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
Dawgs of Georgia
November 22nd, 2009
1:19 am
At least we can still lick our balls and bum. Can’t be all bad to be a dog>
Vince's Dooley and Wally's big ole Butt
November 22nd, 2009
1:21 am
omg, take a look at coaches comments on what he will be up against next week
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aI6EAsKvgg
JSS
November 22nd, 2009
1:22 am
Jim from Athens…
The failed veterinarian (Sonny Perdue) is so stupid that he can’t even buy a pair of dress socks that cover his calves… Good luck with him knowing any containing the term class!
ckgator
November 22nd, 2009
1:23 am
I’m just thankful Vince Dooley is still alive to see this fiasco.
G8r Fan
November 22nd, 2009
1:23 am
FABULOUS!!!! My other half’s team pulled it of. Boy it’s great to be a WILDCAT vs. being a DAWG!!!!
Millermoose
November 22nd, 2009
1:23 am
All this bitching about losing toan “inferior” team or losing to a “mediocre” team. If they were so meidocre and inferior, then why did you lose to them. The UK team wanted this game more than the Dawgs and went out there and took it away from UGA. KY lost to FLA, ALA, SC and MISS STATE. What is UGA’s record against that competition ? No better. Quit patting yourselves on the back for have such a good team and get off your a$$ and play football. Maybe UK was not the inferior or mediocre team in this game.
PMC
November 22nd, 2009
1:23 am
The team is doing enough on the field to dissuade people from coming to school there. Message boards are irrelevant. Winning cures all.
Vince's Dooley and Wally's big ole Butt
November 22nd, 2009
1:24 am
OK HERE IS THE MOST INTELLIGENT AND MOST INSIGHTFUL COMMENT OF THIS BLOG:
you dogs hunkered down and took one big pile of dog$hit
Hampton Dawg
November 22nd, 2009
1:24 am
I am sick and tired of CMR looking so cool on the sidelines when players consistently committ riduculous penalties and turnovers. Show some emotion. Show the players that it is not alright to hit players out of bounds or recklessly face mask players. The punter should be suspended not only for his blatant and dangerous face masking but laughing about it on the sidelines. Not only its not in the spirit of fair play but it cost us a key first down. Being nice only enables players to committ more dumb plays.
Jim from Athens
November 22nd, 2009
1:25 am
That video with Grandpa and the banjo was uncalled for. It didn’t fool anybody.
DawgMAN
November 22nd, 2009
1:26 am
Amazing to me – Paul Johnson makes Tech the better program in one year – and the North Ave Trade School is getting ready to put the finishing touches on a great season by totally waxing the dogs.
All dog fans – be prepared – next Saturday is going to get ugly – the second half will show just how much better Tech is than UGA. Our defense is horrible – Florida and KY attacked our sides and both kicked our tails – Techs offense and our defense is a bad matchup.
Heck – our offense agianst anybody is a bad match up.
Well – let’s eat our crow! Take our medicine – be humbled – and hope that Richt can right this ship in 2010. What A $H!TTY SEASON.
Hampton Dawg
November 22nd, 2009
1:26 am
I am sick and tired of CMR looking so cool on the sidelines when players consistently committ ridiculous penalties and turnovers. Show some emotion. Show the players that it is not allright to face mask or hit players out of bounds. The punter should be disciplined not only for his blatant and dangerous face masking but laughing about it on the sidelines – its not in the spirit of fair play and it cost us a key first down. Being nice only enables players to committ more dumb plays.
kbatuc
November 22nd, 2009
1:26 am
To all the Tech fans rubbing it in here tonight before I try to sleep toinght,
If you can beat Clemson (how exciting…playing a three-loss team for the second time in Atlanta for a conference championship, says it all, huh?), you can look forward to getting your butts kicked in a meaningless, second-rated BCS bowl. Beats the Peach Bowl no doubt.
Coming back against a juggernaut like Wake Forest. Beating the best of the SEC in MSU and Vandy. Losing to a three-loss team in Miami. Duke, Jacksonville State, Virginia! What a memorable season. One for the ages!
Oh yeah, that’s if you get by the Dawgs! I don’t think that’s necessarily a done deal. That’s why they play the game. Keep it all in perspective nobbers! See you on Saturday!
Got Prozac?
November 22nd, 2009
1:27 am
PMC,
The school itself is more than reason enough to dissuade people from going to that cockamamy institution.
Joe Cox
November 22nd, 2009
1:28 am
To hell with hiring Charlie Strong go get Harbaugh out of Stanford, have you seen how well his team tackles, on top of that they beat the crap out of USC and the did it with subpar talent, imagine what he could do at UGA, if you can’t get Harbaugh go get TCU or Boise States coach, they consistently win with average or worse players, Florida got Urban Meyer out of Utah and that is the best thing they have ever done.
