Comments (0) | |

Tuesday, Nov. 03, 2009

Georgia’s focus won’t shift until season ends

ATHENS — After a 4-4 start and another disastrous loss to Florida, many of Georgia’s fans may be ready to start thinking about 2010. Mark Richt isn’t one of them.

Richt underscored his plans to focus on winning the final four regular-season games of this season Monday by announcing that Joe Cox would remain the team’s starting quarterback despite throwing three interceptions in Saturday’s 41-17 loss to the Gators.

“It was unanimous among our staff that Joe gives us the best chance to win, and that’s where our focus needs to be,” Richt said in a statement released by Georgia’s athletics department. “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.”

Richt said backup Logan Gray would get time at quarterback this week against Tennessee Tech, but that’s a far cry from the plan many fans had hoped they might see.

With Georgia struggling and Cox set to graduate at season’s end, Georgia’s future at quarterback remains a mystery. And while Cox has thrown at least one interception in every game – 12 in all – this season, even the present looks pretty bleak.

But while a vocal contingent of Georgia followers are ready to turn the page, the vast majority of the players are in agreement with Richt’s win-now approach.

“Right now I think all our focus has to be on Tennessee Tech, and I think that’s something that will be echoed across the team,” tight end Aron White said. “We can’t overlook the rest of our season or think that it’s down the drain or anything like that. We have four games left in this season, and hopefully a bowl after that. We have to keep our heads in the right place and focus on the season.”

Georgia needs two wins to become bowl eligible, and the Bulldogs will widely be expected to pick up one of those victories against Tennessee Tech this week. But the remainder of the slate won’t be easy, with dates against SEC East rival Kentucky, resurgent Auburn and ACC-leading Georgia Tech. With four losses already, the Bulldogs are just one defeat away from ensuring Richt finishes with the worst record of his career in 2009.

That’s all the motivation the team needs, Cox said. While the future may be on the minds of some players, even they understand that finishing this season strong can be a springboard for better days ahead.

“The young guys don’t want us leaving on a bad note, and they don’t want to get caught in a hole where they’ll have to come back from a horrible season next year,” Cox said. “It’s not a question of young guys getting ready for next year. I think everybody wants to finish up strong.”

While Cox will remain the starting quarterback, Richt didn’t rule out personnel changes at other positions. He said every job is being reviewed this week, but he was quick to add that changes would be made only if the coaching staff felt it would help Georgia win immediately.

“Any time any young guy is playing it certainly bodes well for the future, but any decision I make or we make as a staff is going to be based on what gives us the best chance to win this year,” Richt said. “We owe that to our seniors, we owe that to our fans, we owe that to everybody who busts their tail every day.”

Several of Georgia’s younger players have already set a standard for what’s to come.

Sophomore Brandon Boykin set a school record for kick return yards after another strong performance against Florida. Freshman Washaun Ealey helped bolster a re-energized running game against the Gators, too. Freshman Christian Robinson and sophomore Marcus Dowtin made an impact at linebacker last week, and freshmen like Orson Charles, Tavarres King and Branden Smith have all shown signs of big things to come going forward.

“I’m as happy as anybody for somebody like Boykin because he’s been working his tail off to replace Asher (Allen). Washaun is doing a great job, too,” senior Michael Moore said. “But I don’t like to take moral victories out of anything. If we don’t win, it really doesn’t matter.”

That’s the approach White is taking, too. He sees the potential for 2010, but he said that what happens this season, including last week’s loss to the Gators, will have ramifications for next year.

“You can’t help but say hopefully things will be better next year, and with this rivalry, I think a lot of young guys are going to take this loss pretty hard,” White said. “We had a lot of young guys play, and it’s something we want everybody to remember and carry with us until we play Florida again.”

Another date with the Gators is a long way off, however, and at this point, it’s the furthest thing from Richt’s mind.

For now, the focus is on the task at hand, and 2010 won’t begin until this season officially ends.

“We’ve got a good bunch of guys, a bunch of fine men in that locker room,” Richt said. “We’re going to regroup, we’re going to fight our way back onto the winning track. I personally am dedicated to making sure we do that. I don’t think we’re going to have anybody jump ship. All hands are going to stay on deck, and we’re going to keep fighting.”

GREEN OUT

Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green will not play this week against Tennessee Tech after suffering a pulmonary contusion against Florida, Georgia’s sports information department announced Monday. Green is Georgia’s leading receiver and a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award.

Sophomore defensive end Justin Houston injured his knee against Florida, as well, and is listed as doubtful for this week’s game. Left tackle Clint Boling also injured his knee last week, but he is expected to play.

Linebacker Nick Williams left the Florida game early with cramping in his back and did not return. He said he felt fine by game’s end, however, and is expected to play against Tennessee Tech.

SPIKES TO SIT

Cameras caught Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes attempting to gouge the eyes of Georgia tailback Washaun Ealey on Saturday after a play. Monday, Florida head coach Urban Meyer announced the team would suspend Spikes for the first half of the Gators’ upcoming game against Vanderbilt as punishment.

“I accept responsibility for my actions and I accept the consequences of my actions,” Spikes said in a statement released by the Florida athletics department. “I would like to apologize to my team and the coaching staff and Washaun Ealey. Football is a very physical and emotional game, but there is no excuse for my action.”

GAME TIME SET

Georgia’s Nov. 14 game against Auburn will be a 7 p.m. kickoff, the school announced Monday. The game will be televised by either ESPN or ESPN2, with the final network decision to be made following this weekend’s games.