Has Georgia duped us again, or was this just a hiccup?
Mark Richt wasn't pleased with his team's opener, and justifiably so. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
ATHENS – Teams like Georgia don’t put teams like Buffalo on the schedule to build character. Teams like Buffalo are put on the schedule because they’re perceived as safe, possibly even a punchline. Georgia was willing to pay the opponent $975,000 because that’s how much it takes now to find a school willing to suffer public humiliation and say, “Fine, hit me with that two-by-four. Just make sure our hotel has decent pillows.”
Something went wrong Saturday. Georgia paid for the entertainment, maybe a little exercise, but the expected embarrassment was closer to home. That might seem harsh given the Sanford Stadium scoreboard had a distinct tilt at the end: 45-23. But it shouldn’t be considered nearly satisfying, not for a program that went into the day with a preseason No. 6 ranking and aspires to something greater than just outlasting South Carolina in the SEC East Division.
Great teams don’t have first games like this. Great defenses don’t allow touchdown drives of 75, 94 and 75 yards to an opponent that went 5-19 over the past two years and was shut out twice by Temple. Top teams from the SEC shouldn’t allow a projected fifth-place team from the Mid-American Conference East 243 yards in the first half. The Bulldogs, a 37½-point favorite, led only 24-16 after two quarters — that because of a 100-yard kickoff return by freshman Todd Gurley, a gift goal following a blocked punt and a missed Buffalo extra point.
Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said he had some choice "adjectives" for his players at halftime. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
Mark Richt is good in math. “If not for that, we’re losing at halftime.”
The defensive front got pushed around. (Buffalo rushed for 199 yards, including 147 in the first half.) Quarterback Aaron Murray frequently was off target. (Even Richt took a rare public shot at a player, referencing Murray’s overthrow to Tavarres King, saying: “He’s a veteran. You get a guy open like that on a post [pattern], you have to hit it.”)
Only Gurley and Georgia’s wide receivers were above criticism. Gurley was above everybody, actually. He had the kickoff return for the touchdown, two other scores on runs of 10 and 55 yards and he rushed for 100 yards on only eight carries in his debut.
But most Georgia players often looked like their heads were somewhere else, maybe Columbia, Mo., where the Dogs open conference play next week.
“Even the coaches had issues,” Richt said. He referenced plays when Georgia had 10 and 12 players on the field.
Was this an early hiccup? Or have we been duped again?
Nothing that occurred Saturday made you think this team is special. Actually, this was closer to a disturbing reminder of last season’s opener against Boise State in the Georgia Dome. The Dogs looked shockingly unprepared, unfocused and sloppy.
“I felt like garbage at halftime,” nose guard John Jenkins said.
“It wasn’t pretty,” Richt said. “I wasn’t thrilled with the way we played. We missed some early shots, offensively. We gave up some big plays.
“Am I concerned about it? Yeah. If we don’t play better than that next week, we’re going to come home sad.”
Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham was understandably animated on the sideline, and certainly at halftime with his players. His vaunted defense was missing five starters because of suspensions and injuries, but even he acknowledged, “That’s no excuse.” And he was right. Missing key players in the secondary doesn’t excuse the play of the defensive front.
“Play better,” he responded when asked what he told his players at intermission.
When asked if he delivered the message to the players that calmly, he said: “Not really. No. I don’t think you can [write] everything. I had some adjectives in there.”
Georgia carried its highest preseason ranking since 2008, when it was No. 1. The 92,000 fans who showed up expected more. They booed loudly in the first half. Thousands left at halftime. Thousands more left in the third quarter. The weather was humid, and the performance wasn’t worth sticking around for.
“If we wanted this to be a cakewalk, we should’ve came out and done a better job,” defensive end Abry Jones said.
Sometimes you don’t get what you pay for.
By Jeff Schultz
•
– New feature: My three observations on the game
•
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1,006 comments Add your comment
Tampa Gator
September 2nd, 2012
9:44 am
@Flo-Ri-Duh….
