Beat profile: Drew Butler

It was only a year ago that the University of Georgia football team was without a punter. Its two-year starter had graduated, and it was anyone’s guess who the replacement would be.

Fast-forward a year later and the Bulldogs may have the best punter in all of college football, thanks to the efforts of Drew Butler.

Butler, a junior, captivated Georgia fans with an outstanding, if not magical season, winning the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter after averaging a nation-high 48.1 yards per punt. His average was over two yards further than anyone else in the country, and only 2.2 yards short of the single-season record average, set by LSU’s Chad Kessler in 1997.

His screaming punts that arced over Sanford Stadium all season long not only made him a fan favorite among Bulldog fans, but also earned him All-SEC First-Team selections from Associated Press, SEC Coaches, ESPN, Phil Steele and Sporting News, as well as First-Team All-America by Walter Camp, American Football Coaches, Football Writers Association of America and Sporting News.

All this after being unsure if he would even be the starter.

“At the beginning of last season, there was no certainty that I was going to be the starting punter,” Butler said. “So I started working hard that spring in the weight room, and when camp came around the coaches had confidence in me.”

But Butler wasn’t completely unknown by Bulldog nation. In fact, he’s the second generation of a Georgia football legacy. His father, Kevin Butler, was a kicker for the Bulldogs from 1981-1984 and the first kicker to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001. He went on to have a 12-year career in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and the Arizona Cardinals, retiring in 1997 as the Bears’ all-time leading scorer.

So it was no surprise that Drew Butler followed the same path as his father in football, and it didn’t take long for recruiting scouts to notice. As a kicker and punter for Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, Ga., he was a First-Team All-State selection among Class AAAAA schools by the Georgia Sports Writers Association and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2006. At the time of his commitment to Georgia, he was ranked No. 9 in the country among punters by Scout.com.

Having lived up to the expectations Georgia had for him when they offered him a scholarship, Butler is no longer just trying to establish himself at the college level, but now trying to work on the technicalities of his game, such as decreasing his hang time and pinpointing his accuracy.

“I need to continue to build on what I did last year,” Butler said. “It’s time to get more specific and work harder this spring.”

If Butler continues to improve at the pace he did last year, the sky is the limit for him, as he has two years left with the Bulldogs. And like all of his teammates, his goal is to go where his father did after college—the NFL. His 2009 statistics would still give him second-highest punting average in the NFL, second to only the Oakland Raiders’ Shane Lechler.

“Playing in the NFL has always been a dream of mine,” Butler said. “If it’s in the cards I’d love to. It’s just hard to get there.”

Should going pro not be an option after college, Butler still wants to work in sports. He is a Telecommunication Arts major in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, and wants to work in radio or sports broadcast.

However, it’s almost impossible to say that the odds of going professional are against Butler. If he continues to be among the best at his position for the next two years, he’ll be punting his way into the NFL immediately after college.

“To punt in the NFL, it’s all about being able to perform and help out your team,” Butler said. “I hope to do that.”

Blawg Edits

After doing a little Internet meandering, here's a few other Georgia blogs with some interesting stuff:

Battle Hymn Notes recently did their own breakdown of the depth chart, but read the April 19 post about new quarterback Hutson Mason. It's going to be interesting to see how he turns out.

Bulldawg Illustrated has some stuff about Aaron Murray's input on the depth chart and being the No. 1 quarterback.

David Hale, always a good read, is focusing on some of Georgia's 2010 opponents, including South Carolina today.

Dawg Sports has some of their own input on the Logan Gray situation.

UGABlog.com also has Logan Gray stuff.

ESPN's SEC Blog Coverage of the quarterback situation, and how much it's changed since the David Greene days.

Walk-on lineman arrested, suspended

Walk-on offensive lineman Josh Parrish has been suspended indefinitely after being arrested for an alcohol-related offense, according to Mark Richt earlier today.

Parrish, 19, was charged with underage possession and possession of false identification, according to Athens-Clarke County Police.

