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
Coach Boo Boo
November 28th, 2011
11:52 am
Lets see…..run on 1st, run on 2nd, throw a pick on 3rd. I know Murray can handle a simplified game plan like that. Now we just need to go play. I’m physced!
shankit
November 28th, 2011
11:53 am
Bama fan – Go back to your Paul Finebaum call in show.
CMR
November 28th, 2011
11:53 am
Anybody seen my sunglasses? What? Oh yeah, they are in my F-150. Thanks.
Alabama | MrSEC.com
November 28th, 2011
11:55 am
[...] Georgia finished the season on a 10-game winning streak and this writer now says the Dawgs have “far better than a ‘puncher’s chance’ against LSU.”10. Receiver-turned-quarterback Matt Roark deserves praise, but Kentucky’s defense also [...]
Paul Fine Bum
November 28th, 2011
11:55 am
Dont go picking on the Bama faithful. After all they include Harvey Updyke. He and I are real close friends.
Bama fan
November 28th, 2011
11:57 am
I hear this ridiculous nonsense from dawg fans that Georgia is all that because they beat AU by a few more points than Bama beat AU by. And that’s your logic? Really? Well than lets look at our other common opponents such as Vandy, Miss State, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. All 4 of those opponents Alabama not only beat them worse than Georgia did but far worst than the dawgs did. Now shut up you idiotic, delusional fools and just take that a$$whooping this saturday like you took the one from Boise.
5150 UOAD
November 28th, 2011
11:57 am
LAWDAWG……………..if you don’t have the time to just pick a few pages to see if GTBob was here then WHY be an butthead? You running your mouth with NO knowledge is just dumb. I guess that is what Lawyers do for a living anyway.
Big Mike
November 28th, 2011
12:00 pm
Donara why do you call these young men thugs: pull the records and then talk. Muck Richt you act if these young men had anything to do with past problems; I bet if one looked at your past you were no saint. I am proud to be a Georgia fan .Go Dogs
Bama fan
November 28th, 2011
12:00 pm
Lemme get this straight. Dawg fans think they can beat LSU because they beat AU worse than bama did or LSU did? Well alrighty then. Lets look at that logic. Bama pounded 5 other common opponents- Ole Miss, Vandy, Miss state, Florida, and Tennessee by far worse scores than Georgia did. So did LSU of the common opponents they had with Georgia. Lord you dawg fans are stupid.
SEC East Chumps
November 28th, 2011
12:01 pm
WAR EAGLE!!…BUT BAMA FAN YOU SAID IT BEST BUDDY…I AGREE 100%…OH, AND WE’LL SEE YA’LL NEXT YEAR!…LOL…AT LEAST I’M MAN ENOUGH TO KNOW MY TEAM SUCKS THIS YEAR…BUT WE’LL BE BAAACCKKKK…..
shankit
November 28th, 2011
12:02 pm
Paul Fine Bum Call In Show – Bama fan, “Paul, I don’t understand why
Auburn still has a “injunearin clazz”, hell, thar ain’t hardly any trains left running.”
Bama fan
November 28th, 2011
12:03 pm
shankit,
Truth hurts don’t it? You nutcases get all fired up over blowing out an AU team that was blown out 4 other times this season and then you idiots base your chances of beating LSU by the fact that you beat one bad team by a few more points than Bama or LSU. Never mind that of all the other common opponents that both Bama and LSU blew them out by substantially larger margins than what the dawgs beat em by. You guys are not only delusional but you’re really stupid too.
PurpleNGold
November 28th, 2011
12:03 pm
Hey Bama fan, don’t you know that the Dawgs are as good as you guys? Some Georgie fan said that, so it must be true.
5150 UOAD
November 28th, 2011
12:03 pm
All football fields share the same overall outside dimensions. The outside measurements below include the End Zone. High School, College and the NFL all have overall outside dimensions of:
Length: 360 feet or 120 yards
Width: 160 feet or 53 1/3 yards
Within these confines the difference will be made by players. The ones that make the plays will be the winners. Anything can happen when the Prolate Spheroid starts to bounce.