It is people like you that embarrass other Dawg fans. Florida rarely threw the ball yesterday against Bowling Green….but Driskel was 10-16 for 114 yards and 1 TD….63% with 7.1 yards per pass. Mike GIllislee ran 24 times for 148 yards with a 6.2 YPC and 2 TDs. Florida showed very little of the offense that they will show Texas A&M next week…..or defense for that matter. What killed Florida yesterday…..and made the game for everyone in THE SWAMP shake their heads…..were the 14 penalties the Gators committed. Reduce that to 6….and Florida blows BG out.
Let's Laugh
September 2nd, 2012
9:46 am
Hey Currently,
Graduated with honors? You abbreviated sentences are very difficult to follow. Also, are you trying to tell me that from 2005 to 2012 that LSU played 81 games and Bama only played 70. NO WAY. I am not gonna even look it up.
You said:
Who have we beat regularly ?
_______________________________________
WON / LOST RECORD after 2005 :
_______________________________________
# 1. .8025 at 65-16 LSU*
# 2. .7805 at 64-18 Florida*
# 3. .7286 at 51-19 Alabama*
# 4. .7051 at 55-24 Auburn*
# 5. .7037 at 57-24 Missouri*
# 6. .6875 at 55-25 Georgia* # 6 of just 2012 SEC
Ronnie
September 2nd, 2012
9:48 am
Is Jeff’s question too negative or too skeptical?
5150 UOAD
September 2nd, 2012
9:48 am
I just heard Bama’s win was their 6th straight opening win over a Top Ten team………..What is Richt’s record against top 20 teams?
Ronnie
September 2nd, 2012
9:50 am
Jeff,
If you’re right, UGA will drop out fo top 25.
If you’re just exaggerating the negatives, UGA will stay in the top 10.
I guess we’ll see if other journalists agree with your assessment, or if your judgment is off.
5150 UOAD
September 2nd, 2012
9:51 am
JOEY…………LeMay should have been playing the whole 4th qtr. Did you see the Oregon game? They starters were out at the half……….50 in the 1st half and let all the other kids play the rest of the game.
Joey
September 2nd, 2012
9:51 am
wins-by-a-link (9:24),
Get ready for some harsh words from the Richt-Fan-Boy-Club.
The Fan-Boys will call you names (hater) and stuff for being critical of yet another big win by their guy . . .
I’m gonna say this and maybe get laughed at by some, but the past year, Bobo has impressed me with some game plans. Think last season SC, AU, even LSU and Michigan St. It ain’t Bobo’s fault that Murray misses a half dozen wide-open receivers, or receivers drop passes when they are wide open, or the O-line continously underperforms.
And it ain’t Bobo’s fault when his boss puts on the headset, and obviously is the one who decides to go conservative with a tiny lead.
Game Changer
September 2nd, 2012
9:51 am
UGA has still not beat a team of quality over 4 years now. UGA looked awful, a couple players looked good but the team is weak. The UGA linebackers get run over.
Aaron Murray sux and will cost UGA several games again in 2012
crimson 1
September 2nd, 2012
9:52 am
The Dawgs are who we thought they were, “mangy”. No way do they win the east. Not with that defence. Sorry, wait till next year.
Ronnie
September 2nd, 2012
9:54 am
I expect UGA to move up a place in the rankings this week.
Oklahoma did not look like a top 5 team, Oklahoma will drop a few spaces below UGA and UGA will move up from 6th to 5th.
The Bear
September 2nd, 2012
9:54 am
Still scratching my head why did Michigan put the brakes on Robinson? Michigan’s game plan was terrible. Bama’s DB’s played very well. The O line controlled the line of scrimmage. I am glad Bama showed class unlike OK state hanging 84 on a team. I guess OK state still chapped from last year.
Oh yea
Roll Tide
tide is in
September 2nd, 2012
9:56 am
and Alabama picked up where they left off. You team has the talent but not the mindset. Expect to lose to Tenn. S.C. and the barners. Possibly Fla.
