Georgia gets needed win but leaves room for improvement
Isaiah Crowell rushed for 147 yards but felt Georgia should've scored more touchdowns.
OXFORD, Miss. – Since the first two games of the season adjusted everybody’s expectations, let’s start with this: Georgia won a game on Saturday. Over an SEC opponent. On the road. These things aren’t taken for granted any more, not after a 2-6 stretch in the conference on non-hedged fields.
So in that sense, the Bulldogs’ 27-13 win over Mississippi was a step forward. It just wasn’t quite the sledgehammer maybe some had hoped for.
This was Ole Miss, one of the worst teams in the nation. It lost to Vanderbilt 30-7 last week. One group among the program’s normally relatively staid fan base, whose greatest focus generally is on picnicking in The Grove, even was moved to purchase full-page advertisements in five area newspapers. In so many words, they asked the school’s administration to strap coach Houston Nutt to a catapult and fire him into the gulf. Even angry Georgia fans haven’t gone that far when it comes to Mark Richt.
So the bar should’ve been set high Saturday for the Bulldogs. In many ways, they dominated an inferior opponent. They killed in real estate. The final yardage totals: 475 to 183. First downs: 25-8.
If this was Monopoly, the Dogs had hotels from Pacific Avenue thru Boardwalk, while Mississippi was mortgaging Baltic.
But the fact that Georgia struggled to score touchdowns and put this game away reaffirmed some of the team’s flaws. The Dogs scored three touchdowns (in the first six possessions). Then they fizzled. By game’s end, they had attempted five field goals (Blair Walsh missing three).
Richt accurately summarized, “When we get a defense tired, we need to stick a fork in them, and we weren’t able to do that.”
A road SEC win is better than losses to Boise State and South Carolina and a win over some pipsqueak from Myrtle Beach. But to beat Mississippi State, Florida, Auburn – maybe even Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky – Georgia will need to be better. Because every other conference opponent is better equipped than the Rebels to make you pay for a mistake.
Some of what happened could be attributed to the usual: dropped passes, missed blocks, etc. But some of it is on Richt. He didn’t send a great message to his players at the start of the fourth quarter. On fourth-and-1 from the Rebels’ 30, he sent in the field-goal team. The Dogs led 24-13. It seemed like the perfect time to try to pound the opponent for a yard and pass up a 48-yard attempt (hardly a sure thing). Richt played it conservative. Walsh missed.
Question: When a team starts the season 0-2 and the only win thus far has come over Coastal Carolina, shouldn’t there be a more aggressive approach?
Players tried to convince Richt to go for the first down. He later explained, “What I told them was if you want to get a first down, do it in the first three downs.”
Oddly, on the Dogs’ next possession, Richt took a huge gamble when he decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Dogs’ 44. Richard Samuel “made it by a thumbnail,” Richt said. (He later second-guessed himself, saying he should’ve punted.)
Georgia never was in danger of losing this game. It just never had the look of a wrecking ball, which is what you would’ve hoped for. Ole Miss had two touchdowns called back by penalties. Richt conceded, “It was a two-score [lead], and all it would’ve taken was one big play for them and it could’ve gotten really nasty and ugly, but the defense never allowed them to do that.”
There were positive signs. The defense was solid, allowing only one touchdown. Isaiah Crowell is turning into a game-changer. He rushed for 147 yards on 30 carries, including a 29-yard gain on third-and-9 from the Georgia 2 that launched a 99-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter that Richt called “the biggest play of the game.”
But even Crowell, after the biggest day of his young career, found himself talking about flaws.
“I’m happy with how the team played, but I thought we could’ve played better in the second half,” he said. “We should’ve scored [more] points.”
By Jeff Schultz
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719 comments Add your comment
5150 UOAD
September 24th, 2011
9:22 pm
Herry perry…………..then why do you UGA people talk crap to the Gators?
Did you look at the Calendar and see it is SATURDAY yet?
BobDawg
September 24th, 2011
9:24 pm
…Ok we took the air out of the ball and chewed up the clock in the 2nd half… Walsh is automatic and we should have ended up with @36 pts… Everyone wanted us to play a perfect game and it doesn’t happen on on the road in the SEC. We are getting better each week and players are getting healthy… Let’s see how this plays out now….
5150 UOAD
September 24th, 2011
9:24 pm
Herry Perry
Where are your friends on Saturday night? You are here where are they?
