agree that the OL has underachieved the last three years.If they can toughen up and Bobo molds his offense and playbook around the talent he has and not be hell bent on running certain plays,this team should have much success with the schedule it has.
Year of the DAWG
March 20th, 2012
6:19 am
Murry will be fine. I think the pressure should be on Bobo.It,s time for a dominant offense we should beat people by 30. Like some of the old Florida teams. GO DAWGS
East Repeat
March 20th, 2012
6:29 am
Go SC, beat UGA. We Run The East! Clowney will be waiting for AM.
trupert
March 20th, 2012
6:33 am
Looking forward to spring practice and the 2012 season. Last year we finally had a good defense which gave the team a real chance. This year the D will add depth in most areas.
2012 could be a special year to be a Dawg fan. Get after it and keep em healthy guys. Go Dawgs!!!
Paddy
March 20th, 2012
6:39 am
I agree guys. It is time to turn this offense loose. It is all there, lets bury some folks. Lets beat the good teams like we used to.
Romedawg
March 20th, 2012
6:40 am
I am ready fo some jawja football!
East Repeat is an idiot
March 20th, 2012
6:43 am
Georgia Bulldogs. 2011 SEC East Champs.
Thomas Brown = Mr Negativity = 13-1 East (blogger) = Techie
March 20th, 2012
6:57 am
@east repeat
I thought UGa won the East!!!!! Yes, SC won the battle, but they lost the war……just the facts my friend.
Old Dawg
March 20th, 2012
6:57 am
East Repeat: The only team in the east that can can repeat is UGA. Where were you last year? SC wins their first east title in 2010 and and never a SEC champonship and all of sudden you rule the east. What a joke. Look back in history & you will see that UGA, Fla, & Tenn have ruled this division. Just a wanna be and nothing else.
TennesseeDawg
March 20th, 2012
7:01 am
What Murray needs to work on is quit turning the ball over every chance he gets.
Kyle
March 20th, 2012
7:03 am
It amazes me that in every article Murray talks about watching film yet, the results when we play a decent team are always the same….Murray turnovers lead to yet another loss. Bottom line- until the coaching staff holds him accountable when he makes a mistake and gives another guy the opportunity we will head down the same old road. I am sick and tired to stupid loyality to one guy costing us time and time again
59bulldawg
March 20th, 2012
7:06 am
Looking foward to marching into Columbia and beating the chickens.
Joe
March 20th, 2012
7:06 am
Obviously my accuracy, I wasn’t as accurate as I needed to be last year. When you look back at a couple of games, there were a couple of interceptios where I let the ball get away from me.
HA! LMAO….a couple??????? really???? a couple?????? how about 21 points alone to carolina……this dude has yet to beat any team with more than 8 wins
Thomas Brown = Mr Negativity = 13-1 East (blogger) = Techie
March 20th, 2012
7:06 am
Attention Dawg fans…….Chip’s article today will have Thomas Brown (aka 13-1) going whacko!!!! We will have to endure multiple essays regarding past failings by the Dawgs by this Tech fan who is the most negative person alive. We need to forget the past and get excited about the future. Go Dawgs!!!
Joe
March 20th, 2012
7:11 am
Murray should be on the hotseat…..if he start giving points away like he usually does but then again, we have a head coach that is more about loyalty at any cost than winning the game for the team
Thomas Brown = Mr Negativity = 13-1 East (blogger) = Techie
March 20th, 2012
7:18 am
Am I the only one who wishes the season opener between the hedges was this Saturday?!?!?
For some reason baseball won’t keep me content for the next 5 months!!!!
Tom
March 20th, 2012
7:25 am
Mr Murray needs to stay away from cellphone cameras on spring break.
AltamahaDawg
March 20th, 2012
7:26 am
What does holding Murray accountable mean? And how is playing your best QB some sort of loyalty fault? Isnt that what every coaching staff does? Wouldnt they be fools not to? Seems like that is simply trying to win with the best option, is it not?