Richt has to be fuming at this point. This is the fourth player to break the law this spring. He already dismissed quarterback Zach Mettenberger, linebacker Montez Robinson and punter Trent Dittmer this season, and there's no doubt Parrish is gone after this incident.

However, there's not a whole lot more Richt can do. As long as players are having run-ins with the law, they're going to be kicked off the team. If that's not enough incentive to stay out of trouble, then they shouldn't have been on the team in the first place.

Backup QB considering transfer

It looks like Logan Gray is getting tired of being the backup.

Gray, who is the second-string quarterback behind Aaron Murray, met with Mark Richt Monday and is considering transferring to another school.

Gray is a junior and has served as backup since he came to Georgia. Murray, on the other hand, is a redshirt freshman and has already earned the starting job without ever taking a snap.

If Gray leaves the team, that leaves the Bulldogs with a staff shortage at quarterback, as incoming freshman Hutson Mason would be the only other quarterback on the team.

Should Gray move to another Division I-A school, he'll lose a year of eligibility and would not be able to play his senior year at the new school (see Mitch Mustain, USC quarterback). If he transfers to anything lower, he'll keep his two-year eligibility he has with the Bulldogs.

Luckily, Gray is a shifty kind of player. Technically, he's a dual-threat quarterback. He has a good speed and can turn on a dime, which made him useful on triple-option QB runs last season. Can you say wide receiver?

The guy has no problem handling fair catches, so why not a few short passes? Gray himself has even said he'd like to play receiver. If he stays on the team, he can continue the role of backup quarterback, but see time on the field as a receiver.

Breaking down Georgia's new depth chart - Special Teams

In my final installment of Georgia's Post-Spring Depth Chart, which has been going on for entirely too long now, I'll be taking a look at the 2010 special teams.

Yep, those guys. The ones you've never heard or give any love to. But, in fact, the Bulldogs had one of the more successful special teams in the SEC, which featured the rise of one of the top punters in the country, as well as arguably the greatest kick and punt returner in Georgia history.

So let's take a look:



Kicker - Starter: Blair Walsh. Backup: Brandon Bogotay, Jamie Lindley. Walsh has become one of the more efficient kickers in the SEC the past two seasons, earning more praise last year when he was named to the All-SEC second team. His 90.5 field goal percentage was second among starters in the conference last year, and he was a perfect 37-for-37 in Points After Touchdowns. He also maxed out at 53 yards, meaning that Walsh has a career in the NFL waiting for him. But he still has two years left, and Georgia is in no hurry to move him on.

Punter - Starter: Drew Butler. Backup: Blair Walsh, Jamie Lindley. It's hard to argue with a guy whose punting average would rank him second-highest in the NFL, let alone in college. But the stats don't lie; Butler's 48.8 yards per punt was the very best in college, which won him All-SEC first-team and a ton of national accolades, including the Ray Guy award for best punter. And it's only his junior year, so he's going to be even better by the time he graduates, where a long-term NFL job is waiting for him. Believe it or not, but the best punter in football, at any level, is right here in Athens.

Punt/kick Returns - Starter: Brandon Boykin (unofficial). Backup: Branden Smith. While Mark Richt didn't officially announce the starters for kick and punt returns, there's a solid chance it's going to be Boykin. The junior set school records in 2009 with 38 kickoff returns, 988 return yards and three touchdowns, two of which were for 100 yards. And those numbers were collected while sharing time with now-Baltimore Raven Prince Miller. Boykin should see every kick return this year, with Smith helping out on punts. Back-up quarterback Logan Gray also assisted with punt returns (or just fair catches) and will likely do so again in 2010.

Also, just as a side-note, Butler is the team's starting holder, and Ty Frix, a redshirt sophomore, is the long snapper.

Now that I've gone through the whole depth chart, check out the David Hale's prediction from March 18, and see how accurate it was.

Five former Bulldogs taken in 2010 NFL Draft

The 2010 NFL Draft made new homes for five former Georgia football players.

