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
Athens Dawg
September 17th, 2011
9:06 pm
Now LSU is a good football team. Florida is a good football team. SC is not a good football team. Georgia is average. We can’t make the plays when we need to against top competition and until we do, we’re average. But SC is not good.
richmondDawg
September 17th, 2011
9:08 pm
That triple option is a pain in the ass to prepare for, and SC’s defense isn’t anything to brag about…
Not a UGA fan
September 17th, 2011
9:08 pm
Athens Dawg,
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.
***********************************************************************************************************
Last week the biggest hater of UGA was UGA fans.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
September 17th, 2011
9:09 pm
td
Why do I keep rooting for a team I cannot stand. Intelegent response
I didnt know wanting my team to do better, when it has the talent to play for conference championships was called rooting for a team I cannot stand
Oh and another thing
When comes to what Richt stands for Im glad he is a Christian but Richt has failed to make the changes needed for this program to get off the ground again.
Here is a little something for you
What do Vince Lombardi, Tom Landry, Bill Walsh, Joe Gibbs, and Tony Dungy have in common.
They were Christians and amassed a total of 17 NFL Championships
Mark Richts faith has nothing to do with my criticism
Delbert D.
September 17th, 2011
9:10 pm
What was the final score on UF – UT?
richmondDawg
September 17th, 2011
9:10 pm
5150, I see you didn’t exactly disavow TideRoll….are you a lawyer AND a troll?
JRW7
September 17th, 2011
9:12 pm
Thats GREAT, the only team CMR has beaten in 91/2 months is a community college!
John
September 17th, 2011
9:12 pm
Why is it that UGA fans think they have a top notch program? They get all these recruits, on tv all the time, their coach does Ford commercials and yet they haven’t won a NC in about 30 years. If it hadnt been for H. Walker you all wouldn’t even have that championship. Figure it out, you ARE not a top program and quit thinking that you are.
Jeff Schultz
September 17th, 2011
9:15 pm
Abravefan — Comment deleted for obscenity. You’re welcome to re-post.
JAWJeRDAWG
September 17th, 2011
9:16 pm
@ BroncoBlue
BYU 14 New Miss 13 at Mississippi
Is NEW Miss a new team in the SEC?
Just askin’.
Sickly Dawgs
September 17th, 2011
9:16 pm
UGA is 1-2 now. While LSU,Bama,Florida,SC are 3-0. Can we get a new coach ?
5150 UOAD
September 17th, 2011
9:17 pm
richmondDawg WTF are you talking about? I am not those people and I am not a Lawyer either.
Jeff Schultz
September 17th, 2011
9:17 pm
Dawgforlife — What I’m supposed to do is write my opinion. That’s my job. My opinion doesn’t mean I have biases. I think you’re confusing the two.
Athens Dawg
September 17th, 2011
9:19 pm
Ok…lemme tell you why Florida is 3-0…they started out against FAU and UAB…who in here thinks UGA would have lost to either one of those teams? If you do, your not telling the truth.
LSU is the only team that you mentioned that deserves praise for that 3-0 record. They are a great team. And my pick to win the SEC West.
Alabama played Kent State, Penn State, and North Texas. Ok?
SC played East Carolina, Georgia, and Navy…could have easily lost all 3.
5150 UOAD
September 17th, 2011
9:19 pm
Jeff I must be you too………….It seems I am like 12 people on this blog tonight.
Jeff Schultz
September 17th, 2011
9:20 pm
Dawgforlife (again) — What does Tech’s attendance have to do with Georgia’s attendance. The fact that Georgia outdraws Tech by a mile certainly is not a secret. Do you not consider it significant that Georgia had sold out 64 straight games — 64 — before today over an 11-year span?
Athens Dawg
September 17th, 2011
9:20 pm
You all are a bunch of peasants! ! ! ! !
Jeff Schultz
September 17th, 2011
9:21 pm
Trojan — See above.
Delbert D.
September 17th, 2011
9:21 pm
Let me help clarify things – 5150 drives dump trucks, and I am a half-senile retired guy.
JAWJeRDAWG
September 17th, 2011
9:21 pm
Jeff:
With not being able to go to the game today, your Live-Blog really made for a enjoyable afternoon. Thanks for having us on.
TXDawg3
September 17th, 2011
9:22 pm
@ Rotten in Denmark and Michael
Your brash verbal behavior openly reflects your insecure personalities and an apparent childhood whose parents most likely made the mistake of always giving you everything you wanted without teaching you that success in life is a culmination of setting goals, hard work and responding instead of reacting to adversity. Life isn’t easy. You can thank God above that those around you on a daily basis haven’t written you off when you failed to live up to their expectations of you. Then again, maybe they have & the rest of us are having to put up with your whining and temper tantrums.
Those of us whom have learned from our mistakes and failures will patiently wait on your personal development, although that won’t prevent us from admonishing you to make better choices when you choose to reveal your thoughts. It’s hard to imagine any mature person desiring that something devastating would happen to another decent person or to an institution. Sure, sometimes it’s necessary to replace personnel in any organization, but only the hateful, mean spirited or immature person openly express harm to another person.
Sickly Dawgs
September 17th, 2011
9:22 pm
Here’s the problem at UGA. They pay their coach 3.5 million (about same as LSU,Bama,Auburn,Fla,SC coaches make). They recruit top 10 every year like LSU,Bama,Auburn,Fla,and SC. They have the fan support like the top SEC schools. But they can’t win like LSU,Bama,Auburn,Fla,and SC. And that’s the problem.