Roadrunner
March 20th, 2012
7:30 am
Got to believe the Dawgs have the opportunity to repeat as SEC East Champions this year, and maybe more. Work your butts off over the summer Dawgs and have a great season in 2012! GO DAWGS!!
ole yeller
March 20th, 2012
7:41 am
Give the “O” line some love. I think think they will will be ok. About 12 or ready to play and there is only 4 positions that can start.
Destin Dawg
March 20th, 2012
7:44 am
Murray should feel some pressure.. competition makes for improvement… Saban or Spurrier would open up the QB position to LeMay and Mason Go Dawgs !!! this will be a great year.. on the back of Grantam’s Junkyard Dawg defense !!!
Thomas Brown = Mr Negativity = 13-1 East (blogger) = Techie
March 20th, 2012
7:48 am
I think we need to believe that “maturity” with our QB and TB will show-up this year……at least I’m praying that will happen because if it does we will be really competitive. Go Dawgs
funny...
March 20th, 2012
8:01 am
Continue to improve on his footwork…
sigh, another long season.
Missouri, South Carolina, Florida and Tech all beat Georgia this year.
But another five years of Richt and Bobo is what your AD wanted
Lakedawg
March 20th, 2012
8:15 am
funny, you are in fact you are hilarious!
Joey
March 20th, 2012
8:27 am
“…and Tech all beat Georgia this year.”
***********************************
That IS funny, funny…
Ty
March 20th, 2012
8:28 am
Well just darn. Someone just insulted the Tigers of UMo stating we go into Columbia and beat the chickens….Especially since we play in Columbia, Mo before SC. We go 10-4 and they blame the four losses on conditioning and go back to the mat drills???? Evidently they are not looking at the right things to evaluate. Too much distraction the first game. Great improvement and not knowing how to win the second. LSU the third, enough said plus poor play calling with no running backs dropped td pass and the last one, poor play calling and no running backs. The inopportune turnovers when we should not have been throwing in the first place. Evaluate Bobo and change some of his attitude, philosophies and ideas. Say what you wish about Murray….but
does the coaching staff especially the offensive coordinator and head coach know how to win the big games? Coach Richt and Bobo need to reevaluate what they are doing to make a huge change especially vs GOOD teams.
SouthGaDawg
March 20th, 2012
8:35 am
AM better stay out of trouble in Key West. Not a good place for a laid back vacation. It will be party city and I can see trouble on the horizon.
DawginLex
March 20th, 2012
8:48 am
Murray needs to worry about his decision making and learn to tuck it and run for the 1st down and live to see the next play.
The offensive line will be more athletic on the outside but concerns exist at center. Andrews and others will be adequate.
I’d like to see Murray become more of a manager and less of the focus of the offense.
FL dawg
March 20th, 2012
8:48 am
Murray is wrong, there is a hot seat on the Ga team this year and he’s straddling it. First and foremost, the dogs defense is good enough to win the SEC East this yr. 2nd more importantly nobodty’s gonna give a crap about the OL if you start losing to teams like Mo. Murray’ s a good guy, but he’s gonna have to be the best leader UGA’s ever had for the RB’s to play like GA backs and not to over compensate and start running for the hills when the OL breaks down.
McDawg
March 20th, 2012
8:50 am
id like to see LeMay worked in since Mason is redshirting
alpharetta alice
March 20th, 2012
8:53 am
hearing Zach Mett is looking real good down at LSU…
sogadog
March 20th, 2012
8:55 am
So mat drills are back, whats the story there?
FL dawg
March 20th, 2012
8:57 am
I agree McDawg, Richt needs to get the bachups ready. Murray needs some competition, we’ve already lost too many kids cause of lack of playing time.
dawgfan
March 20th, 2012
9:04 am
I think its quite telling that when asked about the offensive line Murray only talks about pass protection. That tells you a lot about Mike Bobo’s offensive philosophy. The running game is an afterthought. I don’t recall pass protection being much of an issue last year, but the O-line struggled mightly in the running game against top notch competition. Until we fix that there will be more beatdowns and losses to come from the top teams on our schedule. You can count on it.
Thanks.
