Georgia shows signs of life (for those still paying attention)
Tavarres King's second touchdown catch made the score 35-0, and the rout was on. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
ATHENS – It’s best to not get lost in the blur of “what-ifs.”
What if the first opponent was 1-AA roadkill and not a ranked team? What if Georgia had a week to work out flaws before playing Boise State? Or an easy game to prep for South Carolina? Then would they be leading the SEC East today? What if Marcus Lattimore had suddenly declared before last week’s game, “On second thought, I’m going to save my legs for equestrian. Away with you, Mr. Spurrier”?
It’s just not worth it.
Georgia dug a deep hole, and it’s going to be a while before anybody will be able to see light again. The hole didn’t get any deeper Saturday. But otherwise, we saw what we already knew: The Bulldogs are physically superior to Coastal Carolina. They rule over all Chanticleers. Say it loud, say it proud. They led 21-0 after roughly 17 seconds and 38-0 one series into the second half, when all starters headed for Barcaloungers.
They won 59-0. If they can do this to Coastal Carolina, imagine what they could do to Liberty, and Presbyterian, and Stony Brook. Big South: You are the gum under the SEC’s shoe.
“All right. We got a victory,” coach Mark Richt said.
It was the first time Richt he could use those words in a postgame news conference in nine and a half months.
Georgia had not won a game since beating Georgia Tech on Nov. 27. Since then, Athens had witnessed various forms of suffering, anguish and humiliation: A lifeless defeat to Central Florida in the Liberty Bowl. A body slam by Boise State in the season opener. A woulda-coulda-shoulda loss to South Carolina.
“This probably won’t turn a lot of people’s heads,” quarterback Aaron Murray admitted.
But a win was needed for some kind of cleansing. Or exorcism. The Dogs just aren’t feeling the love these days, and they know it will take a long series of victories — or at least one in Florida — before they feel it again.
Even one of the team’s cheerleaders could be overheard as the final seconds ticked down, “Yay! We’re 1-2!” the words dripping with sarcasm.
The good? There is a pulse after an 0-2 start. A 59-0 win takes a certain level of effort and pride, even if the marquee reads: Godzilla vs. Bambi. It was the Dogs’ most lopsided victory since a 70-6 win over Northeast Louisiana in 1994. Richt can only hope it’s a greater launching pad than it was for Ray Goff 17 years ago.
But some of the negative vibes around the program also were reaffirmed. There were about 10,000 empty seats in Sanford Stadium at kickoff. Attendance (tickets distributed) was announced as 91,946, which is the first non-sellout (by 800) in the Mark Richt era. Georgia had sold out 64 straight. The last non-sellout came in Jim Donnan’s final game against Georgia Tech in 200.
We can quibble about how close the number was to listed capacity. But bottom line: When the most popular sports property in the state fails to sell out for the first time in 11 years, it’s significant.
So it was a little surprising when Richt said, “I don’t think it’s a big deal. It was just about taking care of business.”
For players, that last part is true. But externally, confidence will build again only if Georgia can string together wins over the next four weeks: at Mississippi, Mississippi State, at Tennessee and Vanderbilt. It would create some momentum going into the Florida game.
“Our goal is to go 10-0, and that started today,” Murray said.
“I’m sure most people just view this as as somebody we should have beaten,” cornerback Brandon Boykin said. “But a game like this, just getting the shutout, gives us confidence.”
OK: What if? What if Georgia had played Coastal Carolina first?
“I wouldn’t have wanted that,” Boykin said. “I wanted to play a tough team at the beginning of the year. That game showed us what we needed to do to get ready for South Carolina. We played better last week because we had a rough time with Boise.”
In other words, this is your team. The schedule wasn’t going to change that. Now it’s about making the headache go away. We’ll know more over the next few weeks.
By Jeff Schultz
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556 comments Add your comment
1eyedJack
September 17th, 2011
7:31 pm
LSU won the title with two losses Stendek.
Delbert D.
September 17th, 2011
7:34 pm
Jack – After seeing them Thursday, night, I don’t see LSU losing 2 this year.
Michael
September 17th, 2011
7:36 pm
I’d rather lose them all and get rid of Richt than win just enough to keep him around.