Rennie Curran, Geno Atkins, Reshad Jones, Jeff Owens and Kade Weston were each drafted to NFL team's in the seven-round draft that began Thursday and concluded Saturday.

Here's the breakdown of when, and where, everyone went:

Rennie Curran, LB - Third round, 97th overall, Tennessee Titans
Geno Atkins, DT - Fourth round, 120th overall, Cincinnati Bengals
Reshad Jones, SS - Fifth round, 163rd overall, Miami Dolphins
Jeff Owens, DT - Seventh round, 243rd overall, Philadelphia Eagles
Kade Weston, DT - Seventh round, 248th overall, New England Patriots

Additionally, a few non-drafted former Bulldogs also signed with teams as free agents shortly after the draft. Wide receiver Michael Moore will join former teammate Matthew Stafford on the Detroit Lions, while safety Bryan Evans will reunite with Atkins on the Bengals. Cornerback Prince Miller also signed a contract with the Baltimore Ravens. That leaves offensive lineman Vince Vance as the only free agent still on the market.

Here are some other blogs breaking down the 2010 NFL Draft, Georgia or not:

A Bulldog in Exile discusses the success of the SEC in this year's draft. The Conference had 49 players drafted, 15 more than any other.

David Hale, UGA beat writer for Macon.com, sums up Georgia's draft and previews next year's draft for the Bulldogs.

The Georgia Bulldogs Examiner goes in-depth with the draftees.

Get The Picture has some more on the SEC's success in this year's draft.

Jeff Owens' blog - Straight from the man himself. He hasn't updated in a while, but I can't imagine him not wanting to write a bit about his recent experiences.

Mark Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald with some details on the free agent signings.

Breaking down Georgia's new depth chart - Defense

Following up my last blog with position breakdowns on the offensive side of the 2010 Post-Spring Depth Chart, it's now time to take a look at the X's and see the new projected starters on defense.

Georgia's new-look defense features a lot of position changes and new faces. First-year Bulldogs defensive coordinator Todd Grantham has introduced a new 3-4 scheme defense for this year, which helps offset the loss of three defensive lineman to the NFL. Now, the weight of the defensive front shifts to the linebackers, which Georgia has plenty of. The defensive backs also feature new faces, filling in for other NFL-bound graduates.

So here it is:

Defensive tackle - Starter: DeAngelo Tyson. Backup: Kwame Geathers, Candler Cook. Tyson, a junior, will get his first chance as a starter in the middle of the trenches as nose tackle. He replaces a slew of memorable defensive tackles in Jeff Owens, Kade Weston and Geno Atkins, all of which were drafted in the 2010 NFL Draft. Pressure? Definitely, but hulking redshirt freshman Geathers is a developing talent, and will assist Tyson when Grantham calls for a nose guard.


Defensive ends - Starters: LE Abry Jones, RE Demarcus Dobbs. Backup: Brandon Wood, Kiante Tripp, Derrick Lott, Nick Franks, Matthew DeGenova. Dobbs is the only returning starter from last year on the defensive line and will have to be a leader of a fairly long lone. That's not to say that the line is weak; Jones, a sophomore comes out of Spring practices the surprising starter over Wood. At 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds, Jones is as big as they come from left ends, and may see some time at nose guard. Wood and Tripp will also see some playing time, both with a few career starts under their belts.

Outside linebackers - Starters: OLB Justin Houston, OLB Cornelius Washington. Backup: Ruben Faloughi, Darryl Gamble, Brock Boleman, Chase Vasser, Ricky Lowe. The linebacking starters are a big surprise to those familiar with last year's defensive depth chart. Two of the starters--Houston and Washington, were defensive ends last season. Now that Grantham has called for an extra linebacker on the field, the best at blitzing go out on the outside as added pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Houston and Washington can do just that, as they combined for 11.5 sacks last year.

