Georgia has far better than ‘puncher’s chance’ against LSU
Aron White, Christian Robinson punctuate UGA's return with school flag . (Johnny Crawford)
This is the column that I didn’t think I would be writing six weeks ago, when Georgia fizzled and nearly self-destructed at Vanderbilt, and a five-game winning streak seemed like the furthest thing from Mark Richt’s mind.
This is the column that didn’t seem plausible three months ago when I looked up at the scoreboard and saw, “Boise State 35, Georgia 21” after looking down on the Georgia Dome field to see a Bulldogs team get beat physically by a Mountain West Conference team and play flat emotionally — the worst possible exacta for a hyped-up season opener.
This is the column that says Georgia can beat LSU.
This is not to diminish anything LSU has accomplished this season. How can one diminish an SEC team going 12-0? The Tigers have played and beaten seven teams that were ranked at the time they played. That includes No. 3 Oregon to start the season (40-27), No. 2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa (9-6 in overtime) and No. 3 Arkansas (41-17). LSU is as legitimate and proven as any No. 1 team that has come along in years.
Which doesn’t mean it can’t lose.
No. I’m not drunk on the Kool-Aid. Something changed in Athens. Maybe the 33-28 escape at Vanderbilt was a wake-up call. Maybe it was just a case of a young team slowly gaining confidence. At the very least, we know players reaffirmed that they believed in — and would follow — their head coach. Because a team doesn’t just rally from a 17-3 deficit to beat its nemesis (Florida), destroy Auburn 45-7 and spin a 10-game winning streak after a 0-2 start because it’s suddenly getting bounces.
After the body-slamming of Auburn, when it became clear the Dogs would win the SEC East, many felt they would have a “puncher’s chance” in the conference title game against the winner of the West, LSU or Alabama. But that short-changes Georgia.
When I hear puncher’s chance, I think George Foreman vs. Michael Moorer. In 1994, when Moorer was the heavyweight champion, he won nine straight rounds against the unranked 45-year-old Foreman. Then he got stupid. Foreman suckered him in. He landed a concrete right hand to Moorer’s porcelain chin. When Moorer looked up from the canvas, he saw little blue songbirds circling above him.
Three months after the loss to Boise State, the Bulldogs return to the Georgia Dome Saturday against LSU. They don’t need to rely on one lucky punch to win. They have become that good. They are playing with a rhythm, a confidence and an edge that we haven’t seen since 2007.
A year ago, when I wrote that Richt deserved to come back this season because of what he had accomplished in Athens, there was a backlash. Many fans wanted him fired. I wasn’t ready to make that leap. But neither did I share the confidence of Richt’s defenders, particularly after the season’s first two games. An unraveling seemed imminent. So did a job change. Clearly, that’s not happening now.
LSU is rolling. But so is Georgia. Aaron Murray is the best quarterback the LSU defense will face this season, and in the last four games he has completed 68 percent of his passes for 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. The offense is loaded with receivers: Orson Charles, Malcolm Mitchell, Tavarres King, et al. (Just when Georgia Tech figured it had everybody covered Saturday, a freshman, Chris Conley, popped open in the end zone. Chris Conley? He’s UGA’s sixth-leading receiver.)
The assumption here is that with Isaiah Crowell being held out Saturday with an ankle injury, he and Carlton Thomas (who had only a few carries against Tech) will be ready for LSU and provide balance to the offense.
Defensively, the Dogs get better by the week. They throttled the Tech’s option offense Saturday and held the Jackets to 10 points until a meaningless touchdown in the final minutes.
Boise State and South Carolina combined for eight offensive touchdowns in the first two games. In the 10 since, Georgia has allowed only 12 offensive touchdowns. That includes one or none in seven of the 10 games. This is the second-best defense LSU will face this season. They managed only three field goals (one in overtime) against the only opponent with a better one, Alabama.
Georgia doesn’t have a mere puncher’s chance in the SEC championship. Georgia has a legitimate chance. The team that will play in the Georgia Dome on Dec. 3 is not the same one that played there on Sept. 3.
