ATHENS — It’s November, and the Georgia football team is still trying to figure out a starting quarterback.

It was Greyson Lambert for seven games, with Brice Ramsey getting playing time in four of those games. Neither could win the job, so Faton Bauta started last Saturday, but threw four interceptions.

So who will be Saturday against Kentucky? Four days before the game, head coach Mark Richt either still doesn’t know or isn’t saying.

“It would be nice to get more stability at that position, but it just hasn’t played out that way,” Richt said. “We’re basically competing this week at a lot of positions, especially on offense, just making sure the guys aren’t too comfortable. I guess the bottom line is we want to get the best 11 on the field for whatever situation it calls. It’s not going to be just 11 guys. We know we sub. We know we have different personnel groups and things of that nature, but the bottom line is to get the best people in the game and help them execute.”

Georgia’s official depth chart lists the first-teamer as Bauta or Lambert, with Ramsey at third team. Ramsey is slated to start again at punter this week.

Richt was also asked (for the third time) why Bauta wasn’t put in more running situations, since that’s considered a strength for him. And Richt (for the third time) said there were plays that had a run option depending on what the defense provided. Those plays require good blocking to take out an extra defender, but didn’t happen a lot because “we were getting whipped at the point.”

“Now, you can run QB draw and QB sweeps and things of that nature, but we had called enough plays where he could have ran the ball, but because of how the defense had played it, he didn’t run it as much,” Richt said. “But, to answer your question, we would have QB run available if he’s in the game.”

Senior receiver Malcolm Mitchell deferred to the coaches on what should happen at quarterback, saying it wasn’t his call, and he didn’t know what would happen.

Mitchell also issued a defense of the quarterbacks, despite the obvious struggles the position has had this season.

“I remember at the beginning of the season after the South Carolina game everybody was saying how awesome our quarterbacks were, but now everybody says they’re inconsistent,” Mitchell said. “My job isn’t to argue with you. My job is to support my team. My understanding how the media works, is at one point a guy can be triumphant and then at another time he can be seen as an atagonistic character in the scheme of things. It’s kind of mind-blowing at times the questions that are being asked.”