WildcatFormation
November 22nd, 2009
1:30 am
These comments are so bad that even Sgt. Schultz isn’t monitoring them. Or maybe he’s driving back from Athens. Maybe just went to bed.
Dog$hit
November 22nd, 2009
1:30 am
whats even better is setting up a bowl game between UGA and Notre Dame, somebody has to win..hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahha
The Golden Rule
November 22nd, 2009
1:30 am
I just bet Bark Madly is giggling his ass off right now….maybe he will rewrite his article on where ugump would finish in the ACC…hmmmm OK OK ugump is better than Maryland…and Virginia…NC State???…coin toss… hold on….you loose…ugump finishes tenth!
Got Prozac?
November 22nd, 2009
1:30 am
Wow I have not seen this degree of rage from Athens since “Hee Haw” was discontinued
bowl game
November 22nd, 2009
1:32 am
hey DOg$hit I can do one better, let’s say that GT beats Clemson and then UGA plays Clemson in bowl game. not only does UGA lost to the ACC champs but to the ACC runnerup too.hahahahahahahahahah
Jim from Athens
November 22nd, 2009
1:32 am
Tonight was an anomaly. Measure our men by the Auburn game. We tanned their hides good.They were taken to the woodshed Support our T E A M including our coaches. I agree Wantavious Rooten would be a good wildcat key against the Tech children. Tech’s charter should be pulled. Remember our potential recruits are reading this. R E M E M B E R
Hampton Dawg
November 22nd, 2009
1:32 am
CMR should show some emotion and stop looking so cool on the sidelines when players consistently committ ridiculous penalties and turnovers. Show the players that it is not allright to face mask or hit players out of bounds. The punter should be disciplined for his blatant and dangerous face masking, laughing about it on the sidelines, and costing us a key first down. Being nice only enables players to committ more dumb plays.
WildcatFormation
November 22nd, 2009
1:32 am
Anyone have any freebies for the game next week?
bowl game
November 22nd, 2009
1:33 am
would love to see UGA play Clemson and lose to them too ahahahahahahahahhahhahahah
SatillaDawg
November 22nd, 2009
1:33 am
Absolutely pitiful. I’ve never been so embarrassed in my whole life. Way to blow a frickin’ ballgame, Dawgs. Why didn’t you just lie down on the gridiron and let the kitty-katz waltz all over you…oh, excuse me…SECOND HALF, YOU DID! This Georgia alum has had it. I’m not sending another single dollar to Athens until Willie and Bozo and maybe even CMR are shown the door. This is not big-time college football. This is bush-league crap. Where’s the discipline? Where’s the passion? Where’s Erk Russell for crying out loud? Now there was a guy who understood D E F E N S E! I’m not gonna diss poor old Joe. Joe does the best he can, and sometimes, he does very well (Cox to Wooten, TD!). But five, 15-yard penalties and four second-half turnovers is stupidly obnoxious. And losing a ballgame so badly when you were ahead at the half 20-6 is absolutely, positively inexcusable. I’ve had it. I hate to be a fair weather fan, but this season has sucked royally, and I’m sick of it. We haven’t won a national championship since 1980! Twenty-nine years, folks! At this rate, it’ll be another 29! Make some changes, Georgia, or this alum’s money stops. That’s the only language the administration understands, folks. Send ‘em a message.
Cmill
November 22nd, 2009
1:33 am
Why did we pitch the ball on the 1 yard line… QB sneak!
The Golden Rule
November 22nd, 2009
1:33 am
Hey kbatuc…when you leave the game at half time next Saturday…try not to trash our campus like you do yours…for goodness sake have some respect for your superior.
Herschel Talker
November 22nd, 2009
1:34 am
Jim from Athens must be the dumbest human being alive (see his 1:32am comment). What a putz.
tripleoptionrocks
November 22nd, 2009
1:34 am
hey UGA recruits, here’s the truth, take a look and abandon quickly before it is too late
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aI6EAsKvgg
Stockbridge Dawg
November 22nd, 2009
1:35 am
CMR should stop looking so cool on the sidelines when players have ridiculous penalties and turnovers. Show some emotion. Show the players that it is not allright to face mask or hit players out of bounds. The punter should be disciplined for his blatant and dangerous face mask costing us a key first down and then laughing about it on the sidelines. Being nice/cool just enables more bad behaviour
The Golden Rule
November 22nd, 2009
1:35 am
Go for it Jim…change your offense completely…what do you have to loose?
tripleoptionrocks
November 22nd, 2009
1:36 am
yes that Jim from Athens is on some serious crack tonight, did he even know there was a game
Mary Wanna
November 22nd, 2009
1:36 am
After last week our beloved CMR led the team to #114 of 120 1-A teams for PENALTIES, and tied at #119 for TURNOVER margin. I see no reason why we can’t hold down the #120 spot in these categories after this week. Please tell me how to blame this on anyone BUT the head coach.
