LIVE BLOG: Georgia seeks bowl bid (and revenge vs. Tech)
Georgia players, angered by a home loss to Tech in 2008, planted the "G" flag after last year's win at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
(This will serve as the Georgia live blog when the game starts. We’ll also have a Tech live blog on, as they say, another network.)
ATHENS — Hello and welcome to the last game this season that anybody at Georgia or Georgia Tech will remember.
The Jackets (6-5) still have a low-level bowl game to play. The Dogs (5-6) hope to still have a low-level bowl game to play. But tonight’s meeting is really about the final opportunity for either school to create a highlight in a
The memory of Tech players (like wide receiver Andrew Smith) mangling the hedges lingers with Georgia players.
mostly miserable season.
As Georgia defensive end Demarcus Dobbs said, alluding to the last four years of his senior class: “I don’t know if we’ve left a legacy. But I know if we don’t make it to a bowl game, that will be one legacy that we leave. … We’ve done a lot as a class. But the only thing that matters is how you finish. Nobody going to talk about the Sugar Bowl. They’re going to talk about what we did our senior year.”
Kickoff is still several hours away. But there’s no reason to wait until then to start the banter. This will serve as your live Bulldogs’ blog during the game. I’ll update it later when I get to the stadium.
A few thoughts before kickoff:
♦ Georgia is favored by as much as two touchdowns. Sounds about right. While strange things happen in rivalry games, the only absolute about either team is that the Dogs can put up points, led by the Aaron Murray-to-A.J. Green connection. In the last six games, Georgia has put up point totals of 41 (Tennessee), 43 (Vanderbilt), 44 (Kentucky), 31 (Florida), 55 (Idaho State) and 31 (Auburn). I realize Mike Bobo bashing is a favorite pastime of fans but offense hasn’t been the problem, defense has. And about defense . . .
♦ The only way I see Tech winning this game — other than via multiple Georgia turnovers and penalties — is if the Jackets run for a ton a yards and dominate in time of possession, keeping Georgia’s offense off the field. So the onus is on defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and the Dogs’ defensive front. The Jackets are without starting quarterback Joshua Nesbitt and their offense isn’t nearly as fluid with backup Tevin Washington.
♦ Tech coach Paul Johnson knows his team is undermanned this game. He’ll have to “steal” a possession or two. So a couple of trick plays, like a fake punt, wouldn’t be surprising.
♦ Neither team has a win over a quality opponent. The difference is Georgia still needs a win to become bowl eligible. If it can’t beat Tech, it doesn’t deserve a bowl. The Jackets had lost three straight until having to scramble to beat 3-8 Duke last week.
Now, about this rivalry. The road school has won the last three meetings. Tech has split two since Johnson’s arrival. But if the high point for this Georgia senior class was going 11-2 and winning the Sugar Bowl in 2007, one of the low points was losing to Tech at Sanford Stadium two years ago.
To punctuate the upset, Jackets’ players tore off pieces of the hedges — something Georgia coach Mark Richt has reminded his players of this week.
“Coach Richt’s definitely been quick to tell us about that,” guard Clint Boling said. “We’ve got pictures all over the locker room. We definitely know what they did last time they were in Sanford Stadium.”
Wide receiver Kris Durham, another senior, said: “That sticks out more to me than [beating Tech] last year. It’s something you remember. You can still Google and see the pictures. They’re very vivid online.
“Those [hedges] are sacred to us. That gets to you a little bit. We didn’t protect our own house. We didn’t protect the hedges. We can’t say anything bad about them tearing up our field because we didn’t prove it between the lines and they did. They beat us.”
OK, that’s it for now. If you missed it, here’s a link to my interview with athletic director Greg McGarity earlier in the week. He’s standing behind Richt and says the coach will be back next season, and I agree. While I’ve been critical of Richt and the direction of the program in the last two years, my view is he has earned the chance to turn this around.
I’ll check back later.
♦
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2,645 comments Add your comment
bugsquacher
November 27th, 2010
12:48 pm
Grantham will Blow it while wearing red panties….
GT84
November 27th, 2010
12:48 pm
??????????????
Russ, the Unemployed Mascot
November 27th, 2010
12:48 pm
There may be a game delay. The running backs spelled “run” wrong and they’re having to erase. As it stands now they “rund” this state.
alabama fan
November 27th, 2010
12:49 pm
did we play a game yesterday?
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 27th, 2010
12:49 pm
OSU 3rd 10 and bad pass. OSU will gor for a 34yrd FG and it is good. OSU 3 Michigan 0.
Blackberry Pie
November 27th, 2010
12:50 pm
Thuga will lose tonight
2010 SEC West Champs and winner of the biggest comeback in Iron Bowl History
November 27th, 2010
12:50 pm
We own the state of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisana. We own everything. The NC will be ours.
