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
konshawn
November 22nd, 2009
12:34 pm
joe cox is a fine young man that is suppose to be a team player. but he is a selfish me first red headed ugly no talent bum. He had rather take that one year he waitd for than let a freshman be groomed for the future. Even Joe T faked that ankle injury for the team and let Stafford come in
Wreckmaniac
November 22nd, 2009
12:34 pm
Terry Bowden, T Tuberville, and Charlie Weis (after he’s fired) are all being discussed as potential UGA coaches. Bowden said ” I’d rather stay
retired” Tuberville said ” I’m interested in a higher level” Weiss
commented that ” I will not sink that far ” Jim Donnan’s brother-in-law is apparently interested in the job, however.
Just a Bad Senior class
November 22nd, 2009
12:35 pm
In a way I am glad they lost and hope they lose to Tech – the only reason is maybe, just maybe we can get a coaching change – if we beat KY and went on the beat Tech – the MR would make an excuse to keep the same coaching staff just like he did last year
Look up dogs – every good team has bad years – look at FL a few years ago and AL and look at OK and USC now – it happens to good teams b/c when you lose great players early to the NFL it takes time to replace them – something Tech would know nothing about –
The dawgs will rise again and I believe once we have Murray and all the Freshman in there next year and the year after we have something good to look forward to – Next year will probably be a repeat of this year but it will be a true rebuilding year – just count your blessings that Cox is out of here
still a dawg fan
November 22nd, 2009
12:36 pm
Hey,
Is there still anyone out there who still thinks RJ & RC are still 1st or 2nd round NFL picks after that performance last night. Our defense did not force a turnover last night & they had a true freshman quarterback but our 5th year senior QB had 4 turnovers—GO FIGURE— & anyone who doesn’t think Paul Johnson will make GT a National Power is a KOOLAID DRINKER.This guy has won everywhere he as been.Ga Southern as OC under our last great coach ERK-THE GREATEST MOTIVATOR I HAVE EVER SEEN-(2 national titles),Ga Southern a 2nd time as Head Coach (2 national titles).Winning record every year at Navy which is unheard of & now GT.He is a winner & knows how to motivate kids which is something he learned from the Great ERK RUSSELL but something we sorely lack & soon he will be getting all the best recruits in state.Kids want to play for winners & Coach Johnson has been a winner everywhere he has been.
MC
November 22nd, 2009
12:36 pm
Some of you guys are starting to sound like little Tech girls.
Columnists Corner | Football Picks
November 22nd, 2009
12:37 pm
[...] Schultz, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: By any measure, it has been a dreadful season for [...]
INDY(I'm not dead yet)
November 22nd, 2009
12:38 pm
There’s something falling from the sky…it’s falling from the sky…oh my God!….it’s a big blue hobnailed boot and it’s going to stomp on my face….no, it’s sugar…no wait, it’s KY Jelly….wow, that’s a relief…we’ll still have some fun in Athens now.
Lou Vales
November 22nd, 2009
12:41 pm
Hey Jackson, You can tell your ONCE “Elite” program is BLANKED when you start bringing up Tech attendance. As a Florida grad that was ONCE the only talking point I had to the followers of Murder U in Dade County. I realized it was weak and after a year, I ceased spouting the nonsense.
godawgs
November 22nd, 2009
12:43 pm
Crying Dawgs-
The High School offense that Meyers runs is not NFL friendly. Our georgia guy with our NFL style offense went #1 last year for $50 million. Get a clue man.
Mel Kiper, the NFL talent evaluator on ESPN, says Tebow won’t get drafted as a QB by ANYBODY. MAYBE as a tight end or linebacker, but he won’t play QB in the NFL.
Here’s the sentance you don’t want to read:
Joe Cox outthrew Tebow this year in TD’S, YARDAGE, and took less SACKS.
DAVID
November 22nd, 2009
12:43 pm
Holy crap I went to bed at 10:00, I wake up this morning to find out we lost, TOILET BOWL HERE WE COME!!!!!!! Good thing about UGA, we have a young group of players that have gained experience… Hopefully our d-line and secondary comes back with a vengance in 2010 thats where our defense is really hurting…..
Pictures
November 22nd, 2009
12:45 pm
Terry Bowden AIN’T coaching at ANY major university. Bobby Lowder STILL has the dossier at Auburn and that is why the Midget has not coached ANYWHERE since his departure. Bobby will let him ply this Little School crap he is doing now, but the threat of exposure is always there.
