Georgia enjoys a laugher and tries not to wonder, ‘What if?’
Celebration time: Carlton Thomas is mobbed after a first-quarter touchdown, igniting a 43-0 rout. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
ATHENS – Since Georgia is way past concerns about where it ranks in the Harris Poll, there’s little in the way of buildup for the unveiling of the first BCS standings Sunday. Certainly, there’s no reason for fans to reflect and wonder: “Will Vanderbilt’s record hurt our strength of schedule?”
But that shouldn’t matter right now. There is a pulse.
One week after thumping Tennessee 41-14, the Bulldogs boat-raced Vanderbilt 43-0 on Saturday.
That’s two wins by a combined 70 points. The only lingering depression following consecutive dismemberings stems from the fact the schedule is now exhausted of teams from the Volunteer State.
Seven weeks into the season, a 3-4 record is not what anybody in Athens had aspired to. But aesthetically, it’s far more appealing than 1-4 was — or what 1-4 seemingly projected to.
The latest win even inspired two Capital One Bowl officials to sit in on coach Mark Richt’s postgame news conference. A tad premature, perhaps.
Consecutive wins over bad teams at home don’t reveal a lot about how good a team is. But it certainly makes everybody stop guessing where the bottom is. It also says something about character.
As Richt summarized neatly: “It looks like we’re getting better. It looks like we’re playing with more passion. We’re getting some momentum.”
Next week at Kentucky will be a slightly tougher test. (The Dogs are 0-3 on the road.) The following week against Florida will be significantly tougher. (No reason to revisit inglorious history right now.)
Win those two games, and suddenly two Capital One Bowl officials won’t look so out of place. Uga VIII would be elevated to deity status.
If Georgia manages to turn this season into something special, people are going to start showing up at Uga’s doghouse, asking him to lay paws on their forehead.
The Dogs weren’t without some minor flaws Saturday. Among other things, Richt and his team burned three timeouts in the first five minutes of the game. But what followed was mostly a performance that gave them the look of a wrecking ball. Richt was even allowed to even joke about the early management issues. When asked about officials not checking replay when a seeming touchdown pass to A.J. Green was ruled incomplete, the coach cracked he couldn’t debate it because: “I didn’t have any timeouts left.”
"Big Bad Bruce" (Uga VIII) fell asleep during the game, apparently having concluded, "My work is done here." (AP photo)
But when a defense pitches a shutout and limits an opponent to 140 yards and an offense amasses 547 yards, there’s not a lot to pick on. The offensive line blocked. The running backs ran hard, broke tackles and didn’t fumble (Washaun Ealey: 123 yards, one touchdown). Aaron Murray threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns, and Green didn’t even account for most of that (he was the third-leading receiver after Kris Durham and Tavarres King).
The Dogs’ only challenge will be not looking back, not asking: What happened in Columbia? And Starkville? And Boulder?
“Obviously it hurts, especially when you look at the way we’re playing now,” tackle Clint Boling said. “Where was this two or three weeks ago? But we just have to move on from it. There’s nothing we can do about it now.”
“We just have to control what we can control,” Durham said. “Just get wins. That’s all we can do and hopefully get some help along the way.”
A two-game winning streak shouldn’t inspire parades. But it represents a breakthrough. Georgia hadn’t won consecutive games all season. They hadn’t won consecutive SEC games in 13 months — September of last season over South Carolina and Arkansas. Those were the same two opponents that started the spiral this year. Before the win over Tennessee, the Dogs were 2-7 in their previous nine SEC games. Now they will go to Kentucky with a chance to balance the season record.
Forget the BCS. Right now, it’s about cleansing, winning and landing somewhere north of Shreveport.
Durham again: “We were embarrassed the way we were playing before. We’re trying to get tougher as a football team.”
They are. We’ll soon find out where it gets them.