G-Dawg
March 20th, 2012
9:04 am
“everyone is is a little more relaxed ”
thats the prob with this team..they’re always too relaxed, and no sense of urgency. From the HC, fans, and down to the players. Lets pick up the pace a bit!! Go Dawgs!!
Paul's Johnson
March 20th, 2012
9:12 am
Go Dawgs! Michael Carvell stinks and sends out 20 tweets for the same article. Furman Bisher killed The Saturday Evening Post.
Alabama | MrSEC
March 20th, 2012
9:15 am
[...] defense has been a key to the team’s Sweet Sixteen run.9. Georgia QB Aaron Murray is glad the hot-seat talk that fueled a “stressful” season last year is history.10. There are plenty of question marks as the Dawgs open spring practice today.11. Another day, [...]
7576DAWG
March 20th, 2012
9:18 am
Last year Bobo should have let Murray roll out more early in the year but since it looks like we have the Tailback’s this year that will let Murray play from the pocket my only advice to Murray is don’t move back in the pocket so far that the other teams defensive end can make it around the Fullback or Tight end that is blocking for him. Last year if Murray had stayed closer to the line instead of moving back so far it would have eliminated a lot of Murray being thrown for a lose because he got out of the containment area. Stay up in the pocket.
PrimeTimeJr
March 20th, 2012
9:20 am
Take a look at this and tell me, if you’re Murray or Bobo, do you try and win running the ball, or throwing it?
Murray went up against 9 pass defenses ranked in the top 30 nationally:
South Caro, UF, LSU, Mich St, Tenn, Kent, Ole Miss, Miss St, and G Tech
Murray went up against 3 of the top 30 rush defenses nationally:
LSU, Mich St, and Boise
No surprise Murray had problems with accuracy and interceptions, considering the 9 top 30 pass defenses he went up against.
But very surprising the running game didn’t dominate, considering that 11 of the rush defenses wern’t good.
The schedule in 2012 will be similar, defenses mostly solid with pass defense, and weak against the run. Even Buffalo averages #24 in pass defense last 2 seasons.
Key will be whether Bobo gameplans to take advantage of the weak rush defenses he’ll face, and whether Murray can trust his rush offense to win games. And the O-Line and running backs SHOULD dominate, figuring the only good rush defenses they’ll face will be South Carolina, then the SEC Championship, and Bowl game.
When you’re facing 9 top 30 pass defenses, and only 3 top 30 rush defenses, you won’t win any championships passing the ball.
Ask Alabama and LSU.
Senor Smoke
March 20th, 2012
9:22 am
I agree with Tom. It’s certainly not surprising that the starting QB of a Div. 1 school is getting laid on spring break, but you can’t let cameras catch you in the act.
AltamahaDawg
March 20th, 2012
9:24 am
Some of you guys act like this was the transcripts of a closed door team meeting or the confidential results from a psychological analysis. Did you really expect to hear anything but scripted answers?
non believer
March 20th, 2012
9:27 am
Sorry, Aaron, but we will never win a championship with you as the quarterback. You fold under big pressure like a tent in the wind.
Joe
March 20th, 2012
9:33 am
In other words Bobo does not know when NOT to pass the ball. If the practices emphasize more pass blocking than run blocking…guess what???? Chances are you pass block better. The key to winning vs. the LSU’s and Bama’s of the world is the running game. How many turnovers were interceptions compared to fumbles by the running backs last year? How many times did we throw and interception on a short yardage situation instead of running the ball for short yardage?
PrimeTimeJr
March 20th, 2012
9:35 am
Saying it another way, 67% of the 12 regular games will be against top 30 pass defenses.
Only 8% of the regular season 12 games (South Carolina) will be against a top 30 rush defense.
Why would you try and win games throwing the football?
DougsMugsCoffee
March 20th, 2012
9:37 am
Is it always 1s against 2s? Wouldn’t that build false confidence? Wouldn’t going 1s against 1s be more helpful? I know 2s need to get experience, but should competition for the 1s be sacrificed?