Time
September 2nd, 2012
9:56 am
The real question is how many are duped by yet another pointless column.
From my perspective, they looked really good. Most with a clue understand that a first game is always a bit of a struggle. And Buffalo, while obviously a inferior opponent, isn’t exactly a pushover. I expect them to do well in the MAC. That QB has some potential. That being said, Gurley is a beast. TK has finally progressed to being a true #1 receiver that I expect to be playing on Sundays. And the defense is loaded with studs. The suspensions will pay a benefit down the road as guys that will be depth are getting some early experience.
UGA alum, class of 71 & 73
September 2nd, 2012
9:57 am
Georgia will be 8-4 or 9-3 at best during the regular season. UGA does not have the right attitude to compete for the SEC C and we just go through the motions. This year will be no different.
Murray is a joke. He is so nervous and overthrows wide open guys and Wooten even threw what SHOULD HAVE BEEN a TD and it was muffed.
Gurley is a nice surpise and Ketih Marshall will be fine.Samuel ran hard, as did Malcome, who hurt his left hand.
I am worried about the tow linemen BUrnette and Theus. CMR never gets more than 3 O linemen per year and so, our depth is horrifc.
UGA is headed for a 9-3 year and a low level bowl team ……………….again.
D. is AWFUL !! Mizzo will put up 400+ on Georgia.
Class of 71 & 73
5150 UOAD
September 2nd, 2012
9:59 am
I see NOBODY has said much about RUSS Uga IX…………….man he like that A/C house and his bag of ice.
tide is in
September 2nd, 2012
10:00 am
“the first game is a struggle” really only for unprepared teams. How many penalties did we have in the National Championship game after several weeks off. How was our preformance last night. mindset attutide discipline plus talent= champions. However CMR is a good man. hahahahahahahaha
Ronnie
September 2nd, 2012
10:02 am
If you’re Mark Richt, and you’re facing your best opponent in the SEC East the next game, do you show much to Mizzou against Buffalo? Of course not. You stay vanilla on offense and defense, and you get a comfortable 3 touchdown win. Which is what Richt did.
Could UGA have scored 60 if they’d shown the full offense? No doubt. Could UGA have held Buff to under 10 if they showed the whole defense, and had all 5 starters starting? No doubt.
UGA will be on all cylinders when the meat of the schedule rolls around in 4 weeks, so if UGA gets past Mizzou, all 12 starters on defense, the full defense and offense at play, looking at a 12-0 finish, as South Carolina and Florida looked pretty bad and both play 3 top 10 teams.
The Bear
September 2nd, 2012
10:04 am
12?
Mr. Hankey
September 2nd, 2012
10:04 am
I was there. I was extremely hot. I was bored. I was reminded time and time again why I will NOT
be renewing my season tickkets. With the “donation” to the athletic department included I paid about $75 for that particular ticket plus gas plus parking plus $5 cokes is stupid souvenier cups. The best part of the whole day was geting a $5 pizza with Mountain Dew at the top of Baxter after the game. Don’t know, don’t care, don’t believe in these guy comparing what happened last season at this time and first game performances. They are meaningless horse hockey. What I saw was a mid-September Atlanta Brave like performance by the Bulldogs where you swung and whiffed much more often that not. The ONLY thing I can positively say with confidence is that Murray is completel orver rated, the “Gurly Man” is a stud and if we play like this in the kettle of boiling Mizou fans next week once again the Bulldogs will get their asses handed to them on a platter and more luster will be washed off the pot that is the program and I will care just a little bit less about a program I have followed all my life.
gbal
September 2nd, 2012
10:05 am
bamma was dominating lasr night,
uga problem is the media duped us with this rediculous #6 ranking and most bought it
we are not top 10 team not yet anyway
frank
September 2nd, 2012
10:06 am
as soon as mark rick cancelled practIce and took them to that pool he sent a message to his team that he isn’t taking this season seriously. It was obvious from the perfromance there Is still plenty to work on. If mark rick coached Alabama last night with his nonchalant nice guy football style dare I say Michigan wins.