♦
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540 comments Add your comment
Jo Jo
October 17th, 2010
9:10 pm
I’ve learned how to read articles written by Jeff Schultz about Georgia. If after a Georgia win, multiply by 1000 to get a real picture, if Georgia loses, divide by 1000, Jeff’s usually off by about a 1000x worse than the way things are. Just my observation, I don’t think he has much in tune with the world as we all know it.
WAR DAMN EAGLE!!!!!!!
October 17th, 2010
9:10 pm
“Yea, Auburn’s defense rocks!”
Yea, Auburn’s offense rocks!
FYT, again.
Aaron
October 17th, 2010
9:11 pm
Eagle Boy I guess you really are one of those stupid Alabama rednecks. Overrated means ranked too high. Right, Auburn is #4, too high = Overrated. We can go over math or spelling tomorrow. Will be funny to see their ranking after going 1-2 or 0-3 vs. UGA, LSU, and Bama.
ANGrY AUBURN FAN!!!
October 17th, 2010
9:11 pm
ok, yes, georgia has had our number the last 4 games, but there’s always next year!!
WAR DAMN EAGLE!!!!!!!
October 17th, 2010
9:11 pm
“What a loser. You agree with me and then go into denial. Look at the stats moron.”
Retard, I wrote that before you showed up to make yourself look like an idiot. The stats????
Fact: UGAY is 3-4
Fact: Auburn is 7-0
Fact: UGAY is not ranked
Fact: Auburn is number 4.
WAR DAMN EAGLE!!!!!!!
October 17th, 2010
9:13 pm
“I guess you really are one of those stupid Alabama rednecks.”
And I guess you’re an inbred retard who lives in his inbred mom’s trailer and has a laptop full of animal porn.
“Will be funny to see their ranking after going 1-2 or 0-3 vs. UGA, LSU, and Bama.”
Keep on talking, retard.
WAR DAMN EAGLE!!!!!!!
October 17th, 2010
9:13 pm
ANGrY AUBURN FAN!!! = Aaron the retard
WAR DAMN EAGLE!!!!!!!
October 17th, 2010
9:15 pm
Aaron
If UGAY is so awesome then why did you gals lose to USC, MS State, Arkansas and COLORADO???????
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Aaron
October 17th, 2010
9:15 pm
What’s your point?
Fact: Auburn is overrated (please see previous post for a definition)
Fact: Auburn got very lucky in 3 of their wins
Fact: UGA could have easily won against Colorado, MSU, and SC if it were not for fumbles.
Fact: Murray is the real deal.
Fact: Auburn has terrible pass defense while UGA’s is very good.
Quit your crying.
Aaron
October 17th, 2010
9:18 pm
Nope. Actually live in a $500,000 home in Johns Creek. Nice try though! See it’s people like you who don’t look at stats or the obvious. Show me where I posted “Auburn sucks” or “Auburn’s offense sucks.” Never did. I said their defense is pathetic, which it is. You know deep down there is no way they can win out or even get by with only one loss with that defense. Look what Arkansas did with a BACKUP QB.
WAR DAMN EAGLE!!!!!!!
October 17th, 2010
9:18 pm
“UGA could have easily won against Colorado, MSU, and SC if it were not for fumbles.”
HAHAHAAHAH!!!!! Shoulda, coulda, woulda, retard!!!!!!!!
“Murray is the real deal.”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
“Auburn has terrible pass defense while UGA’s is very good.”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
“Quit your crying.”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
WAR DAMN EAGLE!!!!!!!
October 17th, 2010
9:19 pm
“Actually live in a $500,000 home in Johns Creek. ”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH
“You know deep down there is no way they can win out or even get by with only one loss with that defense.”
Sure I do, ma’am.
Aaron
October 17th, 2010
9:19 pm
And the whole “UGAY” thing. Really? Are you really only 15 or is it 16? At least we know what our mascot is. Eagles, birds, kittens, tigers, whatever you rednecks are.