Italian_29
March 20th, 2012
9:39 am
I think that this will be a good year for the Dawgs, I was suprised that we had some guys that could have made the jump to the NFL and been HIGH draft picks, came back, to me that show that there is a mission with these guys and they want to get it done. That is something that I haven’t seen with the Dawgs in a LONG time. This years team is, just that, a TEAM. These guys are HUNGRY and I think that is going to translate in to a good season for the DAWGS, especially with the schedule. GO DAWGS!!!! GATA
DougsMugsCoffee
March 20th, 2012
9:43 am
@Tom,
Mr. Murray needs to stay home for spring break, or give up the starting QB spot. College is a short period in a players life. They shouldn’t risk their playing time at UGA to go party. I think he is showing poor leadership.
Thank God for Reggie Ball
March 20th, 2012
9:48 am
@Joe
true, but we also got stuffed several times on short-yardage situations trying to run against Florida, South, Carolina, Boise, etc and I think Bobo decided the best chance was to go over the biggins not through them
Thank God for Reggie Ball
March 20th, 2012
9:50 am
yes both South and Carolina are great defenses lol @commas
zbulldawg
March 20th, 2012
9:51 am
Hot seat or not! Change this change that. It’s this players fault that players fault or this coach that coach. That’s all BULL S_ _ _ !! UGA was behind in many areas . Their off season work. Their recruiting & their mental approach to the game. They have made the right moves to correct that & it’s showing. This has been a quick turn a round ! This season & the future will show just how quick It’s happened.! So all you cry babies WHAT YOU GOING TO CRY ABOUT NEXT ? The uniforms OH yea you’ve already done that TOO ! WANTED REAL DAWG FANS !!!! Go Dawgs
13-1 SEC East Champions 2012
March 20th, 2012
9:51 am
“ready to just go out there and play”
______________________________________________________
Well, Aaron Murray, what have you been doing up until today, then ?
kingdaddy
March 20th, 2012
9:54 am
@Chip T.
Thanks for all of your great work. There’s so many questions we as fans have and you seem to get us some answers. I hope you always enjoy what you’re doing and don’t look at it as just a JOB. Remember,we are like junkies and you are our Fix. Thank You…
kingdaddy
March 20th, 2012
9:57 am
Nothing like drinking a cup of java and reading and blogging about my Doggies!
Ten@10: UGA’s Richard Samuel advises not to forget about him at tailback | UGA sports blog
March 20th, 2012
10:00 am
[...] Spring Practice for this past Sunday’s paper. Also, earlier Tuesday morning, I offered this Q&A with Quarterback Aaron Murray. It was my intention to provide you some more football coverage over the weekend and Monday, but my [...]
Italian_29
March 20th, 2012
10:00 am
The season cannot get here fast enough. I cannot wait to see what happens with our tailback situation. I felt that there was just too much pressure on IC last year, if we hadn’t had to let Ealey go for problems and then lost King because of grades, surely IC would have gotten a redshirt and been able to bulk up, get his stamina level up to SEC standards, and learn the playbook, this would have made all the difference in the world, but he was thrown to the wolves out of the gate. He still did a great job considering. Now with Marshall, Gurley, and Malcomb we are going to see this young man get his chance to shine and the Dawgs are going to have a GREAT rushing attack.
DePort
March 20th, 2012
10:05 am
At the end of Murrays career he will be the all time leader in just about every stat in UGA history. .. and of course its not good enough… typical Georgia fans…
Dawglasville
March 20th, 2012
10:06 am
Where is Bob?
Doggie
March 20th, 2012
10:10 am
Saban = Control Freak. But, he wins.
Richt = Has too much faith that his guys are going to do the right thing. Too lax. Needs to be more controling believe it or not.
Facts: SC was not 2011 SEC E. Champ
March 20th, 2012
10:13 am
No smoke, no noise …………..just the one factoid: UGA won the East and YES, SC whupped UGA in Athens and this year UGA will again win the EAST and WILL WHUP SC like we have for many, many, many years.
Another fact: UGA fans have never, ever considered SC as a rival. Not now, after two losses in a row, not ever.
