After being sidelined for Georgia’s two practices last week, redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Murray went through Monday’s two-hour workout in full pads.
Murray bruised a bone in his knee and suffered a chest contusion during the 49-31 loss at Auburn on Nov. 13. The Bulldogs dropped to 5-6 with that defeat and need to beat Georgia Tech this Saturday night in Sanford Stadium to attain bowl eligibility.
“He got to practice today, and he went through the whole thing,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said Monday night. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s ready to play, because we don’t hit our quarterbacks in practice. How he would have handled getting hit and tackled to the ground and have the full weight of one or two guys land on him – I don’t know how he would have done in that situation.”
Murray was not made available for interviews following Monday’s practice but is scheduled to appear at Georgia’s weekly news conference this morning.
“He does feel a lot better, and he threw the ball extremely well,” Richt said. “Like he said today, ‘Coach, I’ve got five more days.’ I hope by the end of the week that he feels good enough to go.”
Tech’s tough time
Paul Johnson is used to building programs to lofty levels and keeping them there, so this year has been an adjustment. After going 9-4 during his first year at Georgia Tech and 11-3 last season, which included winning the Atlantic Coast Conference championship, the Yellow Jackets are 6-5 in Johnson’s third go-around.
The Jackets began this season ranked 16th despite losing four juniors in April’s NFL draft – running back Jonathan Dwyer, receiver Demaryius Thomas, defensive end Derrick Morgan and safety Morgan Burnett.
“I think you always have high expectations,” Johnson said. “Personally, I’m disappointed with where we are. We did have to replace a lot of talented players, but I felt like that we should be better than where we are. We’ve got to do a better job of coaching them up and a better job of playing.”
Turn on the lights
Saturday will be the final home game for the Bulldogs this season but the first at night. Georgia had four night games at home last season, including its final two against Auburn and Kentucky.
“It was different this year,” Richt said. “The more you win, the more you play at night, I guess. I think it will make for a great atmosphere.”
This is the first Georgia/Georgia Tech game to be played at night in Athens.
Odds and ends
Bulldogs junior punter Drew Butler is a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, which he won last year. Butler is averaging 45 yards a kick, which puts him in the middle of fellow finalists Chas Henry of Florida (47.3) and Ryan Donahue of Iowa (44.3). … Not making the final cut were Bulldogs receiver A.J. Green for the Biletnikoff Award and kicker Blair Walsh for the Lou Groza Award. … Johnson on Georgia outside linebacker Justin Houston: “Unless we change what we do, he’s probably not going to get a lot of sacks because he won’t have that many opportunities.”