WAR DAMN EAGLE!!!!!!!
October 17th, 2010
9:21 pm
“At least we know what our mascot is.”
At least we don’t rent our logo from the Green Bay Packers.
“whatever you rednecks are.”
Says the gal from the redneck state of Georgia.
Aaron
October 17th, 2010
9:21 pm
“Auburn has terrible pass defense while UGA’s is very good.”
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA”
Thank you! You made my point! You don’t look at stats. See below homo. You can read right? Oh, probably not. Like you said at 8:21, Auburn’s defense sucks! Later loser! Enjoy the losses!
Auburn – Passing, 266 yards per game, ranks 104. Rushing, 101, ranks 14th
UGA – Passing, 186 yards per game, ranks 26th. Rushing, 104, ranks 15th.
WAR DAMN EAGLE!!!!!!!
October 17th, 2010
9:24 pm
“Thank you! You made my point! ”
You ain’t smart is ya.
“You don’t look at stats. ”
Stats: UGAY is 3-4
“See below homo.”
HAHAHAAHA, nothing like a retard.
“Later loser! Enjoy the losses!”
You must really be bad at math, retard. Auburn is 7-0.
“ranks 14th”
Which is still better than UGAY.
JO JO
October 17th, 2010
9:25 pm
jEFF, YOUR WRITING CAUSES ME TO CHUCKLE, SO CONSISTENT.
IF GEORGIA WINS = LAUGHER
IF GEORGIA LOSES = LAUGHER
WAR DAMN EAGLE!!!!!!!
October 17th, 2010
9:27 pm
“Later loser!”
Oh right, you do have to be at work to deliver those pizzas.
Headley Lamar
October 17th, 2010
9:34 pm
Auburn has a good team every 50 years or so and you cant shut em up.
Bradley had a good point earlier in the season. Auburn fans are by far the most obnoxious .
Plus have any of you ever been to Auburn? Wanna talk about a dump.
Nothing but Trailer Parks and cow fields. Just horrible.
Outback Bowl was right
October 17th, 2010
9:34 pm
Auburn may be ranked a little high at # 4 but there are many that feel Georgia is ranked high at # 72.
Headley Lamar
October 17th, 2010
9:36 pm
Also Auburn shuld have lost to Arkansas.
Refs bailed em out big time.
Funniest part is if Auburn goes undefeated they might get shut out of the Title game again.
Acworth Dawg
October 17th, 2010
9:37 pm
I want to know why so many teams hate Georgia. First it’s Tech then Florida then Alabama then Tennessee then South Carolina now Auburn. We have more “rivals” than Notre Dame.
Ghost of Danny Ford
October 17th, 2010
9:40 pm
Clemson still hates you worse than GA Tech. You cheated to sign Hershel and you know it.
JY
October 17th, 2010
9:41 pm
Acworth Dawg:
Kentucky hates you too
Headley Lamar
October 17th, 2010
9:41 pm
Win 90 games in 9 years you are gonna make alot of enemies.
Auburn 4 in a row
Tech 9 out of 10
ETC ETC.
Vanderbilt hates the dawgs too
October 17th, 2010
9:41 pm
hHAHAHAHAHAHA
Shreveport
October 17th, 2010
9:44 pm
We still love you dawgs! And yo money.
Hard to beat someone FIVE times in a row
October 17th, 2010
9:45 pm
Your party is over dawgs
Outback Bowl was RIGHT
October 17th, 2010
9:46 pm
Auburn will show NO pity on the dawgs
Acworth Dawg
October 17th, 2010
9:48 pm
WAR DAMN EAGLE;
hope you azz holes by rings to comerate it. Looser!
Overrated
October 17th, 2010
9:49 pm
Auburn will show no pity on the Dawgs. I guess they did in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009? Ha ha. This may shock you since you don’t know college football, but upsets happen. Count on it when UGA visits Auburn.
