Way to go, Joe!

Well, it's official. Georgia's 2006 starting quarterback is JoeT3.

I know that it's easy, after a flashy, high-impact offensive player like DJ, to lament the promotion of Tereshinski to starting QB. Here are some reasons to celebrate:

1) David Greene. CMR has been saying it for two years and I saw it last year with my own two eyes in the Florida and Arkansas games: JoeT3 is a Greenie-style quarterback. Let's not forget that no one thought Greenie could lead us to a ten-win season, let alone two SEC appearances and a championship. David couldn't scramble either. But he had a rocket for an arm AND HE KNEW THE SYSTEM. Right now, no one knows CMR's system better than JoeT3.

2) Mark Richt. I watched the Florida game last year. I'm sure that 99% of you did too. Who was I screaming at as our best chances disappeared? Was it JoeT for his boneheaded decisions? No! After all, it was the trick play featuring JoeT that turned out to be our only TD of the game. I was screaming at Richt for refusing to alter DJ's scheme to fit JoeT. A QB draw on 3rd down? Not once but twice? We all know Joe can't run! That game was infinitely winnable, and JoeT could have won it.

However...CMR is the SEC's best head coach for quarterbacks, now that Cutcliffe is back in an assistant capacity with UT. What he's done with DG and DJ, not to mention JoeT, has been phenomenal. I completely trust him with even a marginally talented quarterback; JoeT has proven that he is more than marginal, if given the chance.

3) Joe Cox & Matthew Stafford. (Sorry Blake, but I think we all know that you should transfer. You're really not in competition anymore). The competition from these two very talented QBs will drive JoeT to give his very best. And he's got a lot to give. The real quarterback controversy will come next year, when CMR has to decide between Cox and Stafford, esp. if he burns the redshirt on Stafford this season.

4) Mohammed Massaquoi. The kid can catch, he can jump, he can get downfield. And Joe's got a rocket. Perhaps not a Jay Cutler rocket, but he can throw the ball. MM (and Mikey Henderson, if he lives up to the spring practice hype) will make Joe a better quarterback and inflate his yardage.

5) Tailback U. Have you seen our backfield? What are we doing ranked 14th, 15th, and 17th? Thomas Brown. Danny Ware. Kregg Lumpkin. Brannan Southerland. We got Des back. Also: THOMAS FREAKING BROWN! Talk about establishing the run game; we could run up the gut on 10 of the 12 teams we face, throw the ball ten times a game and still win by ten. These guys are fantastic.

6) Quentin Moses. Sack. Sack. Interception. Sack. Fumble recovery. Sack. Big Q is what we mean when we say "We don't rebuild, we reload." Remember how upset we were when Sean Jones left early? When David Pollack graduated? Enter Tony Taylor. Enter Greg Blue. Enter Thomas Davis. And Willie Martinez has more than filled the gulf the esteemed Coach VanGorder left. Look for Q to average 1.5 sacks a game and a turnover every other game.

7) DJ Shockley. Does anyone remember how wretched he was in the 2004 Tech game? I do, because I was there. It was raining, it was freezing, my toes were numb, and we went from a 16-0 halftime lead to winning 19-13 because Reggie Ball forgot what down it was. By the way, does anyone else want Ball to just get as many redshirts as possible? Give the man seven more years of eligibility! But we had to bring Greenie - broken thumb and all - back into the game just to get us in field-goal range. No one - I mean no one - thought DJ was going to be the quarterback he was last year.

I know there are going to be detractors. JoeT3 isn't as exciting, he's not proven - at least not in the regular season - he's a backup deep-snapper, etc. Cheer him on. No one was happier when he got his first career TD throw in the Kentucky game last year than I was. Well, maybe JoeT2. GO JOE! GO DAWGS!

I'm proud for Joe. I have full confidence that he can do good. Remember that his first start came against A rough Florida team in a hostile environment in Jax. And we only lost that by 4. I'm not too worried about how well he'll play in Columbia just because i know he has been in a more hostile environment and played a better team. Also, Mark richt knows better than anyone the qb situation. If you don't have confidence in this man after two SEC championships and 3 bowl wins, you never will.

with much of what dapolla posted! Frankly, I'm neither shocked, nor dismayed in the least with CMR's decision to name JTIII as the starting QB. CMR made his name building QB's and has demonstrated this ability since arriving in Athens! Like dapolla, I likewise see many of the same similarities between DG and JTIII, and I'll take a wise, consistent and intellectual QB any day!!! Does this mean that we are going to be vanilla this year? Nope, I believe we will see the exact same style of play that we've seen since CMR first staked his claim in Athens! We will have more highs than lows, and might just pull off an unexpected victory or two!

My only disagreement with dapolla's post involves the potential redshirt of MS. If MS is shirted, it won't get burned! I believe we will see JTIII throughout the season, with JC playing back-up, perhaps even at the level Shockley played when he was back-up to DG. I wouldn't be surprized if Blake transferred.........

This season will be a steady dose of the Four Horsemen, methodical QB play, periodic attempts to stretch the field vertically, gut-wrenching, mind-numbing, bone shattering D and special teams....Sound familiar!?!?!?

GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!