Some things you just don’t see coming.
By Jeff Schultz
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1,469 comments Add your comment
Patrick
November 27th, 2011
11:18 pm
Oh– GO DAWGS!
BobDawg
November 27th, 2011
11:20 pm
GTBOB, Arky quit with the run game after being up by 14 pts… Not sure why Peturdo did that… Once LSU scores, you have to answer them, like a BBall game… Also, Arky is no where as good on D as we are… Never have and never will be….
The
November 27th, 2011
11:20 pm
only thing “upset” Saturday will be the stomachs of the GA fans after they watch their bulldogs get the snot stomped out of them.
Shine
November 27th, 2011
11:20 pm
ESPN/Herbstreit, you mean like the year Ohio State and Michigan were 1 and 2, and Ohio State barely beat Michigan in the last game of the regular season, and ESPN was hollering rematch for the BCS, but Florida or LSU played Ohio State for the title and beat the crap out of them and Michigan played USC and got stomped? Poor ole Ga, all it has to do is boot the mediocrity and just win all their games. Its a simple formula and you dont need to boo hoo.
Mobile Dawg
November 27th, 2011
11:25 pm
Forget 2007, clearly LSU and Bama are the two best teams in the country and should/will play for the BCS title.
Scott
November 27th, 2011
11:26 pm
Ten wins against nobodies. Keep hitting the meth pipe believing the Dawgs have a chance. Just like a snowball in you know where.
DawgInaTruck
November 27th, 2011
11:27 pm
“They didn’t because they aren’t nearly good enough. How much better then Arkansas is UGA?”
Bob, to be honest posts like this are where you get yourself in over your head bud. You are asking a meaningless, hypothetical question. We won’t know how we measure up against Arkansas this year because we won’t play them. As you of all people should know, using games already played to measure future performance is risky at best. The Clemson Lesson should have taught you that forever; you won that game but once it is done, it is done and means nothing about how you will perform in the future.
Against LSU we will win or we will lose but Arkansas has nothing to do with it. Its up to us to do our best and that is all any team can do. If we pull off the upset, it simply extends a really enjoyable run. If we come up short, we will still be enjoying a very rewarding season and no amount of carping from fans of teams we’ve already beaten will take anything away from it.
wareagle
November 27th, 2011
11:29 pm
Scott- You are correct. Their most notable win is against my boys and they sucked this year. Auburn was in top 20 but played liked they were ranked 50th or DIV II. It was bad.
dawgfan6
November 27th, 2011
11:31 pm
This is the sec people! When are you people gonna learn that any team in the sec can beat another team from the sec. No matter what the rankings. Sec teams have been beating up on each other and upseting each other for years. If you think UGA doesnt have a chance to win against lsu, your high.
SEC Fact Finder
November 27th, 2011
11:31 pm
I am not one who likes to argue with folks,but I will give my two cents as I have seen every team in the SEC with exception of Kentucky and have seen every team at least twice with the exception of Kentucky and Ole Miss.
First, LSU is very very deep, very very fast and very very well disciplined. UGA has improved from the Boise St. and USC games. The players injured early are back on defense which has allowed some other players some valuable playing time. Coach Grantham has done a good job of moving players around to find out who best suits his style of play and puts UGA in the best position to win.
With that said, I can say that LSU has very huge athletic players at every position and are 3 deep at most. Their offensive line has played 9 various lineup and substitue often series to series and move lineman to different positions to help them game plan better. Their fullbacks are NFL caliber players who are like pulling guards with speed.
UGA has a better quarterback, and better wide recievers. The issue I see UGA having is not the outside rush but the inside gaps being filled play to play forcing the center and guards to double team leaving some DT, outside linebackers to play one on one with tackles and off guards. The occasional blitz package from LSU will force smaller running backs to block some very agile big men from LSU. The TE’s from Georgia will need to be able to block as well as they have proven they can catch.
The Offense of LSU is not that difficult to defend, but the adaptiveness and altering of plays by their quarterback and running backs force man to man coverage and linebackers who must stay in position and not over pursue.
