Notebook: QB Hutson Mason hopes he doesn’t get called on

GEORGIA FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK

ATHENS — If all goes as Hutson Mason hopes, he won’t play Saturday against Buffalo. If he gets his way, he won’t play all season.

That may seem like an odd aspiration for a backup quarterback at an SEC school, but it makes perfect sense to Mason, a junior quarterback from Marietta.

Mason is the Bulldogs’ clear No. 2 quarterback behind three-year starter Aaron Murray. But the Lassiter High graduate hopes to redshirt this season in order to put a year of eligibility between him and Murray. That way he will have at least a year to possibly run the offense as the starter after Murray graduates.

“I never really pictured it to go this way,” said Mason, who set the Georgia high school record for passing yards (4,560) and touchdown passes (54) as a senior. “It’s so funky and there are so many what-ifs.”

The main what-if is Murray. Mason has backed up Murray the past two seasons and has been very impressive in doing so, completing 27 of 47 passes for 356 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. But Mason has had few snaps in meaningful games. Almost all of his work has come in mop-up duty late in blowouts.

Much of that is a testament to Murray’s durability. Mason has called his good buddy “Superman” because he never gets hurt. Mason hopes that if he gets a year between him and Murray, he could lead the Bulldogs in some marquee games.

“I’ve never hoped Aaron gets hurt,” Mason said. “I love Aaron.  I’m knocking on wood hoping Aaron lights it up and stays healthy.

“But it’s basically the same thing for me this year. Coaches have told me that I’m the No. 2 guy, and if Murray goes down I’m going to go in. But then you’d have to figure out how long he might be out for and that kind of thing. So I’m just treating it the exact same way and preparing the same way I did last year. I’m hoping I don’t play but, at the same time, I’ve got to get ready.”

That’s what Georgia’s coaches are saying. Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo has made it clear that Mason is his second-best guy and, half-jokingly, refuses to acknowledge that redshirting is an option for him.

Meanwhile, redshirt freshman Christian LeMay is available to take snaps in a blowout scenario such as the Bulldogs could have Saturday against Buffalo. But he apparently is not quite ready to jump into the firestorm that is SEC play.

Coach Mark Richt wasn’t even guaranteeing snaps for LeMay on Saturday. “Our plan is to line up with Aaron and try to win the game,” he said. “We don’t have a plan like with D.J. [Shockley] back in the day where we knew he was going to play in the first half. We’ll just see how the game goes and sub if possible.”

Dantzler OK as gap-filler

Line coaches often refer to plays such as Watts Dantzler as “puddy” or “caulk.” It’s meant to be a compliment, as in “you can plug him into any gap and he’ll fill in.”

That’s the role that has befallen the hulking sophomore heading into the season. Though he began preseason camp No. 1 at right tackle, he ended it as No. 2 at as many as four positions. Center is the only position at which he hasn’t taken snaps in August.

“I actually took some snaps at center this summer,” said Dantzler, a 6-foot-7, 320-pound sophomore from Dalton. “If they wanted me to I would do that but I don’t think Boss would like it. Other than that I’ve played just about every position. And I think it’s helped me. I’m very confident in the playbook and the calls.”

Dantzler was beaten out at right tackle by freshman John Theus, a five-star signee who has been impressive since the outset. After that Dantzler began to get a lot of work at right tackle. In last half of camp he started to work at left tackle and guard.

“It’s difficult switching positions., especially having to switch stances on the left side,” Dantzler said. “But I think I’m versatile and know what to do at any given position. So I think that helps out.”

Dantzler said he was disappointed to not win the job at right tackle, but said Theus deserves to start.

“I have a lot of things I’ve got to work; I’ve got to get better, definitely,” he said. “I’m happy for the ones. I think we’ve got a great offensive line. The starting five is really good and I think me and Austin [Long] are both definitely ready to step in and contribute when our time is called.”

