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
Jim from Athens
November 22nd, 2009
1:01 am
Ever since hat cross-eyed kid left us early for the NFL, it has been a tough time between our hedges. It is time to run the Wildcat with Wantavious Rooten in the key and turn the North Avenue bees into mush next week. Support our coaches. Support our team. Now is not the time for the Bulldog Nation to fight amongst itself. A lot of recruits are watching what we do while we fight adversitaries. Let’s show them what class is. It was just a game. Let Kentucky win one every 32 years here. You yellow jackets need to go to bed and watch Star Trek or whatever you do. CMR and CWM are a team together. Make it count!
Jecorey Jackson
November 22nd, 2009
1:02 am
1 yard to go and you run a toss play. 1 yard to go and you run a toss play. 1 yard to go and you run a toss play. Get it? Dumb play from a soon to be unemployed OC.
SOS Dawg
November 22nd, 2009
1:03 am
I bet CMR gives the team a day off and takes them bowling.Then takes them swimming. What a bunch of softies!
Maretta
November 22nd, 2009
1:03 am
It’s not Joe Cox’s fault; it’s those untalented millionaires who are coaching him. If Joe had real coaches he would do well. Thank you for trying, Joe. Too bad you had to waste part of your life with this ineptness. The coaches are so inept that they lost on the day of Uga’s funeral.
montanadawg
November 22nd, 2009
1:03 am
Hey, GaRealist – Looks like Running backs coach Bryan McClendon: $90,000 – Got the SHAFT!!! He’s making peanuts compared to the rest. Heck, he’s just about at poverty level compared with us average working stiffs. I agree that change is needed…problem is – it will cost UGA. You can’t just fire even an assistant coach without reason and usually his contract stipulates that you will have to ‘pay him off’ for him to leave. SO, needless to say, this won’t be an inexpensive divorce. BUT, having said all that – LET’s START THE PROCESS AS SOON AS TECH KICKS OUR ARSE!!
dawg gone it
November 22nd, 2009
1:03 am
“TECH- UGA lost to Kentucky. Auburn lost to Kentucky. UGA beats Auburn. Ole Miss beats LSU. Tennessee beats USC. UGA beats USC. Auburn lost to Tennessee. Tennessee beats UGA. I can go on and on…. Don’t tell me that crap about how strong the SEC is…..”
Point well made.
btw, do you also like driving around in circles?
flagboy?
November 22nd, 2009
1:03 am
First, booing our players. . . just classless. Joe Cox might just not be good enough, but you can bet your butt he works his tail off and tries. And of course, “trying” doesn’t really count for much in this world, but he’s a freakin’ 22 (?) year old kid who’s out there representing my alma mater and I’ll be damned if i’m going to boo him.
second. . . To those continually talking about a dead animal and taking enjoyment in it. . i’m sure your mamas’ would be proud.
Third, I honestly think we have a shot next week. The team with the least turnovers wins. The problem with that is we’ve been on the wrong end of that statistic way too often this year.
4th. . . well. . there just really aren’t too many positives to take away from this game. . . sigh. . it really really sucked.
Snoop Dawg
November 22nd, 2009
1:03 am
The players are great. The coaches suck.
Maretta
November 22nd, 2009
1:03 am
WE WANT NEW COACHES!
Large Orange
November 22nd, 2009
1:04 am
@ Coach Smith…..yes I am still calling it an “azz-whoopin”. I did see the game…did you? Why can’t you admit that UGA sucks this year. The best part is they will suck next year too. Wooooooo Hooooooooo!!!! I will admit UT struggled many times this year and really sucked last week against Old Piss. But we still managed to beat the dogcrap out of the Athens Leg-Humpers. Does 45 -19 ring a bell, with only 3 points of the 19 coming from the UGA offense?????? Stick that in your pipe and take a puff Smithy!!! Rocky Top…Wooooooooo!!!
GTBUZZ81
November 22nd, 2009
1:04 am
What does UGA VII and the majority of Dawg Nation have in common?
All the inbreading of course.
Dawgbone
November 22nd, 2009
1:04 am
All I can say is that even with Joe Cox playing absolutely the WORST GAME EVER as a Georgia QB tonight, he’s STILL getting more HOT blonde poontang right about NOW than any of you pimpled Tech dweebs! So, Suck it!
