Georgia’s win not art, but we’ve come to expect this
The Dogs celebrated after Justin Houston's interception in final seconds sealed win. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
ATHENS — It was supposed to be easier than this.
But then, so was the Colorado game.
So was the Mississippi State game.
So was . . . well, let’s just assumed “easy” left town with Louisiana-Lafayette 12 weeks ago.
The offensive line hasn’t been the dominating unit that Georgia expected. The defense under Todd Grantham certainly hasn’t improved like expected. (Did Willie Martinez leave just his playbook in Athens or was that his spirit?) The physical and mental edge that the Bulldogs have often lacked over the past three seasons? Still lacking.
This is what Georgia fans get in 2010: a 6-6 record in this season’s deep sea of 6-6 records. The Dogs won 42-34 over Georgia Tech on Saturday. They became bowl eligible, not because they were much better than the Yellow Jackets but because — until a touchdown with 1:29 left — the opposing kicker had missed an extra point.
The teams combined for six turnovers plus a botched opening kickoff return by Georgia. When the Dogs and Jackets accounted for three fumbles in four exchanges, I’m pretty sure every bowl official in attendance stood up and left.
But if you’re a Georgia fan this season, you take it. Why? Because a win at least makes the 6-6 record far more appealing aesthetically than 5-7. Because a bad bowl game is better than no bowl game. Because this season has predominantly lacked beauty from the outset, save the acrobatics of A.J. Green and the surprising play of freshman quarterback Aaron Murray.
In retrospect, it was silly to think that the fact the Dogs were two-touchdown favorites suddenly would propel them to a dominating performance.
“It would’ve been sickening to be 5-7 right now and for the season to be over,” coach Mark Richt said.
Who knew a bottom-tier bowl game in Birmingham or Memphis could look like paradise?
It was nearly three months ago to the day Saturday when Richt looked ahead to this season like a child peering through the window of a toy store. He talked about his offensive line. He talked about veteran leadership. He talked about a turnaround on defense. But when asked for a won-loss projection based on the schedule, he balked.
“I used to do it more than I do now,” he said in August. “What year was it — [Matthew] Stafford’s freshman year [2006]? I kind of did it that year a little bit. We didn’t have a great season. Everything looked different than it was.”
Sort of like this year. There’s no spinning it. The season went sideways, and the Dogs have been wobbling almost from Day 1.
Richt will be back next season, and he should be back because winning two SEC titles in his first five seasons earns him the right to fix the problems. But he has a lot of problems to fix.
Aaron Murray completed 11 of 14 passes with three touchdowns in first half but didn't throw much in the second (4 for 5). (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
He can leave Murray alone. The young quarterback entered this season as the team’s biggest question mark, and he ended it as one of its few strengths. But almost every other area is due for an overhaul.
It wasn’t difficult to tell this was a game between 5-6 and 6-5 teams. The Dogs’ Shaun Chapas dropped the opening kickoff and Tech recovered (technically it’s not a fumble, just early humiliation). But the Jackets failed to score on that possession or the next one, despite starting at the Georgia 27 and 46. Their second drive? It ended with a fumble.
In the end, it wasn’t so much which team had fewer thumbs — we’ll call that one a tie — but which best took advantage. The Jackets’ first three fumbles all led to Georgia touchdowns. The Dogs’ fumbles led to bupkis for Tech.
Murray was phenomenal early, completing 11 of 14 passes for 220 yards in the first half and touchdowns to Kris Durham, Orson Charles and Bruce Figgins. But the Dogs couldn’t get through this without some drama. They jumped to a 14-0 lead and to fizzle ad see Tech come back with touchdowns on three of their next four possessions to tie it at 21-21.
The Dogs jumped back ahead by two touchdowns on a Washaun Ealey run and a Justin Houston 18-yard return of a fumble. But the Jackets, who had 512 yards in offense (411 on the ground), drove through the Dogs’ defense for two more scores.
Only a missed a extra point by kicker Scott Blair with 4:57 left kept the Dogs ahead, at 35-34.
Defensive end Akeem Dent, on the field, turned around just in time to see the miss.
“I turned and looked and was like: I know he didn’t miss it. Did he miss it?” Dent said.
A 20-yard touchdown run by Ealey with 1:29 left made it 42-34. Tech had one last possession fall short.
Two 6-6 teams stumbled over the finish line.
