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
TampaGator
September 25th, 2011
12:32 am
Sam……….
Based on what I saw today, I am not sure any team in the country could beat either Bama or LSU. There game will be the national title game this year. LSU is the better of the two, I think. Florida has an excellent defense and a very strong running game. But John Brantley is still not very good, and that will be the difference next weekend. Bama wins a close one in THE SWAMP….probably because of several Brantley turnovers. I think LSU will easily win the game down there. They are loaded, big time. The Gators will still battle SC and Georgia for the East title, however. The head to head meetings with Georgia and SC will be big for the Gators.
Rick
September 25th, 2011
12:32 am
im a tech fan but i root for uga except for that last week in nov.
Love rem but stipe is one of those eco env idiots. They did make great music as I posted. I respect stipe but he was too far left. Funny how lifes rich pageant was less env than Green!! Green came out my senior year of high school. We loved it in Tucker but it was not the best by far.
TampaGator
September 25th, 2011
12:33 am
Shoud have been….”their game”…….long day.
Rick
September 25th, 2011
12:34 am
I agree tampa and wrote the same earlier. That the sec champ game is lsu bama. Maybe Wisconsin and that’s a strong maybe. But its more proof why we need a playoff
Fire Mark Richt
September 25th, 2011
12:35 am
Special teams was awful, but I liked what I saw from the defense and the running game.
TampaGator
September 25th, 2011
12:35 am
Sam…….
Also…..I think the Gators are a lot better team than West VIrginia…..and will not give up 40 pts to LSU. But I am not sure the Gators can score 21 on LSU.
Rick
September 25th, 2011
12:38 am
And I went 15/15 today and I know I will won;t win cause I had the final 34/24
Sam
September 25th, 2011
12:41 am
@TampaGator: I agree. LSU should hold the #1 ranking right now instead of Oklahoma imho. I think that the Gators will, once again, beat the Dawgs. Walsh’s lost mojo, the O-line, and our poor play calling will do us in.
Elvis
September 25th, 2011
12:47 am
AZ state would beat ga
Jacob
September 25th, 2011
1:00 am
Schultz likes music that mocks the militray
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXjf7scZtJY
Sam
September 25th, 2011
1:02 am
I agree that the Gators are a better team than WVU. I predict a 30-14 LSU win but I could be wrong. Heck I predicted a Dawg win against BSU and you see how that turned out so you never know. If the Gators can pull it out against Bama and escape with only 1 SEC loss to LSU then they are easily in the SECCG. I predict that USCe will lose at least 2 SEC games (UF and possibly TN or Auburn). They have gotten lucky in a couple of their games this season…their luck will run out soon. The Dawgs will likely lose 2 more SEC games (TN or Miss St. and UF). I hope that I am wrong about the Dawgs but there is a lot of improvement to be made before we can contend again.
CHUCK UGA
September 25th, 2011
1:02 am
Richt still looks lost. His mind is somewhere else. Where? Whi knows. The team made the same oft-repeated mistakes on special teams and at times looked asleep. The effort was certainly there, but there are serious problems. Mike Bobo kept up his usual inconsistency by IGNORING the other team’s defensive tendencies and calling the plays he wants to call (what an idiot) without going with what the defense was giving to him, namely inability to stop the run (except when Richard Samuel was running the ball). Where the heck is the other running back Ken Malcome? Guess he must be suspended or injured. Typical after we’d been hearing how great he is going to be this season.
Richt is toast anyway. Mississippi State will win or nearly win next week. If Crowell gets hurt, the season is over and so is Richt’s career. it may be over anyway because Tennessee will pass for 400+ and win easily, and Florida will win by 3 TDs. Auburn or Tech will also win, so that makes 7-5, 8-4 at best. Not enough to keep this sleepwalking coach.
John
September 25th, 2011
1:16 am
The Dawgs will not play another ranked team this season unless Tech is still ranked when we meet in Nov. The Gators will fall out of the top 25 following their impending losses to Bama and LSU. What will be the measuring stick for the season if that happens? We will still be known as the team that can’t beat ranked opponents and have that looming into next season. I am a lifelong Dawg fan but I am ready for things to get turned around. Far too much talent in and out of Athens for the Dawgs not to contend on a regular basis. At any rate, I support this team and hope that they can get some momentum going. GO DAWGS!