Can you imagine the bulletin board material that other teams could use? “Hey they dont respect you they cancelled practice to do triple lundys”
Fidlin1
September 2nd, 2012
10:06 am
Why did I see every Quarterback in the top 5 run the ball when they needed to. Murray should finish every game with a minimum of 50 yards. He’s a great running threat let him GOOOOO.
tide is in
September 2nd, 2012
10:07 am
CMR does not know what it takes to be a champion. Look how he preformed in the championship game with the Sooners when he was at Fla. St.
Earl of Greenpoint
September 2nd, 2012
10:08 am
BAM!
Mr. Hankey tellin’ it like it is!
JD
September 2nd, 2012
10:09 am
The way Georgia played…overall, if something doesn’tseriously improve expect the Pups to lose at least 3 games and maybe more.
5150 UOAD
September 2nd, 2012
10:10 am
Ronnie
September 2nd, 2012
9:54 am
I expect UGA to move up a place in the rankings this week.
Oklahoma did not look like a top 5 team, Oklahoma will drop a few spaces below UGA and UGA will move up from 6th to 5th.
—————————————————————————
I bet you EXPECT to marry a Super Model too…………WTF…………are U thinking.
Preseason polls are a joke and there are a few teams that need to be way outside the top10 and top 20.
UGa didn’t show-up against a nobody and isn’t a top 15 team. UGa has a Top 20 SCHEDULE but UGa ain’t that TEAM.
Ronnie
September 2nd, 2012
10:10 am
First 4 games are Buffalo, Mizzou, Fla Atlantic, and Vanderbilt. If you get past Mizzou with a “W”, you get to 4-0.
Then all the defensive starters are back.
Then you face Tenn, SC, Florida and Auburn with the whole team in tact, and showign the full offense/defense.
UGA’s top 4 toughest opponents from here out:
1- Mizzou
2- Tenn
3- South Carolina
4- Florida
By the looks of week 1, I expect Mizzou, Tenn, to finish top 25, I don’t expect SC or UF to have better than a 8 win season.
O Game plan played into what happened on D
September 2nd, 2012
10:10 am
UGA’s Offensive game plan was to strike quick with TD bombs. Murray was not up to that challenge. As usual, Murray was uptight and his balls sailed. UGA O left the field with 3 and out for the D over and over and over and to Buffalo’s credit, their O did grind and grind on UGA’s D.
Over a half, UGA’s D was gassed. We looked ill prepared and vastly out of shape.
Bright spots: Christian Lemay with his running. I like that! Gurley and Keith Marshal and Merritt Hall, the FB walk on who made a great block on the left corner for our back and he fielded a pick off and got about 10 yds.
WE MUST GET LEMAY IN THE GAME MORE AND MORE AND MORE.
Murray last year was at his best, even though he threw 12 pics. THAT IS just Murray’s game, with his nervous feet and stomach churning.
5150 UOAD
September 2nd, 2012
10:14 am
Ronnie
September 2nd, 2012
10:02 am
If you’re Mark Richt, and you’re facing your best opponent in the SEC East the next game, do you show much to Mizzou against Buffalo?
LSU, BAMA, Tenn., Aunurn, Clemson, Florida & Oregon all played Vanilla game plans too I guess BUT look at what their VANILLA Game Plans looked like as compared to RICHT, Bobo & Grantham’s.
Charles
September 2nd, 2012
10:16 am
Well here we go again, what is it going to take for this Georgia team to play football. Once again they demonstrated why they likely will never be in class with Alabama or LSU. Just another year of mediocre play. Again we start a season with way too many suspended players and a complete inconsistency with offense and defense . You look at Alabama last night, playing at mid season form well executed playing on offense and defense and you compare that to Georgia’s playing you see poor execution and like of focus.
It time the Georgia coaching staff start kicking some asses!!!!
