Despite the fact that some Bulldog fans have been howling for Joe Cox to move to the bench, Mark Richt is staying with his interception-prone signal-caller.
That shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone. Not even the columnists who want to see true freshman Aaron Murray get a shot.
The idea is for Richt to start building for next year. “This 4-4 year is a washout, so let’s move on.”
Richt has said he won’t do that because the focus must remain on winning games this year. He has seniors who have spent their entire careers building toward this season and those guys don’t want — or deserve — to have their stretch run turned into a lengthy 2010 preseason camp.
But there are other reasons for this move that have surely gone through Richt’s mind.
For one, when the fans are complaining this loudly after ONE bad year, it’s not really the time to start letting losses pile up.
Former UGA quarterback Eric Zeier even came to Richt’s defense this week asking fans to be patient. “I think what’s surprising a little bit is in a year when you lost Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno and a lot of other guys that were good (that) the criticism is as loud as it is.”
So, would upset Dawg fans — and columnists — cut Richt a break if he went with Murray at quarterback the rest of the way? You know the answer.
If Georgia went to the freshman and dropped two of their final four to finish 6-6 everyone would be using that record against Richt. He’d get no free pass for “building toward next year.”
And while it’s possible that UGA could also finish 6-6 with Cox, the coaches clearly feel he gives them their best chance for winning.
That’s just as important for Richt’s staff as it is for Richt. The farther south the 2009 campaign goes, the more likely you’ll see big changes on the 2010 coaching staff. Those assistants aren’t interested in throwing in the towel on ‘09 if it means some of them might not be back in ‘10.
There are other considerations, too:
* If Georgia goes to a freshman and stumbles badly as they look ahead to next year, what impact will that have on this year’s recruiting class? Think negative recruiting from other schools wouldn’t be easier if the Dawgs had truly bad season. It’s still possible for Richt to keep his 8-wins-a-year streak alive, after all.
* If the Bulldogs win out, they can still go all the way to the Outback Bowl in Tampa. Do you think AD Damon Evans wants to get the biggest bowl check he can… or do you think he’s good with pulling the plug on 2009? Money talks.
* Finally, the worse this year’s record is, the more heat Richt himself will feel going into next season. I’m guessing he’s not interested in hearing what the expectations would be if he drops to 6-6 this year.
That, of course, is a calculated risk. While Richt might be able to avoid a total drop-off and finish as strong as 9-4 with a bowl win this season, he would still need to have his team prepared for the start of the 2010 season.
And once again, he’ll be breaking in a brand new quarterback.
The heat will be on during Murray’s (or Zach Mettenberger’s) learning curve anyway. There will be no “get out of jail free” card for having to play a first-time quarterback… whenever Richt elects to do it.
He should realize that based on the level of heat he’s feeling this year in what is his first bad season in Athens.
(Apologies to fans at Vanderbilt, Kentucky, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Arkansas who think a possible 9-4 campaign would look pretty darn good.)
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