LSU still wins I don’t see Bobo beating Chavis
Bama fan
November 28th, 2011
12:05 pm
SEC East Chumps,
AU will be back. They are just in a rebuilding transition year. At least AU has a bsc national title as do Alabama, LSU, Florida, and Tennessee. Where is Georgia’s BSC title? Where it is???
shankit
November 28th, 2011
12:06 pm
Bama Fan – Stupid fans??? Tune in to your
Paul Finebaum show, oh, you are a regular
caller on his show. Talk about stupid fans.
Bama fan
November 28th, 2011
12:06 pm
PurpleandGold,
These nuts are delusional. They actually believe they can beat LSU. Are they really that damn stupid??? Um. Yes. They really are.
shankit
November 28th, 2011
12:08 pm
Stupid Bama fan – Make that a bcs title, not a bsc title. Stupid????
ARdawg
November 28th, 2011
12:09 pm
Trying to compare AR and UGA for the purposes of UGA/LSU is about as relevant as pork to pumpkin pie. It doesn’t work. Other than two quality QB’s there is nothing about AR/UGA that are equal
shankit
November 28th, 2011
12:09 pm
Bama Fan – What does BSC stand for? Bull Sh-t Champion?
Bama fan
November 28th, 2011
12:09 pm
shankit,
Is that all you got? Some nonsense about Paul Finebaum. Weak dude. Really weak. Maybe you should spend more time talking about Georgia’s one impressive win this year over an AU team that is just down and out and was blown out on 4 other occassions. Or perhaps you can brag about ekeing out a just barely win over Vandy or a 9 point win over Tennessee or barely beating the worst Uf team in 30 years. LSU is going pound you guys so far into the ground you’re going to hit China.
Bama fan
November 28th, 2011
12:11 pm
Excuse me. That was a 9 point win over hapless Kentucky not UT. Of course you didn’t beat UT by a score anywhere near the margin that Bama and LSU beat them by.
PurpleNGold
November 28th, 2011
12:12 pm
Yes Bama fan they are. But the fictional world in which they live is not new. Every year they talk about beating SC, Auburn, Florida, and Tech. Every year they talk about winning the SEC championship. Every year they talk about a national title. Every year they think they have a heisman winning tail back. And they are almost always wrong.
I for one am glad they have made it this far. It assures that the SEC championship is just going to be a warm up for the title. Geaux Tigers!!!
azdawg
November 28th, 2011
12:14 pm
Lou Holtz said GA can win IF they don’t beat themselves. Vandy is best example of that. The dawgs will have very difficult time running on LSU. If AL couldn’t run on their D don’t expect GA to either. The passing game and pass protection will be the key to GA beating LSU. Even if AM has time to pass he’ll have to account for arguably the best DB’s in college football. The dawgs are playing their best ball in years on D and the O will have to have another AU-like performance to have a chance in beating LSU. Anything short of that and you’re looking at another disaster in the Dome. GO DAWGS.
PurpleNGold
November 28th, 2011
12:16 pm
Except azdawg, you’re not playing Auburn, so don’t expect an Auburn-like performance.
Don
November 28th, 2011
12:16 pm
Hell’s comming to Atlanta – with out Sherman this time – hide the women and children
Joe Bob Thibodaux
November 28th, 2011
12:17 pm
PurpleNGold
Friend, Chip Towers article says even if Georgia beats LSU it won’t prevent LSU from being in the NC game.
I think the 3rd string running back, Hilliard, will make 100 yards against Georgia, and that Mittenberger will see some time in the game.
JBT
PurpleNGold
November 28th, 2011
12:17 pm
Don’t worry Bama fan. I get the cupcake teams Georgie has played this year mixed up too.
