Per UGA release...
University of Georgia head football coach Mark Richt confirmed Monday that senior quarterback Joe Cox will remain the starter for the Bulldogs.
"It was unanimous among our staff that Joe gives us the best chance to win and that’s where our focus needs to be.,” said Richt. “There’s still a lot of football left this season. We tell our players to finish the drill and we are committed to doing that this week and each week the remainder of the season. We have faith in Joe that he gives us the best opportunity to do that. At the same time, we do plan on Logan Gray getting some playing time this week at quarterback.”
Richt also updated the injury situation from Saturday and status for this week’s game against Tennessee Tech. He said A.J. Green suffered a pulmonary contusion and will not play this week; Clint Boling had a knee contusion and is probable; and Justin Houston suffered a hyper extended elbow and is doubtful.
And from the SEC, regarding Brandon Spikes:
The Southeastern Conference has reviewed and accepted the disciplinary actions taken by the University of Florida regarding football student-athlete Brandon Spikes. The university suspended Spikes for the first half of its next game (vs. Vanderbilt, Nov. 7) for an unsportsmanlike act during the Gators' last game (vs. Georgia, Oct. 31).
ADDENDUM: Here is what Brandon Spikes had to say:
"I accept responsibility for my actions and I accept the consequences of my actions. I would like to apologize to my team and the coaching staff and Washun Ealey. Football is a very physical and emotional game, but there is no excuse for my actions."
Monday, November 2, 2009
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26 comments:
any mention of green being out longer than Louisiana tech?
Suddenly the rest of my Saturdays have become free. Someone please rouse me in time for next season.
The Georgia Debacle as I am now calling it is becoming eerily similar to what happened at Michigan during the 00's. Couldn't beat your rival? Check. Talented players that don't pan out? Check. Coach that is loyal to a fault? Check. Losing games you shouldn't lose every year? Check. I really hope CMR doesn't become UGA's LLoyd Carr.
On a more positive note, Drew Butler is having what is arguably one of the greatest seasons for a punter in CFB history.
Simply insane numbers here. Statistically off the charts.
I really hope CMR doesn't become UGA's LLoyd Carr.
He won't, Lloyd Carr won a national title. Boom, Roasted.
I am still glad Im not a Florida gator, I cant stand those people. Also, I think the uniforms were a good idea, not a bad pr move. I dont know if you or any of the people talikg about the uniforms being bad played football and am in no way trying to start controversy I just know that if my coach in high school came to us 15 minutes before kickoff I would be even more excited about the game. I would already be excited I got to play but it would add emotion. Many of the players said it was a boost for them but when it came down to it Michael Moore put it best. I have a whole post on the game at behindthecolumns.wordpress.com. Its something me and my buddies did cause we wanted a place to vent and share ideas. Check it out sometime if you want. Thanks for your work on your site, I like your work and enjoy reading your thoughts.
So Spikes gets to rest in the first half against Vandy. I suppose he would have been told to sit the first 3 quarters if he had been successful in poking WE's eyes out of his head
Not only is UGA in decline the SEC if running even faster down hill.
More of the same.
He's done, folks.
If you don't know why the uniforms matter, then you should go back to watching HS ball, Fratt.
It is shocking to me how little knowledge or passion UGA fans seem to have for the traditions of this school.
The apathy and ignorance is astounding.
Here's a scarier thought- UGA is beginning to parallel the mediocre Georgia Tech teams of the mid-2000s.
Richt/Gailey- coaches that are consistently unable to win the games that matter
AJ/Calvin Johnson- athletic specimens that are failing to live up their potential because of average Joes (literally) at QB
Joe Cox/Reggie Ball- erratic QBs, throw INTs everywhere, generally make fans want to scream at their TVs
The worst part is that Tech at least had an aggressive, innovative John Tenuta as a defensive coordinator while we're stuck with Martinez and his mediocrity.
I hope I'm wrong about this.
A Green Out? Awesome!
As far as Joe Cox is concerned:
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
What a pathetic limp wristed QB he is. Not only doesn't he even have the arm strength to throw the ball out of bounds (for the second time this year he was picked off when he futility tried with 9 year old girl arm to throw it away), he also a terrible decision maker that can't seem to read a defense.
And the fact that Cox is your best option at QB, is an indictment on this coaching staff. If Cox is your best option at QB, you have completely failed as an offensive staff.
Coach Richt's "unanimous staff" expects this to be a very close game so no chances will be taken at QB.
Shreveport hangs in the balance.
To me, Gray should have been getting quality reps from the beginning as cmr promised to do... instead, he gets no reps until mop-up time or to run out of the wildcat or until Cox throws 3 picks. At 4-4, I would still put murray or mett or whoever the QB of the future is going to be; and start building on next year.
CMR says he owes it to the seniors to try and be competitive... I disagree. The senior class has shown NO leadership this year. They have no pride and no discipline. CMR is loyal to a fault and his loyalty is misplaced! He owes it to the supporters of this program and those supporters actually filling the seats and writing the checks that pay his salary to salvage whatever he can of this season by getting the next group of dogs ready for next year.
