Georgia’s embarrassment grows more historical by week
Mississippi State's Arceto Clark leaps high to catch a touchdown pass over Branden Smith, one of many plays to not go Georgia's way Saturday. (AP photo)
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Was this convincing enough? Georgia just made Mississippi State look like a major force in the SEC. It’s seldom a force even within state borders.
Last week the Bulldogs lost to Arkansas for the first time in 17 years. This time they lost to another conference opponent for the first time in 36 years.
Doesn’t that suggest this isn’t some aberration?
The Bulldogs are 0-3 in the SEC. They stand alone in the conference in that regard. Behind Mississippi State, behind Vanderbilt, behind the schools you used to joke about. They are no longer the team that can beat everybody except Alabama and Florida. They are the team that can lose to every team well below Alabama and Florida.
After a 24-12 loss to Mississippi State on Saturday night, Georgia is 2-7 in its past nine SEC games. That’s not trivial, and it’s certainly not an aberration. The opponents in those seven losses are LSU, Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Arkansas, Mississippi State.
Such widespread failure screams this isn’t about missing one suspended player, no matter how good A.J. Green is.
“We’ve got to fix a lot of things,” said the maligned offensive coordinator, Mike Bobo. “It’s not just A.J. Green. We got beat on the field. You’ve got to go earn it.”
Turn back the clock. Cover your faces. The Dogs just lost to Mississippi State for the first time since 1974 and the first time in Starkville since 1951. Their humiliation becomes more historical by the week.
Embarrassed?
“It’s one of those things where you’re not embarrassed to be a Georgia Bulldog,” wide receiver Kris Durham said, “but we’re embarrassed at the way we’re playing.
“Our season could turn into a catastrophe if we don’t stay together.”
Georgia was coming off losses to South Carolina and Arkansas. Mark Richt remained optimistic (of course). He didn’t believe his team would come into Starkville in a funk. But in the first three minutes of the game, the Dogs went three-and-out on offense and allowed Mississippi to drive 53 yards to a touchdown in four plays.
If that’s not a funk, it’s the early stages of rigor mortis.
Offensive-line play remains mediocre, particularly in the running game. The offense had three red-zone possessions in the first half, resulting in a net of six points (two field goals, one fumble). Georgia’s only touchdown came with less than two minutes left.
At least give Bobo credit for throwing himself under the bus: “You can’t turn the ball over, and you can’t have penalties. That’s coaching. It’s our fault.”
Starkville is cowbell central. Think vuvuzelas, only slightly less obnoxious, thanks to an SEC rule that allows fans to ring their bell only during the pregame, timeouts and following Mississippi State touchdowns and field goals. The video board at Davis Wade Stadium even carries the message, “Respect the bell.”
Regardless, coach Dan Mullen implored Mississippi State fans to make life as miserable for Georgia as possible. Just 15 minutes before kickoff, he stood in the end zone with a microphone and yelled: “Our team is ready to go, and I know our students are ready to go!”
Glad somebody was.
Many of Georgia’s early problems were self-inflicted. Washaun Ealey fumbled at the Mississippi State 1 following a 20-yard run after he was clocked by safety Nickoe Whitley. The Dogs also fumbled when a Mississippi State punt inadvertently was touched by Bacarri Rambo, then quickly recovered by the home team.
The offense has gone from a mild concern to a five-alarm blaze. Bobo has replaced Willie Martinez, the departed defensive coordinator, as fans’ primary punching bag.
But this is about more than one assistant coach or one suspended player. Once again, Richt did not have his team ready to play. The Dogs should have played desperate. They didn’t. They certainly didn’t play smart or play well.
They are 0-3, having lost three in a row under Richt for the first time. They are somewhere south of ordinary. And it’s not a blip.
♦
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1,247 comments Add your comment
Tech even worse than UGA!
September 25th, 2010
11:47 pm
GA Tech is in even worse shape than UGA.
Ron
September 25th, 2010
11:47 pm
Washaun and Baccari…please go away. You’re an embarrassment to the HUMAN RACE!!!
DamntheButcher
September 25th, 2010
11:47 pm
To listen to Chuck Dowdel everything sounds rosey.