STRETCH
November 28th, 2011
12:17 pm
Thats the key. IF they dont beat themselves. Go Dawgs!
shankit
November 28th, 2011
12:19 pm
Joe Bob – Who is Mittenberger?
ARdawg
November 28th, 2011
12:19 pm
I don’t know why people even bother to feed the troll douchebags like Bama fan and PurpleandGold.
They are posers and displaced Tech fans.
shankit
November 28th, 2011
12:22 pm
ARdawg – Just trying to help Schultzie set a new record
for pages trolled.
PurpleNGold
November 28th, 2011
12:23 pm
No ARdawg I am an LSU grad living in Atlanta, and I am tired of seeing all the unwarranted red and black. You guys really had a lot of wagoneers, errr fans come out of the woodwork around week 9.
PurpleNGold
November 28th, 2011
12:25 pm
JBT, I think this game is JJ’s. Big Zach won’t get the nod until next year. It’s a shame though cause he’s a Georgie kid. Wouldn’t that be rubbin’ salt in the wound?
shankit
November 28th, 2011
12:25 pm
PurpleNGold – Will have to agree with you.
PurpleNGold
November 28th, 2011
12:26 pm
shankit, I’m fine with true fans because at least they know something about their team, but most of these people don’t even know where Athens is.
Paul Fine Bum
November 28th, 2011
12:27 pm
Ray in Moultrie is next. Hi Paul, thanks for taking my call. You know I can still coach. You think maybe that thar CMR is on his way out?
ARdawg
November 28th, 2011
12:28 pm
Purple
Yeah right. Just as the other dozens Tech trolls.
Unwarranted redandblack? WTF?> you make as less sense as any tech troll douchebag
Sven Ottke
November 28th, 2011
12:28 pm
They have no chance in beating L$U.
Billy Graham cracker
November 28th, 2011
12:30 pm
Hey Muck..Not only does Richt talks the talk he walks the walk.. I’b be honored for any of my kids played football for him. Do you even know what a hypocrite is ?
He may be the head football coach at Ga. But he don’t live with those kids 24 hrs per day.
U can’t hold him personably responsible for all the bad you mention.u r just jealous because Ga. beat your team on Sat.Hunker down Dawgs..
Dr. Phil
November 28th, 2011
12:30 pm
To all you mutt fans ….. “What are you thinking”?
PurpleNGold
November 28th, 2011
12:30 pm
ARdawg, yes please result to name calling. I expect that from your kind.
And why insult GT? I bet Tech grads make more money than you do.
PurpleNGold
November 28th, 2011
12:32 pm
ARdawg, when did you become a Georgie fan, around the end of October?
Billy Graham cracker
November 28th, 2011
12:33 pm
Hey Purple and Gold.. If you r tired of all the red and black you see in this fine state . Get used to it or go back to Baton Rouge.
ARdawg
November 28th, 2011
12:35 pm
I don’t feed douche bag trolls Purple
GATOR HATER.
November 28th, 2011
12:35 pm
The only bowl the Florida Gators, will be going to this year, is THE TOILET BOWL. THEY STINK.
PurpleNGold
November 28th, 2011
12:35 pm
Billy Graham cracker, even you’re not used to it. This is the first time you have been to the SEC championship in quite awhile. And it will be the last for quite awhile.
Larry The Cable Guy
November 28th, 2011
12:36 pm
Now, you dawg fans are funny. I don’t care who you are.
Samuel L. Jackson
November 28th, 2011
12:36 pm
uh oh, guess what I just found…. My little UGA Bulldog joke book!
Anybody know how you stop a bulldog from pulling its pud?
You paint his meat orange and blue, that way he’ll only beat it every 7 yrs
SLim
November 28th, 2011
12:37 pm
Saturday can’t get here soon enough. I’m going out on a limb here, but I think either UGA or LSU is going to win this game. I know you probably think I’m crazy, but that’s the way I see it.