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.
♦
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC; friend me at 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
2,311 comments Add your comment
To Tampa Gator
December 31st, 2010
7:50 pm
The only thing more pitiful than the Dawgs play tonight is a guy like you who spends all his time hanging out on the blogs of opposing teams. Thing is–you actually sound halfway intelligent. Have you ever considered what a sad life it is to be so obsessed with your rivals that you spend New Year’s Eve on another team’s blog that played in the Liberty Bowl? Supporting your own team, I can respect. But seriously, at the end of your life, is this what you want to be known for?
Vince Dooley
December 31st, 2010
7:50 pm
the UGA football program has gone in the toliet ever since ADAMS fired my @ss as AD!
Bad Dawg, Bad Dawg
December 31st, 2010
7:50 pm
UGA Kev, You fell for the trap! Please…
dandydawg
December 31st, 2010
7:50 pm
Tampa… do you think he would have not said that? I can imagine him saying…. ” This is only the second best job in the country. I was really waiting for Mack to retire, but his old @$$ ain’t going no where?” – Right, I can’t either!!!
Auburn Tigers Fans show UGA how to win
December 31st, 2010
7:50 pm
Meyer is next Head Coach at Ohio St. That Florida Job must not be so appealing….or is he without Tebow he knows he cannot win the SEC title…..
time to go -->
December 31st, 2010
7:50 pm
Alrighty then.. i defend richt and the rest of the mindless bobo’s for the last time.. boot them out, we have to start over anyhow, why not do it with some potential for a fix not the same story.. sad it had to come to this, all they had to do is their jobs. grantham is the biggest disappointment in college football history.
TampaGator
December 31st, 2010
7:51 pm
I remember just last summer when Mark Richt has so many 10 win seasons and Georgia has the best talent in the SEC….and Richt was the best coach in the SEC…and Georgia was the best team in the country….and Green was the best WR in the country….and Murray was the best QB in the country…and the new DC was the best DC in the country….and Georgia would dominate Florida……..now….let’s see….about the only thing you were right about was Meyer quitting at the end of this season. Well….even a desert gets rain once in a while.
JRY
December 31st, 2010
7:51 pm
This would be the right time to blow out the entire staff, Richt included. At the very least Bobo must go!
YellowJacket
December 31st, 2010
7:51 pm
They do give a decent bj though.
Vain Jangling
December 31st, 2010
7:51 pm
I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.
Edwardo
December 31st, 2010
7:51 pm
Auburn fan, you just did something that I didn’t think possible — you wrote something so arrogant it made me want pull against Auburn in the national championship game. You’re showing us how to do it? No, Alabama showed us how to do it last year, without a whiff of scandal. Since WWII, Auburn has yet to go undefeated in a season without a scandal or probation. So maybe you should wait till the smoke clears before you start talking down like Auburn invented championship football. . .
tenvol
December 31st, 2010
7:52 pm
We fired CPF about 2 or 3 years to late, and it looks like you guys are going to do the same thing. Alumni gets wrappedup in the coachs personality and such. Next year I believe will be a wasted year for Ga. instead of the first year of rebuilding. Thats just my 2 cents from a Tenn. man.
Chad
December 31st, 2010
7:52 pm
Must have been the gloves? Must have held on to the ball too long? Must have called the wrong audibles? Must have lost his confidence? Must be the coaching!
FACTS
December 31st, 2010
7:52 pm
Get ready UGA fans for the sequel ” BOBO II ” opening at Sanford stadium & many other premium SEC stadiums, premiering September 2011
Orlando Gator
December 31st, 2010
7:52 pm
Tampa Gator – no point in trying to reason with the leghumpers. By age 39, he’s been offered the head coaching jobs at Texas, Tennessee and Florida. The leghumpers are despondent, and they’re taking shots. Who knows how Muschamp will do, but the idea that he was a bad hire is a joke.
3 Year Hiatus
December 31st, 2010
7:52 pm
I stopped posting here years ago when I got bashed over and over for saying we should fire Mark Richt. Are you stupid religious freaks ready to acknowledge the truth now? He’s a great guy, great Christian, blah, blah, blah….he’s a loser. Was then and still is now.
