A.J. Green says Georgia ready to ’shock people’ in Auburn
A.J. Green had two touchdowns. Later, he had a message for Auburn. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
ATHENS – On the same day Georgia commemorated the 30th anniversary of the 1980 national championship team, the current incarnation of the Bulldogs had to embrace something significantly south of that: bowl life.
When a team starts 1-4, even Birmingham starts to look like the promised land.
But forget Birmingham or Nashville or Memphis. There’s an opportunity for the Dogs to celebrate something far more significant a third-tier bowl game — and certainly more tantalizing than Saturday’s 55-7 win over a Division I-AA punching bag, Idaho State.
Hello, Auburn.
“I know we’ve got a chance to win,” A.J. Green said Saturday. “I feel like they haven’t faced anybody else like me and [quarterback] Aaron [Murray] with our offense. We’re really going to show them. We’re going to shock a lot of people.”
This might be the first time in recorded history a player on a 5-5 team has thrown down the gauntlet against potentially the best team in country. But you’ve got to admire the spunk.
Georgia’s quest this season has long since been reduced to that of a spoiler. Embracing that is the Dogs’ best chance for mental and physical survival.
Last week’s overtime loss to Florida hit this team hard emotionally.
Green: “I still carry it with me.”
It was a foregone conclusion they would beat Idaho State. The Bengals are bad even by I-AA standards, having now lost eight straight and 33 of their past 36. Put it this way: Idaho State (No. 206 in Jeff Sagarin’s computer rankings) entered the week ranked lower than even Georgia State’s opponent (Lamar at 204), and lower than the first-year Panthers (185).
Idaho State accepted a $525,000 payment in exchange for the likelihood of getting pounded. That’s precisely what happened.
Upsetting Auburn (10-0) wouldn’t nearly make up for losses in Starkville and Boulder and every other headache associated with this season. But it would ease the pain of the big picture. Imagine being jobless and then hitting a $10,000 scratch-off lottery ticket..
Green again: “A lot of people are probably going to favor them. But that’s just talk.”
“They’re going to be ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the nation, and we haven’t beaten a ranked team all year,” Murray said. “Our last two games [against Auburn and Georgia Tech] are against teams with winning records. We can still salvage a lot.”
Murray threw for 228 yards and three touchdowns. Green caught two of those scores and finished with six receptions for over 100 yards. Each played only one possession in the second half.
The Dogs, however, were not without some early hiccups. They started this game like their heads were somewhere else. Jacksonville, probably.
Georgia’s first three offensive possessions produced only two field goals and a punt. Some fans booed, particularly when coach Mark Richt chose to go for three points on fourth-and-2 from the Idaho State 20 on the opening possession.
The score was only 6-0 after the first quarter. I’m not sure, but I think I saw Todd Grantham give Mike Bobo a choke sign.
But any sense of drama left the building in a 35-point second quarter. A partially blocked punt set up the Dogs at the Idaho State 43. Six plays later, Caleb King ran in from 3 yards out. Bacarri Rambo had an interception and returned it 39 yards for a touchdown soon after. Then came another interception, this by Brandon Boykin, and one play later Murray threw a 3-yard scoring pass to Green. Georgia scored 21 points in 2:15. The rout was on.
Here’s the big picture in the SEC: Seven teams are bowl eligible. Georgia isn’t one of them. An upset of Auburn would change that. It also would give the Dogs something significant this season: a highlight.
It’s an obvious long shot. But a team clings to what it can.
♦
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1,074 comments Add your comment
Dave
November 7th, 2010
10:29 pm
When in the last three years has Ga beat anybody significant? Ga will always be big talkers.
Celebrating that national championship was just pathetic. Thirty years huh?
Ga has no shame.
PMC
November 7th, 2010
10:53 pm
It’s Tre Battle Week!!!
UGA2002
November 7th, 2010
10:58 pm
Alright, my prediction, it’s changed.
UGA 38. Cam Newton 28. The rest of Auburn 24. So thats UGA 38, Auburn 52.
Auburn covers.
