Cox sweated out news on QB job

By Tim Tucker

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ATHENS -- Georgia quarterback Joe Cox awoke Monday morning to a text message from offensive coordinator Mike Bobo: "Get in contact with Coach Richt."

Having been told by Bobo the day before that the coaches would let him know Monday whether he would retain or lose his job as Georgia's starting quarterback, Cox knew a meeting with coach Mark Richt could mean good news or bad news.

Around noon Monday, he headed to the Butts-Mehre building to find out.

"When I walked in," Cox said Tuesday, "Coach Richt was, like, ‘were you sweating on the way over here?' "

For Cox, the news was good: He would remain Georgia's starting quarterback.

The coaches had contemplated a change but decided, despite Cox's 12 interceptions in eight games, that the senior gives them the best chance to win the four games remaining on the schedule.

The decision means it's "pretty safe to say" -- Richt's words -- that freshmen quarterbacks Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger will be redshirted. Richt said sophomore Logan Gray will play at least one series, if not more, in relief of Cox against Tennessee Tech on Saturday.

As for Murray and Mettenberger, Richt said it would make sense to lift a redshirt this late in the season only if a player were going to start the rest of the way.

"But did [they] really earn that? They didn't," said Richt, who added that both Murray and Mettenberger will be "great players" someday.

Cox, a fifth-year senior, had an uneasy night Sunday, knowing his job was up in the air.

"I felt like I had really let something slip away that I had worked hard for," Cox said Tuesday. "But it's a bottom-line business, and if they feel like a change would have helped, that's not my call.

"I have one year to play college football [as a starting quarterback], and I'm trying to make the best of it. It definitely hasn't gone the way I wanted it to, but I don't want to have the plug pulled on me."

King to start over Ealey

Georgia's Washaun Ealey ran the ball pretty well against Florida last week -- a team-leading 70 yards on 17 carries --- but will not start at tailback against Tennessee Tech on Saturday.

Caleb King will get the start, in part because Ealey, a freshman, struggled in pass-protection against the Gators.

"Washaun will continue to play, but Caleb proved to be the one guy -- at least between him and Washaun -- that is much stronger in pass protection right now," Richt said.

On the second of Cox's three interceptions against Florida -- a play on which the quarterback was under pressure -- Ealey "didn't do a good job of finishing" his block, Richt said.

"He knows what to do; he just didn't execute the proper techniques of how to block," Bobo said. "And it was costly in [the Florida] game, but he had a great attitude [at practice Tuesday] and really blocked great."

Saturday's start will be the first of King's UGA career. He will be the Bulldogs' third starter of the season at tailback. Richard Samuel started the first six games and Ealey the past two.

Wooten fills in for Green

Georgia plans to start freshman receiver Rantavious Wooten in A.J. Green's spot Saturday, Bobo said.

Green will miss the game because of a bruised lung suffered against Florida. Georgia expects Green back in action for the Nov. 14 game against Auburn.

"The trainers said it's one of those things where he was going to have to sit out a week," Bobo said, "and we are very pleased it's only a week."