Tee
September 2nd, 2012
10:17 am
Everybody just relax…it would have been the same if the score was 70-3. Let’s see what happens next week and then talk. Games vs these type of opponents leads to a false sense of what’s going on. Lets see what happens against Mizzou.
Tampa Gator
September 2nd, 2012
10:17 am
I went back a ran a lot of these posts. I am just amazed how so many of you are judging both Georgia and Florida based on vanilla offensive and defensive performances against Buffalo and Bowling Green teams. I guess Wisconsin and Oklahoma are horrible teams with no offenses and defenses as well. These games have NOTHING to do with how these teams will play next week….or this year. Gillislee will not average 148 yards a game……Gurley will not return every kick for a TD….and Driskel or Brissett will continue to get better….and Murray will remain one of the best QBs in the SEC and the country. But Georgia needs to get back their suspended players on defense…..if they can keep themselves clean and focus on football from now on…..and Florida cannot continue to commit 14 penalties each game..
Tampa Gator
September 2nd, 2012
10:17 am
“read a lot”
Genesis
September 2nd, 2012
10:18 am
Seems as if these kids are spoiled, and do not give everything they got, every play should be played as if it is your last play, you will ever play. Each play of every game. 45 minutes. Give it up! 15 minutes at a time, then take a break and refocus all energy on the next minute, then next, etc… When your 45 minutes are up, look into a mirror and into your eyes, and ask yourself, “Did I give everything I had for that 45 minutes?” If you say yes, your eyes will let you know if your not telling the truth to yourself!
Ronnie
September 2nd, 2012
10:19 am
Murray is on track to finish with 3000 yards, 36 td’s, and no interceptions. Not much to complain about.
UGA got better in 2nd half, held offense to 6 points, thanks to great conditoning.
Best Performances:
Gurley’s 3 td’s on 10 touches. Murray’s 3 td/0 int day. Jones 2 sacks. Swann’s punt block. King’s 100 yard receiving game.
Murray showed more maturity, didn’t throw a pass that got close to being intercepted, and moved around in the pocket well, footwork really improved, and seemed to settle down in the 2nd half, where he completed almost 70% of his throws. Murray also did an excellent job of getitng the offense lined up correctly, so the run offense had a big day.
zbulldawg
September 2nd, 2012
10:19 am
On a positive note : Our special teams looked like there’s promise there. Our running game showed alot of improvement. Murray had time to deliver. Our 2nd & third team Db’s got some good snaps. Yes there’s alot of room for improvement ! So this saturday nite will be the best test ! BUT it was a WIN. It still amazes me how ungrateful these so call fans are ! But I accept the fact that UGA will never be good enough. Thank you DAWGS for the first win of the season ! LET THE BIG DAWG EAT !!!!
5150 UOAD
September 2nd, 2012
10:19 am
Ronnie
September 2nd, 2012
10:10 am
First 4 games are Buffalo, Mizzou, Fla Atlantic, and Vanderbilt. If you get past Mizzou with a “W”, you get to 4-0.
Then all the defensive starters are back.
Then you face Tenn, SC, Florida and Auburn with the whole team in tact, and showign the full offense/defense.
==================================
after 4 game you get all the guys back and those guys will not have GAME SPEED but they will be WORLD BEATERS?……………..again BAMA REPLACE how many D starters and didn’t miss a beat?
Joey
September 2nd, 2012
10:21 am
“Most with a clue understand that a first game is always a bit of a struggle.”
**************************************
Does Nick Saban have a clue, doofus?
Why do lots of teams have no struggle in the “first game” no matter who they play?
Because those teams are prepared. The coaching staff is prepared.
I know, I’m speaking a foreign language to you . . .
Tampa Gator
September 2nd, 2012
10:21 am
@Ronnie……
You cannot judge or predict how any SEC team is going to do in the SEC this year until they play a team in the SEC…..and you certainly can’t do so based on Georgia’s and Florida’s perfromances in meaningless games against Bowling Green and Buffalo. Again…..based on your evaluative system….Oklahoma and Wisconsin should not be in the top 25 right now.