Practice report

The sixth-ranked Bulldogs completed their 26th practice of the preseason on Wednesday with a 90-minute practice in jerseys, shorts and helmets Wednesday.

“We’re ready to go,”  Richt said. “Let’s play some football. We’re about done, we’ve got one more day of practice.”

Thursday the Bulldogs will have a brief non-contact practice walk-through Saturday’s game plan.

Etc.

Asked what positions most intrigued him to see in action Saturday, Richt said “punters and kickers.” Also, “it’ll be fun to watch our backs.” … Tight end Jay Rome remained “limited” in Georgia’s practice Wednesday with a hamstring strain and is questionable for Saturday’s game. … Nose guard Kwame Geathers (shoulder bruise) and defensive end Cornelius Washington (neck sprain) returned to practice and will be able to play Saturday.

145 comments Add your comment

WDE

August 30th, 2012
1:15 pm

I’m sick of the trolling and folks that live in constant UGA envy…please can we just tee it up and play now??

Matt

August 30th, 2012
1:18 pm

I could be wrong here but if Murray doesn’t go pro after this year and returns then Mason is screwed. Yes?

DawginLex

August 30th, 2012
1:45 pm

The story i told was true. Just because it didn’t get reported on the internet does not mean it didn’t happen. It did.

just because I dared to share a story about Bama football players getting into trouble makes me a liar according to you fools.

I didn’t lie. Go back to soaking your teeth and scrubbing your trailer tires to head to Dallas

Bulldog59

August 30th, 2012
1:48 pm

@Matt, I believe Murray actually earned his degree this past May, and all the “talk” is that he plans to head to the NFL. He even filed the preliminary paperwork at the end of last season out of what he called “curiosity”, just to see his projected NFL draft status. So odds are he’s only here for one more season, trying to “up” his draft status. But, who knows, for some reason, he could stay and to your point, Mason could be screwed…….

Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)

August 30th, 2012
1:53 pm

Maybe it was Tennessee players Lex saw!!!!!!!!!!

DawginLex

August 30th, 2012
1:53 pm

You Bama boys called me out to “back it up”??

My whole point was that this happened and nothing was ever reported.

Think about it.

How am I going to back it up with a link from the internet that does not exist, only a eyewitness account???

Geez, you Bama boys are STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)

August 30th, 2012
2:01 pm

@ Spider:

Hit don’t make no difrunce!!!!!!!!!!!

IF UGA wins ALL they regla skeduled games they will be in strong contenchun for the NC. Kno whut I’m sayin?????????????????.

Gamechanger is clueless

August 30th, 2012
2:13 pm

Gamechanger is nothing more than a troll, if he types it believe the opposite , His claims of John Jenkins being ineligible,and Major NCAA sanctions forthcoming. JHC leaving the program, Jarvis Jones can’t tackle SEC running backs the list goes on forever. Gamechanger = Supreme idiot.

Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)

August 30th, 2012
2:14 pm

@ Hawgette:

You come on here looking for honesty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LMAO

I’m kinda, sorta, maybe thinking about starting up a campaign to get ARK selected as a shiny example for sports fans everywhere!!!!!!!!!!!!

You ever rode on Petrino’s HAWG?????????

How can your 3 kids be 5.9 and 12????????????

Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)

August 30th, 2012
2:27 pm

@ D1reality:

Who did UGA open the 2011 season with????? Boise State, that’s who!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who has won the MOST D-1 Games in the last 5 years???? Bammy??? Of course not!! It is Boise State, that’s who !!!!!!!!

If you get bored just go watch the RERUN on the Bammy vs Louisiana-Monroe game when L-M rode into Tuskiloser and kicked everybody’s a$$ including SABAN’s but you got to give Bammy credit for scheduling that “POWER HOUSE”. LMAO

ARdawg

August 30th, 2012
2:31 pm

Matt/Bulldog59

Not really. Redshirting will do nothing but put a year of separation between Hutson and Murray. If Murray goes pro and Hutson redshirted the year, then he’ll still have two years eligibilty. Murray decides to stay a year then Hutson will still have one year of eligibilty. Good move on Hutsons part. He pretty well knows he’s got the job if Murray isn’t there.