This game will be about power and not speed. This game will be about Depth not Individual players.
Good luck to both teams in the SEC CG.
GTBob
November 27th, 2011
11:34 pm
DawgInaTruck, like I have said. If UGA fans really think they are going to beat LSU then they think they are better then Alabama, and much better then Oregon and Arkansas. Personally, I don’t see what UGA has done this year to make anybody think this. Beating Auburn and GT doesn’t make you a giant killer all of the sudden.
DawgInaTruck
November 27th, 2011
11:34 pm
wareagle, you’re gonna have years like this sometimes. The great thing is, when you kick off in the fall of 2012, none of it means a thing-good or bad.
THE OBGYN
November 27th, 2011
11:35 pm
The best defensive player in the SEC doesn’t wear purple… He wears red. Honey Badger might not give a s#$@… But he’d better be ready for some Figgy Pudding and UGA’s run game. No Show Crow-ell can make his name more than mud with a showing next week.
Trust me, I’m a doctor.
5150 UOAD
November 27th, 2011
11:36 pm
All things being even it comes down to 1 person that is not up the the Championship Challenge………………………..Mike Bobo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gary
November 27th, 2011
11:37 pm
About all I can say is this: To all those Richt-haters, who have been clammoring for his dismissal, these past two or three years: Pffft!
First of all, he’s won 100 games, faster than either Vince Dooley or Wally Butts, who are both considered to be coaching gods, amongst the Bulldog nation.
Secondly, (and this should, actually, be a HIGH first) Richt is a Christians, who never ceases to “give honor and glory and praise to the King of kings and Lord of lords.”
The two close losses are nothing, when you consider the Dawgs have piled up huge numbers, against teams they were underdogs to, so, gain, to those, who want to throw Richt out: Pffft!
Bali
November 27th, 2011
11:37 pm
As much as I would love for the dawgs to win this one, I’ll be satisfied with a moral victory if we can play them close. The way we started the year, noone gave this team a “chance” to be where they are. Just enjoy our 15 minutes while we can.
DawgInaTruck
November 27th, 2011
11:39 pm
Bob, I don’t think most of us are predicting a win or a loss. With college aged kids it is simply impossible. We are proud of the year we’ve had and know we’ll be even better next year since we lose very little from this year’s team. We are winning with a very young team that is still making youthful mistakes.
We don’t think we are “better” than anyone but we sure aren’t afraid of a challenge from anyone either. We aren’t shrinking away from the task at hand this weekend. We’ll simply go out and do our best and continue to enjoy the ride.
DawgInaTruck
November 27th, 2011
11:40 pm
Wrong 5150, it will come down to the 22 kids on the field. That is where the game will be won or lost ultimately.
MY Dawg
November 27th, 2011
11:40 pm
It’s real simple, LSU is a legitimate power house of a team. Ga is on the cusp of greatness. The difference is within the players. How many players could go pro who are coming back for next year. The buy in is the difference. If players buy in they come back. Ga has a chance because they have the heart and the determination to give it their all. They believed at 0-2 and they damn sure believe now! If they play like they did against Auburn, look out! If they play like they did against Kentucky it’s going to be a long nite. I tell my players, allow yourself to be great, every player has it within them, they just have to allow it to come to the forefront. Go Dawgs!
5150 UOAD
November 27th, 2011
11:46 pm
dwginatruck………….players execute the game plan. The players could do great but if the game plan Sucks it will not matter. Bobo is the weakest link and everybody knows it. If he wins do you think he will FINALLY be mentioned as a possible Head Coach at ANY school? It doesn’t matter if he wants to leave or not. it matters that he is thought of in that light.
Shine
November 27th, 2011
11:46 pm
If (lol) LSU wins the SEC, and Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma or Va Tech beats Clemson, then if I was a voter, I would put them ahead of Bama. I like Bama and would be thrilled with a guaranteed SEC team winning the BCS but I would rather another conferance champ get crushed in the process. LSU has already beaten the likely PAC 12 champ Oregon and the probable Big East Champ West Va this year. It would be awesome for LSU to beat another confernace champ (say Big 12)and Bama placed in a game to whoop the britches off another (say the ACC)..
