Murray provides hope as Georgia tries to salvage season

"Aaron has come into his own," wide receiver A.J. Green said this week. "It is going to be special the way we end the season, especially with Aaron getting better each game."

You might recall the spring concern in Bulldog Nation when Murray struggled in the G-Day game. You might recall the summer consensus that Murray, who had not played in a college game, was the biggest question mark on the Georgia offense.

Seems like a long time ago.

He is No. 3 in the league in passing yards (228 per game) and No. 3 in touchdown passes (10). He has completed 62 percent of his passes and thrown just three interceptions.

He has scored four of the team's seven rushing touchdowns, and his 35-yard scramble for a TD last week was longer than any run by a Georgia tailback this season.

"I told you from Day 1 that Aaron was going to surprise a lot of people," Green said. "I knew from Day 1 he was going to be a special guy. Just watching him practice and watching the way he prepares, the way he's in the film room getting better every day, it's unbelievable for a freshman."

Murray said he feels more comfortable each week in his understanding of both Georgia's playbook and opposing defenses.  "I definitely feel like I'm progressing," he said.

It hasn't been enough, of course, to avoid Georgia's worst start to a season since 1993. That's the last time the Bulldogs were 2-4 after six games.

"You can't go back and say, ‘What if, what if, what if,'" Murray said. "We felt like we had opportunities in all four [losses] to win those games, but we didn't play complete games. Last week, we played a complete game – offensively, defensively and special teams."

"He gets out there and makes big plays. He plays to win the game," fifth-year senior wide receiver Kris Durham said. "He doesn't play to sit back and not make a mistake."

And yet Murray has made few mistakes, even if the record doesn't reflect it.