Georgia loses to Kentucky, and the song stays the same
This is the picture? Do you really need to know more? An interception by Kentucky's Shane McCord of a Joe Cox pass set up the Wildcats' winning touchdown in a 34-27 upset of the Dogs.
ATHENS — They got bruised in Stillwater, blindsided in Knoxville and humbled in Jacksonville. Also, their dog died.
Nobody intended for Georgia’s season to unfold like a country-western song. It just sort of turned out that way.
So what were the objectives Saturday night? Easy. To create a memory for seniors who were playing their final game in Sanford Stadium. To diminish chances of the season ending in Shreveport. To look convincing enough in a win over Kentucky — whose 6-4 record entering the night mirrored Georgia’s — that the Bulldogs’ somewhat jaded fan base would start salivating over a possible upset next week on North Ave.
They whiffed.
With representatives from the Independence and Liberty Bowls in attendance, the Bulldogs held a 20-6 halftime lead over Kentucky, then unraveled like they have far too often. They committed four second-half turnovers. The Wildcats scored four touchdowns. Georgia went down, 34-27, in its final home game of the season, and it’s just as well because there probably are not a lot of folks around Athens who wanted to be subjected to another game this season, anyway.
Mark Richt is going to have a chore trying to keep his players pumped up after this one.
Most fans in the students section wore black. At this point, we can’t be certain if they were mourning the sudden loss of Uga VII, or the passing of significant bowl game hopes.
The Dogs just lost a home game to Kentucky for the first time in 32 years. Their record is now 6-5. It’s the most losses ever for a Mark Richt team. They would need to upset Georgia Tech and win whatever low-grade bowl game that takes them just to match Richt’s all-time low win total at Georgia in 2001 (final record: 8-4).
By any measure, it has been a dreadful season.
This won’t make things any easier for Richt. He has been fielding questions about the future of the program and what changes he might make, both in direction and his coaching staff. All this has been going with games still left in the season. Richt has been trying to lay out some tangible goals for his players –one of them was to close the season with five straight wins, which would have led to a respectable final record of 9-4.
Last week, the Dogs responded with a win over Auburn in possibly the team’s best performance of the year. But this was one of their worst — at least the second half was.
It looked like it might be an easy night. Four straight scoring possessions (two touchdowns, two field goals) to close the first half gave the Bulldogs a 20-6 lead. But if you throw out the Tennessee Tech game, do you know how many easy games this team has had this season? Zero. What could not have been predictable was a complete collapse.
It started when Branden Smith fumbled the second-half kickoff return. That set up one Kentucky touchdown. Joe Cox connected with Rantavious Wooten for a 43-yard touchdown to restore the Dogs’ 14-point lead at 27-13. But no lead has been safe with Georgia’s defense, not even against pedestrian teams like Kentucky. It’s why defensive coordinator Willie Martinez may have coached his final game in Athens, at least as the defensive coordinator.
The defense did nothing to help secure Martinez’s future. Late in the third quarter, the Wildcats closed to 27-20 when quarterback Morgan Newton hit La’Rod King for a 21-yard score. Early in the fourth, tailback Derrick Locke got behind the defense down the left sideline, snared a pass from Newton and blasted off for a 60-yard touchdown, tying the game.
Instead of responding with a score, Georgia responded with a meltdown. On the ensuing drive, Cox threw a pass over the middle right to defensive tackle Shane McCord. That set up the Cats at the Dogs’ 8-yard-line and led to Randall Cobb’s second TD of the game and a 34-27 Kentucky lead.
The meltdown was soon complete: While driving for a would-be tying score, Washaun Ealey fumbled a pitch at Kentucky’s one-yard line with 2:21 left. Another possession ended with an inteception. Checkmate.
This was not how Georgia expected its final home game to go. But it also didn’t expect the losses to Oklahoma State and Tennessee and so many other messes this season. The song never changed.
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1,377 comments Add your comment
Outside Observer
November 22nd, 2009
1:48 am
True Dawg Fan – because it is fun to watch that old wheel roll around again. We have had to listen to your obnoxious crap for many years. Here is to a 6-7 finish for the mighty leghumpers.
Jim from Athens
November 22nd, 2009
1:48 am
Did anybody else notice the Kentucky players tearing off pieces of the hedge? The announcers didn’t say nothing. That’s a big bunch of class there. Customs should take it away at the airport. I bet some of their recruits saw that mess too. No class from the blue grass.
On the fumbles and interceptions, it was foggy around here tonight which may have made the ball a little slippery. But I guess both teams played with the same ball. You need to this about it.
