Monday, April 19, 2010

Like I said, Aaron Murray will be the starting QB this fall

Following G-Day, many people seemed quick to anoint Zach Mettenberger the starting quarterback based on his performance. I was cautious because while Mettenberger was impressive last Saturday, he was still facing a minimum 1 game suspension and needed to continue to improve other skills such as his footwork. After his dismissal from the team yesterday, I hope that all of the Georgia fans that seemed to give up on Aaron Murray are ready to get back on the bandwagon. While I never want to see a talented kid kicked off of Georgia's team, the actions taken by Coach Richt may ultimately be a blessing in disguise. Let me explain.

With Mettenberger gone, that means there will be one less quarterback splitting reps this summer. Mettenberger had a good chance of being named #1 on the depth chart following a strong spring, but because of his suspension someone else would need to take a large portion of snaps with the first team as well to prepare for the season opener. Now, the coaches will have a clear number 1 going into the season who can become the sole focus point.

This also means we avoid any type of quarterback controversy this fall. I think most of us have come to accept the fact that Logan Gray is not going to be a big time SEC quarterback. With Murray entrenched as the starter, all of the Bulldog nation can get behind him as opposed to people calling for his job the first time he makes a mistake. A freshman QB is going to inevitably make some mistakes and I am glad we won't have to hear the lunatic fringe calling for a QB change after an interception in the third quarter of a blowout against Louisiana Lafayette.

The final reason this is could be a blessing in disguise is that it already seems to have changed the media's mind about Coach Richt's discipline practices. Many people criticized Georgia for player arrests over the last few years, but this year we have removed both of the players from the team who have gotten themselves into trouble.

In the end, it sucks that Mettenberger had to go. He was a talented player who may have become a great quarterback. I wish him luck at whatever school he lands at (as long as it is not in the SEC).

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