Richt has no answers after scrimmage

ATHENS – Even after a pass-happy scrimmage, Georgia coach Mark Richt was no closer Saturday evening to naming a starting quarterback, or even eliminating a contender, than when he started fall camp.

“I’m getting kind of tired of it,” he said. “I’d like to get settled and get ready to play ball. I know it sounds boring and like a broken record, but just from watching it, I can’t sit here and say I felt like some guy separated in any way. I’m kind of wanting it to jump out at me, but it hasn’t done that.”

That means don’t expect a change in the pecking order that has senior Joe Tereshinski on top, followed in quick succession by sophomore Blake Barnes, redshirt freshman Joe Cox and true freshman Matthew Stafford.

There remains a chance Richt could change the depth chart, or even eliminate one player from the competition, after watching the film from the scrimmage at Sanford Stadium, but “my gut feeling right this second is I’m not sure I can justify that,” he said.

Tereshinski, Cox and Stafford all had good and bad moments, he said. Barnes, who threw the only touchdown pass of the day that drew mention from Richt, was the only player Richt couldn’t recall a bad moment from, he said.

“Barnes seemed like he had a really good day,” Richt said. “I’m trying to think of something that bothered me.”

Barnes is now 100 percent healthy after limping through most of the spring on an injured right knee, he said.

“I feel like it’s been a great week,” he said.

Tereshinski acknowledged he had a slow start on a day when Richt called the same 10 pass plays for all four quarterbacks.

“I want to pull away,” he said, “I do, but at the same time you can only do so much.”

Although Richt mentioned that both Stafford and Cox forced some throws, each quarterback said afterward they didn’t feel like they did.

“I think I played pretty decent today,” Stafford said. “I felt comfortable out there. I felt like I knew what I was doing at all times. I think I threw it to the right place most of the time, which is a step for me. In the spring sometimes I was just picking the same color jersey and throwing it hard.”

Richt still is determined to trim the race to no more than two quarterbacks after the second scrimmage, which will be held Friday.

“I think we have to,” he said. “I hope so. I’m getting frustrated that I can’t have a little more peace about what the right thing to do is right now. I’m going to stay patient until I really feel certain. Right now, I’m not certain.”

“It’s not frustrating to me because that means nobody is doing that bad,” Cox said. “I think we’re all rooting for who is going to be the best guy.”

Starting middle linebacker Jarvis Jackson did not scrimmage due to a foot injury. He is considered day-to-day. No players were seriously hurt in the scrimmage, Richt said.

Offensive lineman Chester Adams (hip pointer) returned from two days out to take his place in the starting lineup. Fullback Brannan Southerland (ankle) and defensive end Marcus Howard (arm) were fully dressed out as well.

Defensive tackles Ray Gant (shoulder) and Marquis Elmore (knee) and offensive lineman Zeb McKinzey (shoulder) did not participate.