It gets worse when looking within the SEC:
Total offense #10
First Downs #11
Scoring Defense #11
Penalties #12
Turnover Margin #12
(And, btw in 2008 we were #116 in penalties).
FIRE MARK RICHT. CURRENTLY THE WORST HEAD COACH IN THE SEC AND THE NATION.
It really is true: Nice guys finish last.
Got Prozac?
November 22nd, 2009
1:37 am
StillaDawg – make sure to submit your rant to the U[sic]GA administration. That 100 word diatribe will clearly qualify for a thesis or dissertation at that brilliant institution in Athens.
DAWGLOVER
November 22nd, 2009
1:37 am
i sure do love them dawgs,theys the bestest teem in the whol cuntri,i think we shuld bee playin four that thier natunal champinship cents we beet ahbun last weeks.wees the greetist.member when we one that ther chapinship back in 1980?i loves all that gawga stuff they sell at walmart,i gots me a whol traler full of it.everythang i own has a big ol g on it.woof,woof,woof.dont no why evryone talks bad abot joe cox,i loves cox.
dogpoop
November 22nd, 2009
1:37 am
OK HERE IS THE MOST INTELLIGENT AND MOST INSIGHTFUL COMMENT OF THIS BLOG:
you dogs hunkered down and took one big pile of dog$hit
anyone can recruit in georgia
November 22nd, 2009
1:37 am
hee haw was discontinued?!?!?!?!?!?! I was hoping to watch Roy Clark flat pick instead of watching the dawgs flat defense. Is there anything to look forward to now? Well, maybe we can beat those overrated dbags from midtown.
Fan
November 22nd, 2009
1:37 am
The fans did not leave early. The people that they sold their tickets to left early. The fans had better sense than to show up on a cold, late night game with two inept teams trying to prove who was the worst.
WildcatFormation
November 22nd, 2009
1:38 am
It’s a pretty bad UGA team when the best player on your team is the punter Butler (and I think a freshman too).
Kanedawg39
November 22nd, 2009
1:38 am
2010 will be worst if there isnt major changes. plus there will be a qb with no exp.
Objective Observer
November 22nd, 2009
1:39 am
We all thought that Kentucky would come into Athens and walk all over Georgia, but the Dawgs put up much more of a fight than anyone expected.
UGA fans should hold their heads high. Coming within a TD of knocking off UK, even if it is on your home field, is a HUGE accomplishment. Tonight was truly a moral victory for the red and black.
tim
November 22nd, 2009
1:40 am
Oh wow, now that was funny! Kentucky beats UGA……..are you kidding me? Kentucky? But I thought UGA was ….oh never mind.
And what else is funny is how UGA fans are saying that Tech fans have no class. What??? You’re joking, right? The only reason I am a Tech fan is because I HATE the UGA fans. What a bunch of obnoxious turds! By the way, is it just me or has anyone else noticed a lot more GT flags and bumper stickers on cars these days?
DodgerDAWG
November 22nd, 2009
1:42 am
Just watched the Post Game news conference. Talk about uninspired. CMR looks as badly beaten as the team did tonight. Surely he knows that after the call-out as being over paid on GameDay, the less than mediocre season this year, the continued penalties, the fact that we gave 30+ points five times this year (6 is almost a given with Tech next week), the off-field issues, the lopsided turnover ratio, and the bleak outlook for next season (an untested quaterback just to start the conversation) THAT he must make drastic changes in his coaching staff or Adams will make changes to ensure the funding from alumni continue. While most of us knew that this was a “reloading” year, given the talent in the UGA football system the root cause to this failure of a season can only be the inability of the staff to coach up the talent.
Let da Big Dawg Eat
November 22nd, 2009
1:42 am
Dat’s right… you don’t come into our house and beat us by 10 points– NO SIR!!!
Dawgs showed tonight that we can give anybody a game at home!
GO DAWGS!!!!
Sentient
November 22nd, 2009
1:44 am
Turnovers, penalties, lack of focus, and no desire … non-chalance … you either play or you stay off the field … which Bulldogs will show up next year?
WildcatFormation
November 22nd, 2009
1:44 am
last……….this post is over.
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 !
Outside Observer
November 22nd, 2009
1:46 am
Wow that was a great game. As bad as the season has been this is the first time in years Ugag actually has more wins than players arrested, but there is still one more week to go in regular season.
THWG!
Mary Wanna
November 22nd, 2009
1:47 am
True Dawg Fan, you shouldn’t drive while $h1thammered. It was darkest last year. Where are you from, Alaska?
Let da Big Dawg Eat
November 22nd, 2009
1:48 am
You are right True Dawg Fan, we don’t need them haters from Tech to come hatin on us now. We almost beat a good team tonight, and we gon’ whoop us some Tech #&! next week!!! YES SIR!!!
GO DAWGS!!!