Dwyer for President
November 22nd, 2009
12:46 pm
As much as I enjoy seeing UGA get beat, I actually feel sorry for the true diehard Georgia fans, many of whom are in my family. They are also the ones who don’t completely give up on their team as soon as they lose a few games. Frankly, the delusional belief that so many supposed dogs fans have that their team can’t lose is finally being revealed for what it is, and they can’t seem to help themselves in blasting their own team and coaching staff. It’s obvious why Tech is winning and Georgia is losing – it’s that our team actually never accepts that they are as good as they can be, and work that much harder. History and false pride will not win many games, and those fair weather fans (most of whom didn’t attend UGA, much less any college) are dropping off like so many flies!
exNFLplayer
November 22nd, 2009
12:50 pm
Pictures, I don’t think Terry has anything to fear as long as it’s Lowder’s daughter in the pictures with him.
Lou Vales
November 22nd, 2009
12:51 pm
The TRULY scary thing is Tebow has NO chance in the NFL and YET Meyer is so good that Tebow will be considered one of the greatest collegians of all time. Remember Smith at Utah?
Urban is SCARY GOOD!!
Nate
November 22nd, 2009
12:51 pm
UGA VII died of a broken heart watching these guys play. However, UGA VII said a prayer from DAWG heaven: Coach Richt, help the DAWGS and Free Willie. Anxiety about our defensive play caused much shame about being associated with the touted Junkyard defense. Don’t give UGA VIII a big bone but a new defensive coordinator. Otherwise, UGAs of past generations will haunt you down from DAWG heaven and will take a unrelenting bite out of your backside. Please move the graveyard out of Stanford Stadium, we just can’t stand watching this defensive. This play makes us look like girly biscon frisches not ferious stubborn bulldawgs.
Hunk Down,
UGA I – UGA VII
PS- If Willie stays, please get UGA VIII a season long prescription of lipitor and out patient psychotherapy visits.
ratherBgambling
November 22nd, 2009
12:52 pm
godawgs
November 22nd, 2009
12:43 pm
Crying Dawgs-
The High School offense that Meyers runs is not NFL friendly. Our georgia guy with our NFL style offense went #1 last year for $50 million. Get a clue man.
Mel Kiper, the NFL talent evaluator on ESPN, says Tebow won’t get drafted as a QB by ANYBODY. MAYBE as a tight end or linebacker, but he won’t play QB in the NFL.
Here’s the sentance you don’t want to read:
Joe Cox outthrew Tebow this year in TD’S, YARDAGE, and took less SACKS.
HAHAHHAHAHHAHHAHA
Sober up buddy, that ‘high school offense’ has trashed UGA and is going to bring a third BCS title to UF.
MC
November 22nd, 2009
12:53 pm
Dwyer for President, you are absolutely right. Some of these fans are jumping off the bandwagon almost as fast as Tech fans jump on.
Pictures
November 22nd, 2009
12:53 pm
exNFL Player, Terry fears SOMETHING. What do you think it is? Bobby has kept him off a major college sideline for about 16 years.
Call it Like It Is
November 22nd, 2009
12:54 pm
Tried to tell all of you this year that GA is not that GOOD!
Gators roll to another SEC and NC!
Enough Said!
PDawg
November 22nd, 2009
12:54 pm
4 Turnovers, 4 personal fouls, 4 SEC losses!
Perry Mason
November 22nd, 2009
12:55 pm
I always wondered why Terry went to booth so early.
godawgs
November 22nd, 2009
12:56 pm
Lou,
Richt 2001-2008 86 wins-26 losses
Flordia 2001-2008 86 wins-27 losses
thanks for playing.
exNFLplayer
November 22nd, 2009
12:56 pm
You got me Pictures. I all I know about is the affair with Lowder’s daughter. Other than that I don’t know. Must have been really messy though.
browndog
November 22nd, 2009
12:57 pm
I shall always be a UGA fan and have seen UGA football much worse than this current edition. I honestly believe things will get better, but not right away. Just have to keeping pulling for the DAWGS and hope things improve over the next couple of years. Maybe the program is about where it is suppose to be. Look at the parity except for UF and Alabama. It may be that the new order of things in the SEC puts UGA right in the middle where maybe it belongs. Every now and then UGA will play at a higher level and have outstanding seasons, but probably not on a consistent basis.
