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
5150 UOAD
September 18th, 2011
12:11 am
Ohio State can say What exactly to anybody?
cattle dawg
September 18th, 2011
12:14 am
Weve beat this topic to death. Lets discuss important stuff. Is that really scarlet johanson in those photos?
Ohio State
September 18th, 2011
12:15 am
DeAngelo Tyson was suspended for the game ?
cattle dawg
September 18th, 2011
12:17 am
Good news for everyone, Cards lost. Go braves
5150 UOAD
September 18th, 2011
12:17 am
Yes it is her
Ha
September 18th, 2011
12:18 am
U suck and U know it. SC almost got beat by Navy… Hear that sound?? It is your pathetic team going down in flames.
Rugbydawg
September 18th, 2011
12:20 am
Wow, I haven’t been on These forums in a long time… When did the AJC turn into such a cesspool? The observations that are made in the comments here reflect a very low class of reader for the most part. The internet is destroying people’s decency unfortunately. I’ll promise you that 99% of the negative posters on this blog have never played in nor coached a sport in their life. Coaches have peaks and valleys, and before our society turned into a bunch of quick to quit louses we gave people the benefit of the doubt. Right has earned the right to a chance at turning HIS program around. CMR has put more into UGA in a year than you people will put in your entire lives. Just sit behind your keyboard and continue to spew your hate filled filth all over the bathroom wall called the internet. Its crystal clear that many of you need to look in the mirror and judge yourself before you start casting stones at others.
cattle dawg
September 18th, 2011
12:21 am
Whats SC an navy got to do with the price of eggs in china? I think its Scarlet to but the mirror shot seems a bit fishy.
dawgforlife
September 18th, 2011
12:24 am
Jeff….then your opinion is loaded with snippy sarcasm…which is unwelcome…and means that you are personally biased in your reporting…and my description of that being unprofessional is of course my opinion…which, like certain parts of the anatomy, we all have one. as for the news worthiness of UGA’s first non-sellout in eleven years, I think a more news worthy thing to focus on is how a Technical Institution in the middle of millions of people, with literally hundreds of thousands of alumni, and a 3-0 record, seldom if ever comes anywhere close to selling out a stadium with a much smaller seating capacity than the one nestled in the leafy hamlet of Athens, which for the record is not the hometown college of your paper.
UGA 92
September 18th, 2011
12:25 am
5150
If Tech would have put these stats up against a Boise State or USC, then your point would be solid. But once again, it’s not the plays Tech ran or even how well those plays were executed that is in question, it’s about WHO Tech ran those plays against. I know this maybe a foreign concept, but competition matters. You and the others in the Nerd Herd can praise and triumph all you want, most other college football fans see it as one thing: Wow! Tech likes to beat up the special needs teams.
5150 UOAD
September 18th, 2011
12:27 am
“I think Hutson is a very good player. I think Hutson has been practicing extremely well,” coach Mark Richt said afterward. “He has practiced so well that you hate that he hasn’t gotten more playing time. That’s absolutely no knock against Murray — we think Murray is our guy; we think Murray is a heck of a player — but when a backup [practices] well at any position you just want to play him.”
So Murray is 7-9 and there have been no chances for Hutson Mason to play? Real brain Trust at UGA for sure.
the indiana of the sec
September 18th, 2011
12:27 am
dawgforlife = idiot…rugbydawg..don’t know where you’ve been, but, go back…
okfornow
September 18th, 2011
12:30 am
Wow – that is funny that Navy almost beat SC. In fact – Navy had 275 yards RUSHING against SC. What does that say about Georgia – who was being so proud of how “we came together” during the SC game. And Clemson knocking off Auburn? Great.
I'm Just Saying
September 18th, 2011
12:32 am
The most important thing that the mutt fans can hope to take from this game is that CMR had an Ah-ha type moment….”Ohhhh next year we should schedule the cupcake games at the beginning of the year”
SEC Fact Finder
September 18th, 2011
12:32 am
This has been an interesting day in the SEC. UGA gets their first win, UF beats Tennessee but looked very average in a couple of aspects of the game, but they slowed down a pretty good Vols offense.
