LIVE from Liberty Bowl: A.J. and Russ are in, Uga is out
Russ is in the house! (Literally.) He's got his bowl game face on.
MEMPHIS — Welcome to the end of Georgia’s season. I know. The Liberty Bowl is not what you were expecting, and neither is the modest goal of trying to finish with a winning record. But Memphis is a nice place, particularly if you’re into barbecue, and I can recommend the ribs at the “Germantown Commissary” (albeit not a BBQ-sounding place).
I would’ve saved the bones for Uga VIII but, alas, he has a tummy ache and didn’t make the trip from his palace in Savannah. At least, that’s the word that the Seiler family is putting out. I’m more inclined to think Uga just didn’t want to make his bowl debut at a game so beneath his standards, particularly since he came in as such a highly touted recruit.
Or maybe Uga’’s just academically ineligible like Caleb King. Like everybody else, he lost interest after the Florida game. Like King, he missed five “academic-related appointments” (obedience school).
So, we have this significant change the depth chart: Russ, The Temporary Mascot, is back!
Don’t, worry. Russ has more bowl experience than Aaron Murray: He won the Independence Bowl last year. Come to think of it, maybe Georgia Tech should’ve borrowed Russ last week for its game in Shreveport. Does Russ get holiday pay for this? The poor mutt was probably happy in retirement, playing shuffleboard at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm.
But this could be good news for the Dogs. Russ is only 4-4. But he’s 1-0 in bowls and won his last game over Tennessee. Also, Georgia is 3-1 when both Russ and A.J. Green are in the lineup. (Kudos to newshound Tim Tucker for supplying me with that statistic.)
Meanwhile, back here on earth . . .
A loss would give Georgia (6-6) its first losing season since 1996, when the Dogs went 5-6 in Jim Donnan’s first year. Ironically, the last time the Dogs lost in the Independence Bowl was to North Carolina State, which had Donnan at quarterback, in 1967.
Here’s the good news: Donnan is not in Memphis.
But do I think Georgia will lose this game? No. Central Florida will be able to put some points up but in the end I don’t think George O’Leary’s defense will have an answer for Murray-to-Green.
Take one last look at Green because this likely will be his final collegiate game. He most likely will be a top-five NFL pick and I don’t believe the threat of an NFL lockout has any significance. Remember, any college junior who comes out can always take a nice little $1 million loan from an agent to hold him over, just in case the league doesn’t play next season. The potential of a lockout affects mostly mid-to-low-round picks, not first-rounders.
As for the significance of this game, it’s obviously a much bigger deal if the Dogs lose (panic!) than if they win (expected). But going 6-2 after a 1-4 start would be a slight boost going into the offseason.
Not sure what kind of crowd this game will draw but I’m guessing not great. The last report was that the Dogs had sold only 5,000 tickets for this game and gave about 1,000 tickets away for staff and families. That would still leave about 4,000 from its 10,000-ticket allotment.
If you missed them, here are links to a couple of stories from the week worth looking at:
– Tucker’s story on Murray, who’s about to break every significant, single-season Georgia passing record as a freshman.
– Tucker’s piece on the homecoming and disappointing season by Marlon Brown, a highly touted receiver out of Memphis.
That’s it for now. I’ll be here to report on the game and all of Russ’s movements.
♦
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2,311 comments Add your comment
Orlando Gator
December 31st, 2010
7:25 pm
Dang, Leghumpers. After beating a purported SEC team, I’ll never hear the end of the UCF’ers bragging. Nice job. Way to discredit the SEC. Guess y’all just can’t beat any team from Florida.
Grim Reaper
December 31st, 2010
7:25 pm
We get we we get…..
WTF? You must be spinning like Linda Blair in the Exorcist, and after Gawgas effort today, puking too!!!!! hahahahahahaha
UGA? R U Kidding?