LOL!
wyldbill
November 22nd, 2009
1:04 am
Film just posted to YouTube of CMR comments to team at halftime.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8GuH9oDHrU
Super Dawg
November 22nd, 2009
1:05 am
Barry Switzer — a proven winner.
Open Wide DDS
November 22nd, 2009
1:05 am
Yes, CMR and CWM are a team together!
Yes, CMR and CWM are a team together!
Yes, CMR and CWM are a team together!
A losing team. Please keep them together FOREVER and FOREVER AMEN.
dawg gone it
November 22nd, 2009
1:05 am
Anyone who thinks it’s not the coaches, think about how poorly we did last year with the #1 draft pick Stafford, and 1st rounder Moreno.
How much more talent did we need? It’s not the talent that is lacking.
anyone can recruit in georgia
November 22nd, 2009
1:05 am
and by the way, my handle is to indicate my belief that there is no need to hang on to Richt just because he recruits well. anyone, other than Donnan who p#$#ed off every high school coach he met, can recruit well as a UGA coach in georgia. I mean, hell, it’s friggin Georgia. I’m done. More whiskey for me. I suggest the same for you. BEAT TECH.
The Golden Rule
November 22nd, 2009
1:05 am
Jim love the way you dawggies support your coaches and tour players by bailing on them so soon….BTW what we do is watch a perfectly executed option offense run over anyone in our way…guess what Jim…..your next. BOOOOM!
The Golden Rule
November 22nd, 2009
1:06 am
Jim love the way you dawggies support your coaches and tour players by bailing on them so soon….BTW what we do is watch a perfectly executed option offense run over anyone in our way…guess what Jim…..you are next. BOOOOM!
UGA83
November 22nd, 2009
1:06 am
That road trip back to Atlanta sure is a lot longer after an ugly loss.
buzz
November 22nd, 2009
1:06 am
As a Tech fan, I agree this was a winnable game for Ga but with 4 turnovers, it’s hard to win a game even with superior talent. But CMR is a good coach and will get it turned around. Ga will play a good game against Tech but hpefully Tech will will win!
Know it was a dissappointing lost but hang in there!
wyldbill
November 22nd, 2009
1:07 am
In your dreams Dawgbone.
Jason
November 22nd, 2009
1:07 am
I know UGA fans are all upset but UK has some good talent. Look at their record over the past 4 years! They are getting talent out of your back door and winning some games. Hopefully Randall Cobb can do the same thing to UT next week.
RicksCafeAmericain
November 22nd, 2009
1:07 am
Yes it was ugly, but we’ll always have Uga VII….what? he’s dead?
Rocky Top
November 22nd, 2009
1:07 am
There were so many complaints that at Dawg games that folks couldn’t see the yellow flags at the end of the game due to grass stains. Now the SEC instructs the refs to bring a second set of flags with them to change to after halftime.
CMR – Great Disciplinarian, Great Coach, Great Man
Go Vols
kbatuc
November 22nd, 2009
1:08 am
Tom (if that’s your real name–it’s rather masculine sounding for a Tech fan),
Leave it to a pathetic Tech nob to go to with some computer strength of schedule ratings to avoid the reality that Tech would not even compete with Vandy for perennial doormat in the SEC. Clemson, ha! Virginia Tech? Boston College? Put ‘em all in the SEC, turn your computer off and let’s see what happens! Half your team would be on the sideline like AJ Green if you did! Is there a computer ranking for that?
Live it up Techies! Cincinnati would kick your sorry butts if you ever got the chance to play them, which you won’t!
Big Dawg
November 22nd, 2009
1:08 am
OK – I admit I didn’t see this one coming. That said we’ll still WHIP up on GT next week-end as they will vastly under-estimate the power of the (dawg) pound. And if you are a dawg feeling down go to scout.com and look at all our 4 and 5 star recruits! We’re going to kick butt next year and I still think we’ll be in Phoenix playing for the National Championship.
Hunker Down!
Big Dawg
Vandy And Proud
November 22nd, 2009
1:08 am
Any Dogette giving Cox ANYTHING should be expelled!
Kennesaw Dawg
November 22nd, 2009
1:08 am
I heard that UGA VII went to Richt a couple of days ago and said “Listen, either me or Willie has to go”. I guess we see which way that decision went.
Open Wide DDS
November 22nd, 2009
1:09 am
Barry Switzer — a proven winner.
A proven cheater too. He will fit right in.
SOS Dawg
November 22nd, 2009
1:10 am
I bet the Baseball teams stinks this year too.