DIT
November 27th, 2010
12:51 pm
GT84 –
I would have to say why people are confident is because you guys are without Nesbit. That was a huge loss for your offense. That would be a huge loss for any offense. I respect his abilities and would not have the confidence going into this game that I have if he were playing. I would think that most UGA fans feel the same whether they admit it or not.
Your defense has been so out of sync and our offense, with Murray, is our only saving grace this year.
That would be my guess!
Steve "The King" Spurrier
November 27th, 2010
12:51 pm
The Dawgs belong in the ACC not the SEC. Poor pitiful football program… year after year…decade after decade… They ought to convert the stadium into a pasture for the animal husbandry program.
Steve
November 27th, 2010
12:51 pm
I love all of the red panties comments. No UGA fan cares about what Evans did. Keep the comments coming. I know you nerds will never know what it’s like to be with a girl anyway. Guess you are jealous of Evans.
Russ, the Unemployed Mascot
November 27th, 2010
12:52 pm
Where is Ol’ Jeff? Maybe he can slip me into the stadium. I can’t believe they won’t give me a ticket after all the mascot work I did for them.
Steve
November 27th, 2010
12:52 pm
Auburn wins the NC? HA HA HA. Again, can’t wait to see what Oregon’s #2 offense does to Auburn’s 101st ranked passing defense.
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 27th, 2010
12:52 pm
Bama fan you played as much of a game as Auburn did. Each team played only 30 min of Football. Auburn just played a little better in their last 30 min than Bama did.
bugsquacher
November 27th, 2010
12:52 pm
Do red and black boxers count?
bugsquacher
November 27th, 2010
12:53 pm
How long until kick-off?
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 27th, 2010
12:54 pm
Kentucky 7 Vols 0. Kentucky 1st 10 from the Vols 9 1:16 left in the 1st.
bugsquacher
November 27th, 2010
12:54 pm
G.A.T.A
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 27th, 2010
12:55 pm
Kentucky 1st down fron the 2 about to go up 14-0. Kentucky FUMBLES the ball into the endzone and the VOLS ball on their 20. 1st down the VOLS.
DIT
November 27th, 2010
12:56 pm
I’d like to see the Vols win that game, but I think that UK will be too much for them.
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 27th, 2010
12:57 pm
Bugsq 2 liters of Coke and 1/5th of Jack until Kickoff.
Kentucky 7 Vols 0 start of the 2nd and the Vols with the ball.
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 27th, 2010
1:03 pm
Tenn needs to win and UGA needs to lose. UGA would be just ahead of VANDY teams. That would show Vandy for graduating more players than the dawgs. LOL. Never thought I would see where UGA and Vandy were fighting over wins and graduation rates.
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 27th, 2010
1:04 pm
Vols score and even the game at 7-7. OSU is still up 10-0 over michigan.
Paul in RDU
November 27th, 2010
1:05 pm
Jeff – Any reason 2 posts I did earlier have been deleted? One was completely innocuous and the other was just a link to a video.
Paul in RDU
November 27th, 2010
1:07 pm
Wireless router fail
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 27th, 2010
1:09 pm
UVa 0 VT 14. Michigan on the 1 1st down. TD Michigan 7 OSU 3. Kentucky 1st 10 from their 30.
TECH STILL SUCK'S
November 27th, 2010
1:10 pm
bottom line tech fans 9 OUT OF 10!
mtraininjax
November 27th, 2010
1:11 pm
Jeff, apparently you don’t read YOUR OWN PAPER, the Dogs took chunks of Grant Field with them, some of they had the color of the Tech colors around their mouth, as if they had been eating it for some reason, ewww, ick. Apparently their mamas did a poor job of educating them to not eat grass.
bugsquacher
November 27th, 2010
1:12 pm
So seriously, final score on tonights game….. I think 27 – 14. Georgia wins.
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 27th, 2010
1:13 pm
Michigan KOs and OSU returns it 85 yrds for a TD. OSU 17 Michigan 7.
TrishaDishaWarEagle
November 27th, 2010
1:13 pm
Go Techies!! Beat UGA!
War Eagle Nation has got your back…
Blitz Murray..it works!
SWEEP THE LEG!!!!
bugsquacher
November 27th, 2010
1:13 pm
AJ makes 1st score of the game with a 35 yd catch.
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 27th, 2010
1:14 pm
Brey makes t huge pases. Vols 1st on the 12yrdln. Brey tosses a 12 yrd TD to take the lead. Vols 14 Kentucky 7.
bugsquacher
November 27th, 2010
1:15 pm
I see those cheating auburn fans are back
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 27th, 2010
1:18 pm
BUGSQ get more to drink and it will be all good. You do know Ben Jones is a dirtier player than Fairley right?
joe taxpayer
November 27th, 2010
1:18 pm
Why does coach Richt deserve another chance to turn it around. He had last year and the year before. Also, if he could not excel with the 2008 team did how much talent does he need? If you include A.J. plus the 08,09, and 10 drafts the 08 team had 10 NFL players on it or more. So please besides being a person with very high character why should we invest more time with him
. Please explain.