Nice
December 31st, 2010
7:52 pm
Central Florida 10
Lower tier SEC 6
JB
December 31st, 2010
7:52 pm
This team in bigger trouble than I thought….This team in Dome next Sept. less AJ,Durham,Houston,Bokin…….OL played like a high school team. No effort at all…..Anybody can run up the middle on us…….The whole season next year will be Mark’s everyday public outcry for his removal. Today was sad…..I got over being mad a long time ago…..
Yellow Fuzz
December 31st, 2010
7:53 pm
Sure would like to hear a few explanations out of
How2Fish
DawgInLex
SugarHillDawg
BJ
Hershal Talker
Altahamadawg
1EyeJacked
BOOGIE MAN FROM HARTWELL
Bill King
Coach smith
Edwardo
December 31st, 2010
7:53 pm
P.S. The Dogs’ turnaround will need to be akin to Dooley’s in ‘78 and ‘80 after those two horrible years, or Richt is done. And he doesn’t deserve to be running the show if he doesn’t produce some decent football, vs. this pathetic stuff.
Loyal Dawg Fan Forever
December 31st, 2010
7:53 pm
Only Fox News could spin the Richt turd into pure gold with misinformation and spin.
TampaGator
December 31st, 2010
7:54 pm
Danydawg…..I hate to break the news to you. Florida and Texas are two of the top 5 programs in the country. Florida….Texas…which job do you want….either one will work for me…..Georgia…not there my friend…if you think so….your head is in the sand. Florida’s program is second to none in the country…..PERIOD. Money…facilities….support….fans….stadium….etc. etc. etc…second to none……and why Muschamp is in Gainesville instead of Austin right now.
YellowJacket
December 31st, 2010
7:54 pm
From the NFL to AJGreen…
Why so many misses?
Auburn Tigers Fans show UGA how to win
December 31st, 2010
7:54 pm
Gator boy….hope in one hand and crap in the other….and you will see that both will look the same,
Muschamp had the best talent in the country as a DC and got whipped week in an week out and he ran the defense not old Mack Brown, Muschamp got embarrassed 7 times and also go embarrassed by a pitiful Bama team last year in the BCSNCG.
Muschamp had better hope those crappy High School all americans do not revolt on him like they did Meyer….
War Damn Eagle..
The rest of the SEC is on that back back back Teat…
dandydawg
December 31st, 2010
7:54 pm
They all seem to want UGA to have a top five class so that they can say they beat the best. No one wants to admit that they beat an inferior team.
Now, I just want to know where all of those rich UGA Boosters are! They can demand and get change!!! Saint Mark must go!!
BY the way Tamp… I never talk about CMR and his religion. That’s between he and God! And I do believe that Urban Myer is a christian… did that stop him from winning and even blowing teams out?
justfacts
December 31st, 2010
7:55 pm
hey SECElite… I totally agree with you … we are great. do you want me to save you a place to sit at Butts-Mehre on national signing day? we can sit next to each other and tell Munson stories and bark and talk about next year!
FACTS
December 31st, 2010
7:55 pm
Conference USA & Colorado !!! YOU ARE WHAT YOUR RECORD IS
classof69
December 31st, 2010
7:55 pm
Don’t panic yet. If So Carolina loses later tonight, Steve Spurrier may be desolate enough to accept the head coach job at UGA. It’s come to this my fellow Dawgs: Steve Spurrier is our last best hope.
5150 P.O.A.D.
December 31st, 2010
7:56 pm
Where are all the USUAL UGA Loud mouth Bloggers? It is quite from some of our Regulars.
SANFORD DRIVE
Where are you?
I CAN’T HEAR YOU.
SANFORD DRIVE
please come in.
I hope the UGA fans have a fun safe New Years Eve Party.
oddsmaker vegas
December 31st, 2010
7:56 pm
Boise State vs Georgia – Boise favored by 28
UGAKev
December 31st, 2010
7:56 pm
GEORGIA RECRUITING RANKING ON SCOUT IN 2010…..21ST!!!!
THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH RECRUITING NOW
THIS SEASON WERE RANKED 18TH RIGHT NOW IN RECRUITING….BETTER FINISH STRONG!
