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closeJACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Georgia’s loss Saturday was all Joe Cox’s fault — just ask him.
“I lost the game with three picks,” the Bulldogs’ embattled quarterback said. “That score does not reflect how we played, how we moved the ball. It’s the truth. Any time you turn the ball over that many times and give people chances to score, a good team’s going to score. And they did. That’s why we got beat.”
Cox, a fifth-year senior and a first-year starter, had been waiting a long time for his shot at Florida. He got it Saturday in Jacksonville, and it didn’t go the way he wanted.
The Charlotte, N.C., native, the redhead that his teammates all love as a person and a leader, threw three interceptions, helping squelch any hope the Bulldogs had at making a run at the nation’s No. 1 team.
“It’s tough. You work so hard for a moment, and when it doesn’t go your way, especially with everything you put into it, it’s as bad as you would imagine,” Cox said. “Not a lot of people have to deal with that and know what it feels like. And it’s not just me. It’s all these seniors. And all these young guys too. This isn’t the way that Georgia should play football. I feel bad for the whole senior class, being our last shot against Florida. And I feel bad for everybody in our program. We know how we’re supposed to play, and so far we haven’t clicked at all and gotten done what we were supposed to do.”
After sitting patiently behind D.J. Shockley and Matthew Stafford, 2009 was supposed to be Cox’s year to shine. And he has had his high points — he was a national offensive player of the week following a 375-yard, five-touchdown performance against Arkansas. He led a similarly impressive aerial attack against South Carolina.
But he has also thrown 12 interceptions and is the figurehead of a Georgia team that is now 4-4 for the first time under Mark Richt. His starting job has become a regular topic of discussion for message boards and people outside the program.
Those in the arena with him, however, still believe in him.
“He has been taking on the leadership of this program since January,” Richt said. “I think men, in general, want respect. ... Joe is a very respected man in our locker room and in our program. And even afterward you could tell how badly he hurt about this thing. I can’t tell you how many guys, offense, defense, freshmen, sophomore, juniors, seniors, came up to him and wanted to let him know how they felt about him.”
Cox’s name probably won’t evoke any warm feelings from Georgia fans, especially after Saturday’s performance. The cries for Logan Gray to take the reins will still be there. A clamoring for the start of the Aaron Murray era under center aren’t going anywhere either. When asked about the future of Georgia’s quarterback position Saturday, even Richt was a little more candid than usual about the possibility of a change.
“I don’t know the answer to that,” Richt said. “I think we’re going to look at the big picture at all positions and just see what we think we need to do. If we think Joe gives us the best chance to finish out this season with the most success, than that’s what we’re going to do.”
And no matter what Cox wants you to believe, he hasn’t been getting much help — the offensive line has played shaky at best, and the Georgia running game has been more miss than hit. His play certainly hasn’t been the best, but, as his teammates will tell you, he’s not solely responsible for the Bulldogs’ woes.
“The game should never be put on the shoulders of one person,” wide receiver Michael Moore said. “There’s 22 people on the field, 33 if you count special teams. There’s so many people that have that chance to make that play, make that catch, make that block, make that run. He shouldn’t do that. Everybody’s got to look at themselves.”
Added tight end Aron White, “We all still love Joe.”
Nobody’s questioning Cox’s leadership, and he knows he has the support of his teammates. Right now, though, he’s just looking to validate it.
“I beat the team with my mistakes,” he said.
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