Skippy
November 22nd, 2009
1:10 am
Look at the sugar falling from the sky!!! Oh wait that’s just Munson’s dandruff
Nate
November 22nd, 2009
1:10 am
Joe Cox- Red shirt good….Blue shirt bad!!!
Richt help the dawgs: UGA VII said a prayer from heaven Free Willie!!
Jackets and Paul Johnson- Please help us get rid of Willie…..run up the score. The 1st team offense needs the practice for the Orange Bowl. Please keep them in all 4 quarters. Thanks
Charlie Trippi
November 22nd, 2009
1:11 am
The last time a major NCAA football team scored 100 points in a single modern-era game was 1968, when Houston beat Tulsa, 100-6. It is looking like that record may be broken on November 28, 2009 in Atlanta.
Georgia loses to Kentucky, song this season hasn't changed | Jeff … | Georgia Today
November 22nd, 2009
1:11 am
[...] See the original post here: Georgia loses to Kentucky, song this season hasn't changed | Jeff … [...]
Hampton Dawg
November 22nd, 2009
1:12 am
15 yd Penalty, 15 yd Penalty, 15 yd Penalty, 15 yd Penalty, 15 yd Penalty, TURNOVER, 15 yd Penalty, TURNOVER, 15 yd Penalty, TURNOVER, TURNOVER
I have no idea why we lost
Thomas Jefferson
November 22nd, 2009
1:13 am
Can’t Bobby and Mark just evangelize together and give up on this coaching stuff?? Meyer has won as many National Championships in last 3 years as Bowden has won in 34 at FSU. And FUNNY I don’t know much about his religious beliefs except that he was named after a 6th century pope.
PMC
November 22nd, 2009
1:13 am
This one is squarely on the UGA players. If they are not intelligent enough to know what is and isn’t a 15 yard penalty by this point perhaps they should not have made it by the clearing house.
Enjoy Shreveport or Detroit They should probably just skip the bowl and just practice.
Georgia fans aren’t any better or worse than anyone elses fans. I don’t blame anyone for leaving that one the way the team showed. Absolutely pathetic effort.
This is the beginning of the end for Mark Richt much less the rest of that staff.
Herschel Talker
November 22nd, 2009
1:14 am
People are finally waking up to the truth. How can any of you continue to excuse Mark Richt’s loyalty to Willie Martinez? Saban and Meyer would have jettisoned Martinez years ago (truthfully they would have never hired his inept a$$ in the first place, but that’s another topic).
Last year, after the season, Richt said that reviewing Martinez’s performance was not even on the table for discussion. Are you kidding me? He should have been canned years ago. At the very least, Richt could have said something to the effect of the program always striving to be the best and that all facets should be currently under review. Yet Martinez, who gave up 31 to Bama at the half, 49 to Florida (a little less, I guess, since there were defensive scores, but the point is the same), and 45 to Tech (including 26 in one quarter!) didn’t even merit a review!
It is obvious that the Emperor has no clothes. Mark Richt was successful early in his tenure because:
1. Ron Zook was at Florida (and even then, Richt went 1-2 against that moron). The fact that we lost to Florida in 2002 and 2003 was a complete disgrace.
2. Tennessee was in decline
3. Saban had just gotten the LSU juggernaut going, but it wasn’t yet in full steam (it would be starting in 2003)
4. Most importantly, he had natural born leaders on the field (i.e., Greene and Pollack) and a fiery animal and defensive genius in Brian Van Gorder, whose fire picked up the slack for what Richt lacked. BVG, DG, and DP made sure that the team had discipline and fire. Mark Richt accomplishes no such thing. How many years running have we been hearing about cleaning up the penalties? How many games do we have to watch our defenders look absolutely clueless out there? How many more games do we have to lose in such ugly fashion? What happened to the days of losing in Death Valley to LSU on a late TD in a very well played game (2003)? Now, when we lose, all hell breaks loose, and it’s a complete disaster.
WVU in 2006 Sugar Bowl
UT in 2006
UT in 2007
Bama in 2008
UF in 2008
GT in 2008
UT in 2009
UF in 2009
UK in 2009
These losses were complete and utter disasters. And that’s ignoring the defensive meltdowns in games we actually won (e.g., LSU in 2008). Those of you who don’t see these things just aren’t paying attention, plain and simple.
Now that Richt has no leaders on the team and has surrounded himself with absolute boobs as assistants, the Emperor has been exposed.
