“Where Mark Richt keeps coming up with these quarterbacks is anyone’s guess.”

Brandon Larrabee catches something about Richt that I think deserves more attention than it generally gets:

… In his 12 seasons coaching in the SEC, only three times has Georgia not ranked in the top half of the SEC in passing efficiency — and only once more have they failed to place in the top third of the league. Two of those years can be explained as the Joe Cox interregnum (2009, when Georgia ranked seventh in the conference) and Matthew Stafford’s freshman season (2006, when the team ranked 10th). Aaron Murray has taken that trend to new heights; the 172.81 team passer rating in 2012 was the highest the Dawgs have hit with Richt at the helm, and Murray was the second-best passer in the country by that measure. But he’s part of a trend nonetheless.

Really, when you get down to it, one flop with a quarterback who’d spent significant time in the program in twelve years ain’t too shabby.  I wonder how many other programs can boast of a similar track record.  You’d have to think that bodes well for Georgia next year after Murray’s departure.

Hutson Mason is displeased.

If there’s one thing Dawgnation excels at, it’s overreacting to scrimmage news, whether it’s good or bad.  So I wasn’t shocked by some of the stuff I saw on message boards and Twitter after this week’s scrimmage.  Some players may not be immune, either.  Aaron Murray, three-interception performance (ZOMG!!!1!1) in hand, didn’t have much to say about the day, but his backup did.

“Coach Bobo always talks about it can’t be coach-driven enthusiasm and leadership. It has to be player-driven,” Mason said. “We hear so much yelling and so much of the coach jumping us it does get kinda old, and it kinda gets tiring. That’s why we need seniors, that’s why we need upperclassmen, guys with experience and moxie and balls to them, to step out and say you know what, you’re not doing your job. You’re letting me down, you’re letting your whole team down. You’re letting the offense down and you look like crap. That’s what we need. … You can only go as far as your leaders go. If you’re a coach-driven team, you’re gonna fail.”

This, after a summer when by all accounts the team gave better effort in attending voluntary offseason workouts than ever before.

Not to make too light of the outburst, but it’s hardly surprising that a team hits a wall during fall practice, especially when you consider the number of kids held out of the scrimmage.  Part of the experience from that is getting used to the grind and making your way through it.  Granted, if the funk continues, it could develop into a legitimate concern, but it’s hard to get that worked up over one disappointing session.

Still further proof this could be Florida’s year.

In its last 39 games, Florida’s had exactly one 300-yard passing day.  And that was against Furman.  But things are looking up, baby.

The biggest key to more explosive plays, though, will be the improvement of the receivers. The position has really struggled since the 2009 season ended but the players should be helped by the hiring of former Kentucky head coach Joker Phillips, who has 18 years of experience as a receivers coach and helped Randall Cobb and Steve Johnson reach the NFL. Pease said the group has been better than last season, when they were coached by graduate assistant Bush Hamdan after receivers coach Aubrey Hill abruptly resigned the day before preseason practices began.

I know the timing sucked, but really, a GA coaching a position that badly underperformed for the entire season?  Boom gambled and got away with it for the most part, but it’s certainly an interesting reflection on his priorities.  He’s got a full-time coach now, but you wonder how much emphasis he gives the position.  Debose’s season-ending injury doesn’t help matters (although I think the bigger impact of that will be on UF’s special teams).  Maybe we can hope that forces the Gators to have Loucheiz Purifoy take even more snaps on offense.

“I picked Aaron Murray off.”

Until I see them do well in a game, they’ll make me nervous, but I have to admit I’m enjoying the attitude of this year’s bunch of new defensive backs.

I’m probably most intrigued by Shaq Wiggins because he lacks the size we’ve been told the staff likes to see in its DBs.  But he just sounds… pesky.

“They have the confidence and the swagger that you’d like to see in a DB,” said Scott-Wesley, a redshirt sophomore receiver. “Shaq, he’s very, how do I say this? He’s like a bumblebee. He’s always in your ear, he’s always there. He’s a fiery guy. A fast-guy.”

Really pesky.

“Shaq, we all know he’s a feisty little dude,” Langley said. “He’s a great cover corner. He’s coming up and making big plays in the running game. You really can’t ask for more.”

There’s going to be an adjustment period, of course.  These kids are honest enough to admit they’ve still got a way to go with technique and recognition.  But you’ve got to hope that with eight new faces, some of them are going to become serious contributors, and quickly.  There’s too much talent in that group for some of it not to emerge.

Put it this way:

“Our freshmen, they’re good,” Johnson said. “This is Georgia. This is the SEC. They’re not going to hire no sorry players.”