Good thing Tech is playing at home. They aren’t smart enough to drive to Athens. Too many signs in english. You should have done this a long time ago. The sky is the limit.
Dr. Analyst
November 22nd, 2009
1:50 am
My analysis:
Georgia showed us tonight that they are a program on the rise, not to be taken lightly. Any team who can give Kentucky a run for its money like we saw tonight is FOR REAL. If this team gets to Shrevport, some team from Conference USA had better look out. The Bulldogs are hungry, I can see it.
baltimore dawg
November 22nd, 2009
1:51 am
absolutely unacceptable
SatillaDawg
November 22nd, 2009
1:52 am
Hey, Got Prozac?…..at least Georgia grads know how to spell Satilla. I wouldn’t expect a trade school loser like you to know how to spell one of the state’s most beautiful rivers. Get a life, jerk. Tech Sucks and you know it. You bumblebees finally have a fairly decent year and you think you’re hot s#@t. You’re still second rate losers, and always will be.
Reality
November 22nd, 2009
1:52 am
How quickly the bandwagon GA rednecks jump off the UGAG ship…. UGA football – dead. UGA mascot – dead. UGA basketball (lost to Wofford) – never lived.
Join a winning tradition at GA Tech!
Got Prozac?
November 22nd, 2009
1:52 am
True Dawg fan – great to hear you made it back to the trailer park. Make sure to empty the septic tank. While I understand your inability to perform the most rudimentary of mathematical operations, counting, I would love to hear your analysis of looking better than Tech. You clearly are referring to the Black Out. Yes, the crowd looked smashing (really compliments the mullets). And to bring up history is to compare Chan Gailey to Paul Johnson. Okay enjoy your ho down tonight.
GTBUZZ81
November 22nd, 2009
1:52 am
True Dawg Fan.
November 22nd, 2009
1:44 am
Just got home from Athens. I wonder where GT fans get off making fun of a UGA in an off year when they are just beginning to have a little succes in a 2nd rate conference after years of stinking it up. UGA and CMR will come out of this still looking better than the GT folks who have nothing better to do than to take shots at UGA. We are down but look better than Tech at their highpoint. UGA fans have faith things are sometimes darkest before dawn. GO DAWGS !
LMFAO!!!!THWG!!!!!Ya’ll lost to Kenturkey!!!!HA!!!HA!!!!HA!!!!
The Golden Rule
November 22nd, 2009
1:53 am
Hey TDF….you are right. I mean Dawg fans are too classy to take shots at Tech….they are to busy leaving their own game early….way to stay true to your……er um uh…school…bwaaahaaaaa
Dr. Analyst
November 22nd, 2009
1:53 am
You stay classy, SatillaDawg.
UGA VII
November 22nd, 2009
1:54 am
Jim,
Did they also stick their tongues out at you? Waaaaaaaa………
Reality
November 22nd, 2009
1:55 am
Um… CLUE – the SEC is really blowing this year. The entire conference has only 2 teams worth spit – that is two teams out of how many? Every ranking program has the SEC conference ranked either 4th or 5th in the land….. that is BEHIND the ACC. You UGAY idiots need to wake up and smell the losses before spouting more BS.
HedgeBuyer
November 22nd, 2009
1:55 am
I see that pieces of the hedge are already turning up from UK fans on eBay.
The Golden Rule
November 22nd, 2009
1:56 am
Wow S A T I L L A D A W G you are just too damn cruel….BTW how do you spell dog?
What is classy?
November 22nd, 2009
1:57 am
”Football is one of our great American games. It is the duty and responsibility of each of us to see that it is kept in its proper perspective, and that it is protected. We should see that it is used to attain the objectives that mean so much to our way of life.
We feel that the spectator can be most influential and instrumental in helping to achieve these objectives, if he will develop the right attitudes. May we suggest a few?
First, and foremost among these attitudes that must be developed, is the realization that in football there must be a winner and a loser (excepting the occasional tie). The fan who recognizes this principle gets a great deal more enjoyment from the game than one who becomes irritated, aggravated, and rambunctious when “his” team loses. We would never minimize the importance of winning, but it is very unfair to the coach, the player, and the school when the fan forgets it is impossible to “repudiate the law of mathematics”–i.e., there must be a winner and a loser.
It is important that each of us develop the art of appreciating great plays made by the opposition. We should always give our opponents credit, rather than criticize our team when the opposition makes a great play. We believe perfection in the execution of a great play in football is to be admired and appreciated, just as we appreciate and admire the work of a great artist in any field.