Inside linebackers - Starters: Christian Robinson, Akeem Dent. Backup: Marcus Dowtin, Mike Gilliard, Richard Samuel, Hakeem Hebron, Jason Veal, Jeremy Sulek, Jackson Griffeth, Chris Grund, Micah King. The Bulldogs have a ton of depth at inside linebacker, but not a whole lot of experience. The most seasoned of the bunch is Dent, who started 10 games in 2008. Robinson, on the other hand, has yet to start a game. But if either go down or a third linebacker is needed for the play, there's a slew of guys with at least some playing time to come in, including Dowtin (third-leading tackler in 2009), Samuel (who was a running back last year), or Hebron.



Free Safety - Starter: Bacarri Rambo. Backup: Jakar Hamilton, Eric Elliot. Rambo didn't start any games last year, but his presence was still felt, highlighted by a pair of interceptions. Now that 2009 starter Bryan Evans has graduated, Rambo is the go-to guy at free safety. He'll have to stay healthy to avoid a depth problem, though, as his primary backup is Hamilton, a recent signee from the junior college level.

Strong Safety - Starter: Nick Williams. Backup: Quinton Banks, Shawn Williams, Josh Murray. The Rashad Jones era is over. After three years of obliterating receivers in mid-field, Jones has left for the NFL. And so the Nick Williams era (if we can call it that) has begun. With one start at linebacker last season, Williams is roughly the same size as Jones was, limiting the downsizing of the Bulldogs' defensive secondary.

Cornerbacks - Starters: Brandon Boykin, Vance Cuff. Backup: Branden Smith, Sanders Commings, Chad Gloer, Jordan Love, Corey Dunson, Blake Sailors, Luis Capella. Stopping the pass was a struggle for Georgia last year, as they finished 10th in the SEC in pass defense. Hopefully a year of problems served as a lesson learned for the defensive secondary, as many of them return for this year. 2009 starter Prince Miller is out, replaced by Cuff. Boykin, who had three interception last year, returns as a starter on defense and as the primary punt and kick returner. Smith also saw decent playing time on both sides of the ball in 2009 as a freshman, and should do so again this season.

That does it for the defense, a side of the football that has a ton of question marks entering the regular season. After struggling for a majority of 2009, it'll be interesting to see what a new coordinator can do make the defense more efficient.

I'll conclude my breakdowns later with special teams, hopefully by tomorrow.

Backup punter dismissed from team

Here we go again.

Backup punter Trent Dittmer has been dismissed from the team after being arrested for public intoxication Tuesday in downtown Athens.

"The bottom line is I want to do what’s best for this football team and I want to do what’s best for the young men, too," Richt said on Thursday. "Sometimes if a young man loses an opportunity to play for your team, hopefully a lesson will be learned by him and everybody else who’s watching."

Police reports say Dittmer punched another person in the face and was making a scene during the incident. Police smelled alcohol on him as well.

Dittmer, who is a walk-on and has not punted in a game yet, is the third Georgia player to be dismissed this month, after linebacker Montez Robinson and quarterback Zach Mettenberger.

Hopefully this is the last of a string of off-field problems the Bulldogs have faced this month. As I said before with the Mettenberger incident, there's zero tolerance for this kind of behavior on a college football team, where young men are trying passionately to make a better life for themselves. And while it's degrading to hear it happen over and over, I have nothing but support for Richt letting these guys go, if it means cleaning up the locker room lifestyle.

Breaking down Georgia's new depth chart - Offense

Georgia fans curious to know the specifics of the Bulldogs' 2010 finally got a glimpse of it when Mark Richt released his 2010 Post-Spring Practice Depth Chart on Thursday.

While there aren't any major surprises in this early depth chart, it helps clarify a little ambiguity at certain positions. This is especially true on defense, which had to shuffle some players due to the hiring of new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, who has implemented a 3-4 scheme for this season.

So now that we have something to work with in terms of position depth, it's time to break down the positions. Offense comes first.