What does he owe a senior class that has allowed UGA to drop to a second rate program? What loyalty does he owe a group that has become one of the most undisciplined and passion-less teams in the country? What loyalty does he owe a group that is -15 in turnovers?
CMR must get this program turned around NOW, not next year. I think he and his coaching staff have grown way too comfortable with the limited success they've had. he needs to realize that he doesn't have 20 years to win a national championship like FSU gave bowden... i would say he has about 3 years or he's gone.
It's frustrating when you see Saban turn bama around with less talent in 3 years. When you see Meyer make the run at florida in less time. now we will see kiffin turn around UT in the next 2 years and UGA and CMR is in trouble.
To me it's simple, give CMR the chance to fire martinez at the end of the season... If he doesn't make that change then let him go. If he puts his loyalty to his old college roommate before what is in the best interest of the program then he needs to go.
we are in trouble when we have to use new uniforms as a way of motivating your players against your biggest rival(who you have lost 16 of the past 19 meetings) when they are ranked #1.
to have a bye weeks to prepare and come out and go down by touchdowns is sad. i like the uniforms but it just feels and appears SOOOO desperate and out of touch. the black helmets should never see the light of day. They made UGA look like the prison team from 'The longest yard'. the black pants should stay and we should rotate black and red pants on the road. Save the silver britches for home.
College Football America Top 25 said...
Could not have said better. In fact, it it what I am thinking just to lazy to type.
just not seeing Logan Gray as a quality qb. I'm speaking out of my butt i'm sure because he hasn't had quality snaps. IDK. It's just a feeling I have. I hope I'm wrong though.
To respond to some of the comments above...Richt has 3 years to win a National Title? I don't give a crap about BCS National titles. That tripe is for ESPN, Big 10 and PAC 10 fans. I care about being competing for SEC East titles and SEC Championships.
I'm a little sick to my stomach as I say this...I simply no longer trust our coaching staff. It's amazing that I can say that just 2 years removed from a Sugar Bowl victory, but its true. Just off the top of my head are some examples why:
1)Getting the penalty problem under control. After 2 years, does anyone have any faith in the coaching staff to fix this? They just don't know how, and that is apparent.
2)"Cox makes up for arm strength with accuracy and good decisions". To be mild, this was not truthful.
3) "The players, not Willie's coaching is the problem". Florida coaches had to be laughing when they saw our.
4)Richard Samuel as the starter...ever. If there was a reason for this, it never translated to Saturdays. Another case of "Are some of these guys really playing that much better every day but Saturday?"
5) B. Evans starting in the 8th game of the season.
6) Directional kicking at all with Walsh's leg.
7) Logan Gray fair catching over and over.
8)Inability to make any improvement on turnovers/lack of turnovers.
9) Loyalty to Martinez. If I were Willy Martinez, and I was possibly costing my best friend his job by my performance, I would resign. I'd want to help my buddy that let me tag along for all those years.
10) Gimmicks. Not the Georgia Way, plain and simple.
Fact is, I just don't trust the staff to be able to correct the mountain of problems this team has. Richt has never had to turn a team around before. In our case, I still can't see our Rock Bottom. Tech, and maybe even Kentucky. After watching these press conferences for the last 2 years, and then watching the definition of insanity play itself out on the field, this coaching staff no longer holds any credibility with me that they can make us competitive in our Division or our State again. They've given me no indication they know how to fix this team.
Did anybody seriously think Richt would bench Cox? Really seriously?
Did you seriously think the penalty problem would be fixed?
Did you seriously think the defense would be better this year?
Did you seriously think the directional kicking would be fixed?
I could go on....you get the picture.
So given all of these, do you seriously think Richt will fire any coaches EOS?
Sonny Dykes (Arizona) for offensive coordinator and John Tenuta (Notre Dame) for defensive coordinator. Mark Richt make a call today to both of these men in an attempt to save your job!
Great posts by CFA Top 25 and JoshG. I am saddened by MR's decision. He is a great human but I am afraid that he does not have it in him to make significant changes. He obviously values loyalty more than anything - Willie, Cox, Prince, Evans. Paterno shook up his staff a few years back bringing in Galen Hall and jazzing up the offense. I don't think Mark has it in him - a sad day for this dawg.
The last Georgia game I didn't watch was in 1999, and I was underway in service to our country. With Richt's announcement today, I think I'll actually get some things done around the house this fall.
I CAN'T WAIT to renew my season tickets. Based on what I'm reading, there should be 20,000 empty slots in Sanford Stadium. I already have 40 yard line seats but I imagine I'll be able to get just about anything I want.