J Brown
November 27th, 2011
11:47 pm
I see this game as the exact opposite of the 2005 UGA/LSU game. That night UGA was the superior team and proved it. Saturday night UGA will meet a bigger, faster, stronger team than they’ve faced the entire season. You can talk stats and how the two teams will match up until you’re blue (or should I say red) in the face. It won’t matter. Before each and every game this season I’ve read all the same comments that I’m seeing here, read all the same articles from writers like Jeff, heard all the arguments. Saturday night UGA will be just another team that LSU dominated in the second half, leaving UGA and fans to talk about how “we gave the game away” or how “if we didn’t make those mistakes” we would have won. Heard it all……….
DawgInaTruck
November 27th, 2011
11:50 pm
5150, if you go back and review the box score from our game you will find amazingly similar statistics offensively. In other words Bobo went toe to toe with your “genius”. Not bad for a “weak link”.
SEC Fact Finder
November 27th, 2011
11:51 pm
I am glad many of you are not voters.
5150 UOAD
November 27th, 2011
11:54 pm
Bobo against Chavis? You are comparing Al Groh with not enough Big players to run his 3-4 to CHAVIS and his 2 deep defense?
the OC goes against the DC. The OC’s don’t go head to head with other OC’s.
jacob
November 27th, 2011
11:56 pm
UG sticks to running the ball and shorten the game, they will have a chance. The key will be to see if the UGA D can last for 60 against that physical LSU OLine and big punishing RBs. My bet is on the The LSU Big Uglies beat the UGA Big Uglies and LSU escapes 35-21.
jacob
November 27th, 2011
11:57 pm
UG sticks to running the ball and shorten the game, they will have a chance. The key will be to see if the UGA D can last for 60 against that physical LSU OLine and big punishing RBs. My bet is on the The LSU Big Uglies beat the UGA Big Uglies and LSU escapes 35-21.
DawgInaTruck
November 27th, 2011
11:58 pm
Georgia Team Stats Tech Team Stats
Total First Downs 18 20
Total yards 380 355
Yards per offensive play 6.7 5.1
Passing (comp/att – yards) 19/29 – 252 6/17-112
Yards per attempt 8.7 6.6
Rushing (carries – yards) 28 – 128 53-243
Yards per carry 4.6 4.6
Turnovers 1 2
Fumbles lost 0 0
Interceptions thrown 1 2
Penalties – yards 6 – 45 5-36
Possession 29:21 30:39
Georgia Tech team stats
Total First Downs 20
Total yards 355
Yards per offensive play 5.1
Passing (comp/att – yards) 6/17 – 112
Yards per attempt 6.6
Rushing (carries – yards) 53 – 243
Yards per carry 4.6
Turnovers 2
Fumbles lost 0
Interceptions thrown 2
Penalties – yards 5 – 36
Possession
DawgInaTruck
November 28th, 2011
12:01 am
I figured that wouldn’t post as I formatted but the point is clear. For all of the people who criticize Mike Bobo, that facts must be galling: We have averaged 30 points plus per game for three consecutive years and locally he has outpointed CPJ (or whomever your OC is) for three straight years as well.
When you win it you win it.
5150 UOAD
November 28th, 2011
12:01 am
Dawginatruck……………….An offensive Coordinator schemes against a Defensive Coordinator.
Please tell me you understand that simple Fact in football.
Randawg
November 28th, 2011
12:03 am
-Jeff,is Samuel playing in the SEC game or not?…We sure need him if he is anywhere near ready to go!
DawgInaTruck
November 28th, 2011
12:03 am
Then your offensive coordinator must suck because we keep winning.