Rick
September 2nd, 2012
10:21 am
Gurley and Marshall both looked good but Gurley looks like a superstar. The way he attacks the hole and runs with power really impresses me. Also come on people we won by 3 plus touchdowns and did that by going through the motions. Of course we are looking ahead to next week. I’m sure we have been game planning for that since the begining of last week and probably spent all of one practice studying film and game planning for Buffalo. Yes Murray had some accuracy issues but the offense look very deep and able to attack for all over the field. We did what we needed to do now get back to preparing for next week, Oh and I guess we should take Oklahoma, Oregon, and Arkansas out to the woodshed too and say the are overated too!
Ronnie
September 2nd, 2012
10:23 am
Murray has now throw 26 passes without an intercepetion.
The streak is ON!
How long can Murray keep the streak alive?
hateidiots
September 2nd, 2012
10:23 am
loyal dawg
September 2nd, 2012
7:50 am
I was at the game and enjoyed the game. Students left at half because they knew the game was over and in favor of the dawgs. Here are some other scores for a perspective.
#1 USC 49 Hawaii 10
#2 Alabama 41 Michigam 14 WOW
#3 LSU 41 North Texas 14
#4 Oklahoma 24 UTEP 7 What
#5 Oregon 57 Arkansas State 34 34?
#6 UGA 45 Buffalo 23 Only a TD in 2nd half after adjustments OK
#7 Fla State 69 Murray State 3 College vs High School
#9 SC 17 Vandy 13 vandy outplayed and outcoached SC
#11 West Va 69 Marshall 34
#12 Wisconsin 26 Norhern Iowa 21 what
#13 Mich State 17 Boise St 13 good game
and this proves my point about how small and invalid you haters’ arguments are except for a couple of teams who looked like a team running on all cylinders uga did better against their cupcake than two teams ranked above them so maybe we should jump over them.
5150 UOAD
September 2nd, 2012
10:23 am
Tee
September 2nd, 2012
10:17 am
Everybody just relax…it would have been the same if the score was 70-3. Let’s see what happens next week and then talk. Games vs these type of opponents leads to a false sense of what’s going on. Lets see what happens against Mizzou.
=============================================
WRONG……………did you see OREGON? The Ducks put up 50 before the Half and let the OTHER players get game experience……………….RICHT and BOBO never do that. they Never put away a team nad let the DEPTH really play a lot to be better for the next year.
Tampa Gator
September 2nd, 2012
10:23 am
@5150UOAD….
That is a great way to mark a response to someone……:rol:
Marjoe Richt
September 2nd, 2012
10:23 am
Look, folks-
You all want to stick your heads in the sand while you go gaga over Richt and Bobo? Fine. You have made your bed, so lie in it.
No amount of raw talent can win a championship. It takes talented and dedicated coaches.
Richt and Bobo are incompetent. The only people in the country who doesn’t know this are the UGA fans.
Bama14
September 2nd, 2012
10:25 am
Hey Big Crimson 75, I didn’t mean to imply that we had the game in hand when I made my “Drown ‘em” post. I was lamenting our tendency to relax when we have an opponent on the ropes. Should have said it better. I’ll work on that for next week!
5150 UOAD
September 2nd, 2012
10:26 am
Ronnie
September 2nd, 2012
10:19 am
Murray is on track to finish with 3000 yards, 36 td’s, and no interceptions. Not much to complain about.
…………………………………………………………………..
Hahahah………………ONLY IF 35:55minute MURRAY plays against the CUPCAKES. He has made a living padding his STATS against bad teams.
Ronnie
September 2nd, 2012
10:26 am
Richt & Bobo are bad? Sure, that’s why they’re ranked #6 in the country?
Tampa Gator
September 2nd, 2012
10:26 am
Got to use space however
Ronnie
September 2nd, 2012
10:28 am
Jeff,
I think if you’ll go back and look, you’ll find great teams DO have first games like this.