Why do I say this? Auburn has a bruising running game and a mean D-line. If we try to stop the run they will hand it off in whatever you call that play system they run where Newton can hand it off to one of two fast runners, run it or pass it. While we can throw it to Green, who just provided all of the bulletin board material for a team that didn’t need it as they are 0-4 against UGA, on the verge of winning the SEC west by beating us, more confident in their chances of beating Bama, very confident about beating Florida and playing Oregon or TCU should Oregon falter.
They’re not looking past us. They’ve got a bye week, this is their last home game, this isn’t 2006. BTW, that game, was at 11:30am local time in 2006, this is national stage 3:30 EST. This is Hesiman, this is national, this is a lot of things but this isn’t 2006. First, Tubberville is gone, he’s a Saban, get a lead and hold it on D, no offense. I think we had gotten to 7th that year before we fell apart. We did end 9-4. I’m sure Auburn looked right past us considering we lost 4 out of 5 and nearly losing 5. But I remember thinking back then Auburn wasn’t that great even though they went 11-2.
The x factor is you know the coaches on both sides looked past last saturday and are preparing for some new things nobody has seen. Problem is, we have Bozo, they have a hell of a short timer offensive coordinator.
There is no way we win unless Auburn fumbles it over and over but the problem is they probably won’t. And if they do, they can score quickly. Auburn of old couldn’t come back against anybody, this Auburn team came back against hyped South Carolina and Clemson teams back to back weeks.
I don’t know how I became an Auburn apologist, but it’s probably when I jumpped off the CMR band wagon eons ago and then joined the facebook page: People against UGA fans who DONT go to UGA
Tiger Fan
November 7th, 2010
11:02 pm
Aaron Murray…be prepared to meet Defensive lineman Nick Fairley! UGA is a joke….the five teams you’ve beat have won 33 games all season….you suck! This won’t be a 2006 game. Good luck against GT you bunch of Jack Legs!
UGA2002
November 7th, 2010
11:11 pm
Keep it classy Auburn fans. You’re #2 and cruising. Cover Green or camp Fairley out in the UGA backfield and this will be much more like Auburn vs Ole Miss then 2006 Auburn vs UGA.
Keep it classy. Both sides… both sides that went to each school. I think 95% of Auburn fans attended Auburn, kind of like GT. You had to go there to care. I think 95% of Alabama, Florida, Tennessee and UGA fans did not.
UGA2002
November 7th, 2010
11:11 pm
I’ll trade that ratio.
MikeAUbutsisgatorbrouga
November 7th, 2010
11:16 pm
Sorry dawgs, love ya lots “bless y’alls hearts”, but, y’all are going down. No upset this year, sorry. AU too strong. UGA too week. Cam 400 yds run/pass – UGA … a few yards. Love y’all, but sorry. I’ll ring the bell in GA for an Aubie win
THE (G) ON THE MUTTS HELMET STANDS 4 GAY
November 7th, 2010
11:21 pm
CAM NEWTON SHOW THESE REDNECKS IN YOUR HOME STATE OF GEORGIA WHAT THEY MISSED OUT ON!
THE (G) ON THE MUTTS HELMET STANDS 4 GAY
November 7th, 2010
11:23 pm
ALABAMA AND FLORIDA DONT CELEBRATE 30 YEAR TITLES,THEY JUST KEEP WINNING NATIONAL TITLES!
MikeAUbutsisgatorbrouga
November 7th, 2010
11:26 pm
In case no one interpreted my my screen name – Mike = Auburn. Sister is Gator – brother in law is Georgia. So yea, SEC football!!! WDE!!!!
Auburn2000
November 7th, 2010
11:38 pm
I wouldn’t look at 2006, I’d look at 2004 and 2007.
2004 #3 AUB beat #8 UGA 24-6, went undefeated. 2007, #10 UGA beats #17 Auburn 45 to 20 in that blackout game, goes on to end #2/3.
There was 2005, Auburn wins on a last minute 60 or 70 yard pass on a 4th and 10… ended in a FG because it was fumbled. There was 2006 when Auburn laid an egg and didn’t plan on a fired up UGA team that was actually lousy for a few weeks. 2008, Auburn died beginning with their offense. 2009, Auburn was rebuilding with, well, almost no offense. Auburn’s had offense problems since 2004. Our defense could win championships but thats really a lie, offenses win championships just like Cowherd says.