December 31st, 2010
7:25 pm
I have a feeling you won’t be spending eternity with either
david
December 31st, 2010
7:25 pm
I just ripped up my contribution packagea nad will NEVER go to a richt/BoBo? searls coached team again…what a fing joke of a staff…..Grantham needs one and only one more yrt as I think he is a bust too….do you clowns on here really know how bad this is and screw with me for my spelling as right now I could give a crap about the whole program….this is the worst loss in history and if you think its not you all are dringking the fairy tale mark richt kool aide. garner’s recruits suck and the whole damn program is a shame……no more of my money or loyality and I am class of 84…….call me wat you want but GD it is time to quit loving a weak ass coaching staff and step up and compete with the big boys on a national stage and quit recruiting just GA kids look at em for the most part…get the skill ones from here but the rest go outside of the SE
Hairy Dawg
December 31st, 2010
7:25 pm
I have backed CMR all season but this was just awful. We need to start looking for a new o line coach. The oline has been the biggest let down this season. The defense played a solid game today and i think that bozo actually called a decent game but the oline just did not block. I think CMR needs to address this or he will be gone next year.
BobbyDawg
December 31st, 2010
7:26 pm
Whoever is coaching the Dawgs next year better take a good look at Hutson Mason!
HOLY CRAP
December 31st, 2010
7:26 pm
I don’t know bout yall, but I’m going to buy me a new red CMR endoresed Ford Truck. Hmm make that a Chevy.
Give me Liberty or give me Georgia
December 31st, 2010
7:26 pm
THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA FOOTBALL PROGRAM OFFICIALY SUX RIGHT NOW. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A MORE UNINSPIRED, EXPECT TO LOSE, 4TH QUARTER IN THE LAST 25 YEARS
Urban Meyer
December 31st, 2010
7:26 pm
UFAGS Just can’t beat a team with the Name “Florida” in it……
dandydawg
December 31st, 2010
7:26 pm
UCF98.. Get this – you won 10 games and the best you could do is beat the #9 SEC school by 4 points. That weak a$$ Conference USA. Put your best against the SEC’s best and you wouldn’t stand a chance. So, shut the H3ll up and crawl back under your rug.. C”mon… you beat a weak UGA team by 4 points. Wow… Show me something better!!!!
George Stein
December 31st, 2010
7:26 pm
You’d think with that pro style offense would be able to mount a comeback. Whoops.
JSS
December 31st, 2010
7:26 pm
Two down, one to go!!!
DamntheButcher
December 31st, 2010
7:27 pm
I think Mark Richt just told Mr Kiss Ass Chuck Dowdel that he is going to resign.
SEC Fact Finder
December 31st, 2010
7:27 pm
I can honestly say that these first two games involving SEC teams have not turned out as most of us expected. Tennessee really did a poor job in clock management and UGA looked out of sync.
Hoping USC shows up tonight in Atlanta.
Good Luck to the remaining SEC teams left to play.
Did I just see NEW PITT. Panther Head Coach was arrested for domestic violence, the volume was turned down?
Charlie Weiss is coming to Gainesville, that will be a different look for the Gators.
Do Willis wind up as D-Coordinator in Gainesville too?
5 stars equals 7 losses and 11 arrest
December 31st, 2010
7:27 pm
YOU MUTTS WANT A TROPHY PRESENTATION, HERE YOU GO:
for the most comical, biggest losing season of all time the 3rd runner up is:
GT
the 2nd runner up is:
TN
the 1st runner up is:
Clemson
and the winner of the BIGGEST 6 and 7 LOSER CONTEST HANDS DOWN, THE UNIVERSITY OF GA
CONGRATS but seriously, Central Florida really?
tc
December 31st, 2010
7:27 pm
Fire CMR. The momentum shifted to UCF when uga kicked a field goal on the UCF 2 yard line in the first quarter. Horrible call that set the tone for the rest of the game.
Jacket lover
December 31st, 2010
7:27 pm
Welcome to the club Bulldogs. Maybe CMR needs to make another cheesy ford commercial.
George O'leary
December 31st, 2010
7:27 pm
I still run this state you overrated puppies……
UGA? R U Kidding?
December 31st, 2010
7:28 pm
Relax dawg fans……in 6 months you’ll be talking trash, national championships and best recruiting class in history….just like always
Give me Liberty or give me Georgia
December 31st, 2010
7:28 pm
GEORGIA NEEDS TO HAVE A COMPLETE OVERHAUL. THEIR LINEMAN NEED TO DO MORE “PUSH AWAYS” FROM THE TABLE. 60, 61, 63 ARE AN EMBARASSMENT, AND NUMBER 78 HAS NOT BLOCKED ANYONE IN 3 YEARS
GA football sucks!