Flatsdawg1
December 31st, 2010
7:57 pm
Auburn, you did need help from Miss ST , you see they had enough integrity to not give a player 200,000 for his services,any idiot knows that which also means you didn’t do it right! So really you’re the loser, and put the crack or nutmeg or whatever you’re smoking down dude!!
muskrat
December 31st, 2010
7:57 pm
Thats what we need to do….. RUN OUT AND HIRE AN UNPROVEN ASSISTANT FOR 3 MILL. A YEAR, GET FAT CHARLIE WEIS TO COME EAT THE TOWN AND THAT WILL SOLVE ALL OUR ISSUES? Um, looks like Urban finally got exposed now that teblow left and urban was left to show his hand, he had nothing so he quit? what a real man that is. At least ATHENS is not as disfunctional ad gainesville, wanting someone as fat and pathetic as charlie weis involved. Dogs sucked this year, not a good idea hindsight to get todd grantham but its done, all we can do is hire PROVEN coaches, not UN-Proven muskrats like the GAYtors.
Auburn Tigers Fans show UGA how to win
December 31st, 2010
7:57 pm
Edwardo the Retardo..
We do not need anyone else, we are AUBURN! The BEST FANS and Team in the country…..
WDE!
dandydawg
December 31st, 2010
7:57 pm
Auburn Tiger Fan…..
The only battle that matters this bowl season is on January 10. Bring it home!!! All we need to hear is AUBURN… National Champions!!!
Denver Dog
December 31st, 2010
7:57 pm
Yellow Fuzz, we beat your team so hush!
Worst offensive game plan of the year, maybe of BoBo’s career. We can
not score on these guys, come on. 1st and 25, dive play. Wow.
An avid Richt supporter, but something better give and give quick. My opinion is that he won’t make it through the weekend. I hate to say it. I think he is gone!
jack bull
December 31st, 2010
7:57 pm
Murray lost us this game, along with several others during the year. he was flat out bad today. too short and hands are too small, hence the gloves trying to help him grip the ball. not to mention he holds on to the ball waayyyy too long…bad, just plain bad. our best QB is about to sign on with LSU…
crapsandwich
December 31st, 2010
7:58 pm
To all my Dawg friends, Richt is not going anywhere.
StingDoc
December 31st, 2010
7:58 pm
Watching the Dirty Dawgs lose made this a GREAT HAPPY NEW YEAR for me. Back in my naïve youth, I tried to root for the other team from my home state except when they played Tech. After years of watching a class-less group of thugs on work release from prison winning by deliberately injuring opponents’ best players and taunting the other team when they do win, I lost all respect for that team. This has been compounded by the scummy entourage of fans who could not possibly be more disrespectful of visiting fans or more unsportsmanlike whether they win or lose. This could have been predicted from the very first game when they threw rocks and attacked Tech players who had won the game.
Finally, I would concur with a previous post:
Bogen H.
December 31st, 2010
2:09 pm
I’ve never understood how anyone – even an alumnus – could support and take pride in UGA’s football team. When you look at their history for the past forty years, how can anyone ignore Jan Kemp and the “remedial studies” scam, the Jim Harrick fiasco, the DUIs in the athletic office, the DUIs and other arrests of players, the #1 party school tag (i.e., the most drunk students), the suspensions and outright dismissals, the Fulmer Cup, and on and on?
I wonder who Richt gave the Red Panties Award to this year?
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
TampaGator
December 31st, 2010
7:58 pm
Meyer is taking time off from coaching and will work for ESPN for a couple of years before heading back to coaching in the midwest….probably at Notre Dame….or Ohio State….probably only two programs he would consider. But I think it will be Notre Dame when the current coach is fired next year or the year after.
Meyer still has a job at Florida and will be working as a consultant to Foley for the next year….and will work for ESPN next year. Then….when the Notre Dame job opens…he goes back to coaching…maybe.
JOD
December 31st, 2010
7:58 pm
THIS IS WHAT SEPERATES UGA FROM THE REST OF US… UGA FANS LIVE THROUGH THEIR LIVES THROUGH THE FOOTBALL PROGRAM. THIS IS SIMPLE AMUSMENT FOR THE REST OF US. WE HAVE LIVES AFTER FOOTBALL IS OVER.
dandydawg
December 31st, 2010
7:59 pm
Boise State should be favored by 45…. But a surprise is awaiting them. Out of heartache comes a champion….. UGA 2011 will be back….