“I don’t care what bowl game we’re going to,” Green said in likely his final game at Sanford Stadium. “It’s better than going home right now.”
After the disappointment of the 2008 season with Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno and the pronounced slide of the last two years, it’s clear Georgia’s future doesn’t come with any guarantees. Richt doesn’t need to fix the quarterback. But he needs to fix everything else.
♦
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC and Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
447 comments Add your comment
Ha
November 28th, 2010
12:17 am
Whaaaabulance…I think you mean Whaaaambulance…ha ha ha
Saint Simmons
November 28th, 2010
12:17 am
Yeah, but we won two years ago ((((45-42))))
Real Bulldog
November 28th, 2010
12:17 am
Mississippi State STILL runs the state of georgia
Huffdawg
November 28th, 2010
12:18 am
Dear baby Jesus, hear my prayer. Shanon was fired tonight, please little baby Jesus, laying in his manger, let Miami hire our stupid coach wo is too dumb to run out the clock and end the game.
Boca Baby Hater
November 28th, 2010
12:18 am
If 9-1 is all you live for Boca, you’ve got a pretty sad life. Why don’t you start up a series with Slippery Rock? You could probably get 20, 25 in a row — and then you might start to feel good about yourself. Or not.
RAMBLINWRECK
November 28th, 2010
12:19 am
GT just didn’t want to win plain and simple. Uga tried to hand it to us on a platter from the start and at the end as well! You have to take the 3 points instead of going at the 20. It was free points and your on the road! TAKE THE DAMN POINTS! Then we fumble inside the 10 for the 20th time this season, unreal! Then the defense showed why we are 6-6 now with a joke of a performance just about all night. UGA defense was every bit as bad as well.
The uga defender clearly had his foot on the line and even forrest gump could see that as the announcers circled it on tv and even said it was a terrible call. That turn of events was devastating to GT. We actually could have run away with this game had we just cashed in on uga mistakes!! I have never seen a team run for 417 yards and pass for about 100 and still get beat? The missed EP was all i needed to see to confirm no matter what happened, we were not going to win. A missed EP…seriously??? Given all that mess and uga yet again was trying to let us win the game by failing on 4th down. There was plenty of time and timeouts and we abandon what was working all night just like last years meltdown at the end. Why? We pounded it down their throats all night and with plenty of time and timeouts, why not continue using what got you 34 points?? There was no need to panic! I just can’t believe we did that again after how we laid an egg play-calling wise at the end last year in which we could have easily won as well.
UGA tried to give it a way with a bow on it wrapped in gold with a 365 day no return policy and we just did what we have done all year and that’s get in our own way. Bragging rights belong in athens and i’m starting to wonder if i will have grandchildren before we do beat UGA again? Let’s get our younger guys ready for next year with the bowl practices is all i can say.
Frank Lane
November 28th, 2010
12:19 am
If we still had Willie and the $750,000 paid to Grantham, we could buy some players like Auburn did.
2 n 10
November 28th, 2010
12:20 am
Paul Johnson is now 15-1 when scoring 30+ points and he is still uglee!!
LakeDawg
November 28th, 2010
12:20 am
The posters on here who are bashing Murray are showing they don’t really know football or they have a vendetta. Have you all ever considered that the play calling changes in the fourth quarter. Bobo/Richt lose their nerve and start trying to play power football when they don’t practice it all year. Murray had no TD passes in the fourth quarter because UGA didn’t pass in the fourth quarter. Why didn’t they pass in the fourth quarter when GT hadn’t come close to stopping it all night? Beats me. Bobo/Richt sure have some strange thoughts on how to manage a game.
Raze
November 28th, 2010
12:21 am
Bobo had a great gamplan, let Murray throw little high % 3-10 yard passes, and let the playmakers turn them into big plays. Then run the ball in the 4th quarter to keep the ball out of Murray’s hands.
Each time he trusted murray on a big play in the 3rd or 4th quarter, it backfired. Murray missed on both 4th and 1 attempts, game owuld have been a 21 blowout otherwise.
RAMBLINWRECK Hater
November 28th, 2010
12:22 am
Or MAYBE, ramblinwreck, it’s harder than it looks from your position on the couch.
the ghost of Frankie Sinkwich
November 28th, 2010
12:22 am
fundamentally the two worst defenses I have ever watched on a field during the same game. wretched, dreadful, inept don’t even begin to describe them. Sure, UGA had some plays defensively (causing the fumble that Houston returned for a TD) as did GT (stopping UGA on short yardage consistently) but what horrid units.
