Who would you rather have as your starting QB? Matthew Stafford or David Greene? The stats and our picks are below...
- 42 Wins in 4 years (most ever in NCAA until Colt McCoy broke record this year)
- Gave UGA its first SEC title in 20 years
- Named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2001
- Named to 1st Team All-SEC in 2002
- Named MVP of the SEC Championship Game in 2002
- Named to 2nd Team All-SEC in 2003 & 2004
- 11,528 career passing yards
- 1,440 attempts, 849 completions (58.96%)
- 72 TD, 32 INT
- 138.30 QB Rating
MATTHEW STAFFORD
- Named to the 2006 SEC Coaches All-Freshman Team
- Named Offensive MVP of 2006 Peach Bowl
- Named All-America by Pro Football Weekly in 2008
- Named to 2nd Team All SEC in 2008
- Named MVP of the 2009 Outback Bowl
- Threw school record 25 TDs in 2008
- 7,731 career passing yards
- 987 attempts, 564 completions (57.14%)
- 51 TD, 33 INT
- 133.30 QB Rating
DRM's take....
This debate isn't even close. Greene played in 2 SEC Championship games in 4 years and in 2002 was the MVP of the game. He won more games as a QB than any other QB in the history of college football until Colt McCoy broke the record this past season. Greene also brought the Dawg-Nation back to the level that we all wanted as he passed for more yards than anyone in SEC history. Despite all the yards and many more games (and pass attempts), Greene still has one less interception than Stafford in his career. During one stretch of his career, Greene threw the ball 214 straight times without throwing a pick which is also an SEC record. Has Stafford ever gotten to 100 attempts without throwing a pick?? I will sleep just fine knowing that David Greene is running my offense.
RB Dawg's take...
This will probably go against the popular vote as the obvious sentimental choice is David Greene. And, I give Greene all the credit in the world for staying in Athens for 5 years as opposed to Stafford's 3 years. I know that #7 never led us to the GA Dome, much less to an SEC title. But, there is a reason that the guy was drafted #1 overall in the NFL Draft. And has anyone taken a look at the defensive players that were on Greene's teams? David Pollack, Greg Blue, Sean Jones, Thomas Davis, Odell Thurman, Jonathan Sullivan, Boss Bailey are some names off the top of my head (Stupid question - who gives a team a better chance at success - Brian Van Gorder or Willie Martinez??). Not to mention having Jon Stinchcomb and Max Jean-Giles on the offensive line. Of course, Greene had the intangibles and knew "how to win", but I always thought Stafford got a bad rap on that. Dude looked like he knew how to compete pretty damn hard a few times this past fall in Detroit.
What do y'all think?? Let us know in the comments below.
17 comments:
Totally agree, they were both very good. But Stafford had swiss cheese for an OL, and no defense. Look at 07, we had a very good defense but they started young with Staff as a soph with no proven running game and recievers that dropped way too many passes and we lost to SC. They also laid an egg against TN. Put Greene's defenses and OL with Staff and he would've won a TON.
DJ SHOCKLEY. He had more talent than Greene and more leadership.heart than Stafford.
He didn't have Greene's D or Knowshon in the backfield.
He was a winner and gave us one of the best years in Dawg history.
This is not close, and I only have to point to two games to illustrate my point.
Gtu, 2004, in the cold,nasty rain. DG messed up a finger, had to come out of the game, and we were looking at the very real possibility of actually losing to Reggie Ball on our home field. Shock was wetting the bed so badly that hobbled Greene had to come back in and lead us to the win.
2008, our offense was humming against Gtu's terrible defense, gaining yards at will, until Stafford threw one of the worst passes I have ever seen, with no UGA WR within 20 yards. It was returned for a TD and Gtu got back into a game that never should have been competitive.
David Greene was a winner, plain and simple. Stafford threw a pretty ball.
Also, for those arguing about Greene's OL, you might want to take a look at the numbers on that '03 line. I believe they yielded one of the highest sack totals in SEC history.
And yes, Greene did have some great defenders to play with, but there are a few guys from Stafford's teams that are earning paychecks in the league. Sometimes a defense looks a lot better when the QB is not setting them up on a short field once or twice a game.
Take Knowshon away from the '07 and '08 teams and we are playing in the Indepence Bowl 3 straight years. David Green is the 2nd best QB in Georgia history and Stafford might be in the top5.
Football is a team sport. Look at it this way, if you put David Greene on the 06-08 teams as a freshemen, soph and junior and with those poor defenses (until the final games of 07), I don't see him winning that many more games than Stafford. Put Stafford with those defenses, having a redshirt year, not getting killed his first year and having more experience at RB and WR, I would say it would've been very close. I am not saying Stafford was better but everyone saying it's not even close are mistaken in my opinion.
Combine Green's head, Stafford's arm and Shockley's legs....
Any one of these could play for me.
In the end it is a team game. Greene has advantages Stafford did not, o-line and a stingy defense.
Stafford had a few things Greene did not, most notably and explosive running game.
If forced to choose, give me Greene. He knew his limitations and made everyone around him better.
Stafford's QB rating is only 5 points lower than Greene. So Stafford played smart enough. But he made throws that no other UGA quarterback (ever) could make.
Give Stafford a redshirt year, receivers who could catch, and a few of those All American defenders from 8 years ago, and it would have been scary.
I'll take any of the three. I do not get those who question Stafford's heart. He was and is a tough kid. On sheer talent Stafford. On the intangibles I'd have to go with Greene. He was as cool a customer as you could want under center. Both suffered from receivers who dropped a lot of balls.
That depends - if you're asking me who I'd take today with the current UGA roster, it would be Stafford. If this was circa 2001 and CMR is rebuilding the program, I'd take Greene.
But in most situations, I'm not sure how anyone wouldn't take Stafford when given a choice.
you are all idiots, who cares who is the better QB. all we should be concerned about is next years team and next years QB. Aaron Murray might break all the records. Then we can have this discussion in 4 or 5 years again. Go Dawgs!!
I have ever seen, with no UGA WR within 20 yards. It was returned for a TD and Gtu got back into a game that never should have been competitive.
Stafford was asked to do more, at a younger age, with less around him. This is a no-brainer.
Well, I'd take DJ over either of them, but this is a no-brainer. Stafford was the better quarterback. Kid has a cannon. Greene was spectacularly mediocre.
While I appreciate Chilly P's loyalty and sentimental nature, I would request that the pipe be put down. DJ was a great person and an incredible role model, however there is no comparison to the other 2.
The comments have been great. And overall its probably around 50-50 with the results. And DJ is getting quite a few thrown in as well. I will say it is tough to argue DJ with the other two because of the total body of work. DJ was very good and if he had the chance to play 3-4 years he might have been top 2 qb's all time at UGA, but he only played one full year. And I will still stick with my David Greene selection. Dont get me wrong, I am a big supporter of Stafford but if we put Stafford on that 2002 team, i just worry that he might have one of those 3 interception games which puts us in the capital one bowl.
More "Debate of the Day" to come real soon here at www.uga8.com
The fact that D.J. is getting so many votes should only serve to solidify Greene's position as the best.
Anyone who thinks Staff was better should ask themselves if they think that he could have kept Shockley on the bench for 4 years.
Although I can see the argument with Stafford, Greene is it hands down. I'd even put DJ as a distant second. And I would attempt to solidify that argument with this comparison: less than two minutes to go, down a TD or less and the ball 80+ yards away. I always had confidence in Greene to get us in position to win. Stafford (at times) relied too heavily on his arm, instead of his heart and the talent of those around him.
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