After another flawed win, are Dogs ready for Florida? (Updated with Grantham video)
Aaron Murray and Georgia had some shaky moments Saturday at Vanderbilt. (AP photo)
(UPDATED: 11:50 p.m.)
NASHVILLE – There’s a saying in sports: It’s not how, it’s how many. That assumes, of course, we’re not talking about college football polls or perceptions heading into the Florida game.
Georgia won again Saturday night. That makes five straight. If ever a five-game winning streak can cause discomfort, this is it. Vanderbilt, a team that had managed just three points in its previous two games, scored three second-half touchdowns. One came on a 96-yard kickoff return. Two others came on alarming efficient drives of 75 and 84 yards against a Bulldogs’ defense that was thought to be improving. So much for thought.
The Bulldogs, after leading 23-7, held on a for a 33-28 victory. The words “held on” never should appear before “victory” for a team that aspires to something higher than the Liberty Bowl again.
The Dogs’ four straight SEC wins have come over teams — Mississippi State, Mississippi, Tennessee, Vandy — with a combined record of 1-13. No, it’s not their fault they’re playing lousy teams. But this game wasn’t secure until time expired. A blocked punt with seven seconds hope gave the Commodores one last gasp of hope. An ensuing pass from Georgia’s 21-yard line went off the finger tips of a Vandy wide receiver, Chris Boyd in the end zone.
Is this progress?
The Dogs struggled to finish drives on offense. They wilted on defense. They were absolutely dreadful on special teams. They had discipline problems — from the players down to the combustible defensive coordinator. After this one finally, mercifully came to an end, players and coaches from both teams met at midfield. It looked like the stare-down before a rumble between the Jets and Sharks in Westside story.
At the center of it were Vandy coach James Franklin and Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, who exchanged heated words. (Go to the end of the column for the video.)
Georgia coach Mark Richt wasn’t happy after the game, nor should he have been. First, he put an asterisk on the win: “I just don’t know if we’re ready to continue at the top of the Eastern Division the way we played. We’re thankful for the victory but we’ve got a ways to go.”
Then he addressed his team’s lack of discipline and short fuse. He said he didn’t get a good look at the post-game exchange, but commented, “All I know is I hate the fact at the end of the game that we can’t just shake hands like gentleman and walk off the field. … It’s like the end of a play. When it’s over it’s over. Go to the sideline. And we didn’t do a very good job of that. It is heated. It is battle. It’s not war with real bullets but it’s war in a sense and tempers do flare up. I don’t mind our blood [pressure] getting high but we can’t do something that may get us beat, or make us look less than a first-class operation.”
Grantham was cryptic with his remarks, saying only: “Everybody’s competitive. I love my players. I support my players.”
Franklin: “I went to find coach Richt and didn’t find him, so I found one of his assistant coaches and it didn’t go well.”
Was this a Vandy game?
In short, this wasn’t the kind of performance that is going to inspire confidence going into the Florida game in two weeks, even with the Gators themselves struggling. (Less we forget, the Gators were struggling last season when they won for the 19th time in 21 meetings.)
A blown transformer caused four banks of lights at Vanderbilt Stadium to go out with 2:53 left in the first half. Some of the game was played amid dark shadows. Just as well. Most Vandy games are best played in the dark anyway.
Richt was hoping his team would quick start. That didn’t happen. The offense was as dim as the half-lit stadium. The first four possessions: missed field goal (50 yards), punt (three and out), field goal (53 yards), missed field goal (42 yards). Twice the Dogs failed to capitalize on Vandy turnovers. Their first touchdown came only after a botched Commodores punt.
Also contributing to the early problems: The absence of running back Isaiah Crowell. Richt benched him for the entire first quarter. He confirmed after the game it was not injury related but rather for something off the field. But he wouldn’t specify. (The logical assumption: Some kind of disciplinary measure.)
The five straight wins aside, the Dogs still show flaws. The fact they’re showing them against bad competition is the biggest concern. After driving to a field goal to open the second half, they allowed Vandy’s Andre Hal to return a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown, which narrowed the lead to 23-14.