December 31st, 2010
7:28 pm
Neither UGA or Tech deserved a bowl game this year.Maybe if we combine both teams and both coaching staffs we can have winning season next year.But then again I doubt it.
dawgster
December 31st, 2010
7:28 pm
@TampaGator…you can take your shots, i figured you would and right now i don’t even feel like putting up any defense…I hope you can talk big after your game too, so we shall see, but your point is well taken, the dawgs have some serious problems, and i don’t know if they will be corrected next year, but as dawg fans all we can do is be hopeful…What bothers me more than anything is that we are 4th and inches, inches that is and kick a field goal..we are 6-6 and our coaching staff has no confidence in this team that it could get a few inches…the worst thing you have is giving the ball to them on the goal line and then anything can happen, but evidently our staff doesn’t realize that 7 points is better than 3..no imagination again with our coaches…simply amazing..so i want sit here and defend them as you take your best shot…maybe the gators will bring some respect back to the SEC…
PHIL
December 31st, 2010
7:28 pm
Worst performance I can recall, period. Not sure what has happened to the O line. I know the coach can’t MAKE them play well, but they suck and I thought they were supposed to be good
MaconSportsFan
December 31st, 2010
7:28 pm
To all the good fans of our rival teams your right Georgia sucks right now and going through a down period
. Mark Richt is a good man but needs to be fired because he does not cheat to win!!!
To all the idiots of our rival teams:
Georgia Tech: As bad as Georgia was this year hmmm we beat your A***
Some Tech fans are like the little nerd who gets his feelings hurt because he can not get the hot date lol
Florida: To all the Gator fans yeah you beat us, but with the season you had and with the talent you did not do squat lol
Auburn: You do have bragging rights in the SEC, but its amazing that you keep telling yourselves that $180,000 was not paid by one of your boosters for your one and done season lol
Georgia will be back soon, when they realize you gotta cheat with the other SEC schools lol
Give me Liberty or give me Georgia
December 31st, 2010
7:29 pm
GEORGIA NEEDS TO BE KICKED OUT OF THE SEC
Loyal Dawg Fan Forever
December 31st, 2010
7:29 pm
Snoop Dogg as new head coarch!
Flatsdawg1
December 31st, 2010
7:29 pm
Did Richt make those guys promise to come back next year?
This
December 31st, 2010
7:29 pm
IS SOOOOO DAMN FUNNY!!!!!!! LOL!!!!! HOPE IT HURTS!!!
powerhouse?
December 31st, 2010
7:29 pm
did the TV announcers keep calling your QB “Erin”?
Dawg Tired
December 31st, 2010
7:29 pm
I admit that I’m having some difficulty understanding why people are surprised by our 4th quarter melt down. We’ve done it almost every game this year.
5 stars equals 7 losses and 11 arrest
December 31st, 2010
7:29 pm
dandydawg, got to beat up now on Central Florida, I mean seriously do have they a top 10 recruiting class for the past 10 years?
Macon Sport's Fan's Mom
December 31st, 2010
7:29 pm
I’m so ashamed of him
oakwood dawg
December 31st, 2010
7:30 pm
Tampa Gator, Yeah I suppose you are right in that CF had better talent than UGA. Also, I am a big time Gaytor Hater and as much as I dislike Yankees, I hope PSU beats UF altho I really don”t think that will happen. And UF will continue to excel with a former UGA dawg as head coach. And don’t give me that crap about his heart was always with the gaytors. You know as well as I, if we had fired CMR and gone for Muschamp, he would be the dawg coach now instead of the UF coach.
FACTS
December 31st, 2010
7:30 pm
Please stop referencing these recruiting classes the don’t leave UGA with any better fundementals than when they got there. Take AJ Green for instance his pro knock is he does not get out of the jam quick enough, he was born with great hands, Richt is not a born leader
George O''leary
December 31st, 2010
7:30 pm
Did you see me laugh at your so called coach when I shook his hand after the game. I own you people and because I own you I think I will ban the color red at the Butt-smear building just like I have banned the color red at UCF. That includes REDnecks as well. Enjoy your off season. Haha.