Real Truth Detector

August 30th, 2012
2:36 pm

DawginLex….are you off your meds.

You got called out, you made up a story to fit your agenda, you were told to produce anything substantial, you said a ‘friend” told you( the first law of truth is never include the words “my friend told me”) and you have zero proof.

The same thing can be said, I have a friend who saw Crowell out with Jarvis, Alec, Rambo, and Geathers filing off serial numbers from handguns this spring. See anyone can do it.

Just be a man and fess up that you were lying out of your dog collared mouth and move on.

Old Dawg still Hunting

August 30th, 2012
2:39 pm

I am just tired of all the yapping.

People like DawginLex are not part of the program, never were, and guys like me who played under Coach Dooley, attend our Lettermen meetings, give our donations and ride our history with pride have to put up with people like him who stir the pot without a spoon.

Real Truth Detector

August 30th, 2012
2:46 pm

Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)

August 30th, 2012
2:27 pm
@ D1reality:

Who did UGA open the 2011 season with????? Boise State, that’s who!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who has won the MOST D-1 Games in the last 5 years???? Bammy??? Of course not!! It is Boise State, that’s who !!!!!!!!

If you get bored just go watch the RERUN on the Bammy vs Louisiana-Monroe game when L-M rode into Tuskiloser and kicked everybody’s a$$ including SABAN’s but you got to give Bammy credit for scheduling that “POWER HOUSE”. LMAO

________________________________________________________________–

Do you understand that The Schedule of UGA is going to be their downfall this year? Not playing anyone of substance outside the conference is going to have other schools leapfrogging UGA all year. Name the ranked schools that UGA plays?

USC, UF, Auburn……

The conference schedule is uncontrollable, the outer conference is controllable. When you line up each year with an outer conference foe that is ranked year in and year out, and keeps those on your schedule you know your program has reached the level of success others are yardsticks by.

Real Truth Detector

August 30th, 2012
2:49 pm

Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)

August 30th, 2012
2:27 pm
@ D1reality:

Who did UGA open the 2011 season with????? Boise State, that’s who!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who has won the MOST D-1 Games in the last 5 years???? Bammy??? Of course not!! It is Boise State, that’s who !!!!!!!!

If you get bored just go watch the RERUN on the Bammy vs Louisiana-Monroe game when L-M rode into Tuskiloser and kicked everybody’s a$$ including SABAN’s but you got to give Bammy credit for scheduling that “POWER HOUSE”. LMAO

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You want to bring up Louisiana Monroe from 2007? Saban’s first year.. Lets look deeper, how about UCF from 2 years ago, how about Colorado, how about Michigan St,,,,,,and Richt has been at UGA for 8 plus years…( his players, his scheme, his coaches, his facilities) nice try but when you get to the level that Alabama has been for the past 4 years let us know….by the way, since 2008 Alabama has put more players in the NFL than Any other program has since 2003 with the exception of 3, and UGA was not one of them.

The Umpire

August 30th, 2012
2:56 pm

Hard Truth Detector@246pm

“When you line up each year with an outer conference foe that is ranked year in and year out, and keeps those on your schedule you know your program has reached the level of success others are yardsticks by.”

Have you considered enrolling in a good Middle School to work on that syntax?

The Umpire

August 30th, 2012
3:00 pm

Real Truth Detector @256pm
“by the way, since 2008 Alabama has put more players in the NFL than Any other program has since 2003 with the exception of 3, and UGA was not one of them.”

OK, I’m trying to decide if you are really an Alabama fan or if you are DawginLex trying to make Alabama fans look illiterate, pugnacious, and dense. That makes no sense.