Mangy Dawg
September 24th, 2011
9:25 pm
I can see the Florida game now… Walsh misses two field goals and Dawgs lose 28-24.
Herry Perry
September 24th, 2011
9:26 pm
5150,
I will no longer contribute to your problem by responding to you. You need some kind of intervention,
no person with all his “nuts and bolts” would be sitting behind a computer typing away on a blog of a team he doesn’t even like all night that has any sanity.
5150 UOAD
September 24th, 2011
9:27 pm
Grantham will get smoked by Les Miles…………….HHAAHAH…………..The UGA coaching brain trust SCARES every SEC team right? Thank God UGA gives scholarships to kids that can’t type and chew gum. UGA would be Ole Miss if that were the case. Wait UGA isn’t much more than ole Miss after all.
Gerry
September 24th, 2011
9:27 pm
More like 42-21 mangy
Army Vet
September 24th, 2011
9:28 pm
The worst team in the SEC East just beat the worst team in the SEC West…the SEC period. I guess the UGA thugs will be trash talking now!
grasseater
September 24th, 2011
9:28 pm
did you see anything today that would lead you to believe we could play with bama or lsu???…
Herry Perry
September 24th, 2011
9:29 pm
Good Night Dawgs!
Hey at least we’re not Georgia Tech!
grasseater
September 24th, 2011
9:31 pm
i’ve changed my way of thinking on les miles…smart enough to get good assistants, plays old school sec/big 10 smashmouth defense, controls the lines of scrimage…the game has come full circle…catchme/kiss me ball we play in athens is dead…
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
September 24th, 2011
9:32 pm
Mad Poot
Im a slow tard really
You come on here in the middle of a UGA vs GT rant and post Herschel isnt there anymore and think someone somehow knows your a FL when you never said anything about who you pull for
The only retard is you moron
And Since you are a so called FL fan who actually is a Tech fan because no real FL fan is on here waisting there time on a UGA blog while FL is playing:
Just to let you know TEBOW is no longer there and UGA still owns the series and FL was never relevant until after 1990
5150 UOAD
September 24th, 2011
9:33 pm
Herry Perry
If that helps you sleep. I am sure you are not going to suit up next Saturday and play against Miss St.
Bed at 9 pm on a Saturday Night? Wow you are not even a Dawg. Dawgs PARTY HARD after any win.
5150 UOAD
September 24th, 2011
9:35 pm
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville……………..That wouldn’t happen if you strapped your wife to that tire and glue her lips to the Valve stem.
Border Dweller
September 24th, 2011
9:35 pm
I wonder how many of you whiny psudeo-fans ever played a team sport. It isn’t an easy thing to enter a season with a totally unproven backfield and receiving group, a patched-up O-Line and esentially no depth at linebacker, then play two top-20 teams, lose both starting inside linebackers and a couple of linemen, and emerge undefeated, which seems to be all that some of you think is acceptable. UGA won today, on a day when they lost an onsides kick, gave up a punt return TD, and missed 3 FG’s. Way to Go Dawgs!
Mad Poot
September 24th, 2011
9:36 pm
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
You’re right. We didn’t need Tebow last year. Our record over the last 20 years speaks for itself. How many conference championships do you have since 1990? How many National Championships since 1990? Do you need me to tell you how many we have?
I’m on this blog because I live in Atlanta. I didn’t notice the UF-UK blog you grub-puck.
We’re also up 41-10 in the 3rd which is what you do against lower tier SEC teams. You won be 14 today over a bad Ole Miss team…right?
KJ
September 24th, 2011
9:36 pm
I wish ga played lsu or bama this year. It would be so funny to watch them lose 42-7. richt can’t save his season without play the 3 best teams from the sec west.
5150 UOAD
September 24th, 2011
9:36 pm
The DAWGS are really wanting some Mizzou and Texas A&M. AHAAHAHAHAHA
Dog gone
September 24th, 2011
9:36 pm
UGA is so middle of the pack, it is depressing. Defense is much improved, but the offense and special teams is an embarrassment. We have the playmakers to score 50-60 points a game, but the play calling and execution is terrible. When are we going to put our athletes in space to make plays. We sent Crowell into the middle most of the day. I do not get it!!! Murray is a gamer , BUT he is not getting it done. Demote Bobo now, find another play caller and give Mason a chance.
BTW, I keep hearing that CMR’s retirement at the end of the year has been a done deal for awhile.