Rotten in Denmark
September 17th, 2011
7:37 pm
@Athens Dog: sure, we’ll beat Old Miss next week. So what? Same as today against CC. UGA can beat my grandma too (although it is probably more accurately a toss up.) Ol’ Miss will be the last sure win we have this season. TN, FL, AU, Vandy, GT – losses all. NMS – I honestly have fears. If you think we can win the SEC East this year, you probably think Rosie O’Donnell is a super model also. And even if the rest of East teams just forfeited their seasons from here on out and we won on a last steam standing basis, any Western SEC team we faced in Atlanta would be as embarrassing as the Boise State game was.
You think we can take AU, AL, AR, LSU? Quit lying to yourself, you’re wasting your own life.
Paddy
September 17th, 2011
7:38 pm
Tom G…..you must not have watched the Tech game! They did not run up the score!
Go Dawgs
5150 UOAD
September 17th, 2011
7:39 pm
Miami scores first on Ohio
Athens Dawg
September 17th, 2011
7:39 pm
People are quick to jump on Georgia. Are they obsessed? I think so. People love to get on here and down Georgia. It’s gotta be Tech fans.
5150 UOAD
September 17th, 2011
7:42 pm
Enter your comments here
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
September 17th, 2011
7:42 pm
Was not impressed with our D line
Got the shut out but…..
Tom G
September 17th, 2011
7:42 pm
5150UOAD & Stendek(his buddy) – Give me a break, UGA would be 3-0 if it had played GT’s 1st three opponents. They would not have to even played their best game too!!
Bjohndawg
September 17th, 2011
7:43 pm
Good win dawgs
now do it 12 times again this season
period
Not a UGA fan
September 17th, 2011
7:47 pm
What do you mean signs of life? This was not a good team. This was their gimme lol
1eyedJack
September 17th, 2011
7:47 pm
Yeah, Delbert they got a good front seven for sure.
Delbert D.
September 17th, 2011
7:47 pm
12-3?
Delbert D.
September 17th, 2011
7:48 pm
13-2.
5150 UOAD
September 17th, 2011
7:49 pm
Tom G
Didn’t say UGA wouldn’t have won against Tech opponents, but UGA didn’t play the same teams THIS year. UGA would still be 2-1 with a SEC loss if UGA played it’s usual first 3 opponents of Ga. Southern, USC and Western Carolina.
Delbert D.
September 17th, 2011
7:49 pm
Jack – The DBs impressed the heck out of me. Relf had to try to keyhole every pass.
Bjohndawg
September 17th, 2011
7:50 pm
Delbert
I should have said 11 more times
5150 UOAD
September 17th, 2011
7:51 pm
The U is not having any problems with The Ohio State University.
1eyedJack
September 17th, 2011
7:54 pm
Delbert, their defense will carry them a long way for sure.
Flat Tire, I thought in the 3-4 defense your linemen maintained the point of attack and your linebackers make the plays. I thought our linebackers played good today. I hope Olgetree heals fast though.
Delbert D.
September 17th, 2011
7:54 pm
Bjohndawg – That would do it. One of the West teams is going to be tough in the SECCG, though.
5150 UOAD
September 17th, 2011
7:54 pm
Bjohndawg………..12-2? Really? Did you see Florida play? Are you watching Navy give USC all they want for the 1st half…..Navy 14 USC 17
1eyedJack
September 17th, 2011
7:55 pm
I’m not as impressed with Dan Mullen as much as some on here are. Don’t see it.
The Coon
September 17th, 2011
7:57 pm
The embarrassment continues! Richt can’t score a touchdown on Central Florida, but runs up the score on a lower division team that most high schools could beat. Keep drinking the kool-aid Mark Richt supporters!
Rotten in Denmark
September 17th, 2011
7:58 pm
@ Michael: You said it perfectly. I’d rather see us bottom out every game the rest of this year if that’s what it takes to clean house. This season’s irreparably damaged already, better to just take the beating and pray for a new regime in Athens next year.
My nightmares are either that we win just enough for the morons-in-charge to maintain status quo, or even worse that we bottom out and they STILL keep the clowns around.
Starting to wonder if there’s something we-don’t-know-about-but-should that’s the source of all this undeserved job security.
1eyedJack
September 17th, 2011
7:58 pm
C’mon Coon, the Chanticleers would win at least 90% of their games against high school teams.
Delbert D.
September 17th, 2011
7:59 pm
S.C. is feeding Lattimore now. He had 195 in the 1st half.
Bjohndawg
September 17th, 2011
8:00 pm
Uoad
guy can hope right?
I probably have a better chance of nailing Cindy Crawford
lol
Delbert D.
September 17th, 2011
8:01 pm
Garcia just turned his back on a pass rush and jump-shot an INT in the red zone.