The Umpire

August 30th, 2012
3:08 pm

Old Dawg still hunting, when did Dooley coach Alabama? Dawginlex is one of the real Dawg fans…odd that you would object to him and not one of the hundred or so trolls hating on UGA.

dawgfacedboy

August 30th, 2012
3:18 pm

Of course there is no play to get Lemay in. They never get far enough ahead to get the backup in. Instead the get 2 TDs ahead and run the ball for the next 2 quarters.

dawgfacedboy

August 30th, 2012
3:23 pm

“When you line up each year with an outer conference foe that is ranked year in and year out, and keeps those on your schedule you know your program has reached the level of success others are yardsticks by.”

HUH????? HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

[...] QB Hutson Mason hopes he’s not called on this year [...]

Matt

August 30th, 2012
3:28 pm

ArDawg- you are wise. I, obviously, am not. I knew something didn’t add up. Is it the weekend yet?

Destin Dawg

August 30th, 2012
4:06 pm

Time to quit talking the talk….. time to walk the walk…. 3 hours til Vandy plays the Game clucks…… Vandy 31 vs. S.C. 28… Go Dawgs beat the Tigers !!!

DawgNole

August 30th, 2012
4:29 pm

GB’s Hamburgers
August 29th, 2012
11:17 pm

So everyone is excited about the season getting started? It’s little more than a scrimmage. I don’t think we want anymore Boise State’s. It takes two or three games in before we’re ready for a normal first game. So I guess it’s better this way.
_____________________

Speak for yourself. I’d much rather play Boise than the crap we have on our OOC schedule every year. If we can’t beat a decent OOC team, that’s on us, and we need to get better. Playing–and paying–these junior high teams to come to Athens and bend over is shameful, and the games are yawners. And I don’t care if “everybody else does it.” We should be better than that.

[...] QB Hutson Mason hopes he’s not called on this year [...]

ARdawg

August 30th, 2012
4:30 pm

Matt

Tis close my friend. Mix thyself a cocktail and enjoy the game tonight. We have football

ARdawg

August 30th, 2012
4:33 pm

Matt

Hutson is good. For whatever reason he couldn’t edge out Murray for the position. They started the same year. Hutson see’s himself on board for at least 2 more maybe 3. Again, a good move on his part and puts him is prime position to be the #1 QB next year or the following year

ARdawg

August 30th, 2012
4:34 pm

Of course if Murray goes down, redshirt comes off and he’s the man anyway. A win/win proposition for the young Mr. Hutson

Sven Ottke

August 30th, 2012
4:35 pm

Kid sounds like quite the competitor………………..not.

DawgNole

August 30th, 2012
4:38 pm

Galen Hall
August 30th, 2012
6:57 am

Tampa Gayter, apparently Phil Steele did not see you guys play FSU, it was painful. I almost felt sorry for you. Couldnt even get a first down. You lost skill people off of that team.

Tampa Gator
August 30th, 2012
7:23 am

@Galen Hall……

FSU had less that 100 yards of total offense in that game.
______________________

Less thaN 100 yards . . . .

And STILL beat you by two TDs. Did you forget that part?

ARdawg

August 30th, 2012
4:43 pm

Sven
You would cream your jeans of GT could land a QB with half of Hutson’s talent and ability

Clickety Clack

August 30th, 2012
4:45 pm

Boy some UGA fans are defensive on here today. When someone brings up a L-Monroe win against Alabama and they return fire with Colorado, UCF, Miss. St. AND Lost 3 out of the Last 5 TO USC all with Mark Richt in charge.

If you guys want to dish it out then line up to take it back.

We did not even get into the Fulmer Cup, Graduation Decline, Arrest, AD Arrest, Asst. Coach Choke or wanting to Fight, Academic failures, and with all that a ton of NFL talent that has yet to even come close to winning a BCS title, and coming close means playing in the game, not sitting at home after playing a weak Hawaii Team and proclaiming how good you are when you lost to a weak Tenn Team.