Uaccountable Richt
September 24th, 2011
9:37 pm
Richt’s quotes after game about Walsh missed field goals :
Coach Mark Richt was glad to see Walsh make his last kick, but insisted he hasn’t lost confidence in the senior.
“I’m glad he was able to kick it, but if we didn’t have another attempt, he’s still our guy,” Richt said. “He doesn’t have to worry about how I feel about him.”
What kind of crapola is that ? Your kicker can’t miss 3 field goals PERIOD. Be a man and call Walsh out !
UGA '92
September 24th, 2011
9:37 pm
You do have a good point, Dweller. Not all was bad today.
UGA '92
September 24th, 2011
9:38 pm
@KJ: our schedule was not luck. It was divine intervention.
Just Askin'
September 24th, 2011
9:39 pm
Seems like tonight it’s just gonna be an old fashioned saloon fight between the trolls and those that get baited by ‘em. How about a change of subject? All 9 Big 12 teams (except aTm) pledged their Tier 1 and Tier 2 TV rights to the Big 12 for the next 6 years — meaning if they bolt, they leave the $ behind. Talk about handcuffs. Mizzou was among these, so don’t expect to see them coming to the SEC.
And since FSU & Clemson signed up for a $20m exit fee from the ACC, we appear to be headed toward a 13 team conference for awhile. Whatdaya think? Will Auburn move to the East and we have a 6-7 division split (W-E) or do they stay put and it becomes 7-6 (W-E)? Who could be a easy to join 14th to come in? Louisville? Eastern Carolina? Promote Ga Southern? (a stretch, I know)
grasseater
September 24th, 2011
9:42 pm
it has to be west virginia now, don’t you think?
5150 UOAD
September 24th, 2011
9:43 pm
Walsh missed on as many EZ scoring opportunities as a Tech guy on Friday night
Matt
September 24th, 2011
9:45 pm
Mad Poot
You gotta laugh at these idiots. It will really burn when Will M beats them. A home grown dog fan
Dawg Squeeze
September 24th, 2011
9:45 pm
UGA Football….31 years and counting.
5150 UOAD
September 24th, 2011
9:47 pm
MATT
Now even I know you are DUMB. Will Muschamp was a HOME GROWN GATOR fan. He went to UGA because of where he lived at the time.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
September 24th, 2011
9:48 pm
Mad Poot
“I’m on this blog because I live in Atlanta. I didn’t notice the UF-UK blog you grub-puck”
Geez I didnt know having the Internet in Atlanta meant that you couldnt surf a FL blog in Gainesville
Like I said if you were a real FL fan you wouldnt be wasting your time on here Moron
You have to be the stupidest person Ive ever met. I have to post it again
“I’m on this blog because I live in Atlanta. I didn’t notice the UF-UK blog you grub-puck”
Yea whose the grub-puck as you call it
Who has more NC’s we do
SEC championships we do
Who leads the series we do
Oh and Tech fan can flip over to ESPN and get a score
5150 UOAD
September 24th, 2011
9:49 pm
Will’s dad was running a private school in Georgia so he went to UGA. he was born in Florida and was a Gator fan as a young child. LEARN more about your own coach you fool.
grasseater
September 24th, 2011
9:49 pm
mathieu from lsu is simply an amazing football player…wow…
Mad Poot
September 24th, 2011
9:50 pm
Matt -
I laugh at these idiots weekly. From the stupidity here on the AJC, to the stupidity on 680 & 790, to the stupidity on 750 during the Dawg games and after game call in shows. Pure yup-nuggets.
Matt
September 24th, 2011
9:52 pm
Wow is lsu good. Gonna be another lsu bama or fla nat champ
Dawg gone fan
September 24th, 2011
9:52 pm
I’m so sick of Richt trying to put a positve spin on CRAP (yeah, I know its his job but its worn oh so thin). Nothing is going to change until he decides to bring in a REAL OC or takes it back over himself. Matter of fact, I can see him not getting his contract renewed or getting the axe this year when he stupidly refuses to acknowldge Bobo is a Nono…
5150 UOAD
September 24th, 2011
9:52 pm
So VANDy was able to hold USC to fewer points than UGA could? Vandy scored more points on Ole Miss than UGA did. What you want to give PROOF UGA SUCKS more than you are willing to admit? Stem Sucker has a flat tire cause he don’t know how to blow up an inner tube.
