Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Murray once again the key to beating Florida

I remember one year ago I gave eleven reasons why Georgia was going to beat Florida in Jacksonville with the eleventh reason being Aaron Murray. Murray, with his legs, his arm and his cool, will take the Dawgs to a place that the squad hasn’t been to in quite some time: the victors’ locker room after the game on Saturday. I wrote that just days before I watched Murray throw three interceptions and yak in a very big yet very winnable game. Unfortunately yakking in the big games has seemed to become Murray’s calling card early in his young career. Murray couldn’t avoid a sack against Arkansas in 2010. He couldn’t help his team rally back against Colorado (Caleb King’s fault, really) and he was battered against Auburn. He failed to lead a touchdown drive in the bowl game and then he yakked back-to-back weeks to start the 2011 season.

That can all be forgiven though and a new legacy can be forged if Murray can beat the Florida Gators this Saturday. Was he too geeked up one year ago? It certainly looked it as he was picked off in his first attempt. He was throwing over receivers’ heads throughout the first half, but he settled in and found a rhythm after halftime. If Murray plays like he did in the third and fourth quarters, Georgia will likely escape Jacksonville with a victory. Play like he did in OT or in the first quarter and Georgia fans will once again be crying all the way home like the littlest piggy.

Aaron Murray isn’t going to lose his job this year or next or even the one after that. But if he keeps yakking it in the “big games,” he may start receiving the treatment that Florida fans had for Chris Leak late in the former Gator’s career, ie, is he still here? Is there anyone else that can split time with him? Murray has too much talent to let that happen but, much like Richt, a win against Florida would quiet some of the folks that may be on the verge of turning on the quarterback.

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