Quarterback - Starter: Aaron Murray. Backup: Logan Gray. Murray was the headliner when the depth chart was first released, since it was the most talked-about position battle on the team. But it's really no surprise that Murray wins it here; he came to Georgia as the second-ranked quarterback in the country out of high school, and has all the dynamics to be a top-tier SEC quarterback--good foot speed and maneuverability, while having an accurate and powerful passing game. Should he go down, Gray will take snaps, meaning a move to a more run-based offense since he's never been a prolific passer. Incoming freshman Hutson Mason will be the third-string quarterback when he enrolls in the Fall, and will most likely be redshirted.

Tailback - Starter: Washaun Ealey/Caleb King: Backup: Dontavious Jackson, Brian Brewer, Wes Van Dyk, Alex Parsons. Ealey came out of nowhere for the Bulldogs, taking late-game carries against LSU last October as a freshman. He made appearance in every game after that, capped off by a heroic 183-yard performance against Georgia Tech. As expected, he returns this season as the slated starter, and a new number--three, which he wore in high school when he set the Georgia high school career rushing yards record. King, who was not listed on the depth chart due to an injury, is the expected co-starter, according to Richt. But after Ealey's quick success, expect most of the carries to go to him.

Fullback - Starter: Shaun Chapas. Backup: Kevin Lanier, Charles White, Josh Sailors, Josh Sailors, Matt Sweat, Chris Young. Chapas returns for his second full season as the starting fullback. While never a point producer last year, until a 43-yard performance against Texas A&M in the Independence Bowl, Chapas was an effective blocker, and will need to be so again to protect his new quarterback in Murray, who is likely to be leaving the pocket more than last year's starter.

Wide receiver (flanker) - A.J. Green. Backup: Rantavious Wooten, Taylor Bradberry, Brandon Harton. Green's numbers declined last season, but much of that has to do with missing three of the last five games of the season. The two-time First-team All-SEC selection had two monster games against Arizona State and Arkansas last year, pulling in 290 yards and three touchdowns between the two games. If he can stay healthy and click With Murray, Green could have a huge year. Wooten, who will likely line up as an inside slot receiver, was Georgia's leading receiver at G-Day and will likely see expanded playing time this season.

Wide receiver (split end) - Tavarres King. Backup: Kris Durham, Marlon Brown, Rhett McGowan, Greg Lanier. While there's absolutely nothing wrong with King, who had the second-highest yards-per-catch average last year, the feel-good story here is Kris Durham--the redshirt senior who missed all of last season due to a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Before he was hurt, he was an effective slot receiver for mid-field passes, due to his large frame. That looks to be his job again, now that King is the bona fide No. 1 outside receiver. sophomore Marlon Brown is also worth a look, as he was a major high school recruit out of South Carolina.

Offensive line - Starters: LT Clint Boling, LG Cordy Glenn, C Ben Jones, RG Chris Davis, RT Josh Davis. A sigh of relief looms over Georgia fans, as it's good to know that the Bulldogs return all their lineman from last season, except one. Last year's line allowed the least amount of sacks in the SEC (12) and least amount of yards lost due to sacks (96). The lone new starter is right tackle Josh Davis, who still saw action in six games last year. A follow-up performance this year could make Georgia's line the best in the SEC and one of the better ones in all of FBS football.

Tight end - Starter: Orson Charles. Backup: Aron White, Bruce Figgins, Arthur Lynch, Derek Rich. Charles, only a sophomore, has quickly worked his way up the ranks. His 374 receiving yards was third-highest on the team last year, as was his 23 receptions. So it's no surprise that Charles has moved past White as the Bulldogs' starter, which was the opposite at the start of last season. Doing this allows Georgia to run a two-tight end set on various plays with two experienced players on the field.

Overall, the offense is mostly what fans and bloggers expected, with the breakthrough players from last year earning their higher spots by this spring. However, defense will be a while different issue, as several players changed positions to better the new 3-4 scheme. My next blog will focus on the defense breakdown of the depth chart.

