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
atl
November 22nd, 2009
12:10 am
GW Rich,
Are you out of your mind? Pull for UGA after the last 7 years? Sure St Simmons is an idot but don’t go all crazy. Don’t forget the fight song, to HELL with GA!!!
jesse james
November 22nd, 2009
12:10 am
I think everybody in the program needs to look in the mirror. It all comes back to trying to win with kids we were trying to be loyal to. It backfired and I’ve heard and all these recruits have heard how great they are. You got to do something to hang your hat on and these kids haven’t done it. I’m sick of all these recruiting services, they are robbing people if they get paid for their services, which I know they are.
LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL
November 22nd, 2009
12:10 am
Chan Gailey is available.. You guys should hire him. He can’t beat Georgia so you will guys will stop beating yourselves. See you on the flats next week.
FullMetalJacket
November 22nd, 2009
12:11 am
Sincerely, I am one of those Tech fans who wishes UGA will win every game save one each year. I do not revel in UGA disappointments….life is too short for hate, whether “clean old-fashioned” or otherwise. I hope Tech beats the slop out UGA next week, of course, but I wish fans from both sides could show more class and humor and fellowship.
Bride of Chucky Knapp
November 22nd, 2009
12:11 am
Hey FMJ, too late! The UGA staff is already working up even suckier schemes just for Tech! Does y’all’s scoreboard go to 100?
Opinion
November 22nd, 2009
12:11 am
Looks like ol Chan Gailey couldn’t save you in this one
TeeBerry
November 22nd, 2009
12:11 am
I could write a happy ending to this sad saga:
Mark Richt gets the rubber axe at UGA while FSU comes to it’s senses and pays off JIMBOverated with a $5 million platinum parachute.(Who in the F-Bomb thought that up??) Bobby stays another 2-3 years til MR takes the helm, after righting the offensive ship that has been swamped since he left Tallahassee. Derek Dooley takes over in Athens. And everyone is happy ever after.
Super Dawg
November 22nd, 2009
12:11 am
How about we bring Glen Mason back? He did a good job at Minnesota, and was undefeated in Athens.
No Bowl
November 22nd, 2009
12:11 am
Twenty years from now, will the seniors on this team remember that they went to a bowl all four years, or that their senior year they went to an absolute bottom of the barrel bowl that was not deserved, and got waxed. Please Damon, no bowl this year, it’ll just embarrass the kids, the fans and the program. We’re going to finish 6-6, and why go to a bowl and finish 6-7? I’ve met Joe many times, he is an absolute great young man, but he has seemed overmatched at times. His fault, teams fault, coaches fault, I don’t know, but it’s happened. Kentucky had to go less than twenty five yards several times to score tonight. Can’t pin this one on the ‘D’ for a change. Hope for a miracle against Tech, who has no defense, either, and call it a season.
hic
November 22nd, 2009
12:12 am
CALHOUN CRAP-IT BOWL!!! ugay VS. S.E. NEW MEXICO JR. COLLEGE!!!LOSERS!!! LOSERS!!! BULLDOG NATION A BUNCH OF LOSERS!!!LOSERS!!! LOSERS!!! BULLDOG NATION A BUNCH OF LOSERS!!!LOSERS!!! LOSERS!!! BULLDOG NATION A BUNCH OF LOSERS!!!
Jimmy Page
November 22nd, 2009
12:12 am
The song remains the same
Bono
How long, to sing this song?
Gary
November 22nd, 2009
12:12 am
Sorry, but the fumble at the goal line is all on Joe Cox. You don’t toss the ball at the goal line like that and especially on a tight I formation. Thanks God that is his last game in Athens.
BeachReck
November 22nd, 2009
12:12 am
Cutler
GWH Rich
+1. Please keep it up. We need a little civility on these boards.
Bride of Chucky Knapp
November 22nd, 2009
12:12 am
FMJ, thanks for the goodwill, but we just need to wallow in self pity for a few months.
xDawgify
November 22nd, 2009
12:12 am
Life isn’t fair, Mark Richt. Just because you wait in line for four years doesn’t mean you deserve to start. I know you want to think it does, but it doesn’t. Some people are not winners. You have better quarterbacks than Joe Cox. We know you do. I hope you learn from this year’s mistakes and go on to coach this team for a long, long time. I do. But this year? You have failed our program in every way.