The spectator should remember the football players are just human beings. They perform at times under great pressure, and they, as all other earthly inhabitants, are likely to make mistakes. It behooves all of us to remember, “To err is human, to forgive, divine.”
Finally, we should always keep uppermost in mind that football, with all its glamour, glitter, thrills and chills, plus everything that makes it great, has one thing more important than all of these combined–that is, the boy who plays it.”
Robert L. “Bobby” Dodd
Head Coach and Athletic Director
Georgia Institute of Technology
1954
This is what classy is.
SatillaDawg
November 22nd, 2009
1:57 am
Funny, Dr. Analyst! I like your sense of humor.
The Golden Rule
November 22nd, 2009
1:59 am
Jim you should know by now that you don’t need to read to get to athens….just follow the stench
Let da Big Dawg Eat
November 22nd, 2009
1:59 am
Yo you sissy haters from Tech…. I got some news for you. You want to knock us because we lost tonight? Well guess what, THE DAWGS ARE GOING TO A BOWL!!!!
DAT’S RIGHT!!!!
GO DAWGS!!!!
UGA VII
November 22nd, 2009
1:59 am
Kentucky??? Really??? Kentucky??? Wow………..glad I left before I saw that one.
GTBUZZ81
November 22nd, 2009
2:00 am
Jim from Athens
November 22nd, 2009
1:48 am
Did anybody else notice the Kentucky players tearing off pieces of the hedge? The announcers didn’t say nothing. That’s a big bunch of class there. Customs should take it away at the airport. I bet some of their recruits saw that mess too. No class from the blue grass.
On the fumbles and interceptions, it was foggy around here tonight which may have made the ball a little slippery. But I guess both teams played with the same ball. You need to this about it.
Nice excuse.If my memory serves me well,I believe it was raining last year in Athens when the Jackets beat the Dawgs and they didn’t have a problem holding on to the ball.Time to wake up and realize that Georgia sucks.THWG!!!!!
anyone can recruit in georgia
November 22nd, 2009
2:00 am
what’s your point? everyone knows bobby dodd was a peder-a$$
Beautiful Monte
November 22nd, 2009
2:02 am
Uga VII is dead, and kbatuc don’t feel too good himself.
Do your fellow human beings a favor, kbatuc, and have yourself spayed and/or neutered before you can contaminate the world with the fruit of your classless, ignorant loins.
P.S. Did I mention that kbatuc is an in-bred loser?
SatillaDawg
November 22nd, 2009
2:04 am
D A W G!
The Golden Rule, my arse!
Up yours, Tech Wimp!
Gold & White RESURGENCE
November 22nd, 2009
2:05 am
i’m tired of hearing dawg fans say:
next week uga is going to play inspired or next week this team is going to play with heart…blah,blah,blah.
uga vii’s heart was stronger than this georgia team’s.
they are about to get smoked-BY ALOT.
GA Alumni
November 22nd, 2009
2:05 am
FIRE THEM ALL
Uga VII
November 22nd, 2009
2:06 am
i hate to say it folks, but gold &white resurgence is right
Dr. Analyst
November 22nd, 2009
2:06 am
More analysis:
That Cox kid is a bit raw, but the potential is clearly there. In about two to three more years, he will make Georgia fans forget John Lastinger, Greg Talley, and Preston Jones.
The Golden Rule
November 22nd, 2009
2:06 am
Congrats Satilla you just earned a degree of your choice at ugump!
GTBUZZ81
November 22nd, 2009
2:07 am
Let da Big Dawg Eat
November 22nd, 2009
1:59 am
Yo you sissy haters from Tech…. I got some news for you. You want to knock us because we lost tonight? Well guess what, THE DAWGS ARE GOING TO A BOWL!!!!
DAT’S RIGHT!!!!
GO DAWGS!
Which bowl will that be,THE WE GET ANOTHER CHANCE TO BLOWIT ON NATIONAL TV BOWL,sponsored by WESUCKS.
Mike T.
November 22nd, 2009
2:08 am
Good thing Tech is playing at home. They aren’t smart enough to drive to Athens. Too many signs in english.
That’s pretty good. We may get our butts kick next week,but its still Great to be a Georgia Bulldog.
The record is still 59-37-5, even with this beatdown coming added in.