Mad Poot
September 24th, 2011
9:54 pm
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville -
I have to chuckle at the moronic posts you provide. Your “glory” days are 50+ years old outside of ONE season…(1980). That’s it. You’re irrelevant in every aspect of college football otherwise. I’m glad you beat UF back in the 1940’s…means nothing though over the last 20 years. Do you think that 5 star recruit that is in Valdosta is going to care about what your poodles did in the 1940’s, or about the fact Florida has dominated you since the day that kid was born? You’re a joke. Your program is a joke.
Just Askin'
September 24th, 2011
9:54 pm
@grasseater — At the height of the realignment frenzy, I would’ve thought it would be WVU or Mizzou, but since the SEC already rejected WVU inquiries, I’m thinking that ship has sailed. Lot of crow would have to be eaten – by the conference and WVU both – to join now. Problem is we’re running out of geographic options. Unless we poach-n-pay, or hop over a state (stepping out of the South, forget Southeast) it seems that promoting a lower division team may be our only choice – or just make do unbalanced at lucky 13.
evil empire
September 24th, 2011
9:54 pm
rumor has jordan jefferson transferring to uga
Matt
September 24th, 2011
9:55 pm
5150 you are a moron
Muschamp was born in Rome, Georgia, but he grew up in Gainesville, Florida. He attended Martha Manson Academy elementary school and Oak Hall High School in Gainesville. His family moved back to Rome, where his father became the head master of the Darlington School, and where he graduated from high school
it;s all about the fam and where you were born. the whole yeah i love them gators blah blah is talk to appease the fan base you idiot.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
September 24th, 2011
9:59 pm
Mad Poot
70’s and 80’s you hardly beat us
1990 FL became something
Now we do agree on one thing yea there are a lot kool-aid drinkers right now Im not one
Im actually hoping FL beats us by at least 50+ points this year because I know Mcgaritywill have the ammo then to finally get rid of this inept coaching staff
Broken Record
September 24th, 2011
9:59 pm
Hhhmmm, maybe the national championship is still within reach! At least, that’s what the dawgs are saying. Most delusional fan base in college football. 2 good teams – 2 losses……2 horrible teams – 2 wins. At least you still have 1980!
Long gone and almost forgotten
September 24th, 2011
10:00 pm
And the dawgs sink ever more deeply into the gaping abyss of total irrelevancy.
To sum it up: who cares!
STILL PAYING ATTENTION
September 24th, 2011
10:01 pm
go dawgs!!!
Broken Record
September 24th, 2011
10:03 pm
Mad Poot obviously gets it….UGA is tier 2…..and try beating UF once in a while – what a joke!
yeah, right....
September 24th, 2011
10:04 pm
grasseater
September 24th, 2011
9:28 pm
um……no. Do we play either this year? um…….no.
awesomefordman
September 24th, 2011
10:04 pm
I am a graduate of UGA Class of ‘86. How in the world do you expect to compete in the SEC by kicking and missing field goals. That will not work against Fla, Aub, Ala, LSU, or TN. And not even against Miss St, Kent, Vandy, Ark, or SC. We suck simple as that. If Nick Saban coached our players we could compete for a national championship like he does every year. If Richt and his staff coached Alabama they are 5-6 at best. Can I add Central Florida to the can’t beat them with a field goals list? We have the atheletes, just no coaching. I respect and think the world of Mark Richt as a fine man but it is time for him to go. We have missed so many opportunities. Tired of the same old excuses. We need a coach!
Broken Record
September 24th, 2011
10:04 pm
Enter your comments here
Furman Bishop
September 24th, 2011
10:05 pm
Georgia really doesn’t want to win the SEC East, even if they think they do. Saban or Miles would make Richt look like a fool, on national TV no less.
5150 UOAD
September 24th, 2011
10:05 pm
MATT
So when he was not pooping in his pants he was watching the GATORS smack the dawgs. So when he moved back he was then going to be a DAWG? You are a fool. He GREW UP A GATOR. People in other states learn better as they stop pooping their pants and realize what matters. EDUCATION. Stay a dawg and dumb ye haw.
Broken Record
September 24th, 2011
10:07 pm
But, but, but……according to UGA fans, they’re in the hunt of the national championship every year…..also the SEC east is garbage……don’t even get me stared on usc…although uf is impressing….tennessee won’t be down much longer either.