Another fact: Without Clem’s son and UGA, SC would have no rivals because no school considers SC anything.
Go Dogs.
Joey
March 20th, 2012
10:14 am
“thats the prob with this team..they’re always too relaxed, and no sense of urgency.”
***********************************************
That is almost too funny. G-Dawg, who is the most laid back person on the UGA sideline?
“Hot seats” are over – done with – for a few years, for everyone, including staff. And right or wrong, there is NO QB competition – Murray is the man, and there’s no way, short of injury, that he will get taken out of a ballgame, other than a blowout, either way.
Remember that? We did get blown out a couple of times in that glorious, contract-extending season last year. Maybe Murray can take care of the ball better. Maybe Bobo cuts back on the 3-and-outs.
Regarding the O-line, how can a line (2011’s) that had 3 players going to the NFL – a couple in the first 2 rounds supposedly, look so inept for entire halves and quarters of games?
Could it be the schemes and lack of adjustments by our OC? Was it entirely on the QB mistakes? Guess we will never know, cause that’s another coach who ain’t going anywhere.
Go Dawgs.
UGA1
March 20th, 2012
10:14 am
No way SC own the East. Look for the Dawgs to take back total control.
I'm sorry, but that is just ANOTHER negative post by YOU sir
March 20th, 2012
10:15 am
Thomas Brown = Mr Negativity = 13-1 East (blogger) = Techie March 20th, 2012 7:48 am
“I think we need to believe that “maturity” with our QB and TB will show-up this year……at least I’m praying that will happen”
Sometimes, it just happens that way
March 20th, 2012
10:17 am
In the Florida game last Fall, Richard Samuel pounded and pounded the ball and scored and that actually carried the day for UGA. He got hurt on the 2 yd line in which he could have scored another TD with 3, 5 or 8 seconds ticking off the clock. HE WAS A WARRIOR !!!!
RICHARD SAMUEL placed himself into the UGA Hall of Glory with that ONE game. He may never churn up 900 yds for UGA, but THAT GAME put him into our hearts for ever.
SAMUEL, A DAMNED GOOD BULLDOG !!!
kingdaddy
March 20th, 2012
10:18 am
Dawglasville
Careful what you ask for.LOL. He wouldn’t miss a chance to stick a finger in a Dawgs-eye
jy
March 20th, 2012
10:19 am
I guess some would say that Buck Belue was the only winning qb uga ever had because all he had to do was give the ball to Herschell and throw a miracle pass to Scott vs UF and beat a team GT tied to win an National Championship game. What was he 1-8 in that game or was it the next years Clemson Game?? That was so long ago I cannot remember..
6-18 Against Ranked Teams Since '05
March 20th, 2012
10:23 am
@Deport….”At the end of Murrays career he will be the all time leader in just about every stat in UGA history. .. and of course its not good enough… typical Georgia fans…”
Agreem Deport……he’ll be leading in the most number of losses against ranked teams as a starting QB……typical brainwashed Dawg fan
Joey
March 20th, 2012
10:24 am
“Where is Bob?”
******************
GTBob?
Maybe a computer virus?
One can hope . . .
Joe
March 20th, 2012
10:25 am
@ Reggie Ball, True. Consistancy is the hallmark of Bobo’s play calling..The defensive coaches know of his consistancy in play calling… You have to mix it up..It blows my mind that UGA only ran the ball with the fb one time the whole year last year. Hopefully the running attach will show more variety instead of more of the same. You have to keep the defense guessing even with a running attack.
JB
March 20th, 2012
10:31 am
success in 2012( on offense) depends on The line opening a hole now and then for a back ( I haven’t seen a hole for UGA backs in maybe 3 years…..and Bobo keeping the peddle down.
PrimeTimeJr
March 20th, 2012
10:34 am
team won more games when Richt was on the hotseat. Let’s hope Murray and the guys relaxing doesn’t mean another 6-7 season. Still need to play with urgency.
Joey
March 20th, 2012
10:36 am
Ol Buck did a lot more than hand off the ball to Herschel, jy. He was winning football and baseball games for UGA for a couple years when Herschel was still in high school. Ask Ga Tech fans about the ‘78 game, when Belue, a freshman, came off the bench about halftime.