Delbert D.
September 17th, 2011
9:22 pm
Just kidding, 51, and that was me posting.
Jeff Schultz
September 17th, 2011
9:23 pm
RichmondDawg — Don’t know about the above screen names — haven’t searched and have no reason to – but readers posting comments under multiple names is not unusual. Personally, I don’t get it but there’s no rule against it.
Jeff Schultz
September 17th, 2011
9:23 pm
5150 UOAD — There can only be ONE UOAD!
THWG
September 17th, 2011
9:24 pm
UGA played today?
Didnt even notice.
5150 UOAD
September 17th, 2011
9:24 pm
UGA turns out Grads like Pimps turnout young girls. UGA as Millions of grads alive Tech doesn’t. More fools in Ga are dawgs that have stepped foot in a UGA classroom. Tech grads don’t stay in Ga after graduation. TECH will not out draw UGA ever. So what!
Evans
September 17th, 2011
9:25 pm
We stink, but I still have the red panties…
Jeff Schultz
September 17th, 2011
9:25 pm
JAWJerDAWG — Thank you. Live blogs are fun but readers are the real engine.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
September 17th, 2011
9:29 pm
John
I guess LSU isnt a top program either because before 2003 there last National Championship was 1958
I guess Auburn isnt a top program either because before 2010 there last National Championship was 1957
I guess Notre Dame isnt a top program either since they havent done anything since 1987
I guess Ohio St isnt either since before 2002 there last NC was 1970
I guess USC either since before 2003 they shared a NC in 1978
5150 UOAD
September 17th, 2011
9:29 pm
Jeff……………mark is still mad at me so i can’t post on his blogs anymore. I am at the tech games so i don’t do your Tech games. I like when you have UGA be cause I can post. HAHAHAHAHAHAH
augustadawg
September 17th, 2011
9:31 pm
Bobo’s best career win!!!!! Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!
Dullbog
September 17th, 2011
9:32 pm
<>
Not only not paying attention, but not caring, either.
td
September 17th, 2011
9:32 pm
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
September 17th, 2011
9:09 pm
Nothing wrong with wanting your team win and you should be rooting for them every week. Now coming on these blogs over and over again calling your own team out, calling your coaches out and wanting your team to lose so that the coach can get fired does not show you love your team. It shows me that you are clueless about what is really going on in the world and it makes you a bandwagon fan. Like I said why do you continue to support a team that you hate?
jojatek
September 17th, 2011
9:34 pm
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! Nice win, pups…
td
September 17th, 2011
9:35 pm
Sickly Dawgs
September 17th, 2011
9:22 pm
I take it you are just another Tech troll on the UGA blog. Please change your name and be proud to support your team.
Gotta have those style points
September 17th, 2011
9:35 pm
Navy has just proven how bad of a program both SC and UGA are. Fire these clowns in Athens immediately!
Since Vince
September 17th, 2011
9:37 pm
Like I said before This season is already OVA for UGA.
Bob
September 17th, 2011
9:38 pm
UGA will lose 4 more games. Bank on it.
Swami SEZ
September 17th, 2011
9:39 pm
UGA should hire the Navy coach……
frannie mae
September 17th, 2011
9:40 pm
UGA is in BIG BIG trouble……for a while
Hiram
September 17th, 2011
9:41 pm
Mark R. is the best coach who ever coached at UGA and we are lucky to have him as evidenced by the big win for our team today. Who else would want to come here? He should be able to win 7 or 8 games and secure his future in Athens for at least the next 10 years. SEC speed alone should guarantee at least a .500 record. Get behind the coach and pull for another big win next week.
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
September 17th, 2011
9:41 pm
We need to play Coastal Somebody every week. Even if it’s a Barber College or a Clown College as long as it’s Coastal Barber College or Coastal Clown College we should be all right. Coach Grantham had a big day today keeping Coastal Whatever out of the end zone. Talk about earning his $750,000!
augustadawg
September 17th, 2011
9:42 pm
Sickly dogs: You hit the nail on the head!!
5150 UOAD
September 17th, 2011
9:43 pm
RUSS ain’t Dead…………Nice to hear from you RUSS.
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
September 17th, 2011
9:44 pm
I had never even heard of Coastal Carolina until they showed up today. I think they are a college somewhere on the coast of Carolina but that’s just a guess. Our coaches showed that they can do the job today and I suspect as long as we play Coastal Somebody they can hold their own. Volunteer coaches try hard but it’s hard for them to beat $750,000 per year assistant coaches.
Jeff Schultz
September 17th, 2011
9:44 pm
5150 UOAD — Well, you do tempt fate sometimes. Haha. But stay cool and you’ll stay off my banned list.
Athens Dawg
September 17th, 2011
9:45 pm
Sickly mutt, didn’t Auburn just lose today? And I wouldn’t put SC in the same category as LSU and Bama. Kiddin me
cattle dawg
September 17th, 2011
9:45 pm
Nice win for Dawgs today. Can Dawgs now do work on Ole Miss? If FSU can come back it would be a huge day for the ACC. What you think Jeff/
cattle dawg
September 17th, 2011
9:48 pm
Jeff, can you get someone to give traffic updates on AM750 during the dawgs pregame show. I lost a hour in that paving on 75. Thanks in advance