DawgNole

August 30th, 2012
4:46 pm

d1reality
August 30th, 2012
11:14 am

Buffalo, I can’t wait. Love the challenging schedule. Get’s the adreneline going just thinking upon that monster team from up north.

I guess if I get bored, there is always Bama/Michigan. What you say, Bama has the nads to open with Michigan!!!
_________________

Co-sign.

DawgNole

August 30th, 2012
4:55 pm

ugab
August 30th, 2012
11:34 am

Murray will have to prove his self with this season. Our OL is going to give up some sacks. Let’s not forget Vandy should have beat us, Fl almost beat us, Tennesse was a close on. Its not like the dawgs ran over anybody.
____________________

UGA 45-7 over Auburn. What do you have to do to “run over” somebody?

Sven Ottke

August 30th, 2012
5:07 pm

ARdawg, speak English much? I’d say we have a roster full of QB’s that have as much talent as your super warrior “I don’t wanna play” Mason.

DawgNole

August 30th, 2012
5:09 pm

DawginLex
August 30th, 2012
1:45 pm

The story i told was true. Just because it didn’t get reported on the internet does not mean it didn’t happen. It did.

just because I dared to share a story about Bama football players getting into trouble makes me a liar according to you fools.

I didn’t lie. Go back to soaking your teeth and scrubbing your trailer tires to head to Dallas
__________________________

You’re gonna have to do better than that, Lex–especially considering your rep on these blogs.

Hey, my wife just told me she heard the entire UGA team was jailed w/o bond this morning on assault charges. Damn, looks like we’re gonna lose to Buffalo now after all. But hey, it wasn’t on the Internet so I don’t have a link for you. But you believe me, don’t you?

ARdawg

August 30th, 2012
5:21 pm

Sven

You’re not very bright are ya? Watch much football do you? Do you understand much about the game? Still carrying that condom from high school in your billfold?

Hey ARdawg...

August 30th, 2012
8:56 pm

@ARdawg
August 30th, 2012
4:33 pm

Matt

Hutson is good. For whatever reason he couldn’t edge out Murray for the position. They started the same year. Hutson see’s himself on board for at least 2 more maybe 3. Again, a good move on his part and puts him is prime position to be the #1 QB next year or the following year

Mason stated in an articles that he wasn’t ready to play QB…he stated that he didn’t have the footwork down, he didn’t know the playbook well enough, and so on and so forth…he won’t really be ready until he gets some big time game duty and not mop up…he should be fine when given the chance

Gamecock in Georgia

August 30th, 2012
10:58 pm

Now what UGA idiots said Vandy will beat the Cocks!!!!!!!

Roadrunner

August 30th, 2012
11:54 pm

Hutson, I hope it goes the way you want and you can lead the team to a national championship next year. Even if it doesn’t, your dedication to the team and UGA won’t go unoticed and you will be a sucess in life. Things don’t always go exactly as you would have them go, but if you handle yourself well you’ll benefit regardless. Thanks for sticking with it and we wish you the best! GO DAWGS!!!! Woof, Woof, Woof!!!

VA

August 31st, 2012
8:35 am

Lemay is the future and Ramsey should be next in line. CMR shouldn’t give the keys to Mason just because he stayed with the program. CMR really had no choice with Joe Cox so learn from Cox and move forward. Mason is not the future for the program, Lemay and Ramsey should be the guys groomed to lead the program into the national spotlight and championships.

John

August 31st, 2012
9:24 am

Same coaching staff that said Cam Newton was a tight-end. With this coaching staff the opposite of what they say is the real truth. Therefore, LeMay is the best QB, then Mason and last Murray. Bet on it!

Go-Dawg

August 31st, 2012
12:00 pm

The word is “putty,” not “puddy.” Damn, man!

[...] QB Hutson Mason hopes he’s not called on this year [...]

Dawgs 32

August 31st, 2012
6:11 pm

Tampa gator….Florida will loose to Texas a@m next week. Just thought you would like to know.