I'm so sick of hearing armchair coaches tell us all how smart they are. Face it - you don't know jack. It seems that many Dawg fans think it's unfathomable that UGA would suffer a .500 season and that the only answer is to pronounce changes immediately. Well that AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN! Perhaps you feel like you're something less of a person because you can't brag about how good your football team is on Monday mornings. Whatever the reason, face facts. UGA would be a far greater joke in college football if they fire CMR than they are for going .500 this year. All of this "Willie is his buddy and he'll never can him" crap is just useless speculation. Let the season and offseason play out to see what happens. My God, when your kids do poorly on a test do you say "once a dumb@$$, always a dumb@$$"? Give the guy a chance to make changes in a logical way at the right time without presuming that the frigging sky is falling.
Raleigh - I agree MR should be able to make decisions on his own time but we are going to start next year with another unproven QB. Greene worked out for us. Joe T. was a busted year. Cox is a busted year. Without any experience by LG or AM this year, I don't hold out high hopes for next year.
When MR talks about Searles having the final say on the line and that the Cox decision was unanimous among the staff, I start to wonder how MR makes decisions.
Hey Raleigh... Some of us played college football and actually know what we're talking about. As for Richt being able to make a decision, I agree, my question is how long do you give him... It's not like this is a new problem. The defense has been declining since 2005. In '06 our D gave up 18 ppg overall and 25ppg to our biggest rivals (TENN,AUB,FLA,GT, and ALA/LSU when we play them). In '07 this slipped to giving up 20ppg overall and 26 ppg to our biggest rivals. In '08 we fell to giving up 25 ppg overall and 33 ppg to our biggest rivals. This year our D is giving up almost 30 ppg overall and 35 ppg to the rivals we've played so far...
As for your analogy, my question is how many 'F's do you allow your kids to bring home before you take away his keys/cell phone, ground him or simply beat his ass?
I don't expect Richt to fire any coaches before season's end and I agree with that decision. If, however, he continues to dismiss obvious changes that need to be made, obvious even to us 'armchair QBs as you call us', then Richt himself is going to be perceived as the problem and rightfully so.
The fact of the matter is UGA has gone from the creme of the SEC crop to a middle of the pack program in just a few short years. Several coaches have come into the SEC during his tenure and already won championships. Often with less talented teams.
Some of us who pay for those season tickets expect to see a quality product for the thousands we donate. Enjoy your season tickets next year... While I will still root for UGA always, I won't be renewing my commitment until changes are made.
I'm frustrated with some things, too. I guess I just don't take it quite as seriously. Whether I renew my season tickets will be based on family considerations - not whether I agree with the administration's decisions. I'm sure if I tracked all of the coaching decisions that I thought should happen versus how they worked out, the results would not be pretty. So I'm hesitant to second guess - even with perfect hindsight.
I tend to play devil's advocate when I see the kind of hysteria that we're witnessing at the moment. I find these kind of things funny:
- UGA was #1 by the national media last year and #2 in the SEC East according to the SEC media. Those SEC idiots were just biased.
- Joe Cox was the second coming of DJ Shockley before the season. Now he's the limp-armed, worst QB in the SEC.
- Stacy Searles was God's gift to offensive lineman last year. Now he's something far less.
- Stafford and Knowshon were me-first stars that hurt the team. Now they were the only thing that kept us from bottoming out last year.
- Even claims that "Several coaches have come into the SEC during his tenure and already won championships" are extremely subjective. You can argue that the talent was similar but making a case that UGA's talent was superior to the other champs during Richt's tenure is a bit much.
(The best are the whitewashed memories of the Vince and Erk years. I grew up watching UGA and saw plenty of years like this one. The selective memory of things past is ridiculous.)
I believe a lot of the most negative fans now were the same folks that were rationalizing how good this year was going to be. Those false hopes set them up for even greater disappointment. I think that has intensified the heat that's being put on the program at the moment.
I'm one of the first ones to agree that this year will likely lead to change at the end of the season. But, in spite of the statistical regression in the past few years, I wasn't surprised or frustrated that Richt decided to stand pat after last season. The team was 10-3 and finished #10 in the nation and that just isn't the environment that you see coaching changes made (anywhere!). Sure, you can argue that a "forward thinking" coach would see the potential that the decline would continue. But I think that's where there's a fundamental difference between Richt and some of the fanbase. Richt isn't extrapolating the negatives like many fans are to the point that the program is doomed. And that seems to be where a significant number of fans think the program is. This year will be a far different environment when Richt/Evans are assessing what the program needs to rebound and move forward. I think I'll reserve judgment rather than assuming nothing will be done and the downward spiral is inevitable.
Last note - notice I didn't say anything in support of maintaining anything or anyone come this postseason. I think it's hard for anyone to justify what's happened to our defensive results over the past several years. And I may be even more critical than some regarding the offensive performance. But I think I'll just wait to see how things work out rather than assuming that Richt won't do anything.
Mark Richt is a man of character and he will do the right thing as far as he is concerned. That being said I feel he thinks the right thing for him is to protect his staff.
This whole season is just sad. I look forward to UGA football and being in Athens and travel 500+ miles to get there, now I find myself dreading the trip.
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