5150 UOAD
November 28th, 2011
12:08 am
You really don’t understand football. UGA has the better talent and that can make up for some bad coaching. When the talent is even then the coaching is the difference. Nobody in the SEC is really afraid of Bobo. Some of the weaker teams fear UGA’s talent but not Bobo’s schemes.
jacob
November 28th, 2011
12:08 am
some funny people on here. LSU doesn’t run a triple option, but JJ can run. And if you don’t cover wel, he can also throw. It is that 5;10″ 240 Hilliard that will make you pay. Oh by the way, they get Blue back who can flat out fly. Neither of them are their leading backs, but both have lead them in rushing this year in a game. Their O and D line will be the test for UGA.
The D line speed is the killer. UGA zone blocking better be spot on or else, Murray will suffer the same fate as Wilson – a lot of hurries and eating a lot of turf.
BayouBengal11
November 28th, 2011
12:10 am
Yall are out of your mind to strongly believe yall have a chance in taking us down! Last year was a down year for LSU who still went to the cotton bowl and whooped up on a strong Tx A&M. LSU has been short for just bout every game all year. Short 5 starters against a Oregon team that would be a top three team right now if they had not injured lamichael jame in that game. Without our starting QB for the first 4 games, and led by general lee undefeated so far. Going to WV, a hell whole for away game, and whooping up on a team that averaged 450+ passing yards a game. And lets face it, Auburn, Tennessee, and Fla are absolutely awful this year in the SEC. We took down auburn 1st qtr while missing Tyrann, Ware and Simon (2 starting corners and our star RB). ITS DEPTH! When it comes to depth, were more loaded than any team in the nation. The line drawn between 1st and 2nd string doesnt exist for this LSU defense. and for Fla, I know the excuse of oh its a crazy rivalry yall have against fla, but no they exposed all of your weaknesses that game while we put them away 1st qtr. clean and clear. Arkansas is our big rival for the golden boot, and howd we look puttin them to shame with 3 touchdowns in 5 minutes in the end of the 2nd quarter scoring on special teams, running the ball and passing. Eric Reid who saved the Bama game with an interception on the 1 yd line was on the sideline the arkansas game, tyrann doesnt know how to play safety when he was asked to do so and whatd he do? 2 forced fumbles, 8 solo tackles and a touchdown. We even went TO tuscaloosa to hold them to 6 points. the bama team who was a favorite at home. No excuse about missing field goals either, its part of the game to have a special teams, WE DOMINATE SPECIAL TEAM OVER EVERYONE IN THE NATION! Hard Defense fought all game. LSU went 60 minutes hard on Nov. 5th! Its every high school football players dream in LA to play and win a championship in the superdome in nola. the past 2 times its been in nola we’ve won it! you think the dawgs are going to interupt that? no sir! this teams got too much determination, too much swag, theyre too relentless, too deep and always fresh on every snap of the game! theyre hungry! yeah yall have gotten better every game. but guess what so has every other team in the nation, ESPECIALLY LSU! beating 7 ranked teams this year and 3 top 3 teams! they want it all and theyre gonna get it! Dont compare who can match up with who. Dont compare our statistics to your statistics. Dont compare your size to our size. Tyrann’s 5′9 – the true definition of “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog”. Numbers dont mean a thing come the first whistle at the beginning of the first qtr. LSU has and is rolling all season long, going to the ga dome just gets them going! Hope yall are scared, youre in for a treat.
DawgInaTruck
November 28th, 2011
12:10 am
5150, maybe you can answer my question. UGA fans obsess about UGA and Tech fans obsess about UGA-all year long for both. When we win, nothing takes away from our enjoyment. When we lose , no other team’s misfortune makes us feel any better. You guys, however, live and die more through UGA than you do your own team. Why is that?
This week we’ll be thinking about LSU. We won’t think about Tech again until the week of the game next year. Wouldn’t it be less stressful for you guys to enjoy your season and play the “what if” game with your bowl possibilities than constantly obsessing about UGA’s chances against LSU? Do you at least see my point?
DawgInaTruck
November 28th, 2011
12:13 am
Bengal, don’t use ten words when five will do. Most people simply skip a post that long dude.