UGAKev
December 31st, 2010
7:59 pm
TAMPA GATOR GEORGIA MATCHES U IN STADIUM, FACILITIES, FANS AND SUPPORT…SO WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
Disappointed Dawg
December 31st, 2010
7:59 pm
Mr. McGarity,
You have been beyond accommodating and gracious this year in responding to my concerns about the state of the program. I have tried to return in kind by being polite as possible, staying positive in my remarks, and keeping the faith in you as our steward of all things athletic at UGA. However, after today’s result I just do not think I can continue to support the program without a change in leadership. I came to Memphis today to watch what I had hoped to be a much improved team; I thought given 30 days to focus on one opponent and improvements to our strength and conditioning program that we should be able to see a team that was looking to springboard to the start of the 2011 season. What I saw instead was unacceptable, a team that was out-coached, out-hussled, and unmotivated; I think many of the fans in attendance felt the same way. I see no hope right now, absolutely none… I don’t hear about us making strides in recruiting; I don’t see us making progress on the field with scheme, attitude, or result; I don’t hear alumni getting more positive or more patient with their support of the program… Basically, I think you are on the verge of losing the entire alumni and fan base soon. I assure you that I will not be doing season tickets next year, nor will I travel to another game in support of our football program as long as Mark Richt is the coach… This has moved beyond staff changes and grown in to him being the problem now. He is not making the adjustments that he needs to make to move us forward… Our staff is below average nationally, in terms of in-game adjustments and preparation, and needed to be over-hauled 3 seasons ago… Yet, all we get is Coach T taking over as strength and conditioning coach. Last year we over-haul the defense and it is apparent that Coach Richt made the wrong call with the hire because Coach Grantham has been pretty classless in my view and has not made one player better than they were last year. It feels like we had to settle with him because none of the other top level coordinators wanted to come and coach under Mark Richt and based on what you read on websites and newspapers the feeling around the country is that he is only respected as a man, not a coach… He is a coach that does not make other coaches better or prepare them to lead other programs. It is pretty sad to travel the country as I do and hear how little everyone thinks of our program. It is almost mind-numbing to think about how we got here in such short window of time… You must act now to save us from being set back even further. You have to fire Mark Richt immediately. I have to think that your predecessor Mr. Evans would have fired Coach Richt by now and that your old boss Mr. Foley would make the same call if he were in your shoes… Please listen to the wants of the alumni and talk to other men in your position and make the right call, the tough call, and fire Mark Richt.
Disappointed Alumni and Donor
5150 P.O.A.D.
December 31st, 2010
7:59 pm
Can you hardly wait to see what SCHULTZ writes after this game. BRADLEY got to lay around the House and watch Kentucky beat Louisville. Man Bradley is lucky.
Auburn Tigers Fans show UGA how to win
December 31st, 2010
7:59 pm
Denver Dawg….what position did you play? “we”….
Loser program with loser fans….
Greatest Conference in the World
December 31st, 2010
8:00 pm
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
George O’Leary runs this state!
SANFORD DRIVE
December 31st, 2010
8:00 pm
I like guys, especially soft UGA guys… Mmmm so soft.
Auburn Fan Here
December 31st, 2010
8:00 pm
Dawg Fans: In college football, things go in cycles. The elite programs bounce back but not until sufficient pain so that changes are made. Three years ago, Tuberville did what Richt did this year. We made a change a little quicker than your new AD will. Still, next year the change will be made, you’ll get a fiery young coach like Kirby Smart, he’ll promise recruits playing time…and in two years UGA will be relevant again. It’s happened at Florida, Alabama, Auburn, etc. Your day will come. When it does, I’ll cheer for you if you’re the SEC rep in the BCS Natl Championship. Just like class Dawg fans will cheer for Auburn this year.
he needs 1 more year
December 31st, 2010
8:01 pm
All of you fans that wanted CMR back for one more year, I am going to make you eat after every game. Its fans like you that are pulling down the progam.