SatillaDawg
September 25th, 2011
1:27 am
What’s the deal, Walsh? That’s not going to cut it. What do you do all week?
And would somebody please coach-up the special teams. Geez, this is embarrassing.
At least we won.
We should’ve put them away, but they just kept hangin’ around. Florida’s not going to hang around. More like, run you into the ground.
I’m a Ben Jones fan! Give that Dawg a bone.
And can’t wait to see Isaiah bust one wide open.
Aaron…improving, but still making dumb mistakes.
What was with the second half? Disappearing Dawgs. Not gonna win the East like that.
Oh, well. Happy about the win.
Go Dawgs!
Follow me dont follow me
September 25th, 2011
1:35 am
Goood win for tech and uga. it’s high time to pull for both
Follow me dont follow me
September 25th, 2011
1:36 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToVIlrfpBAA&NR=1
one of the best top 5 rem
September 25th, 2011
1:49 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP–MxYzTuo&feature=related
Columbus
September 25th, 2011
1:54 am
Go Dawgs! First game on the road and in the SEC and we got the W Schultz. Thats what matters. First road game and these young guys got a W. Sure we should have scored 40 and if we were at home, we would have, BUT it was the FIRST ROAD game of the year.
By the way, you mentioned Miss St. and what they will do to UGA…interesting they squeaked by LA Tech at the end today and were in Starkville. They scored how many? 26 at home against LA Tech. Im sure there media is saying they are going to have to do better against UGA on the raod and they would be right. Teams arent perfect, most all can do better. But before we start being critical or negative, shouldnt we be focused on the W then predicting doom and gloom for the future after what this team has been through and endured? Cant you wait till Monday before you start looking at the positives instead of the negatives? At least not the focal point being the negatives. I swear its all about hits on the website and on your webpage huh? I guess we will have to put together a protest of some sorts to get some fair and balanced at the AJC.
How you doing on your picks? You hanging? I think we were tied going into this weekend Schultzie. I know I missed the FL St. game. Didnt know their starting qb was out until 3:27 and couldnt change my pick in time because I sure would have with them being on the road. Miami lost but I dont remember if that was one of the games. I did pick OKLA ST and ARIZ ST though…..
Bama Dawg
September 25th, 2011
1:59 am
Crowell needs to cut the locks to keep his helment on and shut his pie hole – at least Ridht had the guts to get on his ass about that. One day hell get us a penalty that will kill us. Other than that he is a better than average runningback. He should wath Latimore and show some class.
AZDAWG
September 25th, 2011
2:10 am
I know this is a comments section, but all you negative people get a life. Yeah there several plays that could have been executed better but only one stat matters 27-13. This is a very young and talented team, so stop insulting and calling these 18-22yr old young men unnecessary names, they do something for your entertainment. Nothing/nobody is perfect just ask yo momma!!!!
AZDAWG
September 25th, 2011
2:21 am
If you are not adding any positive comments about UGA, football, and even Jeff Schultz’s well written articles then keep it to yourself. You will never understand the sacrifice, especially if you never strapped it up on any level. thanks for all your perspective JS. I bleed red and black like no other.
Columbus
September 25th, 2011
2:27 am
By the way Schultz….I didnt pick Wyoming to beat Nebraska! Heck I thought Nebraska might score the highest of any team this week! I missed 1 pick and that was the FL ST. game cuz they didnt have their starting qb and I didnt know it but I go look and it shows I picked Wyoming and will have a 2nd loss? I would never have picked Wyoming to beat Nebraska
Columbus
September 25th, 2011
2:33 am
Miss St. won in OT against La Tech at home…..they got their own scoring issues because LA Tech has a weak defense…. so your comments about Miss St may not be solid at all and they might have just got exposed and it may help UGA stop them….by the way that game will be played in Athens and not on the road baby!
TheAntiMe
September 25th, 2011
2:51 am
If you are Mark Richt, sometimes you feel like a Nutt. If you are an Ole Miss fan, sometimes you don’t!