2010? This is totally different than 2005, 2008, 2009. For one, this is an offense team now and not Tubbs shut em’ down once you’re up by 2 or more. This is 2004 and 2007 where high ranked teams win big with the outlier being 2006 when we as someone said played a game at 11:30 in the morning. This isn’t 11:30 in the morning. This is national tv, this is win the SEC West, this is get closer to iron bowl/SEC/national title, this is a Heisman campaign.
The toss up games are the ones where one team is #10-25 and the other team is unranked. In those games, watch out ranked team – especially if you’re at home.
2010 is different for a lot of reasons. Let’s see what the kids on the field do and remind ourselves, there ain’t a damn thing the rest of us can do but watch.
Auburn2000
November 7th, 2010
11:41 pm
oh and I guess we can talk trash, but we can’t back it up. We have to rely on the kids to do it. So grown up of us.
AUPetey
November 8th, 2010
12:09 am
Ya’ll need to read what really happened with Cam last week. Poor guy was bushwacked by Urban Meyer and Dan Mullens over a non-issue that occured last spring. It got reported by Pete Thamel (Urbans buddy) after a conversation between Meyer and Mullens.
CAM WANTS TO PLAY FLORIDA NOW MORE THAN ANYTHING. HE WILL DO ANYTHING TO GET THERE.
You need to hang alot of points on us, otherwise Mcaleb, Dyer, Adams, and Cam just might be able to outscore you.
Oh dont forget the “Big Nasty’s” up front.
Auburn2000
November 8th, 2010
12:15 am
Hey, I’m with the UGA guy, Auburn fans, stay classy.
Let AJ Green do all of the talking.
SEC: Hooray for “The Hat” as LSU rises : Acrylic Sports
November 8th, 2010
1:10 am
[...] Georgia thinks it is ready to “shock people” against Auburn, writes Jeff Schultz of the AJC. [...]
CAM4HEI2MAN
November 8th, 2010
9:47 am
You’re crazy if you think we have forgot about UGA.
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/11/a_chance_to_win_the_sec_west_i.html
droopydawg
November 8th, 2010
4:34 pm
That is a lot of confidence for a guy whose QB never looks at him. Hey Murray (or Bobo, it is tough to tell exactly whose fault it is), AJ should be your first read on most plays, as opposed to the UF game where you read the opposite side of the field to him on almost every passing down, regardless of the coverage.
droopydawg
November 8th, 2010
4:35 pm
There is nothing classless about being confident and having a personality. He is not s**tting on Auburn, just showing a little fire.
Army of the GATORS
November 8th, 2010
7:08 pm
I’m looking at Auburn taking this by the score of 45-20.Game gets away from Georgia middle of the 3q.Sorry!
WarEagle81
November 9th, 2010
8:14 am
Green again: “A lot of people are probably going to favor them. But that’s just talk.”
And AJ’s pontification is what?
Plainsman42
November 9th, 2010
4:51 pm
I’m with UGA2002 and Auburn2000. It’ll be a good game, but Auburn will, very likely, come out on top either by pulling away in the 1st quarter or racking up points in the 4th. Final score: 48-27, Auburn.
As a GA resident, I get really, really tired of rabid UGA fans, though I know there are people like that cheering for every team under the sun. Here’s to a great, Saturday afternoon game with no injuries and a very (based on the past 4 years, Cam’s talent, and AJ Green’s mouth) competitive game.
KINGMALLARDAU
November 10th, 2010
4:38 pm
AJ Green believes in himself and his team. Thats good, he is a heck of an athlete, and there is nothing wrong with liking your chances, but Auburn is tough and it is going to take alot more than AJ catching a few amazing passes in the endzone(which is going to happen) to have any impact on this game! It is always good competitive football between these two and I look forward to being there in Orange and Blue!! WDE!!!
BullDawg Man
November 10th, 2010
6:04 pm
This a prediction UGA 38 Auburn 35 Field goal with 30 seconds left in the game and it is 53 yards. Game over GO DAWGS!!!!!!
Stealthcountermeasures.com
November 10th, 2010
7:34 pm
It is possible that the Dawgs could upset Auburn, Please Georgia bring us fans back the glory days!! A auburn win is a season best in my book… Go Dawgs!!