Discipline and intelligence remain issues: On the ensuing kickoff, Shawn Williams hit a Vandy player late, drawing his second personal foul of the game. (Later in the game, Kwame Geathers was flagged for punching Vandy’s Logan Stewart on the ground after a play, but officials called offsetting personal fouls.)
Aaron Murray threw for 326 yards but he also misfired at times (22 for 38). The Dogs couldn’t finish drives, and Murray missed a wide open Marlon Brown at the five-yard line for a certain touchdown before the team settled for its fourth field goal of the night. The lead (26-14) was comfortable. The performance was not comforting.
It took two trick plays before they found the end zone against Georgia: a 35-yard pass play on a fake punt, and a 43-yard, half-back pass from Zac Stacy to Jordan Matthews for a touchdown. But there they were, reeking havoc late. First came the kickoff return. Then came the 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that closed the lead to 26-21. When Murray responded with a 75-yard touchdown pass to Brown, Vandy — Vandy! — showed its resiliency with another long scoring drive, this one ending on a 19-yard run by Stacy with nine minutes left.
The Dogs kept us guessing to the end.
Going into the Florida game, that’s a problem.
Grantham goes ballistic
By Jeff Schultz
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958 comments Add your comment
Arx
October 15th, 2011
11:27 pm
@dbc
Nope. Not during the season anyway.
Stick with them till the end. Then we’ll talk whining and dining.
TampaGator
October 15th, 2011
11:27 pm
KB……
The Florida offense looked like a high school offense tonight……..led by high school QBs. But Brantley and Demps return in Jax. But the stars do seem aligned for the Dawgs this year in the SEC East…..but it is still the Gators vs. the Dawgs. We will see……but if Brantley does not play….the Gators have no chance of winning vs. the Dawgs this year. Neither of the freshmen QBs are ready to play in the SEC….obviously.
fb
October 15th, 2011
11:27 pm
kerryb, he was whining before that. If he was hurt, hold him out like M Mitchell.
J Clay
October 15th, 2011
11:27 pm
Again Tampa Gator I did not call for a victory, we will see. However if we switched schedules so far I think Dawgs would have same record- my guess beating Auburn and losing to LSU and Bama…..if if if right…if Tech played Fla or UGA schedule they would have 1 or 2 wins maybe but they are ranked ( or were) in top 12….
I am glad your players will be back, no excuses IF you lose the game….just don’t get trash talking based on the way you guys played tonight
jack bull
October 15th, 2011
11:28 pm
who thinks Muschamp is going to blow a gasket, or maybe a blood vein or two, before the year is up. that’s just ridiculous, does he really think all of that yelling is helping him be a head coach?
kerryb
October 15th, 2011
11:28 pm
Somebody’s got to say it!, I got 2 words for you.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 15th, 2011
11:28 pm
Dr. Morpheus
October 15th, 2011
11:23 pm
@ESPNDawgNation
ESPNDawgNation
#UGA QB Aaron Murray was 22 of 38 for a career high 326 yds passing with 3 td & 1 int. 150.7 QB rating for the game.
Damn Bobo is an idiot. We need to throw the ball like GT. ROLTFLAMO>>>>>>>>>
SenoiaDawgs
October 15th, 2011
11:29 pm
With the DVR it was clear Grantham was shocked by whatever the Vandy coach said. You can see Vandy coach shout something and point to a UGA player appeared to be #36. Grantham was walking calming toward Vandy coach when this happens and his snaps around looking to what Vandy coach was pointing to. At this point camera pans away and when it comes back we see Grantham shouting and getting pushed by a security guard or Nashville or Vandy police officer. We know the rest.
Personally I give kudos to Grantham for standing up for his players. CMR better not discipline him or call him out. He stood up for his player. Way to go CTG!!!!
Go Dawgs and please put together a complete game both sides of the ball against UF.