Mr. Red and Black
September 25th, 2011
3:05 am
You idiots that keep posting about the great improvement etc. etc. etc. are losers pure and simple. Maybe there has been some improvement since the first game but every team improves during the course of a season. The Georgia Bulldogs under coach Mark Richt are underachievers – big time. A team with this much talent would be undefeated and ranked in the top 10 with a dynamic head coach in charge. I was once a Richt supporter, now I’m not. UGA will continue to underachieve and epitomize the word “mediocre” as long as CMR is the team’s coach!
Notso Fast
September 25th, 2011
3:42 am
A win is a win and better than a lost. Coach R is what he is a good Coach just not great. Accept the wins and wait to complain when they are beaten.
bugsquacher
September 25th, 2011
3:43 am
and the hits just keep on coming…..
1-GEORGIA is a combined 0-5 against Top 25 teams in 2010 and 2011
2- GEORGIA has lost 10 of its last 12 against ranked teams. (2-10 record)
3- GEORGIA is now 16-14 in his last 30 games
4-GEORGIA is 7-10 in the past 17 SEC games.
5- GEORGIA is 4-5 in their last 9 games going back to last season
6- GEORGIA has won 2 of it’s last 4.
7- GEORGIA has won its last 2 starts (granted neither was a powerhouse)
bugsquacher
September 25th, 2011
3:46 am
GEORGIA will probably go 7-5 or 8-4….. today’s performance indicate there will be no running of the table for a 10-2 finish. Too many landmines ahead……Fl, Auburn, Tenn, GT, Miss St, Vandy, Kentucky….
Pollyanna
September 25th, 2011
3:51 am
Mark Richt’s Entire Tenure at UGA :
3-10 vs teams who finished in the AP Poll Top 10
17-26 vs teams who finished in the AP Poll Top 25
Lost to 10 more teams who did not finish AP Poll Top 25
Pollyanna
September 25th, 2011
4:03 am
“Accept the wins and wait to complain when they are beaten.”
Excuse me ?
Wait until we lose before we can comment on the facts of what we have just witnessed, again ?
Are you out of your ever-loving mind ?
This was Ole Miss, just last week a 30-7 Loser to Vandie.
We settled for Five (5) Field goals, instead.
We ran 3rd and long plays all night long that we sprint draw plays, again.
Our QB wanted to call his own number to run up his stats, once we were on the goal line.
He threw another interception, and had another fumble.
Our players ran around taunting Ole Miss all day long, and did not get called for it.
Isaiah Crowell, especially.
Our OL allowed our QB to belly-flop whenever someone got near him.
Our Field Goal Kicker missed a field goal that would have tied South Carolina.
Our Field Goal Kicker, today, missed 3 more field goals in 1 game.
We played the dead last worst team in college football.
Their QB, at least, was not better than Our QB – that count still stands at 9 who have been better than our QB that day, head-to-head, on the field of play.
Our WR, except Malcolm Mitchell – who is buried on the Depth Chart – cannot run routes or make catches.
Our FB all season long has been non-existent.
We remain with a host of players whom we either are lied about to, or who are on Suspension.
Our play-calling was exactly what it always has been.
Our QB was sacked more than their QB, again.
And, we cannot complain ?
Who died and put you in-charge ?
reality
September 25th, 2011
4:09 am
Georgia’s problem is coaching. They do not get these guys in shape. And sending in the field goal unit is so stupid—-I think I can make better judgements. When you are ahead, you take the necessary steps to stay ahead and crush the other team. And, I am glad UGA has a multitude of white players as well. Glad to know they are making sure MLK is proud of them. Oh and Abraham Lincoln as well. Yiipppeeeeeeee. We know these coaches at UGA are top tier people. They just beat the worst team in the SEC. Or maybe that would be Kentucky. Not sure. If you don’t like reality then keep living in fantasy land. It will make you feel better.
reality
September 25th, 2011
4:15 am
And that little running back UGA has now is not running back from Alabama. He is a little punk that can’t run over anything. UGA has become the bottom feeders of the SEC. I did enjoy watching Alabama hit and pursue the enemy yesterday. It is good to know real football lives in the minds of some coaches. I was raised loving UGA but I will tell ya———–it is really getting tired man. What a bunch of mixed up people—-do we kick? Do we pass? Do we pass? Well we might run it some. Then we pass it. We are winning by 5 touchdowns and its 4th and 2——-what do we do?============Punt it of course.
