ATHENS — If you’re an optimist, defensive coordinator Willie Martinez became a genius over the course of the last three months.
If you’re a pessimist, well, let’s just say there were things about G-Day that may have reinforced your way of thinking.

Either way, it’d be a mistake to read too much into Georgia’s annual spring scrimmage.

Even though expectations are lower than at this time last year when the Bulldogs looked like national champs, and even though the offense sputtered and didn’t get into the end zone until the last play from scrimmage, it wouldn’t be fair to call Saturday’s exhibition a G-Dud.

But it would be safe to say that the spring game left plenty of questions that won’t be answered until the Bulldogs tee it up in Stillwater, Okla., on Sept. 5.

For starters, who’s going to catch the ball when A.J. Green draws the double coverage that’s sure to come his way?

“We had way too many drops, which was obvious,” coach Mark Richt said, “but I thought each quarterback put the ball on the money. It would have been nice to see the receivers hold on to them. It would have been a little more exciting for the fans, I’m sure.”

Even with only one SEC season behind him, Green is the most accomplished playmaker on the 2009 Georgia offense.

Starting quarterback Joe Cox isn’t a proven commodity, and there wasn’t much material to evaluate Saturday (he finished 9-for-16 for 105 yards passing), but Georgia coaches feel comfortable with what they’re getting out of the former Parade All-American: a smart, capable leader. He may not have the golden arm of his predecessor, but he should have enough to keep the Bulldogs relevant in the SEC. That is, of course, if he’s got somebody to throw to.

The absence of Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno and, to a lesser extent, Mohammed Massaquoi, leaves question marks in spots where the Bulldogs will need exclamation points in 2009.

No running back has stepped in to forcefully claim the spot occupied by Moreno for the last two years, leaving Richt to declare the position “wide open” as the team heads into camp in August.

At receiver the same could be said. The bodies are there, but none have yet asserted themselves as dependable, big-time targets in SEC play.

Sure-handed Kris Durham figured to be the chain-mover in 2009, keeping defenses from tilting the field completely to Green’s side, but he’ll miss the season with a shoulder injury.

Tony Wilson, who’s slated as the starter at split end, only got one look Saturday. Michael Moore, who coaches are expecting a big senior year from, didn’t catch any. Starting tight end Aron White had two drops on the five passes thrown to him.

Those pessimists are probably already pinning their hopes to the next big thing on campus, incoming freshman Marlon Brown, who could — and may need — to see the field early.

Certainly there are improvements to be made, but a strong showing by one side in a scrimmage only means more questions are raised.

“If we had gone out there and ran up and down the field, of course we’d feel good, and everybody would be happy, but you’d be asking the defense about how bad they did,” Cox said.

Good point.

Especially after the Georgia defense gave up at least 35 points in three of its last four regular season games last year, a defense-dominated spring game isn’t such a bad thing.

“I thought the defense took this game extremely seriously, continuing to keep the edge that they established throughout the spring,” Richt said. “I had rather have the score we had (Saturday), than a 31-30.”

He might be the only one who feels that way, other than maybe Willie Martinez.

Brent Holloway is the sports editor for The Times.