Dawglasville
October 15th, 2011
11:29 pm
C’mon Jeff, if this was Tech you would be talking about how the messiah pulled out another win. Each game stands on it’s own. If we run the table then who cares? We have 3 big games left. None back to back. We are going to have to deal with the option in one fashion or another. Let’s take the next two weeks, get our heads on straight and finish this thing out strong. Dawgs on three. One, two…
stoopid
October 15th, 2011
11:29 pm
Aw, Vandy beat us up…..Vandy pushed us around…. mommy wipe my butt …i pooped my pants at Vandy.
Somebody's got to say it!
October 15th, 2011
11:29 pm
Jeff, were you watching the game? The Vandy players were instigating a lot of the pushing and shoving around the pile. When Shaun Williams got the 15 yard penalty Vandy’s Coach Franklin reamed his guy on the sideline because he clearly knew who started that scuffle. In fact, if you watch the replay one of the Vandy players pushed his own player to the ground because he knew he started it. On the 15 yard penalty against Geathers he was clipped by the Vandy lineman on a play when Rogers was running out of bounds. UGA didn’t play well tonight, but a better explanation of the “discipline” penalties is warranted.
******************************
Once again get the facts straight. Coach Franklin seemed to popping his own player for reacting, trash talking back and not acting like a Dore’. I think some of you should have listened to the Vandy coaches comments on the Vandy Network after the game and got the other version of what happened. He would enlighten some of you.
No
October 15th, 2011
11:30 pm
Oklahoma does not suck, but Ga does
disappointed dawg
October 15th, 2011
11:30 pm
When did our colors become pink and white. Maybe we should make it permanent – that’s how we played.
kerryb
October 15th, 2011
11:30 pm
If Murray didnt overthrow 2 receivers for TD’s he could have had a 5 TD night
Hit A Single
October 15th, 2011
11:30 pm
Glad to see some fire from Grantham! we need it on the sidelines.
monty
October 15th, 2011
11:30 pm
You can’t go mono-e-mono with the opposing head coach,it makes you look like you need anger management.Alot of folks could have gotten hurt or suspended. You make a call after the game and give a piece of your mind, not on national TV.DUH!
BoZo N. Richt
October 15th, 2011
11:30 pm
Another ugly win. Second rate at best. Great coaching staff and athletic department brain trust though.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 15th, 2011
11:31 pm
St. Richt
October 15th, 2011
11:22 pm
LOL at all of the talk about Vandy being dirty. Schultz- pull your head out and get some info on what happened after the game. I replayed it and it looked clearly like Vandy’s coach was pointing and calling out TG on something. Not the other way around..
Idiot comment. I saw the entire game and saw late hit after late hit. Then the rollup on Gathiers legs by the vandy player after the whistle. Poor job of officiating the game.
dawg gone it
October 15th, 2011
11:31 pm
Richard Samuels IV should try running toward the offensive line, not the sideline. Even Forrest Gump knew better than that. That’s all I got to say about that.
Special teams almost blew it again. Hint, the Gators will fake a few kicks in Jax.
Grantham, causing a riot is not a good way to make your displeasure known. Now you are the villain. He has to be suspended for that outburst.
A wins a win.
Somebody's got to say it!
October 15th, 2011
11:31 pm
kerryb
October 15th, 2011
11:28 pm
Somebody’s got to say it!, I got 2 words for you.
Are you related to Todd Grantham too! Classless like him.
Dawgscrews
October 15th, 2011
11:32 pm
Crowell is a wus… grab a skirt and pom poms.. Said he didnt expect to take these hits and feel like this, really !!! Why does Murray continue to over throw open receivers ? Special teams isnt special.. Wanted ad will be published tomorrow for new coaches !!!
kerryb
October 15th, 2011
11:32 pm
Just what we need. The Vandy version
monty
October 15th, 2011
11:32 pm
GA was picking up their guys and body slamming them. ANyone remember Nick Fairley ?
rational
October 15th, 2011
11:32 pm
I think Grantham is the first coach I have ever seen try and start a fight with another coach after a game. There is literally nothing that could have warranted that behavior. Kudos to Richt for keeping some order while his assistant tried to start a brawl.
