For all the major changes going on with the Georgia football program in 2010, one thing will be staying very much the same: Backup QB Logan Gray will still be fielding punts in non-return situations, according to AJC.com's Georgia blog.
This announcement has been met with head-scratching from the corners of the Dawgosphere that bothered to comment on it, and it begs the following questions:
1. Is there really anything to be gained by telegraphing to the opposing team that we have no intention of returning, or even attempting to return, a punt?
2. Is the decision of whether to fair-catch a ball or let it roll into the end zone so diabolically complicated that it has to be assigned to a specific player?
3. If the answer to No. 2 is "yes," does that specific player have to be our backup quarterback?
For the record, Gray had nine fair catches last season, and held on to every last one of them. (A minor victory, to be sure, but when you're minus-16 in turnover margin, every little bit helps.) His one attempt at an actual return-like action resulted in a two-yard loss, so Dawg fans probably don't want him returning any more punts than he actually has to. Still, the question has to be asked: Is there any rhyme or reason to this decision, or is it simply a holdover from a bygone strategy whereby stubbornness and a belief in nebulous "challenges" held sway over actual logic?
Or perhaps we're getting too worked up over this, and should just be glad we're not at the point where we're getting geeked over the fact that we've just signed the nation's top punter. Either way, godspeed, Logan Gray -- this may or may not be what you decided to stay at UGA for, but we know that when your eyes turn heavenward and you wave that muscular arm of yours in the air, the Dawgs are in safe hands.