1bulldawg2u
November 22nd, 2009
12:58 pm
Defense was a little better, not much. Number 3 needs to be playing high school ball. Joe Cox just can’t keep his cool when the rush is on. There are too many things wrong with this team. When someone messes up it seems as if the rest of the teams competes to out do the previous mistake. NO ONE takes charge and brings the game back into prespective. Four turn overs, a punter that grabs a facemask and laughs about it on the sideline. Just too many 15 yard penalities. BAD COACHING – offense and defense.
ratherBgambling
November 22nd, 2009
1:00 pm
godawgs,
UGA 2001-2008: 0 BCS titles
UF 2001-2008: 2 BCS titles
Thanks for playing
Uzbekistan Disciple
November 22nd, 2009
1:01 pm
Go Dawgs, You must be a Mark Richt “DISCIPLE”, I’m glad you are so impressed with the Holy Roller and that “record”, I’m sure most at UGA FINALLY want the REV gone. It’s FANaticS like you who not only drink the kool-aid, Jim Jones style, but order up more that have helped consign Georgia to where they are. You joining the “real good man” in Uzbekistan this Spring??
“Thanks for playing” what a blanking IDIOT!!
godawgs
November 22nd, 2009
1:02 pm
Hmmm…
$50 million for Stafford with Georgia’s Pro Style Offense…..
$0 with Mr. Heisman with Florida’s High School Offense…
I’d day the guy with $50 mill is the REAL Superman. Tebow’s gonna be flipping pizzas somewhere.
THUGA
November 22nd, 2009
1:02 pm
Watching the UGA players dance around like a bunch of rabid animals before the game you can almost predict how many penalties there will be. I think a few of them were actually foaming at the mouth, it was sad to watch. What happened to the classy football program steeped in tradition that was Bulldog Football. A coach that supports dancing like rappers on the sidelines and team celebration in the endzone has lost the ability to control his team. The THUGA era will continue until we demand more class and discipline from our coach and players.
Crying Dawgs
November 22nd, 2009
1:03 pm
Godawgs – Meyer’s “high school offense” produced a QB that went No. 1 in the NFL draft far quicker than CMR’s did. Don’t you follow football out side of GA?
Dungy called Tebow a top 5 pick. Gruden thinks Tebow is an NFL QB. Time will tell, but last time I checked, Kiper Jr. does not have any Super Bowl rings.
You take the stats and I’ll take the wins. Anyway, hope your sorry Poodles don’t embarrass the SEC too much next weekend. You’d better hope Tech takes it easy on you (second stringers by third quarter).
By the way, I hear Shreveport is BEAUTIFUL in December. Enjoy!
chazzo
November 22nd, 2009
1:03 pm
Sorry, folks. No one should make Willie the scapegoat on this one. The D was stellar with the exception of that one screen. They even got the ball bakc for the offense twice to come with a tie (or what could have been the win). When the O coughs it up deep on their end of the field twice and once on the one, what do you expect. The dawg D was overworked and underpaid last night plain and simple.
Bottom line, the offensive coaches (including Richt) need to grow a collective set! The players need to understand clearly that their is no excuse for their play in the second half, and that a game aint over until people are out on the field shaking hands.
It is a sad, sad commentary that UK wanted this game more than the dawgs. That concerns me more than anything.
Dry Spell
November 22nd, 2009
1:03 pm
Actually Georgia has not won anything of substance since Walker was a freshman and Munson knew what he was calling.
DostaDawg60
November 22nd, 2009
1:04 pm
Dwayne…Nichols is dead-on. Deal with it.
Dawg since 1965
November 22nd, 2009
1:05 pm
hey jackette nation, now you guys know what we had been saying about you going to bowls before 2008. those 6-6 and 7-5 records look pathetic going to a bowl and getting your arse blasted. Yes, I’m saying that about my team too. No one and I mean no one should get a bowl bid at 6-6!!
godawgs
November 22nd, 2009
1:06 pm
Dry Spell-
I guess Georgia under Richt finishing #2, doesn’t “qualify” as “substance” to you in “your” world.
Mo Town Mike
November 22nd, 2009
1:07 pm
Tebow will NEVER sniff a day as a starting QB in the NFL. Georgia will NEVER sniff a day in a National Championship Game with a well tanned, holy roller as its coach.
Florida alums will take the tradeoff and am assuming Tebow might just POSSIBLY have his choice of careers with Gation Nation backing.
NOW if we could run that PUNK Stafford out of Detroit, my Lions MIGHT have a chance. Stafford, Greene and Pollack–3 LOSERS and ONE VERY RICH LOSER who the city of Detroit will decimate in coming years.
godawgs
November 22nd, 2009
1:08 pm
This year, Georgia was really the only team that beat Georgia this year. We had 3 or 4 turnovers in every loss except one. When Ga doesn’t turn the ball over, Richt is 15-0.
exNFLplayer
November 22nd, 2009
1:09 pm
I seem to remember a lot of you guys saying that Matthew Stafford was “not that good”. How good was he now guys?
