UGA's Cox focused on football

By TIM TUCKER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Athens — Georgia’s Joe Cox has played all but three snaps at quarterback in the first two games of the season despite rumors that he would miss both games — the first because of a virus and the second because of a supposedly sore shoulder.

So is he looking forward to a quiet week leading up to Saturday’s game at Arkansas?

“It’d be nice,” Cox said Sunday. “But I’m sure there will be something else that comes up.”

Cox played all but one offensive snap in Saturday’s 41-37 win over South Carolina, two days after Internet reports surfaced that he could be replaced as the starter by Logan Gray. Cox said Sunday the chatter did not bother him.

“I know what’s going on and I honestly just kind of thought it was funny,” he said. “It wasn’t something that was a distraction or anything.”

Cox said he turned off his cell phone late last week “because I was getting tired of people trying to ask me what was going on. It got to the point where I couldn’t even get back to people to let them know everything was fine.”

Cox has a chronic shoulder condition that he has described as a nerve problem caused by wear on a muscle that protects the rotator cuff. Coach Mark Richt said last week that Cox skips throwing at practice each Wednesday to keep his arm “as fresh as it can be” for games. Cox said the condition is manageable and did not bother him during Saturday’s game, when he completed 17 of 24 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns (with one interception).

“I think I did OK,” Cox said. “I can do better. ... The bottom line is everybody played good enough to win and we found a way to do it.”

Cox conceded the flu-like condition he suffered in the days before the Oklahoma State game took a toll. He said he lost nine pounds down to 193.

As Cox spoke before practice Sunday, the middle finger on his left (non-throwing) hand was taped.

“Just jammed it,” he said. When someone said that might become the story of the week, Cox rolled his eyes.