He threw for over 3000 yards (forVince Dooley no less) and had a really good senior season with Lindsey Scott, whom Buck helped recruit.
kingdaddy
March 20th, 2012
10:42 am
How many teams would kill to have UGAs problems? The OL will be atheletic, hungry and deep. I.C.should have matured and learned about SEC football and with Samuel’s leadership and Malcombe and the new pups, should be able to gash yards for a huge rushing year. Our T.E.s are among the best in the nation and our QB should have time to show the rest of the SEC that our W/Rs will take a back-seat to no-one! Then there’s our awesome Defense. CTG has those boys believing in themselves and they will be much fun to watch. The Perfect Storm is forming over Athens Ga. and the Doggies are poised to make the most of it…
hop
March 20th, 2012
10:53 am
mr. Murry, you keep turning the ball over like you did against Michigan State , hopefully Coach Richt will have enought grit to sit your ass down.
also , I hope you turn pro next year so uga can have a qb who does not throw so many INT’S.
kingdaddy
March 20th, 2012
11:04 am
Why did you delete my post about leaving S.C. with a Large Bucket of Fried-Chicken?
Joey
March 20th, 2012
11:07 am
You are right about the TEs, kingdaddy. Both are huge targets – Lynch 6-5 255, Rome 6-6 260. Hopefully Bobo uses some 2-TE sets for the running game as well as short passing game.
UGA Insider
March 20th, 2012
11:10 am
IC is about to take over the UGA tailback position. I am guessing both frosh redshirt and Boo/Samuels are the backups. IC is going to be the best back in the SEC this year. Book it! This guy has more talent than a healthy Marcus Lattimore.
kingdaddy
March 20th, 2012
11:14 am
Hop
I think a real running game will take a lot of pressure off A.M. this year and cut his turn-overs in half. Also, watch-out for the ol ball coach(oops, I just threw-up in my mouth) Spurrier always has a good game-plan for the Doggies…
KakNiqueTree
March 20th, 2012
11:15 am
Loved how he responded to the question about left tackle. Whoever plays that position is probably his best friend on the team haha
1eyedJack
March 20th, 2012
11:21 am
I always enjoy reading what all the “experts” think.
kingdaddy
March 20th, 2012
11:24 am
Joey and UGA Insider
You couldn’t be more correct. IF and that’s a big IF, Bobo uses all of our T.E.s in 2TE sets, we will be hard to stop. Bobo is the key this year! He has no excuses this year. Either sh*t or get off the pot, Coach Bobo. And yes, I.C. can become one of the best backs Ever IF he stays focused…
DawginLex
March 20th, 2012
11:31 am
Anyone that bashes Buck is an idiot. He was a great athlete and a great leader and did what he was told to do for Coach Dooley. He might have been a better baseball player than football player.
1eyedJack
March 20th, 2012
11:36 am
With Herschel, Buck Belue did exactly what he had to do, MANAGE the game. The one time we needed him to WIN the game, he did that too.
Joe
March 20th, 2012
11:51 am
Joey, My point was why was he not considered one of the best qbs at GA. He won. Everyone is down on Murray. Buck would have killed to have his talent or Staffords talent….He won because of the surrounding team and the coaching staff..Dooley and Russell…He should be more in the conversation because he was a winner and had a winning team and staff to surround him. Bobo nor Richt can ever win big until they realize you cannot be one dimensional on offense. But one thing I will add… When your running game works there is not much need to throw the ball..I know offenses are more pass oriented today but a team with a good running game and a good defense can win consistantly the ability to pass puts the icing on the cake. You just cannot win with a great passing game and a mediocre running game…We have proved that. So has Bama, and LSU. Without the icing on the cake Belue to Scott…well you know the outcome. Just do not be predictable!!!!!!!as we have seen in recent years with out offense…..More of the same will not get it done.
Andrew
March 20th, 2012
11:57 am
Wow. A “relaxed” group of Dawgs in the spring season? After getting crushed by LSU and Michigan State to end the season?