Old pup
November 22nd, 2009
2:08 am
This season sucks, but the faces of tech fans after a Ga win next week………..priceless…….
http://www.swarmhornetswarm.com
Go Dawgs
a
November 22nd, 2009
2:09 am
Total embarassment. Why play a fifth year senior all year instead of giving the future QB some experiencement? Idiots. The only satisfaction will be that there will be more red than gold next weekend on North Ave. Unfortunately, GT will likely rush for 60 yards and win by 50.
Frustrated in Nashville...
November 22nd, 2009
2:10 am
It never fails….when Bobo finds something that works, he quits using it. Threw over the middle the whole first half and pulled the reigns in in the second. Screen….up the middle…stare down a receiver…..up the middle….punt. Not knocking the running game (well except where we ran the draw on third and ten with 3 minutes left).
My bromance with Mark Richt is officially over. NO EMOTION. NO HEART!!…We’ll work on the penalties and turnovers for the Ga. Yech game…lol.
Jim From Athens
November 22nd, 2009
2:10 am
You can talk all day about the dawgs but you know in your heart the SEC would whip every ACC team. The dawgs will beat tech again this year. Last year we lost because of the referee calls in teh third quarter. Go home and watch Star Trek stupid nerds.
Ever since that crosseyed kid left us early for the NFL, we all knew it would be rough for a season before we got our sea legs. But there is NO sense in showing our butt to the recruits reading this board. R E M E M B E R I know for a fact some hs coaches post this material trying to sway their kids to sign out of state. Their coaches must get bounties from other collegdes to hurt Georgia.
I was at the game tonight. Were you? I was proud to be a B U L L D O G everytime.
Let da Big Dawg Eat
November 22nd, 2009
2:11 am
Hey Mr. “GTBUZZ81″
We play IN THE SEC!!!! YEAH, EVERY GAME IS LIKE A BOWL.
And when was the last time your sissybees beat an SEC team????
SatillaDawg
November 22nd, 2009
2:11 am
I already have a degree Tech Wimp (i.e. Golden Stool), and I make a ten times more money than you ever will, Trade School Loser!
Mike T.
November 22nd, 2009
2:12 am
P.S. Did I mention that kbatuc is an in-bred loser?
Yeah you ought to know she’s your Mama.
45-19 Vols
November 22nd, 2009
2:12 am
wow…you lost to KY…lol….
dogpoop
November 22nd, 2009
2:12 am
Let da Big Dawg Eat is pretty funny and obviously drunk……hope your not on the road driving ..sun will come up one way or another, it aint the end of the world although it looks like it from a UGA fan’s view, glad im a tech fan lol
Voices from the grave
November 22nd, 2009
2:13 am
“What is this? It is a prolate spheroid, an elongated sphere-in which the outer leather casing is drawn tightly over a somewhat smaller rubber tubing. Better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football.”
John Heisman
SEC powerhouse NOT
November 22nd, 2009
2:14 am
see ya wouldn’t want to be ya…no $hit
True Dawg Fan.
November 22nd, 2009
2:14 am
Trailer park on Lake Lanier looks great . Home sweet home. I believe I got my point across. Red and Black always shows up better than fools Gold. GO DAWGS ! and if Tech wins next week over UGA they can keep thinking its the real thing. May GOD continue to bless America our nation as he already has many times over. Footballs entertainment but it is not life. Just trying to have a little fun. NO MALICE INTENDED.
Mike T.
November 22nd, 2009
2:14 am
wow…you lost to KY…lol….
Yeah, ya’ll may may too.And ya’ll lost to Auburn.
Gold & White RESURGENCE
November 22nd, 2009
2:15 am
To jim from athens:
recruits possibly seeing this blog should be the least of your worries-
they might have watched the game
45-19 Vols
November 22nd, 2009
2:15 am
45-19… save willie and bobo….richt you have great coaches….
The Golden Rule
November 22nd, 2009
2:15 am
Satilla… More money? Really? OMG who fn knew that speaking six easy words could make a good six figure salary….would you like fries with that?…Bwaaaahaaaa
45-19 Vols
November 22nd, 2009
2:15 am
Mike T…45-19
Let da Big Dawg Eat
November 22nd, 2009
2:16 am
No Yelow Jacket sissy comes on this board and rips the Dawgs, UH-UH!
GTBUZZ81, I got news for you my frined. We beat Arkansas AND South Carolina this year. THINK ABOUT THAT.
45-19 Vols
November 22nd, 2009
2:16 am
Lost to KY at home….lol…45-19…save willie and bobo….
JSS
November 22nd, 2009
2:17 am
That Blackwater has clouded someone’s judgment! Enjoy the 2nd best week in college football…
PURE
GOOD
OLD-FASHIONED
HATE!!!