LIVE: Georgia tries to overcome hangover, finish strong
Don't expect the Bulldogs to remain scoreless for long today against Idaho State.
ATHENS — Welcome to Hangover Week. Most of us just lie on the couch. Georgia plays Idaho State.
Seriously, this was intended to be Relax and Rejoice Week. When the schedule was made, the Bulldogs’ hope was that they would be coming off a victory over Florida and would use this Division 1-AA (FCS) opponent as a relative bye week before having to go to Auburn, as it looked to secure a spot in the SEC title game.
The only thing that held form was that this game still should be a walkover. Idaho State isn’t even a good Division 1-AA team. The Bengals won their season opener over Montana-Western (an NAIA school with an enrollment of 1,290). But they’ve lost seven straight since. They’re 3-32 since October of 2007. They’re 1-14 against Division 1 (FBS) opponents since 2000.
In other words, don’t expect any drama today. Georgia not only should win but should be able to flood the field with backups by the second quarter. It would be surprising if No. 2 quarterback Hutson Mason didn’t play half the game.
The bigger question about the Dogs is the mindset from this game forward. They played poorly at the outset last week against Florida, then fought back from a 21-7 halftime deficit to tie it in the fourth quarter, only to lose in overtime, 34-31.
That leaves them 3-4 in the SEC and 4-5 overall, which means hopes for an SEC East title or an upper-tier bowl game are cooked. They would have to win their final three games (Idaho State, at Auburn, Georgia Tech) to have any shot at a good bowl like the Chick-fil-A.
More likely, they are headed for the Birmingham or Liberty bowl (the last two in the SEC pecking order). That’s assuming they go anywhere. They need two more wins just to qualify but that seems more likely now that Tech quarterback Joshua Nesbitt is out after suffering a broken arm Thursday night at Virginia Tech.
Back to the mindset thing: How the Dogs play these last few weeks could indicate more about next season than this one. If they play hard, smart and show some resolve, it’s a positive sign. If not, it leads to more questions about the program’s direction going into the offseason.
Finally, a word about coach Mark Richt. As much as his future has been debated in blogs and on message boards, I still don’t believe he’s on the firing line. Now, that could change in the next few games. But my sense of the situation right now is the same as it was before the season — that if the Dogs had a bad season (and this is a bad season), Richt would be on the so-called “hot seat” next year.
The only way I see that changing is there’s a complete implosion in the last three games. Again, that’s just my opinion. As always, I welcome yours.
I’ll be back shortly to start live blogging. Meanwhile, about that hangover: Has anybody ever run into Mike Tyson after too many beers?
“This is my favorite part”
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724 comments Add your comment
Ga Dawg 97
November 6th, 2010
1:30 pm
mcgdawg, gotta be better than murray. He’s a turnover machine.
KB
November 6th, 2010
1:30 pm
That looked good
DawgNation
November 6th, 2010
1:30 pm
Holy crap a pic six!!
dawgfan
November 6th, 2010
1:30 pm
here we go… go dawgs!!!!
Drag Bunt
November 6th, 2010
1:30 pm
Fudge that.
J Clay
November 6th, 2010
1:30 pm
ginger ninja – too funny
UGA buys a win for $525,000
November 6th, 2010
1:31 pm
UF 27 Vandy 0
DawgNation
November 6th, 2010
1:31 pm
Its good their QB can’t throw cause our defence can’t rush today.
Willy
November 6th, 2010
1:31 pm
I didn’t know the AJC’s Doug Roberson is in The Hangover?
Ga Dawg 97
November 6th, 2010
1:31 pm
If murray is the QB next year we are 500 at best again, especially without Durham and AJ.
jack bull
November 6th, 2010
1:32 pm
now the question could be,,who score more, the offense, or the defense??
Dawg555
November 6th, 2010
1:32 pm
good one iTiSi
Jeff Schultz
November 6th, 2010
1:32 pm
Rambo’s pick finally creates a little tilt on the scoreboard. That’s second interception return for TD this year.
Just saying
November 6th, 2010
1:33 pm
there’s a player for vanderbilt being carted off on a stretcher. it looks like he’s moving his arms though
Just saying
November 6th, 2010
1:33 pm
hopefully, he’s going to be okay
DawgNation
November 6th, 2010
1:33 pm
Mich 31 Ill 28. Now buys a win for $525,000 WHO CARES?
Joey
November 6th, 2010
1:33 pm
Okay, if nobody else is gonna take up for Murray, I will. Ga Dawg 97, you are a jackass for trashing Aaron Murray. He has more heart than the rest of the Dawgs combined.
Unfortunately, he is only as good as a genius named Mike Bobo will let him be. Yeah, he threw the interception last wek in OT, but that was after an idiotic 2nd and 10 run up the middle for no gain. How many pass defenders were in the game for the 3rd and 10 obvious pass?
UGA would have never gotten to overtime if not for Aaron Murray.