Herschel Walker
September 25th, 2010
11:47 pm
Even when A.J. comes back, Georgia will still lose. He can’t play defense.
clay
September 25th, 2010
11:47 pm
anyone is crazy to let mark richt go. come on dawg fans you all know its bobo calling the plays and a lot is on him tonight. As soon as they let him throw when the game is already over then he throws a td bomb. Mark needs to take the play calling back over and get rid of bobo. Your crazy to let mark go. You would be wanting him back as soon as he left
Winderdogg
September 25th, 2010
11:47 pm
CMR quit when Saban came over and bitch slapped him on national tv before we made a valiant effort in the second half when Bama’s JV was playing…since then CMR has been collecting checks.
CJDawg
September 25th, 2010
11:48 pm
If we panic and lose Richt, we stand to lose our top recruits. If that happens, it always has a toppling effect with the other recruits. I am now convinced that Bobo may have to go or be reassigned, but hold off on the panic button folks. Remember the state of the program BEFORE CMR? Come on and let’s really be serious. Sure, we are hitting a really tough stretch, no doubt. But you do NOT throw in the towel yet. Get AJ back on the field and adjust the playcalling. Winning cures a lot of things. We have a shot at having a really special program in a short time here. I believe in CMR and in our new AD. If we decide to start over, we are looking at a possible falloff completely.
Jedi Falcon
September 25th, 2010
11:48 pm
When was the last time Georgia was any good
Paul Johnson
September 25th, 2010
11:48 pm
I’ll be wearing red panties with stain in them! NC State RED!!!
Richt Recruits????
September 25th, 2010
11:49 pm
They are all a bunch of thugs that get arrested anyhow!!!
senoiadawgs
September 25th, 2010
11:49 pm
I don’t give a crap about CMR’s winning percentage. The writing is on the wall:
Off the field problems everywhere
The problems on the field are even worse.
Our players are pushed around by every team
We look weak on the field
Offense and Defense are always lost
Consistent coaching down of players. Meyer, Spurrier, Saban, Miles, etc… all want the same guys we have on our team. Do you honestly think they would be playing like this for any of these guys?
UGA has never gotten pushed around and been the weak soft hitting team.
Sanford Stadium needs to be reclaimed as our field. Folks always praised Richt for the road record I sure wish we had a better home record.
Thank you CMR for bringing the SEC championship. Not sure what happened but you have lost the boys. Once you lose them you don’t get them back either.
uga_fan39
September 25th, 2010
11:49 pm
This alumns money will be going elsewhere, u can rest assured of that. This program has been going downhill since 2005. Bobo is a complete joke as an OC. Searls needs to go, Grantham’s defense looks lost, especially the secondary. New system or not tackling shouldnt be an issue should it ?? Now lets hear Richt put a good spin on this game. Gonna have to endure another press conferance of him tip toeing around the real issues. Penalties, turnovers, missed tackles, inability to score in the red zone, predictable play calling, etc… This all equals lack of quality coaches from top to bottom. Will be putting my tickets on ebay. Oh well another week in Jax looking at the winning gators and their fans. Must be nice to be them, I wouldnt know
North Shores Dawg
September 25th, 2010
11:49 pm
BREAKING NEWS – - – BREAKING NEWS – - – BREAKING NEWS
UGA Head Coach Mark Richt has just been detained for swerving after repeatedly combing his hair with his hand and readjusting his headset while driving. Authorities believe the man identified as Coach Richt, who they originally thought was an amateur pilot, had been distraught over the size of the rear view mirror.
kane
September 25th, 2010
11:49 pm
I cant believe this teams sucks this bad.
NC State
September 25th, 2010
11:49 pm
We made Georgia Tech wear red panties and get on their knees and beg!!!
mike leach
September 25th, 2010
11:50 pm
Mike Leach… anyone?
DamntheButcher
September 25th, 2010
11:50 pm
Jeff Dantzler like to go back and talk about things that happened in the past.