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 27th, 2010
1:19 pm
The Vols are turning up the D HEAT.
TrishaDishaWarEagle
November 27th, 2010
1:20 pm
@bug We don’t cheat..as has been said ad nauseum, ELIGIBLE until the NCAA says otherwise..and they haven’t…
12-0, something UGA has not been since 1980.. this is Auburns 3rd undefeated regular season in 17 years…I think that tells you where each program is..3 different coaches have taken AU teams undefeated since 1993..0.0 UGA coaches have done that..
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 27th, 2010
1:20 pm
Walker sacks Heartline for a 12yrd loss. Vols getting the ball back.
ScoutDawg
November 27th, 2010
1:22 pm
That a girl Trishawisha keep reinforcing what we already know about your scofflaw football program. It is all good though because we really won that game, just waiting for the forfeit of your WHOLE season! Bock Bock!
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 27th, 2010
1:22 pm
Pryor with a huge 3rd down conversion for 25yrds.
Steve
November 27th, 2010
1:24 pm
5150 POAD is so much of a loser, that he has no life and spends his day updating football scores on a UGA/GT blog! Wow! Get a life!
bugsquacher
November 27th, 2010
1:25 pm
Lets see and the other two times you were 12-0, what NC did you play for? what? you didnt? hmmm wonder why? Maybe cheating was involved?
We already know that Cam should not have been playing ….. the true is going to come out…… as with history and tradition at Auburn, another championship season vacated……
enough said.
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 27th, 2010
1:26 pm
ScoutDawg you can’t even be serious? The DAWGS REALLY got their azzes handed to them. Auburn won the GAME no matter what happens later.
BRAY with a 48yrd pass. Receiver loses his balance or that was a TD.
TrishaDishaWarEagle
November 27th, 2010
1:26 pm
@scout, if a game is ever forfeited, the loser doesn;t get a win..the game just never existed in the NCAAs eyes..they don’t reward the loser with an un-earned W. You lost to Auburn on the field, and thats always going to be the fact.
Candela Ross
November 27th, 2010
1:27 pm
FROM AN EARLIER AJC BLOG: Reading all these simple minded and illiterate comments from the THUGA rednecks remind me that I was right to routinely reject any applicant for a job when I was the Personnel Director for a Fortune 500 Company, Naturally being a Tech Grad (IM 1976)I already knew of the educational gaps for THUGA grads and the redneck work ethics they brought to the job. Occasionally I would, against my better judgement, feed one of the poor things into some half-ass entry level job just to seee if my opinion of their qualifications, or more than likely unqualifications, and without fail they had either already been fired or quit. The ones that managed to stay provided me daily glimpses of my mistakes.
It was sort of pitiful to seee the poor things come in with their degrees and actually think they were qualified. Frankly a degree from THUGA held about the same weight as Fort Valley State, ABAC, or Clark of Atlanta. Actually I preferred a degree holder from these Institutions of “higher learning” to THUGA as they knew which side of the 8 ball they were on and had better attitudes.
Think about the football team THUGA puts on the field. 96% of the players are academically provisionally accepted, with Adams and his cronies knowing full well that they will use up all their coaching and tutors and elligibility and then have their asses kicked out on the street and soon be pushing grocery carts around Atlanta looking for a warm place to sleep. What a pitiful way to run the State’s flagship university. I am going to this week’s game where the Ga THUGS will undoubtedly whip my North Avenue Scholar Athletes once again. Brawn and brainless win out over brains any day of the week when you are talking mayhem on the field. But once again I am hoping that Tech stomps their sorry asses.
You can’t say it any better than that. UGA’s thugs and morons against Tech’s student athletes.
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 27th, 2010
1:27 pm
Well steve you will be happy in about 3 min. I have to do an on-line metting for a few, but I will be back.
bugsquacher
November 27th, 2010
1:27 pm
and auburn cheated….. that is always going to be the fact
Steve
November 27th, 2010
1:28 pm
“Trisha” are you really that much of a loser? Do you have any clue how many times Auburn has been on probation? It will happen again after the cheating this year. Enjoy watching SC upset the Auburn kittens, tigers, birds, plainsman, whatever you are next weekend.
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 27th, 2010
1:28 pm
Just for you STEVE OSU scores again. OSU 24 Michigan 7.
TrishaDishaWarEagle
November 27th, 2010
1:29 pm
and the 2004 team was NOT under any sanctions..it simply didn’t play for the NC because the BCS system is..what it is…crap… but it is the crap we have and thats that..life isn’t always fair, ask TCU this year…or apparently, ask UGA after every loss because it never seems to be their fault.