Borodawg
November 6th, 2010
1:34 pm
Thanks J Clay
Someone has to tell Ga Dawg 97 where reality is. He also probably thought Joe T 3 should have played over DJ Shockley too…
J Clay
November 6th, 2010
1:34 pm
Best sgin so far today? Kentucky struggling more than we are so hopefully the pundits focus on that
drzlstrangelovejr
November 6th, 2010
1:34 pm
Is the Georgia game on Dish Network?
UGA buys a win for $525,000
November 6th, 2010
1:34 pm
Throw Murray under the bus..just like Richt
Ga Dawg 97
November 6th, 2010
1:35 pm
It’s going to be tough watching Florida play again in the dome…
jack bull
November 6th, 2010
1:35 pm
Chad’s just trying to get a little TV time,,,i don’t blame him
DawgNation
November 6th, 2010
1:35 pm
What Joey said
Borodawg
November 6th, 2010
1:35 pm
Yea the UM v Illinois game is going to be a wild finish
Alphare
November 6th, 2010
1:35 pm
This is exciting, bulldawgs are winning against the 2nd BEST high school team in Idaho.
dawgfan
November 6th, 2010
1:35 pm
dawg 97 probably a nerd poser
mcgdawg
November 6th, 2010
1:35 pm
game is about to get REAL UGLY
finish the drill
November 6th, 2010
1:36 pm
Its been 5 years since they brought them out last. Are the dawgs honoring the 80 team today?
DawgNation
November 6th, 2010
1:37 pm
Ok now that is better. Pressure and an INT
jack bull
November 6th, 2010
1:37 pm
playing with heart only gets you so far….KK(for the Braves) said he pitches with a lot of heart, well, we see how that turned out..at some point, you gotta have the skills…..and height…
KB
November 6th, 2010
1:37 pm
Another pick
picassokat
November 6th, 2010
1:37 pm
Schultzie, in your opinion what’s it going to take for UGA to regain their edge next season?
Jeff Schultz
November 6th, 2010
1:37 pm
This game can get out of hand now, but because of a partially blocked punt and consecutive interceptions, not the offense.
Ga Dawg 97
November 6th, 2010
1:37 pm
Joey, don’t know what game you were watching, but murray turned the ball over 4 times. That LOSES you football games. Murray would be fine if we were Vandy or Kentucky. Murray will never compete with the Floridas and Alabamas. We need to send you to a football 101 class!
DawgNation
November 6th, 2010
1:37 pm
That was too easy. Nice touch pass
dawgfan
November 6th, 2010
1:38 pm
its getting ugly now. cmr needs to start putting in some subs. game in hand already
UGA buys a win for $525,000
November 6th, 2010
1:38 pm
UF gets beat in the dome again but they win the East.
Ga Dawg 97
November 6th, 2010
1:39 pm
If we had a decent QB Florida woull be playing for the Birmingham Bowl, Liberty Bowl or no bowl. instead they’re playing for an SEC title and a BCS game.
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November 6th, 2010
1:40 pm
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Jeff Schultz
November 6th, 2010
1:40 pm
Picassokat — Sorry, that’s a column, not a quick comment on a blog. But suffice to say a problem like that requires a major examination of everything in program.
Joey
November 6th, 2010
1:40 pm
Glad you’re enjoying it, Alphare. Get a good look. You’ll be seeing about the same thing the Saturday after Thanksgiving . . .
Finish the drill
November 6th, 2010
1:40 pm
Lets run up the score!
dawgfan
November 6th, 2010
1:40 pm
hard to get to excited given the competition but we’re takin care of business at least. put in the subs to get experience and to rest the starters
Jeff Schultz
November 6th, 2010
1:40 pm
I’m guessing first strong offense plays at least 2 more possessions. Still 10:30 left in half.
JSS
November 6th, 2010
1:40 pm
@ Jeff Schultz…
Were there long lines at the Package Stores last night and this morning from your observations?
Us yeckies
November 6th, 2010
1:41 pm
Dawg fans.
Maybe we deserve each other and our mediocre fates.
Both team should have beat their main competition.
Both teams on third down called a pass instead of a safer running play.
Both teams were picked turning the game to a loss.
Both team have a certain percentage of idiots with nothing better to do than harrass the other fan base.
Yea it looks like we are stuck with each other.
I guess there are worse fates.
Fitten
November 6th, 2010
1:41 pm
I like Murray, but he started terrible last week at Florida & started terrible today.
And that OT interception against the Florida Gators was a terrible read/ throw into triple coverage when Durham was WIDE OPEN.
Murray needs to fix his problems or LeMay takes over next year.
DawgNation
November 6th, 2010
1:41 pm
I wouldn’t crown Fl the East champs just yet. I think South Carolina will give them all they can handle and pull ou the win.
Borodawg
November 6th, 2010
1:41 pm
Ga Dawg 97, I could see you complaining if Murray was a Junior or Senior but a Redshirt Freshman is going to make mistakes when he is counted upon to keep the offense in the game when the defense can’t step up and make a stop. If you want to get on somebody look at Booboo and why he did not draw up plays specifically and only for AJ. Not once was there a bomb just for AJ to try and catch. That is on the play calling not the player.