Auburn showed what playing 42 underclassmen look like on the road. USC out to outlast a Navy team that took it to USC. But we got to see the leading Heisman Candidate in Lattimore, whoa what a hoss.
Going in to the season many thought that Vandy would once again be the worst team in the conference, well folks we all now know that Ole Miss and Kentucky may be the two worst teams as it sits third week into the season. Alabama and Arkansas got a tune up for next weeks big matchup. LSU flexed its defensive muscle against a Dan Mullen team that looked to quit with 5 minutes to go. We saw future SEC member Texas A&M stretch out and win a laugher.
All in ALL, UGA is not as bad as some folks have made out, UF is still a little puzzeling, Alabama IS good on defense, but their offense has a ton of questions, Arkansas can play offense with anyone, but their defense is still an Arkansas defense.
Congratulations to UGA, you guys had 2 weeks of literature beat downs and for a week you guys can drive around with your UGA gear on your cars and be proud, and the way it looks you will be able to keep it on for a few more weeks with Ole Miss on the horizon.
okfornow
September 18th, 2011
12:32 am
So UGA 92?? Using your logic “’s about WHO Tech ran those plays against” – are you wolfing it up because of your win over a Community College like Coastal Carolina. Seems to me that’s the only teams Georgia seems to be able to handle. Lots of “bark” against the small schools.
5150 UOAD
September 18th, 2011
12:33 am
92 If nave did it to USC WTF do you think could do against USC? I would guess better than Navy considering what Tech did to Kansas
cattle dawg
September 18th, 2011
12:35 am
I thought it was pretty stupid for SC to play navy after UGA. I thought it was a trap game all week.
Ohio State
September 18th, 2011
12:37 am
Scarlett Johansson took pics of herself and you ask are they really her ? That’s like asking has Georgia lost 23 games after the 2005 season. Ok, someone hacked the photos from her cell phone. But, to ask are they really hers, then you just don’t know what you are posting on the Internet about.
UGA 92
September 18th, 2011
12:38 am
5150: try that again. made no sense.
observer
September 18th, 2011
12:39 am
We’re paying attention, you liberal so-and-so.
You wouldn’t have a job if you weren’t a liberal so-and-so.
cattle dawg
September 18th, 2011
12:39 am
Well said fact finder, but I”m not sure about Lattimore being a Leading Heisman candidate.
5150 UOAD
September 18th, 2011
12:40 am
If Navy could do what they did to USC what do you guess Tech could do to USC?
UGA 92
September 18th, 2011
12:41 am
okfornow: excellent question. Others in the DawgNation maybe wolfing it up, but I am not. Anything less that a 59-0 this afternoon, I would have seen as a failure.
observer
September 18th, 2011
12:42 am
shultz, of the hairy mouth posts falsehoods about Sarah Palin. Anything that comes out of his(it’s?) hairy mouth is suspect.
Ohio State
September 18th, 2011
12:43 am
Is Ohio State on back-to-back NCAA PROBATION in FOOTBALL major violations, like Georgia tek ?
So, yes…
cattle dawg
September 18th, 2011
12:43 am
Ohio, its called SARCASM.
UGA 92
September 18th, 2011
12:44 am
IF, IF, IF….If my aunt had balls, she’s be my uncle.
observer
September 18th, 2011
12:44 am
Clemson: National Champs in two years.
Ohio State
September 18th, 2011
12:45 am
Why did we change to lining up and running the play, like all of us said all week this week – instead of running up to the line and looking like a poorly coached team asking on from the sidelines mother may I call a running play outside the tackles ?
I mean if he knows what the blazes he is doing, why didn’t he do this in game 2 where it would have made the difference ?