1eyedJack
September 17th, 2011
8:03 pm
Rotten and Michael, you guys are just pitiful. I bet you guys voted for Obuma. Hope for Change. Take your Prozac.
James T. Kirk Captain of the UGA Enterprise
September 17th, 2011
8:06 pm
Scotty
What will it take to right the ship
dawgforlife
September 17th, 2011
8:07 pm
Jeff….I think the little unneeded (if anyone cares…or whatever the heck it was) plus the tone of your article is VERY unprofessional. You are supposed to write unbiasedly. I wasn’t aware etitorial was part of your duties. Tech plays Western Caroliona and Middle Tennessee State and goes 2-0…UGA plays two top 15 teams, gives the second one absolutely all they can handle, wins against Coastal Carolina, and has to put up with a smart alec article from the paper…where was the sarcasm when they started with 2 cupcakes and a Kansas team that would lose to Buford high school?….the article is absolutely the most offensive thing I have read from a list of offensive articles by this newspaper…now, delete this message and prove the bias cannot be called out
Scotty
September 17th, 2011
8:08 pm
CAPTAIN!!!
You are going to have to beat FL for change sir
You have start beating ranked teams sir
Losing to teams like VANDY and bad TENN teams wont get the UGA enterprise back to WARP speed sir
Athens Dawg
September 17th, 2011
8:10 pm
Wait n see. Just wait n see. The haters will soon have to shut up
Delbert D.
September 17th, 2011
8:11 pm
Navy 21 – 17 over S.C. on a 93 yard drive.
1eyedJack
September 17th, 2011
8:12 pm
Garcia still hung over from last week?
Bjohndawg
September 17th, 2011
8:12 pm
As they say in England dawg for life
here here
here here
spot on
but will say with years dawg team
we will
probably give up 50 to tech
Athens Dawg
September 17th, 2011
8:12 pm
I just hope it’s not SC fans on here talking crap. You better be worried about Navy.
If it’s GT fans, all I gotta say is 9-1.
That’s usually who it is. SC went 9-5 last season and won the SEC East and now they’re the best team every to play CFB.
GT has beaten two sorry teams, and then beat a struggling Kansas team and now they’re the greatest team in the ACC by far.
Get a grip.
Mark
September 17th, 2011
8:12 pm
Thank god UGA gets these cupcake games pretty often, that’s the only ones they can win….hahahaha
1eyedJack
September 17th, 2011
8:13 pm
Spurrier has got to be thinking about calling Shaw’s number.
Delbert D.
September 17th, 2011
8:15 pm
Garcia has taken a few blows this game, plus 2 sacks, but I’ve never seen such a stupid decision on that pass. He kind of just threw it over his own shoulder.
Athens Dawg
September 17th, 2011
8:15 pm
TO ALL THE UGA BASHERS…DO YOU…and let us do us. Worry about your team! You think I spend my entire day going on the SC blog? (If they have one), or a Florida blog, etc. HELL NO. Worry about your own teams.
Scotty
September 17th, 2011
8:16 pm
CAPTAIN
Do you know what your doing????
Chuck Dowdle
September 17th, 2011
8:16 pm
59-0!!!! You gotta vote UGA #1 in the nation after this one. CMR is by far the best coach in America.
mike g
September 17th, 2011
8:18 pm
Good solid win for “our” Dawgs, lousy typical headline for Schultz. Like President Adams said we need to get behind our Team and stop all the negative talk. That goes for everyone except Schultz and Bradley who only know how bash Coach Richt in their silly daily rants.
dawgforlife
September 17th, 2011
8:18 pm
typo ther was editorial…plus Jeff do a little more research please, if you would, and find out the last time Tech sold out a home game….Heck, we have folks who buy Tech season tickets just to get the Ga game when its in Atlanta…that tells you how impressive the ticket sales are for your paper’s hometown team.
1eyedJack
September 17th, 2011
8:18 pm
A journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step, Grasshopper.
Bjohndawg
September 17th, 2011
8:19 pm
South Carolina is the Jekyll and Hyde of college football
uga has become the ole miss of the sec east
1980 was a long time ago
September 17th, 2011
8:22 pm
Dang……its about time u freaking losers! 1-2 hahahhahahahahahhahaha
5150 UOAD
September 17th, 2011
8:23 pm
I don’t think a Grasshopper takes a 1000 steps in it’s life much less 1000 miles.
Athens dawg 9-1, but 7-9 in your last 16 games has everybody laughing.