Winderdogg
September 25th, 2010
11:50 pm
CJDawgs – have you been watching what he has recruited already….I will take my chance
steve
September 25th, 2010
11:50 pm
Chris Petersen from Boise State as UGA’s next head coach??? Listen I know this loss to Miss. State was horrible, but you UGA fans now are starting to act crazy. Petersen’s resume looks good because he coaches in a horrible conference! Look at Brian Kelly with Notre Dame! He did well with Cincinnati because they played in a weak conference. So far he isn’t doing so hot with Notre Dame. You UGA fans want another coach? Fine with me, but use some logical reasoning before naming just any coach.
senoiadawgs
September 25th, 2010
11:50 pm
Lose our top recruits?
The top recruits were out on the field playing tonight. How did they work out after being coached up by this staff?
Winderdogg
September 25th, 2010
11:50 pm
Will Muschamp
The Richt Era is almost over!!
September 25th, 2010
11:50 pm
This is Richt’s last season…..
larry
September 25th, 2010
11:50 pm
Richt should be given life-time tenure as head coach, he will right this ship….
jellybeandawg
September 25th, 2010
11:51 pm
Firing Bobo will NOT fix the problem !! WAKE UP AND REALIZE THAT RICHT = THE PROBLEM
Monkey says:
September 25th, 2010
11:51 pm
Lets Truly Rank the SEC teams as they sit tonight after 4 games.
Alabama/Florida
Auburn
LSU
Arkansas/USC
Kentucky
Mississippi State
UGA
Tennessee
Ole Miss
Vandy
How would rank them.?
Mark Richt
September 25th, 2010
11:51 pm
I do wear Red Panties and a Kotex.
hollywould
September 25th, 2010
11:51 pm
War Eagle!!!!
Nut Job
September 25th, 2010
11:51 pm
Boise doesn’t recruit 5 star athletes. They do this because they don’t want to deal with the attitudes and entitlement issues that the bigger schools deal with. They go get good solid players and get them to play better than they ever dreamed they could. When is the last time a UGA player has played over his head like that? That my friends is coaching. By recruiting players who are in it for the team, you don’t have complete dumb a$$es who are so selfish to put themselves above the good of the team. (A.J. Greene for instance)
Skipper
September 25th, 2010
11:52 pm
It’s time to throw out the dish water.
DametheButcher
September 25th, 2010
11:52 pm
Monkey do you really think GA is above TN?
Tonight looked like Goff days
September 25th, 2010
11:52 pm
That was the worst coached and most poorly prepared Georgia Bulldog team team to step on a field in 15 years!
Marh Richt should be so ashamed that he resigns!
jellybeandawg
September 25th, 2010
11:52 pm
Yea like all of these “TOP RECRUITS” have really been panning out for us lately.
Dawg in OK
September 25th, 2010
11:52 pm
This is a program that has serious issues. Since the ‘05 championship season, UGA has had one 6-game stretch between the Florida win in 2007 and the beginning of the infamous “preseason #1″ season when it actually looked like a well-coached, respectable team. Otherwise we have seen incredibly inconsistent, poorly disciplined teams who are likely to make big mistakes when it counts most and make bad opponents look great. I have been a huge Mark Richt fan since he arrived, but I am afraid his program is in a tailspin. We are a fan base who cares about being competitive. I am not one who believes UGA will contend for the national championship every year, but I think most true dawg fans would agree that we want to be in the conversation in the SEC every year. This year, we’re out of that conversation before October. Coach Richt, your seat is officially hot.
www.firemarkricht.net
September 25th, 2010
11:53 pm
http://www.firemarkricht.net
Tan, rested, and…ready???
Bobo the Clown
September 25th, 2010
11:53 pm
I don’t blame Ealey for fumbling that one! He took a shot! On another note, every Ga. Bulldog opponent this year looks bigger and stronger
qlb
September 25th, 2010
11:54 pm
Georgia needs some new life pumped into the program and a new coach is necessary. I would love the coach from Boise but I don’t think he would leave to come to us even thought i like his high powered offense. Georgia does not have the RB’s necessary to run the I formation. Alabama has those type backs 215 to 225lbs backs who tack contact and keep going for yards our backs fall down before contact. I would love to see what Kevin Sumlin could do with the dawgs his offenses are always high powered and he could get some talented players to Athens. He will need a good DC but Sumlin has improved Dramatically. I think he would be a realistic candidate. Kirby Smart is not running Alabama defense that is Saban. Kyle Whitingham would be good also he improves every team he goes to.