TampaGator
October 15th, 2011
11:32 pm
J Clay…..
My “trash talking” is mild compared by the “trash talking” by many of the Dawg “fans” on here about their own team. But….you really think that win over Vandy tonight was impressive. Not hardly. The Florida vs. Georgia game this year is a match up of two very middle of the SEC (at best) SEC teams….and most of those teams are in the SEC East.
Apostle
October 15th, 2011
11:33 pm
This is the worst 5-2 team I can ever remember watching.They were terrible in all three phases of the game.They will lose to the Gators….again,if they continue to preform this way.
zebra
October 15th, 2011
11:33 pm
Jeff did they not teach you how to count at Florida? Robert Edwards beat the Gators, so did David Green and Matt Stafford. That cannot be 19 out of 21,so sorry. But I will throw in a Fire Right to keep from getting banned by you.
Who Cares Jeff
October 15th, 2011
11:33 pm
Haven’t read the AJC or one of your columns in more than a year. You just reminded why. What will you write after we beat FL? Yeah, UF is G.R.E.A.T, that’s why they lost again. Go write another blockbuster Joe Montana book. Just like the Vandy stadium lights, you wouldn’t be able to keep yours on with the proceeds..
2 n 10
October 15th, 2011
11:33 pm
Could be worse,could have muschamp as our coach.
cochise
October 15th, 2011
11:33 pm
flat tire on i 95 in j-ville you’re comments are flat just like you’re north fl yankee i mean flankey blue belly flat a$$ hope you or you’re son or some one close to you sets around me at ga fl game what a website rambo you are see your bitch a$$ in real life pu$$y.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 15th, 2011
11:34 pm
Somebody’s got to say it!
October 15th, 2011
11:29 pm
Once again get the facts straight. Coach Franklin seemed to popping his own player for reacting, trash talking back and not acting like a Dore’. I think some of you should have listened to the Vandy coaches comments on the Vandy Network after the game and got the other version of what happened. He would enlighten some of you.
I saw the game, I saw the multiple late hits. I saw the rollup on the back of Gathers legs. I don’t need to hear his spin on his cheap shots.
CHDawg
October 15th, 2011
11:34 pm
Here is what I saw on my TIVO at the end and what appeared to happen ( some of this could easily be wrong): Franklin was walking out about to meet a very calm Todd Grantham. CTG’s face was to the cameras. Franklin’s back was to the camera, but he appeared to be yelling (likely something really bad) at Shaun Williams, and he was pointing at him aggressively. Williams wasn’t that close to Franklin, and his back was toward Franklin as he was congratulating team mates. The camera moved on to Rambo, who was injured, for a few seconds. When it went back to Franklin and Grantham, Grantham had lost it with whatever Franklin was saying, and they looked close to fighting to me. It was a drastic change from calm to really mad in an instant for CTG. When the players saw the coaches about to fight, they got sucked into it. I think Williams played a great game, but his sportsmanship could have been better, and Franklin, very foolishly, might have lost his temper, which is worse than a player doing what Williams did, btw. I suspect CTG lost his temper at what Franklin did. Not a bright move on his part either!
zebra
October 15th, 2011
11:34 pm
“Richt”
kerryb
October 15th, 2011
11:34 pm
Blah Blah Blah. To all the negative posters.
Awesome
October 15th, 2011
11:34 pm
Everybody is on here calling Vandy dirty…When has Vanderbilt every been a dirty team???
Come on…everybody slow down. We do not know what happened at the end of the game. Before you crucify the other team, let’s wait and hear what really went down.
Burgess
October 15th, 2011
11:34 pm
Why in the world did Rambo take a knee…He could have easily run 20-30 yards and UGA would never have had to punt……worst case scenario…would have turned ball over on downs at about their 20
treaddawg
October 15th, 2011
11:34 pm
Is Schultz the German word for “skirt”
UGA STILL SUCKS
October 15th, 2011
11:34 pm
Bama or LSU will kill UGA, Dawgs will beat UF but heck that would be like only what 3 or 4 times in twenty years? No big deal.