The next defender that drags a runner down the field for an extra 3,5,7 yards as he tries to rip the ball loose, instead of just making the tackle is going to send me for the shotgun to blow the tv up, I swear. Where have the fundamentals gone?
Raze
November 28th, 2010
12:22 am
Wihtout Murray’s 2 failed 4th & 1 conversions in the red zone, Georgia wins by at least 21.
Wasn’t as close as the score indicates.
Pirtdawg
November 28th, 2010
12:23 am
quit whining, imagine how it feels to be a Texas fan. There are plenty of teams that would love to have CMR. A few tough years in the SEC and his heads on the chopping block. Where would FSU be if they had pulled the plug on Bowden after 10 years. Who do you really think is going to do a better job? Last year it was Smart and Muschamp, both under heat this year…..grow up, we have a great coach and a better MAN than most anybody in the country.
GA FAN1
November 28th, 2010
12:23 am
EVEN THOUGH WE BEAT TECK WE SUCKED TECH RAN THE BALL ALL OVER OUR DEFENSE
IF THEY HAD NOT TURNED THE BALL OVER SO MUCH THEY WOULD HAVE WON,,,BUT I TAKE THE WIN ANYWAY WE CAN GET IT AGAINST TEC H
Runner up Richt
November 28th, 2010
12:23 am
A special thanks goes out to Roddy Jones for fumbling and a Dawg Bone goes to Scott Blaire for missing the extra point. You saved my job.
Mike
November 28th, 2010
12:23 am
Paul Johnson’s strategy was to run the ball for 400 yards, and win time possession at 38 minutes.
Grantham countered with a strategy to force 4 turnovers, many in the red zone.
Grantham won.
2 n 10
November 28th, 2010
12:24 am
AMEN, LakeDawg we quit running or offense when we get the lead.
Ha
November 28th, 2010
12:24 am
LakeDawg…have you considered WHY UGA takes the game away from Murray in teh 4th quarter? Maybe it’s because they don’t have the confidence in him that they need?
Mike
November 28th, 2010
12:25 am
Houston did great again.
Busted up a pitch, scooped and scored.
Also had an INT to ICE the game.
Grantham can coach em’ up.
Runner up Richt
November 28th, 2010
12:25 am
Ohh one more thing. Ring Ring Ring. Hang on folks its the U calling. God bless dawgs. Go Ford
Bring back the Stinchcombs
November 28th, 2010
12:26 am
Raze, are you on crack or simply not taking your meds tonight? Murray has certainly made his share of mistakes, but for a freshman he’s had a dam# good season. His ‘misses’ on 4th and 1? Try giving him an O line that can get any push at all and UGA is looking at 1st and 10 both times.
ALMA
November 28th, 2010
12:26 am
I’ve lived on St. Simons for fourteen years, and there are very few GT fans. The same goes for our new most dreaded rival, Auburn. They are constantly in hiding and only come out at night. Also, the self-proclaimed Tech fan “Saint Simmons” is misspelling the name of St. Simons… Think he’s a dud, wouldn’t you say???
Kevin
November 28th, 2010
12:27 am
Richt, “Mama is calling………….please answer the phone!
athdog
November 28th, 2010
12:27 am
we’re horrible this season, but we still beat Tech. 9 of 10, 18 of 21, and mostly 42 to 34.
Saint Simons, that’s FOURTY TWO TO THIRTY FOUR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Ha
November 28th, 2010
12:27 am
ALMA…sounds like GT is popular everywhere too then.
still a dawg fan
November 28th, 2010
12:27 am
Hey Herschel Talker,
I completely agree with you. All we had to do was take a knee & run the clock out. But no our great coaching stall wanted to give GT a chance to tie the game. What a COACHING BLUNDER.All of them should be fired over that call.
Runner up Richt
November 28th, 2010
12:28 am
Dag gum. Ford just fired me.
Come On Todd
November 28th, 2010
12:28 am
For heavens sake… can’t Grantham come up with a better game plan against the triple option than that? If it weren’t for Tech’s own miscues, Tech would have driven the field for a touchdown on every posession. Even mediocre ACC teams faired better than GA. Georgia just got whipped up front on the defensive line, that’s about all you can say.