In the meantime, check out the Richt's press conference on Thursday regarding the depth chart.

Later on, I'll be focusing on the Georgia alumnae in the 2010 NFL Draft. No Bulldogs have been selected yet, but only one round has passed, so there's still plenty of time.

Murray named Bulldogs' starting QB

Photos by Bob Andres, AJC

As most expected, Aaron Murray was officially named Georgia's starting quarterback for the 2010 season, according to an announcement made by Aaron Murray on Thursday.

The announcement was made as part of Richt's releasing of the post-spring depth chart, with Murray's No. 1 status the attention-grabber.

Richt also said that Murray would've been the starter regardless of whether recently-dismissed quarterback Zach Mettenberger had stayed or not. Since Mettenberger was the far better signal caller at G-Day, Richt must have seen something this spring that no one else has seen yet.

Hopefully fans will get a chance to see what Richt saw, as Murray came to Georgia highly touted, but now faces the same pressures last year's underachieving quarterback Joe Cox faced as a first-year starter.

What may add to that pressure is that Murray didn't get the starting job easily, according to the Mr. SEC Blog. Mettenberger and once again second-stringer Logan Gray remained prospective starters all the way up to G-Day.

The About Them Dawgs Blawg (Which utilizes the same spelling of the word "dawg" in reference to Georgia football as I do), makes a good point about Murray's selection as a starter. Murray has the best footwork of the quarterbacks, while having some unreal firepower as a passer, which is a good mix for Richt's Pro-I offense.

From here until the season-opener, Richt can now fine-tune his offense and start playing to Murray's strengths. With the talent and poise Murray brings to Georgia, developing him correctly could make him one of the SEC's top quarterbacks.

More on Mettenberger situation

I had previously raised the question of whether or not Georgia quarterback Zach Mettenberger's dismissal was the result of his arrests during the University's Spring Break in March or it was something completely new.

Georgia associate athletics director Claude Felton told the AJC a few hours ago that "there was not a new incident involving Zach," meaning that he was indeed dismissed for the five misdemeanor charges made against him on March 7 in Remerton, Ga., just outside of Valdosta.

This is second player head coach Mark Richt had dismissed this offseason, with the first being outside linebacker Montez Robinson.

It's unfortunate to be a coach of a football team and have this kind of stuff hanging over your head, especially when you're the coach of a top-shelf Division-I football team. Luckily, Richt is making the right decision and letting these players go, regardless of their status on the team. Perhaps this will alert other coaches in college football to do the same, because there's too much of this going on in sports nowadays. And it's the worst in college, when these are young men still growing up.

Mettenberger dismissed from team

Photo by UGASports

It was just last weekend that Zach Mettenberger was the highlight of Georgia's G-Day game.

Now, he's not even on the team.

The redshirt freshman was dismissed from the team Sunday as a result of violating team rules, according to head coach Mark Richt.

Although Richt didn't specifically disclose the details on why Mettenberger was dismissed, it's almost guaranteed that it has something to do with what went down in Valdosta back in March, which cost him the Bulldogs' home opener against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Now it appears it may have cost him his football career.

It's shameful, too, as he was probably the most impressive quarterback at G-Day. He threw for two touchdowns and a game-high 150 yards, and had it not been for that suspension, may have moved up to the No. 1 in the depth chart.

Now that Mettenberger is out, the starting job is Aaron Murray's to lose. And as AJC Georgia football blogger Bill King pointed out today, Murray has to be solid if the Bulldogs want to win. The ACC & SEC Blog agrees. Until incoming freshman Hutson Mason arrives on campus in August, Georgia has only two quarterbacks, none of which have ever been a starter.

The suspension also says something about Richt's crackdown on players getting in trouble. In the past, Richt as been somewhat lenient on suspensions given out to the players who can't uphold team rules, or even the law for that matter. Something tells me Athletic Director Damon Evans or even President Michael Adams had some input on this one.

