What Mark Richt Needs to See from QB Hutson Mason in Georgia's Spring Game
Georgia's offense isn't exactly full of holes, but the one left by former quarterback Aaron Murray is gaping.
Luckily for head coach Mark Richt and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, they have a veteran to rely on.
Redshirt senior Hutson Mason will do his best "D.J. Shockley" impression and take the reigns from a legend. Shockley's one and only season as Georgia's starting quarterback in 2005 ended well, as he led the Bulldogs to the SEC Championship and an appearance in the Sugar Bowl.
Can Mason do the same?
With running back Todd Gurley, a host of wide receivers and a coach in Bobo who he's worked with for the last four years, Mason certainly has the foundation to do so.
But he still has work to do, and needs to show how much he's progressed between the hedges in this Saturday's spring game in Athens.
What does Richt need to see?
Accuracy
Mason completed 57.3 percent (43-of-75) of his passes as the starting quarterback in Georgia's final two games of the season, for 619 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. In those games, he struggled to get in the flow at times, which put his team behind the eightball.
The bright side for Richt is that Mason led his team back to a dramatic double overtime win over Georgia Tech to close out the regular season, and led his team downfield in the Gator Bowl on potential go-ahead drives in the fourth quarter against Nebraska, before two drops in each drive sent those to screeching halts.
In an offense like Georgia's, which is predicated on establishing the run and a quarterback using play action off that, accuracy is vital. Mason needs to complete around 65 percent of his passes for Georgia to be a true national title contender.
If he can do that, then the offense will be fine. With Gurley and all those weapons around him, all he has to be is a caretaker for Georgia's offense to move the ball. If he can evolve into a difference-maker, that's a bonus.
| 2010 | 9-for-17 | 102 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 | 18-for-30 | 254 | 2 | 0 |
| 2013 | 67-for-110 | 968 | 5 | 3 |
Finding that Go-To Guy
Georgia has plenty of wide receivers for Mason to choose from, and he needs to find at least one that he knows he can rely on in key situations.
For Murray that player was Michael Bennett, and the senior could play the same role for Mason this season. But fellow senior Chris Conley, the speedy Reggie Davis and last year's spring superstar, Jonathon Rumph, are all vying for playing time this spring.
Bennett and Conley are the favorites. As a junior last season, Bennett caught 41 passes for 538 yards and four touchdowns, while missing two-and-a-half games in the middle of the season with a knee injury. Conley led the Bulldogs last season with 45 catches for 651 yards and four touchdowns.
If Mason can connect with just one of those guys, then he'll be able to hit the ground running during fall camp when Malcolm Mitchell and Justin Scott-Wesley both get back to full speed from their ACL injuries.
Comfort in the Pocket
Georgia has been mixing and matching some pieces along the offensive line this spring. Hopefully for Richt and Bobo, those pieces have settled in.
David Andrews is entrenched at center and John Theus and Kolton Houston each have experience at offensive tackle. Those three need to be comfortable in the checks at the line, which are so prominent in Bobo's offense.
At the guard spots, Watts Dantzler, Mark Beard, Greg Pyke, Brandon Kublanow and Zach DeBell all are vying for playing time, according to the Red & Black.
Whoever emerges as starters, Mason has to know that he's protected and that everybody is on the same page before the snap. A lot of that is on Andrews making the proper reads. But if Mason loses faith in his offensive line, he's going to struggle.
Richt doesn't need Mason to be a star, he needs Mason to be effective.
If he proves on spring's biggest stage that he's progressed from his limited time last year as the starter, Georgia could be in for a big season in 2014 with Mason at the helm.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer for Bleacher Report. All statistics are courtesy of CFBStats.com.
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