Georgia QB Aaron Murray named semifinalist for Maxwell Award

Oct 19, 2013; Nashville, TN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Aaron Murray (11) drops back to hand off against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half at Vanderbilt Stadium. The Commodores beat the Bulldogs 31-27. Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been a dismal couple of weeks in Athens for the Georgia Bulldogs, but there was a ray of good news as of Tuesday morning.

Star quarterback Aaron Murray has been named a semifinalist for the 2013 Maxwell Award, given to college football’s “player of the year”. Obviously, the Maxwell isn’t the biggest award for players on the college gridiron (cue the Heisman), but it is certainly prestigious, and since the Heisman doesn’t nominate semifinalists, this is a nice accomplishment for Murray.

In 7 games this season, Murray has thrown for 1,938 yards (277 per game) on 62.1% passing with 17 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. His pace has fallen off a bit in recent weeks as his weapons have evaporated, but Murray has been the one and only constant for the Georgia offense.

This honor will likely fall on deaf ears for Murray after his less-than-stellar performance against Vanderbilt on Saturday, but that doesn’t diminish how exceptional he has been for the better part of 4 years. Visions of Heisman grandeur have gone by the wayside, but in my opinion, he is still one of the best quarterbacks (and players) in the country.