Alshon Jeffrey
October 15th, 2011
11:34 pm
Todd Grantham, Kwame Geathers, et. put on another display of poor sportsmanship we have come to expect from the Georgia crowd, this time at VANDY of all places – just four years after Richt and Co. stomped on the Vandy star at midfield to celebrate their win over the conference doormat. P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C!!!!
TampaGator
October 15th, 2011
11:35 pm
keery b……
If Driskel has not overthrown Reed and Florida has not dropped two punts (one via the help of the refs)……Florida beats Auburn with two freshmen QBs. IFs are for losers……
SenoiaDawgs
October 15th, 2011
11:35 pm
Grantham took up for his player plain and simple. If you don’t think so go back and watch it again and not a clip that a network shows but the whole thing. It’s clear who started to the shouting.
Realville
October 15th, 2011
11:35 pm
Thanks for that analysis, Apostle, but I feel sure we will “preform” better vs UF.
Actually, probably not . . .
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 15th, 2011
11:35 pm
Apostle
October 15th, 2011
11:33 pm
This is the worst 5-2 team I can ever remember watching.They were terrible in all three phases of the game.
And yet Murray had a QB rating of 150 and UGA won. Other than that, your right. But you are still an idiot just like your daddy said.
AFDawg
October 15th, 2011
11:35 pm
JS, Everyone knew this was a trap game for Georgia and Vandy always plays Georgia tough — there is bad blood between the two schools as evidenced by the end of the game. You are right though — if we don’t get our special teams fixed we will not beat either Florida or Auburn. If Walsh makes those field goals tonight — the game is never in question. And what was Butler doing on that punt — taking a stroll through the park? What I would like to know is — does Georgia even have a special teams coach? If yes, why hasn’t someone new been brought in immediately. The special teams play this year is the absolute the worst I’ve ever seen at Georgia. It will cost us some games if it isn’t fixed immediately.
J Clay
October 15th, 2011
11:35 pm
No Tampa Gator , nowhere in my comments did I say it was an impressive win, you keep spinning, while I am being objective….best of luck in two weeks and here’s to a good game, no injuries and a Dawgs victory
Jax Dawg
October 15th, 2011
11:35 pm
We will take a win…even an ugly one.
SC is going to lose to Arkansas and possibly to Tennessee and Florida, especially without Latimore. Florida is out and their new coach is looking a lot like the Zooker. The University of Florida should be embaraassed the F-Bomb and GD are obviously his most repeated words on national TV…but they are not.
The Dawgs need to find some passion and act like they are enjoying this contact sport. The special teams is a major issue as is the offensive line.
Though they are both down and not very good Florida and Auburn are both toss-ups. Auburn concerns me the most. The probable end result is the Dawgs will lose one more SEC game and it will be up to SC to decide their/our destiny. I really do not want any part of LSU or Alabama. Tech looks like a “W” though I wish they would’ve been undefeated when they played us.
Rob
October 15th, 2011
11:35 pm
Grantham may have been standing up for his players, but he came very close to creating the kind of brawl that would have created crippling suspensions for the Florida game. Sometimes you just have to walk away.
Hopelessly Devoted
October 15th, 2011
11:36 pm
Our coaches are real manly men just like John Wayne in True Grit. I’m so proud of our team and our coaches for this marvelous victory. People will be talking about Georgia now!
fb
October 15th, 2011
11:36 pm
No Bob fan here, but his playcalling has improved. The call at 3 and 12 sucked but whatever.
I usually agree wth taking a knee but Rambo shoulda kept running…
Rage
October 15th, 2011
11:36 pm
Now you UGA fans want to talk about dirty Vandy players.
I still haven’t heard anybody upset about “un”Boykin’s cheap last from last week.