Defensive back Boykin named to Lott Trophy watch list

Photo by Daniel Shirey, Red and Black

If you watched any Georgia football last year, you'll know that a lot while a lot of things went wrong, something always went right: special teams.

The Bulldogs were always a threat to opponents not only on punts (No. 1 in the country in punt average), but also on kick returns, where junior defensive back Brandon Boykin made a name for himself at Sanford Stadium.

Boykin set school records on kick returns last season with 38 returns, 988 return yards and three touchdown returns, including a 100-yard scamper from end zone to end zone against South Carolina on Sept. 14.

For his efforts, Boykin has been named one of 42 NCAA Division-I players and only SEC players to be named to the 2010 Lott Trophy Watch List, announced by Ronnie Lott and the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation on Thursday.

The only Georgia player to win the award was the David Pollack in 2004.

Finalists for the award are chosen for exhibiting the same traits Lott had during his career: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.

Lott played his college football at the University of Southern California from 1977 to 1980. After college, he was a first-round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 1981, and played professionally until 1995.

This is an outstanding achievement for a well-deserved player who is quickly making a name for himself in the SEC. A solid year for Boykin in 2010 could not only win him this award, but also send him to the NFL a year early.

G-Day fails to drop hints on new quarterback

Since the Georgia football team began Spring practices this year, one question has been looming of the team's head: who will be the new quarterback?

The Bulldogs' annual G-Day scrimmage game last Saturday at Sanford Stadium was supposed to answer that question and give fans a glimpse of their future signal caller.

It didn't.

Instead, it left the fans, who filled the entire South side of the stadium, with the same questions they had when they entered, as the 17-7 White team win over the Red team didn't reveal the most ambiguous (and most important) position to fill this offseason.

Many fans expected Red team Aaron Murray to impress the most, as he has been the reported No. 1 quarterback all Spring. But the redshirt freshman was instead a mediocre 10-for-22 with 96 yards and no touchdowns, including the only interception of the day.

Meanwhile, his head competitor in the position battle, fellow redshirt freshman Zach Mettenberger, used Murray's bad day to his advantage, going 6-for-10 for 150 yards and two touchdowns and being a catalyst in his team's victory.

So instead of reassuring fans that Murray is the go-to guy for the rest of spring and for the regular season, there's still no green light for the redshirt freshmen. Because Mettenberger is suspended for the first game of the season for a slew of criminal charges made against him in Valdosta, there's still no telling who will be starting Georgia's home opener against Louisiana-Lafayette on September 4.

However, this bodes well for Murray, who is now the favorite to start against the Rajun Cajuns, and a strong performance in that game could cushion his first string status for the rest of season.

And what about Logan Gray? Yeah, that other guy. The third quarterback in the Bulldogs' system. He was an also-impressive 10-for-17 for 132 yards and a touchdown, which keeps him in contention for the starting spot, but highly unlikely after a less-than-spectacular career thus far.

First Blog!

Welcome to the Bulldawg Blawg, your source for University of Georgia football from a student's perspective!

Here in the South, football reigns supreme in the Fall, and it's no different in Athens, where the Bulldogs are everyone's favorite team. When Saturday rolls around, there's no doubt that everyone has their eyes glued to the game, whether they're at Sanford Stadium or just watching at home on TV

So of course, these Bulldog-crazy fans are always looking for the latest news on their favorite team, especially in the Spring, when Georgia begins its Spring 2010 practices with an improved lineup and a new cast of coaches.

But how does the fan closest to the action, a University student himself, take in all the action? That's what this blog is for.

So with that, here's a little bit of information about myself.

My name is Mitch Blomert. I'm a Newspapers Major in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication here at UGA. For a class assignment, I am to follow news in a particular area, and being such a sports junkie, it was an easy decision to follow my favorite football team as they prepare for the 2010 season.

So for the next couple of weeks, I'll be blogging about Georgia's spring practices and what their plans are for the upcoming season.

Thanks for stopping by, and go Dawgs!