This is why Richt needs to be fired. Do you think Saban’s group was “relaxed” in 2010 after their humiliating loss to Auburn? Guarantee you we blow it AGAIN next year. Sloppy play/arrests/horrible play calling… The “Georgia Way” under CMR.
brad
March 20th, 2012
11:58 am
I love all these “problems” Georgia has…there are 100 teams out there that wished they had the “problems” Georgia’s team has.
13-1 SEC East Champions 2012
March 20th, 2012
12:15 pm
You got to love the way John Elway treated Tim Tebow in all this.
47 percent passing completion percentage.
That’s worse than Aaron Murray.
13-1 SEC East Champions 2012
March 20th, 2012
12:16 pm
Do you mean like 11 of the 12 teams on the schedule for 2012 did not finish in any top 25 poll ?
Yeah, that’s a pretty special situation. Boise State plays more ranked teams than we do.
So does TCU.
Thomas Brown = Mr Negativity = 13-1 East (blogger) = Techie
March 20th, 2012
1:10 pm
There you go again 13-1……….you don’t have a clue. Btw, saying players will be more mature is not a negative comment. Usually, college players mature and improve with 1-2 years experience….you nut- case!!!
dayshift
March 20th, 2012
1:13 pm
nobody on the hot seat? Richt will be….
Jiggy Smaha
March 20th, 2012
1:20 pm
Murray chokes.
George Feeny
March 20th, 2012
1:28 pm
I hope Aaron has a great season so he can declare early for the draft and we can finally have a QB competition.
George Feeny
March 20th, 2012
1:28 pm
I hope Aaron has a great season so he can declare early for the draft and we can finally have a QB competition.
AltamahaDawg
March 20th, 2012
1:35 pm
Wow. Talk about bending over backwards to make up something to say. Are you fellows actually bashing the kid because he used the word “relaxed” in a canned responce to a newspaper interview question? (not to mention purposely ignoring the point he was making there, which was spot on and should have been good news to hear from all Georgia fans)
What say we put his motivation, and competitive spirit up side any one of yours?
AltamahaDawg
March 20th, 2012
1:48 pm
Because having to figure out which newby will play that in your mind wouldn’t be good enough to win the job outright, and with no experiece, would be way better that having a 5th yr senior, 4 yr starter, huh George?
PreyDawg
March 20th, 2012
1:48 pm
None of the things mentioned are Murray’s biggest weakness. His biggest weakness is NEVER looking at the dump off man. I lost count of how many first downs we could have made if he would just LOOK at the wide open dump off man. Instead we had to punt. I think part of it is his height. I don’t think he can see a guy 5 yards deep from the pocket. At least not on a consistent basis.
truedawg
March 20th, 2012
2:25 pm
AM just needs to learn 3 and out is better than 2 and turn over. I’m looking forward to seeing some long slow drives..running the ball. Wearing the other team down, mixing in some short passes and if the “long bomb” opens up take it, but don’t bank on it. Mitchell would be better suited playing CB. Make the other team deal with no open WR and have to try and run against our front and LB’s. Bobo needs to learn great teams aren’t beat with flash and tricks but by slow plays with short yardage.. slowly eating clock and yardage. Just play to your players strength. And break the other teams heart. make them ready to just be over. Bama LSU showed you how to win..no turn overs, strong defense and great running game. Also open competition all positions…including QB.
GO DAWGS!!!
PrimeTimeJr
March 20th, 2012
2:34 pm
LSU threw less than 20 times per game, in the big games, against ranked teams, and ran 40 times.
Averaged over 4 yards a carry, and only 5 ypc passing.
Which means 2-to-1 run playcalls, and a lot of high percentage short lateral throws to outlet receivers.
PrimeTimeJr
March 20th, 2012
2:44 pm
Murray hit Crowell, one of the biggest playmakers, 8 times in the flats.
Richardson caught 29, McCalebb 32, Rainey 31, Crowell 8?????
Throwing to outlets would cut down on UGA’s SEC leading 34 sacks and 14 interceptions too.
