Colt Brennan, championship quarterback.

That's how Georgia coach Mark Richt described Hawai'i's star quarterback when discussing the Warriors Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl date with the Bulldogs in New Orleans.

Richt, 48, is certainly qualified to judge.

Richt was a college quarterback himself at the University of Miami (Fla.) before embarking on a coaching career that's seen him tutor top-flight signal-callers as the Bulldogs' head coach, including David Greene, who ranks as the winningest quarterback in Southeastern Conference history.

Before that, Richt coached Heisman Trophy winners Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke as Florida State's offensive coordinator (1994-2000) and quarterbacks coach (1990-2000).

"If he (Brennan) was inserted into certain (SEC) teams that might have struggled at the position, he would have won them a championship,'' Richt said. "The guy is a great quarterback.''

The statistics indicate as much: Brennan completed 71.4-percent of his passes for 4,174 yards and 38 touchdowns with 14 interceptions.

But Richt said there's more to Brennan than the gaudy numbers he put up in Hawai'i's pass-happy offense.

"Sometimes, you might have a guy who throws it 60 times a game, and yeah, he'll get big yards and touchdowns,'' Richt said. "But you watch (Brennan), and he's pin-point accurate, tough as can be, and he knows exactly what to do with the ball in that system.''

Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford admitted to feeling a little envious of the system in which Brennan flourished.

"It is definitely pretty cool,'' said Stafford, who completed 55.4 percent of his attempts for 2,348 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions. "It's definitely got to be a fun one for a quarterback to play in.

"I watched the Boise State and San Jose games, and they have a lot of fun and play with energy.''

Georgia safety Kelin Johnson said the Bulldogs have spent a great deal of time watching film, and Brennan's talents have jumped out.

"He's just an unbelievable player,'' said Johnson, who helped anchor a defense that finished third in the SEC in yards allowed per game. "He's a great thrower and he can read defenses.''

And, Johnson added, Hawai'i's offensive line has made Brennan even more dangerous.

"He has a lot of time in the pocket, and that says a lot about his offensive line,'' he said. "They let him sit back there and he can do whatever he wants.''

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