5150 UOAD
September 18th, 2011
12:46 am
Stanford ain’t looking so great with their new head coach. Time to stop with the Pre-Season Rankings. 1st poll after the 4th game.
Ohio St looked like Vandy
Ohio State
September 18th, 2011
12:47 am
No, it was a legitimate question
Ohio State
September 18th, 2011
12:47 am
Georgia tek is still not going to be in the Top 25.
cattle dawg
September 18th, 2011
12:47 am
5150, tech ran the ball up and down the field against UGA last year. Tech lost, same as navy to sc.
5150 UOAD
September 18th, 2011
12:48 am
DABO
couldn’t get Clemson to an ACC Championship in 2 years. Start off small there Observer
cattle dawg
September 18th, 2011
12:50 am
Good post 92 at 12 44
5150 UOAD
September 18th, 2011
12:50 am
Ohio St
did I say Tech should be?
No Team should be Ranked while most are playing Preseason type games.
UGA 92
September 18th, 2011
12:52 am
5150: To answer your question, we will never know what Tech would do against a USC or a top ten team, because Tech does not play a top ten team this year. They only play Va. Tech which, as of now, is ranked 13th. The rest of Tech’s schedule is filled with the Dukes and Marylands of the football world. Oh the joys and privilege of playing in the ACC.
Vail
September 18th, 2011
12:54 am
Jeff,
We all know you hate Richt because he put you in your place once. Don’t let it effect your writing. To late I guess.
Dirty Dawg
September 18th, 2011
12:55 am
I don’t know you Schultz but my guess is that those that do think you’re a genuine POS. I also don’t know whose head I’d rather hold down in an un-flushed Sanford Stadium toilet, yours or that sarcastic cheerleader…oh hell, why not both?
5150 UOAD
September 18th, 2011
12:58 am
92
Ole Miss, Miss St, Vandy, Kentucky, are real Powerhouses right? Lets see where the Teams UGA plays end up RANKED after all is said and done.
Ohio State
September 18th, 2011
12:58 am
DeAngelo Tyson when do I get an answer on that ?
Ohio State
September 18th, 2011
1:00 am
There is only 1 ranked team for UGA the rest of the season, Florida, and they are not any good
Ohio State
September 18th, 2011
1:00 am
That includes ESPECIALLY Georgia tek.
UGA 92
September 18th, 2011
1:02 am
Vail and Dirty Dawg: Cut Jeff some slack. The poor guy is part of a dying industry. Newspapers and print journalism will be extinct in a few years, and so will his career. Only Jeff’s closest friends and relatives will be able hear his contempt for UGA and all that is associated with it. Thank the Lord for computers.
5150 UOAD
September 18th, 2011
1:04 am
No Ohio St looked like UGA against UCF.
Ohio State
September 18th, 2011
1:05 am
Jeff Schultz, the body slam was the South Carolina game – try to get anything right.
UGA 92
September 18th, 2011
1:06 am
5150: I’ll put up a Vandy against a Maryland any day. If you are trying to get into a ACC power vs. SEC power, stop now. Even the palest and most virginal of the nerd herd would never attempt that. But then again…
5150 UOAD
September 18th, 2011
1:08 am
92
Only USA Today New York Times and a few others in Print media will be left.
who will the Polls use if there is no more AP or UPI? LOL
Ohio State
September 18th, 2011
1:10 am
It’s not a “woulda-coulda-shoulda” when your defense doesn’t give up 28 of the points scored in the football game. That’s a what a crappy performance by especially your offense in giving up 21 of those 28 points. You don’t watch your defense not give up 28 of the points scored in a football game, and say it is a “woulda-coulda-shoulda” but instead call that game the body slam game.
As for Boise State, your comment should clearly be about coaching. Then, we have this game which we could have done anything we wanted to do against this cupcake (like all the remaining games), and the offense goes out there like a well-oiled machine, lines up at the line of scrimmage and runs the plays. What was that all about ? You guys come in here and don’t discuss what happened.
Why is that ? You weren’t at the game ?