Disappointed Dawg
December 31st, 2010
7:30 pm
I implore all you true Georgia fans to write Athletic Director McGarity at gmcgarity@sports.uga.edu tonight and tomorrow and demand change in the program immediately… I promise you that UGA will not get one more penny from me until this entire staff is dismissed. This is unacceptable… Please write Mr. McGarity keep it clean and only discuss facts (not speculation) and demand a change… No more money until they fire the staff.
ryan
December 31st, 2010
7:30 pm
Green stock dropped he had a terrible game in front of those scouts Murray looked like a freshman QB .
Give me Liberty or give me Georgia
December 31st, 2010
7:30 pm
((((((((((((((((((((((((( 10-6 )))))))))))))))))))))))))
hahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Maybe you idiots ought not make fun of anyone elses team or bowl game.
HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
30 year Dawg fan
December 31st, 2010
7:30 pm
That was the worst performance I have ever seen.
Goodbye, Bobo.
Happy New Year to the most overrated offensive linemen on the planet.
Jackets On The Down Low
December 31st, 2010
7:31 pm
5 stars equals 7 losses and 11 arrest – Airforce is worse if we are counting the crappy teams..Just saying. Off to play cornhole with my Tech brothers.
Funny as hell
December 31st, 2010
7:31 pm
MaconSportsFan
December 31st, 2010
7:28 pm
You should pull for Mercer. HAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!!
Easy
December 31st, 2010
7:31 pm
Definitely an extremely depressing game and season. Georgia is not a good team that had a bad season. They are truly a mediocre team with little chance of improving.
At least we have Georgia State now.
ExecutiveStinger
December 31st, 2010
7:31 pm
Inner Tebow, eh Durham?
Choke on your tears dawgies.
JSS
December 31st, 2010
7:31 pm
“UCF98.. Get this – you won 10 games and the best you could do is beat the #9 SEC school by 4 points. That weak a$$ Conference USA.”
What? Who tries to piggyback on the success of a Conference champ after laying an egg in Boulder, JAX, Auburn, Columbia, and now the Home Elvis and the Ancient Greeks? Maybe you should change the name to Delphi, you guys need an Oracle!
Dawggoinit
December 31st, 2010
7:31 pm
Fourth and inches on four yard line… field goal.Good field position with fourty seconds left …run out the clock .You cant win when youre playing not to lose . The fire is gone, the time has come for a change.
Football wife
December 31st, 2010
7:31 pm
Wow, the Bulldogs sucked. . .and I’m a UGA fan. Time to get someone who can remember how to lead a team.
Give me Liberty or give me Georgia
December 31st, 2010
7:32 pm
Disappointed Dawg
December 31st, 2010
7:30 pm
I implore all you true Georgia fans to write Athletic Director McGarity at gmcgarity@sports.uga.edu tonight and tomorrow and demand change in the program immediately… I promise you that UGA will not get one more penny from me until this entire staff is dismissed. This is unacceptable… Please write Mr. McGarity keep it clean and only discuss facts (not speculation) and demand a change… No more money until they fire the staff.
wHAT AN IDIOT!
disgusted
December 31st, 2010
7:32 pm
10-6, loss to the conference usa champ. first round draft pick 0 touchdowns. a running back running inspired but with limited carries. a three year starting center whiffing on a block in crunch time. i am absolutely $%^&*() enraged by the lack of tenacity by this team. there are plenty of guys who would run through a !@#$%^& wall to play ball for an sec school. they will fight to exhaustion to win but are not granted the opportunity for various reasons. everyone wonders what we can do without aj green, well we certainly have not done much with him so who cares if he leaves. same with justin houston and any of the other guys that believe the product they put on the field today is worthy of nfl.
GT Fan
December 31st, 2010
7:32 pm
Logan Booker,
Where are you little t–d? Join us in a losing season.
simplythetruth
December 31st, 2010
7:32 pm
If Mark Richt can’t get his team up for a bowl game, pull Murray for someone who might just be tuned in, and quit whining to the refs all day, then it is definitely time for this 6 and 7 LOSER to go. Come on McGarity, pull the trigger…OOOPPPPSSSS… just kidding, after all, Mark is a good man. Yours truly, Saint Bobby of the holy mackeral tabernacle bait and tackle shop, we’re located just off of I-10 in Tallahassee.