ATHENS — Under normal circumstances, redshirt freshman Zach Mettenberger might have used his G-Day performance Saturday to springboard to starting the 2010 season opener for Georgia.
Mettenberger threw two touchdown passes and led the Black squad to a 17-7 win over the Red in the annual G-Day spring game Saturday.
Head coach Mark Richt said he's not ready to name an opening day starter, but it definitely won't be Mettenberger. That's because the Watkinsville native faces at least a one-game suspension for an arrest in Lowndes County during spring break.
In Saturday's game, he completed six of 10 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Logan Gray, backup to Joe Cox last year, completed 10 of 17 passes for 132 yards and one touchdown. Aaron Murray, another redshirt freshman, connected on 10 of 22 for 96 yards and threw one interception.
"They have played well all spring," Richt said. "They have been hitting their targets. They have had few interceptions and few bad decisions. It has been good competition. I feel we have players who can get it done."
Mettenberger did most of his damage in the first half when he completed touchdown passes of 24 yards to wide receiver Rhett McGowan and 39 yards to Arthur Lynch, the latter with 12 seconds remaining in the first half. He was not made available to the media after the game.
Looking ahead, Richt said that he hopes to announce a pecking order within a week, but there is no guarantee that the quarterback who is pronounced No. 1 will start the first game.
"I couldn't name a starter now if I had to," Richt said. "I am looking to see if he can hit his target, can he process the information he has to process and can he handle the pressure? This is just the beginning. It will intensify in the fall."
Saturday was the first glimpse of Georgia's new defensive alignment, a 3-4 setup, under new coordinator Todd Grantham, an assistant with the Dallas Cowboys last year.
"I think they adjusted well," said Grantham of the players picking up new schemes, new terminology and new staff personnel. Linebacker coach Warren Belin and secondary coach Scott Lakatos are new to the staff as well.
"This was a typical spring game," said Grantham. "There were some things that should not have happened. We adjusted well as the game went along."
Junior defensive back Nick Williams led the Black squad with seven tackles. Marcus Dowtin intercepted one pass.
Grantham said that the defense kept it basic rather than tip its hands to scouts.
Gray accounted for the Red touchdown, a 7-yard scoring strike to Kris Durham, a senior wide receiver coming off an injury.
Brandon Bogotay kicked a 32-yard field goal for the Black team in the fourth quarter to finish out the scoring.
Georgia came out of the game relatively injury free. Offensive lineman Josh Davis had a minor shoulder injury. Junior Richard Samuel, making the transition from tailback to linebacker, was held out with a concussion. Tailback Caleb King sat out with a sore knee.
Dontavius Jackson was the game's leading ground gainer with 43 yards on 11 carries. He was in the news earlier this week when Athens-Clarke County police identified him as a "peacemaker" in an incident of assault in a late-night cab ride.
"I was glad to get that off my mind and put that behind me," he Jackson.