Nashdawg
November 22nd, 2009
12:13 am
That was a total meltdown in the second half. The odds are the Dawgs are going to lose next week. Yo Mark it is time for a total reevaluation of the team…..Just horrible….
Hondo
November 22nd, 2009
12:14 am
We’ve made Saint Simmons and m look smart! Fire Damon Evans and work down.
Rob M.
November 22nd, 2009
12:14 am
Enter your comments herezcc
Fire Them Now
November 22nd, 2009
12:14 am
Most pathetic loss I can recall in many years. It’s all been said before, Georgia has the talent (Wooten, Charles, Smith, King, Ealey) but if the coaching doesn’t improve we are going to be facing years of mediocrity. Put a stop to this now. Tommy Tuberville and that obnoxious Gruden are both out of the game and both are better than the staff that is in place.
One positive, I was actually glad for Rich Brooks. He is a class act, he may have done the Bulldog Nation a HUGE favor tonight……
Giving Up
November 22nd, 2009
12:14 am
WildcatFormation… you ask “Where’s the beef?” in the comments.
We can only write about: Turnovers, Penalties, Coaching for so many weeks. We have nothing left to say.
After the bowl, we’ll be 7-6.
Next year, we’ll have a first-year starting QB. New defensive coordinator. What do you think our record will be in 2010? If we’re lucky, 8 wins.
We’ve fallen. We’re demoralized. Nothing new to report.
MauiDAWG
November 22nd, 2009
12:14 am
I knew RIGHT AWAY on that opening kickoff that the KICKOFF crap was going to factor into the game.
BeachReck
November 22nd, 2009
12:14 am
FullMetalJacket
November 22nd, 2009
12:11 am
Sincerely, I am one of those Tech fans who wishes UGA will win every game save one each year. I do not revel in UGA disappointments….life is too short for hate, whether “clean old-fashioned” or otherwise. I hope Tech beats the slop out UGA next week, of course, but I wish fans from both sides could show more class and humor and fellowship.
+1. Keep it up. Agree 100%
NRE@gt
November 22nd, 2009
12:14 am
no Bowl. i mean you might not think we have no defense, but we wouldn’t be 10-1 if our defense hadn’t showed up exactly when they were needed most. although next week, i can’t see us needing them much.
garlandtxsdawg
November 22nd, 2009
12:14 am
GWH RICH,YOUR A TRUE FAN OF THE GREAT STATE OF GEORGIA,WELL SAID,GEORGIA SHOULD SUPPORT TECH AND VICE VERSA, I KNOW I DO !!! I MAY BE A UGA GRAD,BUT I WEAR MY TECH HATS & SHIRTS WITH PRIDE AS I ALSO SUPPORT THEM !!! TECH IS HAVING A GREAT SEASON AND SHOULD BE APPALAUDED !!!!
DC
November 22nd, 2009
12:14 am
Yeah Wildcats
No progress
November 22nd, 2009
12:15 am
Next year will be a repeat of this one if don’t: 1, get a handle on the penalties, 2, get a handle on the turnovers, 3, get a handle on the penalties and 4, get a handle on the turnovers. See a trend here? Me, too. For the last three years.
Rob M.
November 22nd, 2009
12:15 am
Stop recruiting thugs! Cut the skanky hair coming out the back of the helmet, no more tatts, get rid of the diamond stud earrings, quit getting arrested, quit getting needless personal fouls! We need some leaders with character!
Delbert D.
November 22nd, 2009
12:15 am
Rich Brooks pulled his team together at halftime. I don’t know what the heck Mark Richt did to his.
fpm
November 22nd, 2009
12:16 am
the story of the game (and most of the season)
UK UGA
Penalties 3-20 5-75
Turnovers 0 4
Fumbles lost 0 2
Interceptions 0 2
we'll get em next week NOT
November 22nd, 2009
12:16 am
hey Super Dawg, I saw Ray Goof the other day, he looks like he is 80 yrs old and hasn’t leaned over and touched in toes and or lifted a weight in about 35years….but UGA handed him millions so I guess he pays someone to exercise for him, ..now that is a shame
StayTrue2daDawgs
November 22nd, 2009
12:16 am
I stayed til the end. And as much disappointed I was tonight, the team and program will survive strong. Coach Richt has been good for us. Coach Donnan was a good coach. Coach Dooley was a legend coach. They share common traits; being human and making mistakes. 6-5 is in the books; I’ll take the 8-5 record no matter what. The team, coaches and players are winners.