Mark Richt is a very good man. He represents the university well. But you blind homers who overlook his blind loyalty to Willie Martinez and overlook the complete and utter lack of discipline on this team and just say something moronic like “we’re just having a down year,” you just aren’t looking at the entire picture. He is not fit to be a head coach. Period. End of story.
WildcatFormation
November 22nd, 2009
1:14 am
John T Guy, Jr is rolling over in his grave….brrrrrrrrrrrrr
treaddawg
November 22nd, 2009
1:14 am
Matty’s missing kid brother was spotted tonite in Athens throwing ints for the dawgs
kytxan
November 22nd, 2009
1:14 am
Georgia fans,
C’mon guys, you can’t win every game ALL of the time…..keep up the reaming of your team like this, and you’ll have more guys leaving Georgia to play college football in other states. Kentucky already has a nice ‘pipeline’ to Lexington, your actions are only serving to make it easier to recruit them to go out of state!
Jim from Athens
November 22nd, 2009
1:15 am
I bet every recruit in Georgia is looking at this board right now. It is time to stop your bellyaching and support our TEAM. Our team includes our coaches. How would you feel if everybody with electricity was crucifying you on the internet? These coaches have families too. Imagine little Will Martinez going to school next Monday and hearing an earful from his classmates. Stand up for the Dawgs. Tech’s team is full of illegal aliens. We will squach them like little bugs. Perdue ought to close that school, He knows class when he sees it. Tech is a bunch of losers. I don’t like them.
Dawg Fan!
November 22nd, 2009
1:15 am
Saint Simons,
I’m a representative for the Carpets of Dalton Bowl. After the second half meltdown of the University of Georgia, we have decided that it is in our best interest to send or invitation to UCONN.
DawgMAN
November 22nd, 2009
1:16 am
Wow – this mediocre team has lost it!
Any gains made last week against Auburn – completely gone.
Season is over – win against Tech? Who really cares at this point. This is one sorry team representing UGA.
A few thoughts:
– stupid penalties – Bryan Evans set the tone with his stupid play in the first drive. Would somebody shave the stupid dread locks off his head? They are obviously weighing down any intelligence he may have.
– Joe Cox – like his spirit – can throw a ball with a beautiful touch – but was a backup for a reason. His job is not only to win games – but just just importantly – not to lose games. GUYS – WE got beat by a freshman QB tonight – against a 5th year senior with “superior” talent? – enough said
Coaching – see last statement above – we got beat by a TRUE freshman QB surrounded by less talent – against a 5th year senior QB with more talent around him. Turnovers / Penalties.
Our football team is irrelevent.
Our basketball team is irrelevent.
Who is our AD? I doubt Jeremy Folley would put up with this very long – Florida pays the big bucks – and expects results. If we have a repeat next year – Richt needs to be fired. Too many people give their hard earned money to UGA athletics to put up with this crap. UGA is never shy to have their hand out looking for money – and this is what we get?
I can take ONE year of a rebuild – but need to have a ver very good year next year – or UGA can kiss my donations goodbye.
JSS
November 22nd, 2009
1:16 am
What will the color combo be next week? Coach Richt will break out new Silver helmets with white jerseys and black pants!!!
Hampton Dawg
November 22nd, 2009
1:18 am
I am sick of CMR acting so cool on the sidelines after so many riduculous penalties and turnovers. Show some emotion. Show the players that dumb plays (especially blatant face masking and hitting out of bounds) won’t be tolerated. Being nice just means it will happen more often.
Got Prozac?
November 22nd, 2009
1:18 am
Interesting: UGA President Adams to address the media concerning the future of Mark Richt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-u-Ql6_Gm8
wyldbill
November 22nd, 2009
1:19 am
PMC, are you serious?
“Georgia fans aren’t any better or worse than anyone elses fans.”
You s**k, everyone says so.
GTBUZZ81
November 22nd, 2009
1:19 am
You Ugay fans that think you can stop our offense next Saturday need to wake up and smell the coffee.Watch some other games besides the ones that Georgia plays and you might discover what a Real Team should play like.Tech plays with a lot of heart and determination.When faced with adversity they have gotten the job done.We have 4th and 1 in ot,go for it,make it win it.Ugay has the ball on the 1 yard line,ready to take it in to tie up the game.Just line up and ram it.No,ya’ll choke and turn it over.LMFAO.THWG!!!!