Gray gets limited action for Georgia

By Jeff Haws

For the AJC

When Georgia quarterback Logan Gray turned and saw receiver Israel Troupe running a post pattern into the end zone, he thought his first touchdown pass as a Bulldog was mere seconds away.

But then, 45 yards from where Gray was standing, Tennessee Tech's Marty Jones hugged the football in the end zone.

It was the only legitimate look at a scoring pass Gray had in his three series of work, after a week in which he was mentioned prominently in the media and on fan Internet message boards as a possible replacement for inconsistent starter Joe Cox.

The coaches said they would get him some work under center, and they did, giving him one series late in the second quarter and two more in the fourth, both once the game was well in hand for the Bulldogs.

He finished 4-of-5 for 25 yards, rushed for another 32 yards on five carries and threw that ill-fated interception that nearly was a touchdown.

"That was pretty much a bad throw by me," Gray said. "I threw it up into a few guys, and they went up and made a play. You've just got to move on."

The one interception, along with a very solid day from Cox (10-of-13, 140 yards, 2 touchdowns), isn't likely to completely quiet the fans who are clamoring for a change at quarterback, many of whom suggest getting Gray experience now will help him when Cox graduates after this season.

Gray said he makes it a point not to listen to the chatter going on outside the program because he knows the scrutiny is bound to come when you play a prominent role on the team.

"It's not too hard for me to block it out because I just don't pay attention to any of it," Gray said. "Especially when you play the quarterback position, if you're reading the message boards to see whatever's going on, you're going to have a tough time playing."

It's also difficult for a quarterback to perform well when he hasn't had much work, and Gray entered Saturday having thrown only seven passes this season, one of which he completed late in a loss at Tennessee.

Without an easy opponent throughout the first part of the season, the Georgia coaches had a hard time finding a spot to get Gray into action to help him get accustomed to the speed of play in a live game.

Saturday's 38-0 victory provided them with that chance, and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said that was the biggest benefit for Gray, to just get a feel for playing football again.

"He's in a tough situation, being the second-string quarterback and all," Bobo said. "It was good for him to get his feet wet, go out there and get a little confidence. We've just been playing so many tight games in so many tough situations."

Likewise, Georgia coach Mark Richt said it isn't easy helping a young quarterback get his legs under him against high-level competition, but games like these are good steppingstones.

All in all, considering Gray's work with his arm and legs, Richt indicated it was a step in the right direction.

"It was good for him to get in there and play, especially after the one pick he threw," Richt said. "He hit four out of five, and he had a couple of nice runs. It just takes time to get him comfortable in there, so it was good to get him those reps."