Dry Spell
November 22nd, 2009
1:09 pm
Go Dawgs, Not really!! I like crystal in my university’s trophy case. Any crystal for #2?? Richt is #2 to most Dog fans.
» BBL: What they said from Athens about UK’s football win John Clay’s Sidelines
November 22nd, 2009
1:10 pm
[...] Jeff Schultz of the AJC writes about another Georgia loss: “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.” [...]
browndog
November 22nd, 2009
1:11 pm
Dawg since 1965 is spot on. Bowls used to be rewards for excellent play, not any more.
godawgs
November 22nd, 2009
1:11 pm
Stafford’s a very RICH loser—$50 million!!! Green and Pollack won more games in their careers thsan Tebow.
Tebow’s a VERY POOR WINNER–$0 NFL contract. Like pizza delivery Tebow? Might have to pawn that Heisman for some cash soon?
Brock
November 22nd, 2009
1:12 pm
corny- all I’m saying is he put his foot down and said he would take any player out of the game that got a penalty and he has not. That either makes him a liar or a coward.
boots
November 22nd, 2009
1:12 pm
Last night was a low point – I hope this coming weekend won’t make it any worse than it already is. Cox is awful. The team seems to not want to win and shows little heart. The coaches are just mailing it in and not earning their money.
In an economy where so many people are hurting, it is a shame that these coaches are making what they are making. Seriously, they are not earning this kind of money.
Dry Spell
November 22nd, 2009
1:13 pm
Marky Mark should have a drawing for his “disciples”, the lucky winner gets to trek with him to Uzbekistan for a couple of weeks. Not quite a Fantasy Camp, but what the heck. Do Meyer, Saban, Tressel, Kelly, Harbaugh and a few otheres spend the off season in another continent?
DostaDawg60
November 22nd, 2009
1:15 pm
And Thuga, you boldly say what too many of us feel, and know, these days. Good for you. There is an elemnt within the sport at all levels, of undisciplied and showboat behavior, and it has been ignored and condoned, not only at UGA, but throughut the NCAA and the NFL. Last night, witness Charles rolling into the endzone. Lombardi would have benched him. And he will be emulated next Friday night, by some high-school player(s). We are replacing athletes with boorish, camera-hungry clowns. And we wonder why UGA leads the nation in penaltioes?
Mo Town Mike
November 22nd, 2009
1:16 pm
After the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan gets through with the “punkish” appearing RICH KID from Texas, it will be doubtful that he will enjoy much of that money. The flashbacks to what he will see and read will result in Matty thinking he is in a cameo role with Brando, Sheen and Duvall.
GT DDS
November 22nd, 2009
1:19 pm
godawgs, as someone said before, then hire Chan Gailey as your HC. He can’t beat UGA, so you won’t beat yourselves with Chan in the helm.
Congrats on 86 wins but…
It’s plainly stupid to argue UGA had better 9 years than FLA did when FLA has 2 BCS championships and closing on the 3rd and UGA has NONE.
Math? 2 > 0.
Bucky Be Lewd
November 22nd, 2009
1:19 pm
Am patiently waiting for that A## Wipe Belue to explain this crap tomorrow.
Buck Buck Bo Buck Banana Nanna Fo Xuck Be bi Bo Buck—BUCK!!!!!
OoltewahDawg
November 22nd, 2009
1:20 pm
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Gearogia offense shoot ehtmselves in the foot as much as this year’s geam has. Discipline, bad luck, and bad play-calling have all had a prat in it. Last night near the end, Cox was under pressure to make something happen after his playmakers started dropping what were pretty-well-thrown balls. and he tried to force a couple throws into well-covered routes. He paid for it dearly. 5 stupid penalties cost us a big chunk of yards on both sides of the ball. The defense as a whole, played a decent game except for a couple plays, but were given a short field too many times by the offense and special teams. As much as I like Richt, a new coaching staff my be the ansewr, but we’ll se what CMR does with his staff in the off-season. Evans will give Richt a chance to shake up his staff, and if he doesn’t there will probably be consequenses.
All that said, the mass exodus of the fans while the outcome was still in doubt was a total disgrace. If you don’t like the coaching, fine. e-mail the athletic department or something. But those young men need to know you are with them to the bitter end.
I saw last night that many Georgia fans are just like the Atlanta Braves’ fans – fair-weather! Might even be the same people…