5150 UOAD
November 28th, 2011
12:21 am
dawginatruck………………you response to my post was dumb. I asked you about Bobo against Chavis. I didn’t say anything about Tech and UGA. Why does that matter now? UGa won that game and are now facing LSU. All things equal I think is how I started this. All things being even/equal explain to me how BOBO isn’t the week link.
Blackoutanyone?
November 28th, 2011
12:24 am
Bayoubengal11…. Enjoy toying with UGA in Atlanta. Bama will be waiting… and we know your scared. Roll Tide
DawgInaTruck
November 28th, 2011
12:26 am
Or perhaps you don’t have an answer that you know isn’t dumb. Why do you obsess about UGA?
We won’t know until Saturday what strength or weakness wins or loses the SEC Championship Game. Thats why we play it on the field and not on paper.
If you’re not going to answer the obsession question you will only prove that you are ashamed of said answer.
5150 UOAD
November 28th, 2011
12:29 am
dawginatruck now you have just walked away from a football discussion and tried to get into a mud slinging contest you say you don’t like.
Man the F up and discuss football.
jeff b
November 28th, 2011
12:30 am
They do have a chance and that is why I am disappointed that I couldn’t, in the 4th quarter at Bobby Dood, incite the dawg fans around me to start chanting “Beat LSU.” I think it would have been a great chance to let the team know we believe in them. Oh well fans, step up Sat. at he Dome, they will need your “Energy Bus” to win this one.
5150 UOAD
November 28th, 2011
12:32 am
Since like you said the game isn’t played on paper and you will see come Saturday. I don’t expect to see you on the blogs until Saturday after the game win or lose. You are just wanting to talk about fans. Fine Pi$$ on a Dawg. Does that make your feel better and mean more to a football question?
L.A BULLDAWG
November 28th, 2011
12:32 am
LSU IS IN TROUBLE! AARON MURRAY IS A BETTER QB, THAN WILSON AT ARKANSAS, AND MCCARRON AT ALABAMA! UGA’S PLAYMAKERS MAY BE TRUE FRESHMEN, I.E., MITCHELL, CROWELL, M. BENNETT, AND CONLEY, BUT THEY DON’T KNOW ANY BETTER! NO PRESSURE! UGA HAS SIZE AND SPEED ALSO! THE BEST ATHLETE ON THE FIELD MAY NOT BE MAHIEU FOR LSU, BUT OGLETREE, A.K.A, “TREE”!
GTBob
November 28th, 2011
12:36 am
UGA fans obsess about UGA and Tech fans obsess about UGA-all year long for both.
Go read the Ga Tech blogs after a loss and tell me that UGA fans are not obsessed with GT.
Dr. Morpheus
November 28th, 2011
12:36 am
This is why guys sign up to play for SEC teams. Seize the day, gentlemen, like you did against Tech.
DawgInaTruck
November 28th, 2011
12:43 am
Calm down dude. I think it is a valid question. Why do you obsess about UGA? And I’m on the blogs here and there as time allows during the week. You need to learn to control your temper and your language, even obscenities you try to mask with single letters.
Actually I love talking football, especially UGA football. I just don’t understand why you obsess so much about us instead of your own team. It can’t be fun when we win the vast majority of the time.
I don’t think our coaches or our players are perfect but I see a team that has worked hard to get better with each passing week. Your drivel won’t change my mind that we are a good football team that continues to improve. I look forward to the challenge that LSU presents but I can promise you that I will be able to maintain a certain level of self control, win or lose. You should try to do the same.
yo
November 28th, 2011
12:47 am
And it ain’t Boise State they are facing either. Put simply LSU’s defense will destroy.
DawgInaTruck
November 28th, 2011
12:47 am
Bob, I can honsetly say I’ve only been to a Tech blog once and that was to compliment a linebacker you had a few years back named Wheeler (I think?). I don’t remember who won or lost that year but I remember that kid was all over the field. I don’t go to your blogs for the same reason I don’t go to a blog for Wyoming or LA Tech. I’m a third generation Georgia man, that is where my interest is.
5150 UOAD
November 28th, 2011
12:51 am
Actually this is a JEFF SCHULTZ blog not a UGA blog.