Mitchell, Smith, Crowell, Boykin, were WIDE OPEN on SO MANY plays for a lateral short high percentage pass.
Use that speed, don’t waste it.
Trojan
March 20th, 2012
2:49 pm
Bobo is the weak link at UGA. Why not make him watch Alabama film over and over? Throw the ball in the flats to your running backs. If you have to use Carlton Thomas, throw a screen pass to him. Don’t run him up the middle.
Thomas Brown = Mr Negativity = 13-1 East (blogger) = Techie
March 20th, 2012
2:56 pm
Right on AltamahaDawg!!! These same Murray bashers would complain if we put a rookie in a game and lost. They would say CMR and Bobo blew it because they played a new kid instead of a seasoned veteran!!!
Greg
March 20th, 2012
3:15 pm
South Carolina fans, ugh. You run the East? Really? Only a team that has won one East championship in their history(and did that with three conference losses) would bitch incessantly about the schedule of a team that won the East with a 7-1 record.
Mo Dawg
March 20th, 2012
3:47 pm
With the schedule we have coming this year, we should win the SEC East. We could probably do like last year and lose 1 game and still take it. The only teams with a chance are SC, FLA and Auburn. We win the rest, no problem. If we can win a big game in the SEC Champ game, we can play in THE BCS game!
AltamahaDawg
March 20th, 2012
3:51 pm
Eh, I don’t know if they are all “bashers”. Some are, but they bash everything, so. I get the comments that wish Murray would do this or not do that. I wish he could take a few back myself. I even get that folks want a better QB, in their mind. That’s fine. That’s about as constant in football chatter as it gets, anywhere. What I do NOT get is this notion that it makes any sense to go to our less capable option at the most critical time of the more competitive games of the season. Would seem to me to be the exact time not to do that.
Personally, I think AM was much better in his second year, and will continue to improve this year. I also think that there were factors in many of his TO, that can be corrected. He can correct some stuff, and other factors can help him out.
It easy to just look at the loses against better competition,and say, UH huh-see there, BUT a lot of guys on that team had breakdowns against those same teams.SO basically , we needed to better, in the bigger games all around, including him, but not exclusively him. I also beleive it is very likely that had we started a different QB this past season, we would have lost to at least one of those (less) teams as well. Now this is me assuming we would have played one of the other QBs actually on our roster, not the secret QB that some folks seem to know about.
SEC Football Morning Coffee | SEC Football
March 20th, 2012
6:31 pm
[...] – Remember this time last year when Georgia head coach Mark Richt was on the hot seat? Aaron Murray does, and it seems like a long time ago. [...]
Birdhair
March 20th, 2012
6:39 pm
Does anyone know if Bozo got a raise and if so how much and what’s his new salary?
what of it?
March 20th, 2012
9:23 pm
“We haven’t really talked about last year at all.”
That’s good b/c you know what they say about ignoring the past, you won’t repeat it. Just keep pretending everything’s going really well, and forget about any mistakes that might have been made.
Reality Dawg
March 20th, 2012
10:42 pm
I hope they aren’t too relaxed, because the impression is still there that the team annually underachieves, and the coaching staff is not very concerned with recruiting except from October through signing day. Meanwhile, Saban is taking all of our superstar prospects. The non-chalant attitude of Richt and staff may do them in unless an SEC Championship comes in 2012 or 2013. Most of the booster community doesn’t want to discuss it, but quietly there is still major concern. That you can take to the bank.
hop
March 21st, 2012
3:32 am
kingdaddy,murray record against top teams is nothing but disaster and he has seen a running game in the past,but he has “happy” feet when he rolls out of the pocket.
his performance against LSU and michigan state was real ugly,uga ,even with an easy schedule will not beat usc or win an sec because of having a very unstable qb who makes very bad dscisions.
hop
March 21st, 2012
3:54 am
uga and mark richt chose the wrong qb when it let Zack Mittenberger leave and anointed Murray as the starting qb.
Mittenberger will play in the NFL and MURRAY will go not as the qb who could not win the big one.