North Avenue Trade School Songster
November 22nd, 2009
12:16 am
Oh boys….don’t forget your pretty little black helmets when you show up at the flats next week.
We are licking our chops.
Oh, and don’t forget your driver’s licenses! Bwah hah hah hah!
No Bowl
November 22nd, 2009
12:16 am
NRE, you might be right. We ain’t got no defense, neither. Geesh.
Joe Cox in 6 months
November 22nd, 2009
12:17 am
Would you like fries with that?
Rob M.
November 22nd, 2009
12:17 am
These guys are the most undisciplined group I have ever seen and they play completely on emotion instead of using their heads.
SEC FANATIC
November 22nd, 2009
12:17 am
Bet you’re not worrying about how Tebow is gonna do in the NFL or if Urban Meyer is going to Notre Dame NOW, are you DawgNation??!!!
01HAWK
November 22nd, 2009
12:17 am
Georgia goes to the NEVER GONNA WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP BOWL.
dogpoop
November 22nd, 2009
12:17 am
what was Kevin Butlers kid laughing about? He was a big reason Ky made the comeback. No coaches seemed to notice…
Rick
November 22nd, 2009
12:18 am
Fire them now,
I like Coach Brooks as well. Fine coach and fine man.
Good win for him and the UK program. The outcome was good for both programs.
Mick
November 22nd, 2009
12:18 am
Joe cox for Heisman!
GWH Rich
November 22nd, 2009
12:18 am
atl: If you would feel more proud to brag about Tech beating a winless UGA than an undefeated UGA, that’s your call, but it makes no sense to me. I suppose you pulled for Boston College today in hopes Clemson would lose so that we could play an easier conference title game, too, right? Wins mean more when the other team is relevant.
Unhappy Dawg
November 22nd, 2009
12:18 am
I really think that we need to flood Damon Evans office and e-mail demanding change. I give over 10k a year to UGA and after this season I will not give another dime to my old school until they make some serious changes.
Super Dawg
November 22nd, 2009
12:18 am
If we move fast, we may be able to pick up Charlie Weis!
Delbert D.
November 22nd, 2009
12:18 am
Played like a broken record. Lack of discipline. Lack of character. On national TV, laughing on the sidelines after 15 yd penalties.
buick59
November 22nd, 2009
12:18 am
the bottom line: Keep Richt and you may see some improvement but as HoustonDawg said: there will be NO championships as long as he is running the show.
GD-Good Dawg
November 22nd, 2009
12:18 am
I am no great fan of Joe Cox, but as a Dawg fan I respect his sacrifice and contribution, and the coaches’ decision to allow him to lead the team. Sometimes I may question CMR’s decisions, but I respect them and you’ll never catch me booing the red and black nor leaving a 2-point game with minutes left on the clock. Booing a college student who has remained loyal and worked diligently for 4-5 years of his life (in Cox’s case without any recognition for the first 4 years) is ridiculous and indicative that many of our fans haven’t a degree and didn’t even have the discipline to attend a class at the University. After this loss I am embarrassed, but not for the team’s play…..I’m embarrassed for the fan’s feedback.
Sean M
November 22nd, 2009
12:18 am
Maybe now the local news channels will stop kissing UGAs butt?
Floundering Fox Hounds
November 22nd, 2009
12:19 am
Does UGA really have better QB’s I mean UGA has 4 and 5 star recruits in other areas but UGA is getting beat by teams with 2 and 3 star teams. ITs Coaching sorry.
WildcatFormation
November 22nd, 2009
12:19 am
Giving Up: Well said and I agree!
UGA’s defense looked worn out in the 4th quarter. Do they have any depth? The offense didn’t help them too much either.
Big Time? Not!
November 22nd, 2009
12:19 am
We should have celebrated more on the sidelines, and in the third quarter when we thought we had this game wraped up!