Ford Truck Buyer
September 25th, 2011
4:20 am
Does any Dawg fan truly want to see GA win the East and face ALA or LSU in the Dome in December? If so, it must be for the dazzling Atlanta nightlife and not the game on the field. Georgia Saturdays – Still Not Coached.
Runnin with the Dawgs
September 25th, 2011
5:15 am
The Dawgs looked much better yesterday. The defense was awesome holding Miss. to 78 yds. passing and even less than that rushing. Murray was sharp and Crowell was great. Special teams need some improvement, and there were a few dropped passes, but these things will get better as the season goes on. “GO DAWGS”!
Oxford, Mississippi
September 25th, 2011
5:24 am
Sloppy and poorly coached win.
Meanwhile in Atlanta,
September 25th, 2011
5:40 am
Undefeated Georgia Tech wins 4th in a row.
sam
September 25th, 2011
5:45 am
Wrecking ball or not, what does it take to get a positive comment out of this writer? A win is a win.
papadawg
September 25th, 2011
5:51 am
SCARY, ONLY 3 points in the second half against a awful team. Did we get out coached AGAIN at half time
Snoop
September 25th, 2011
6:06 am
It’s the coaching, stupid.
Our talented players deserve better. The UGA administration is letting them down keeping Richt and his staff. They are totally incompetent and a national butt of jokes.
UGA is going to get demolished by some of the better teams we play, starting with Mississippi State next Saturday, then progressing through Tennessee, Florida, and Auburn. Heck, we may even lose to Vandy this year.
Richt always has a million excuses, and will blame anyone else. I’ve never heard him step up and take personal responsibility for the state of Georgia football.
Why do we continue to tolerate this situation where UGA is actually paying this fraud three million dollars a year? What other profession allows such corrupt administration of a program?
Snoop
September 25th, 2011
6:14 am
btw, where is Malcome? I guess Richt and Bobo are trying to run him off too…
Class of 93
September 25th, 2011
6:14 am
All I care is that we covered the crappy 10.5 plus spread that I was foolish enough to gamble on.
UF
September 25th, 2011
6:19 am
Tampa Gator….I don’t post much but I read this blog and enjoy reading your post. I see the Bama, LSU games the same way. After watching Bama take Arkansas apart, then watching LSU, yea we are probably looking at two losses. Those two teams could probably play on Sunday and win a few games. After Bama and LSU, the rest of them could be wins. Again, enjoy your post. GO GATORS!
Jeff
September 25th, 2011
6:58 am
Good observation by Crowell. UGA should have scored a lot more points against Ole Miss. This is a very bad team and once again UGA did not demonstrate the killer instinct. The Dawg special teams were horrible. Once again coaching or the lack there of was evident in how they played on Saturday.
Class of 93
September 25th, 2011
7:05 am
Never trust a heart so bent that it cannot break.
Class of 93
September 25th, 2011
7:10 am
See you next week, what will the line be? I say even.
Dumbo N. Richt
September 25th, 2011
7:22 am
Georgia looked like crap against an inferior opponent and will lose between 4 – 6 games this year. Two in the book already – Fla and Tech are definite losses and could easily lose to Auburn, Tenn and Vandy. Just wait and see.
LagDawg
September 25th, 2011
7:22 am
This is a highly talented team and if they had a good HC would be undefeated. As long as CMR and his pathetic OC continue to roam the sidelines, UGA will continue to look bad on the field. They need to hire a special teams coach. This is UGA, they can afford it, but if they keep Richt, the money will stop flowing. We are behind the team, just not the coaching staff. Did you see the way that UA and Fla. played. That’s what you call coaching. We would like to have that at UGA. For 5 mil. a year, I bet we could coax Jimmy Johnson out of retirement.
LagDawg
September 25th, 2011
7:23 am
Playing like they did Sat., UGA will lose to Tenn. and Vandy.
Dumbo N. Richt
September 25th, 2011
7:23 am
Could not agree with SNOOP more.
LagDawg
September 25th, 2011
7:25 am
Pleaseee, make the move quick, so that the new HC can put his staff together, so they can try to keep the recruiting class and improve on it.