War Eagle
October 17th, 2010
9:51 pm
Acworth Dawg, Are you alright or just stupid?
War Eagle
October 17th, 2010
9:53 pm
“hope you azz holes by rings to comerate it. Looser!”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. CRAWL BACK UNDER YOUR CARDBOARD BOX ACWORTH DAWG. “LOOSER.” BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Jim
October 17th, 2010
9:58 pm
Glad you dawgs beat a few bad Tennessee teams. But you are currently ranked behind TWO service academies. Hahahahahaha.
Bulldog Joe
October 18th, 2010
12:48 am
UGA SEC Rank :
# 7 SEC Scoring Offense
# 9 SEC Quarterback Sacked by Opponent
# 6 SEC First Downs
# 8 SEC Third Down Conversions
# 7 SEC Fourth Down Conversions
# 8 SEC Touchdown Percentage in the Red Zone
# 1 SEC Settling for Field Goals
# 9 SEC Point After TD Scoring
# 6 SEC Average Yards per Play
# 8 SEC Touchdowns Scored
# 1 SEC Time of Possession, despite Defense handing the ball to the Offense, the Offense is one of the very worst Offenses in The SEC.
We don’t score Touchdowns, don’t make 3rd Downs, Settle for Field Goals, get Sacked, and don’t Score. Other than that, Aaron Murray is just awesome at 3-4.
Yellow Fuzz
October 18th, 2010
6:31 am
Hey dog nation fans,
Still liking that 3-4? Oh I’m sorry, that’s your record, not the defense your attempting to run.
Hahahahahaha.
Harris Poll
1 Oregon (77) 6-0 2774 2
2 Boise State (29) 6-0 2685 3
3 TCU (3) 7-0 2516 4
4 Oklahoma (4) 6-0 2486 6
5 Auburn 7-0 2410 7
6 LSU 7-0 2164 9
7 Alabama 6-1 2092 8
8 Michigan State 7-0 1964 12
9 Utah 6-0 1925 10
10 Ohio State 6-1 1761 1
11 Wisconsin 6-1 1646 16
12 Iowa 5-1 1511 15
13 Stanford 5-1 1455 14
14 Nebraska 5-1 1322 5
15 Oklahoma State 6-0 1247 18
16 Missouri 6-0 1196 19
17 Florida State 6-1 1124 17
18 Arizona 5-1 1037 21
19 West Virginia 5-1 663 25
20 Arkansas 4-2 579 13
21 South Carolina 4-2 576 11
22 Texas 4-2 397 NR
23 Virginia Tech 5-2 242 NR
24 Miami (FL) 4-2 213 NR
25 Kansas State 5-1 143 NR
25 Nevada 6-1 143 20
26 Mississippi State 129,
27 Michigan 64,
28 Northwestern 57,
29 Florida 46,
30 Air Force 30,
31 Oregon State 27,
32 North Carolina 22,
33 Hawaii 21,
34 North Carolina State 19,
35 Georgia Tech 19,
36 Baylor 12,
37 East Carolina 3,
38 San Diego State 2,
39 Southern Miss 1,
40 Washington 1,
41 Purdue 1
WHO PUT THE DOGS OUT? WHO, WHO, WHO, WHO
WHO PUT THE DOGS OUT? WHO, WHO, WHO, WHO
Georgia Tech, that’s who-
((((((((((((((((((((((((( 45-42 ))))))))))))))))))))))))) hahaha
Glad it still stings!
Website claims honeymoon’s over for Urban Meyer (honest) | Jeff Schultz
October 18th, 2010
5:18 pm
[...] ♦ Georgia enjoys a laugher and tries not to wonder, ‘What if?’ [...]
Jeff Schultz
October 20th, 2010
10:15 am
Yellow like … Your screen name is kinda tasteless. You can change it and re-post.
bullochdog
October 21st, 2010
4:19 pm
Play a Tn team every week
Gary O
October 22nd, 2010
3:24 pm
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