Dawg1
November 28th, 2010
12:29 am
Earth to Tech clowns calling for CMR to be fired. He is 9-1 verses Georgia Tech and 2-1 against CPJ. To be such a lousy Coach, he certainly owns his state rival. Really cannot blame you for wanting him out as head coach of Georgia.
For the UGA fans who are calling for his firing. He has earned the right to have the chance to turn the ship around. We went 20 years w/o a SEC Championship before he arrived.
No doubt that there is work to do, but the man has won the right and he will be back next year.
Raze
November 28th, 2010
12:29 am
Houston wouldn’t let Murray beat the team.
That’s the story.
In spite of Murray’s two failed conversions, on 4th & 1, in the red zone, Houston’s 2 defensive plays won the game.
Mike Franklin
November 28th, 2010
12:30 am
The DUI-AD kind of makes the rest of Georgia’s troubles look rational. I mean, how can you keep it all together when the head of UGA athletics plays drunk behind the wheel?
As goes the school, so goes the players. Maybe it’s time to cease being the SEC’s premiere party school and get back to the books? If not, there’s no telling how many would-be sports stars are gonna end up on the bad side of the law, the NCAA and the head coach before missing games or an entire career.
Now if we could just shake that turdmonger Adams…
Raze
November 28th, 2010
12:30 am
If those 2 4th & 1 calls get executed with Hutson Mason in the game, Georgia wins by 21.
rincon dawg
November 28th, 2010
12:31 am
Raze= Marcus= Christian Lemay
2 n 10
November 28th, 2010
12:31 am
Let Richt take over o again and get rid of Grantham,He is the worst ive ever seen. Should have got the guy thats at Miss.St.
atl xmen
November 28th, 2010
12:31 am
another great win over tech..great job by the offense and the defense came up big in the end. could have been worse if not for the uga turnover which took points of f the board as uga pretty much scored with ease all night. next year with no div 1a players left on the team you guys will see a blowout so just sit back and enjoy your losses,
Raze
November 28th, 2010
12:31 am
Bobo finally wised up and started handing the ball to Ealey.
Bobo always does that when his job’s on the line.
Too late.
Fire Bobo.
Ha
November 28th, 2010
12:31 am
Raze…and if GT doesn’t turn it over 3 times, you don’t win by 21…if you can change history, then you have to change it for both teams…good grief.
dawgfan
November 28th, 2010
12:32 am
Raze, STFU. Murray is a freshmen and could throw for 3,000 yards and 25+ TDs this year. You are an effing moron and need to shut the hell up. THanks.
LakeDawg
November 28th, 2010
12:32 am
Ha…Haha. I agree. Bobo/Richt need to show more confidence in Murray, because he’s certainly earned it. He’s the real deal.
Raze
November 28th, 2010
12:32 am
rincon, are you Murray’s borther?
gt84
November 28th, 2010
12:32 am
2
Matthews Dawg
November 28th, 2010
12:33 am
Huff Dawg… I would be careful about what you said on your post. It won’t be me or others on here that will do anything, but you need to understand whom you mock! Just talk about football and leave Christianity out of it. Go Dawgs!!! We won Dawg fans, let’s move on!
rincon dawg
November 28th, 2010
12:33 am
2 n 10
we had a shot to get Manny Diaz before Miss St. got him. CMR want Grantham.
Glad you feel good, Mike
November 28th, 2010
12:33 am
Enjoy!
ps…are you granthumbs kin?
Ha
November 28th, 2010
12:34 am
atl xmen…”could have been worse if not for the uga turnover which took points off the board…” What game were you watching? UGA scored 21 off GT turnovers….GT scored 0 off UGA turnovers…Please don’t post stupid stuff.
Puffy
November 28th, 2010
12:34 am
Lovin Coach Grantham.
Willie never could forced 4 to’s against any team.
And Willie choked in the 4th qaurter.
rincon dawg
November 28th, 2010
12:34 am
No but apparently A. Murray must have got a hold of your girl in high school Raze or Marcus
atl xmen
November 28th, 2010
12:34 am
raze the refs backed the ball up twice to take a first and goal away by the dogs. chris durham got the first down by a yard yet the ref marks the ball back two yards and the again when murray get the yard..those were acc officials so no surprise there.
Sugg Id
November 28th, 2010
12:34 am
The late run by Ealey cinched it? Shultz do you know anything about football. The late run by Ealey is exactly what kept Tech in it. Great move by Johnson. Too bad his offense doesn’t leave him come-from-behind capability.