Walt
September 25th, 2010
11:54 pm
I noticed last week that A.J. Green was laughing and cutting up on the sideline — in his jersey -.
That shows nada, zilch, zero discipline or leadership by Richt. He should have told Green –”Don’t come around the team or the stadium while you are on suspension.”
No wonder you guys suck.
Walt
Paul Johnson
September 25th, 2010
11:54 pm
I wear red panties with skidmarks and my players wear red thongs and we at GT play in the most disrespected and weakest conference in Div. I. We are afraid of our own cheerleaders! And we are very frightened by FLAG BOY!
Herschel Walker
September 25th, 2010
11:54 pm
There won’t be any red and black at Church tomorrow. Sure will be nice.
tony barnhart
September 25th, 2010
11:55 pm
bulldogs will win in colorado because the GOTTA
Kman
September 25th, 2010
11:55 pm
Wow, king up the middle on 1st and 2nd down, really “leading edge” play calling Bobo!!!! Ive bled red and balck for years and years, but this is more then a man can bear. Bobo should have been gone 2 years ago. 71/2 quarters without a touchdown, brain dead penalties, Bobo’s play book can be put on a 3×5 card, and his excuse is “we are doing all the same things we have always done”!!! CMR has no passion!!! Save your religious, self rightiousness for Sunday, on Saturday we need hard, dirty, nasty “junkyard dawgs” It’s just a terrible time to be a Dawg fan people. We have Auburn, Florida and Tech coming up and frankly Vandy is scaring the hell out of me right now! Actually the Akron Zips would scare me right now. Name Bobo Asst Head Coach in charge of handing out towles, call the plays on offense yourself, take charge of your team or just leave!!! Your killing the program by your lack of decisive leadership.
Monkey says:
September 25th, 2010
11:56 pm
Kinda had to put UGA there due to the 65 scholarships that Tennesse currently has, and the future probation to hit UT.
hollywould
September 25th, 2010
11:56 pm
Wait til next year!!!
Palmetto State Dawg
September 25th, 2010
11:56 pm
I’m done with this team. Will not watch another game. Talk to y’all in 2011.
Chile Dog
September 25th, 2010
11:56 pm
Don’t forget his one…
Well the game wasn’t decided until the 56th minute.
That’s not too bad.
SatillaDawg
September 25th, 2010
11:56 pm
You’re an idiot Clay.
Shut the h&*% up and go to bed.
The last thing this team needs is CMR calling the plays.
Too little, too late.
What this team needs is a new team.
And that requires good recruiting.
And that requires getting rid of CMR.
His days at UGA are over.
The SEC has moved on. Let’s move on, too.
NO MORE RICHT !
SAY IT LOUD, SAY IT PROUD!
Time for change.
WV Dawg
September 25th, 2010
11:56 pm
I’m actually looking forward to college basketball season.
www.firemarkricht.net
September 25th, 2010
11:56 pm
http://www.firemarkricht.net
Mark Richt has officially returned us to the days before Mark Richt came to UGA. For the low, low price of $3.4M a year.
dawgster
September 25th, 2010
11:56 pm
Ok for all you calling for Coach Richt firing..and maybe you are right, but right now we have a great recruiting class coming in from all indications and we will likely lose many of them, if Coach Richt is terminated..Then what do we do start over and be patient for a few years for the new coach to put in their system..i don’t know…We need some players with some leadership qualities and i don’t think we have that right now…I am getting a little concern about Murray’s height however, i kind of dismissed all the talk before but i’m not sure if he is seeing the field as well as he should…but i do know he seems to be the only one that gives it his all…he needs some help around him but there doesn’t seem to be any…I don’t know if its our playcalling or not, but this surely cannot be just about one player in AJ…i know him being in there would keep the defenses a little more honest…I say give Coach Richt at least one more year and lets get some of these young guys and a potential great recruiting class…i’m still behind the dawgs but i am saddened by what has been the lost of respect for this football team in the eyes of alot of people…go dawgs
juice sourcer
September 25th, 2010
11:56 pm
No surprise here, when will Georgia fans realize that you and your program is nothing special….you are no better than any other team in the SEC…reality…deal with it…you are not the Georgia program of the past…this is the new normal.