LIVE BLOG: Georgia tries to avoid ‘trap’ against Tennessee
Bulldogs safety Bacarri Rambo goes through warmups at Sanford Stadium. (Brant Sanderlin)
ATHENS – So is this affirmation week or trap week?
Georgia plays Tennessee today. Honestly, I was a little surprised when the Glantz-Culver line (adopted by the AJC and Weekend Predictions, Inc. as the official point spread ) opened with the Bulldogs as a 15-point favorite and it immediately dropped to 13½ (though it has inched back up to 14).
The Dogs are ranked No. 5, and look like legitimate
Alec Olgetree, along with Bacarri Rambo, returns from a four-game suspension. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
title contenders. Other than some first-half hiccups in the SEC opener at Missouri, they have looked strong defensively and leveled Vanderbilt 48-3 last week. Tennessee isn’t as bad as some people think – Derek Dooley inherited a mess and really isn’t doing a bad job – but for the Volunteers’ defense to give up 555 yards at home in a 37-20 loss to Florida speaks to where the program is.
The “trap” concerns come from the fact Georgia plays at No. 6 South Carolina next week, in a game that conceivably could decide the SEC East. And, fact is, Georgia has laid some eggs against Tennessee in the past: a 45-19 loss at Knoxville in 2009, 35-14 loss at Knoxville in 2007, 51-33 loss in Athens in 2006, 19-14 loss in Athens in 2004.
But I think it’s more about this: People are waiting for something to go wrong. Georgia is 4-0, including 2-0 in the conference. It hasn’t started this strong since 2008, when it was 4-0 going into the infamous “blackout” game against Alabama, only to be body-slammed 41-30 at home.
In fact, the Dogs have not won their first three conference games in a season since 2005, when they started 5-0 (7-0 overall). Quarterback D.J. Shockley was injured and they lost the next game to Florida 14-10, as well as Auburn the following week. But they still won the SEC title that season.
The biggest news going into today’s game is the expected return of both safety Bacarri Rambo and linebacker Alec Ogletree. Coach Mark Richt has played coy on the subject all week but it has been widely reported that both players had been suspended for four games.
That’s all I’ve got for now. Time to open the cyber-venting lines. I’ll be back to chat shortly.
What are you thoughts about today’s game?
By Jeff Schultz
•
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1,545 comments Add your comment
Predictor
September 29th, 2012
5:33 pm
The best quarterback is the one who wins the most games.
Pretty simple, really.
meagain
September 29th, 2012
5:33 pm
@Tampa Gator
All the guys you mentioned could do the same at Bama playing behind that OL. Every D has to play to stop the run, so the passing game is easy. All but 1 or 2 of the QB’s in the SEC could run AL’s offense just as well as the current Bama QB.
evil empire
September 29th, 2012
5:33 pm
hopefully mcgarrity will hand out lifetime contracts at halftime…like what i’m seeing…
rivercard
September 29th, 2012
5:33 pm
I am not sure why all you Dawg fans are panicking. In general, you have played better in the second half and seems there is a clear talent advantage.
Vesaversa
September 29th, 2012
5:33 pm
Coach Derek Dooley is a real Ga . Dawg Reich need to go.
meagain
September 29th, 2012
5:34 pm
Predictor
September 29th, 2012
5:33 pm
The best quarterback is the one who wins the most games.
Pretty simple, really.
Must be a 47% guy. What a stupid comment.
Gomer
September 29th, 2012
5:34 pm
These turnovers remind me of So Carolina game last year…..scary
jerry
September 29th, 2012
5:34 pm
UGA no sacks. Not surprising when TG is playing his corners 15-20 yards off the receivers.
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
September 29th, 2012
5:34 pm
UGA is looking ahead towards USC….
Jimmy
September 29th, 2012
5:34 pm
I’m not one to criticize the coaches much. But I think Bobo has been slow to adjust as someone said above. Slow to adjust.
Murray needs to work on protecting the ball.
nobody
September 29th, 2012
5:34 pm
LOL at Gary seeing we cant run to the right, but bobo doesn’t. Not really worried. Tenn got lucky on some stupid plays by the offense. Other than that they cant score. Do we really expect to turn it over every possesion in the 2nd half?
RiffRaff
September 29th, 2012
5:34 pm
Murray still sucks. Special Teams looks terrible. No way we win the east with this crap.
oldfart
September 29th, 2012
5:35 pm
The only one that I’m sure will fire up at halftime is Verne.
Blackoutanyone?
September 29th, 2012
5:35 pm
BC75… that’s a trick question as Bama is only in the SEC in a technical sense. We both know they’re in a league of their own.
RunninWithTheDawgs
September 29th, 2012
5:35 pm
Dawgs offense is playing sloppy. Thr TV announcers are clearly pulling for Tennessee. Ga. is clearly the strongest team by far.
GeorgiaDAWG93
September 29th, 2012
5:36 pm
evil empire…
LOL!!
Mike
September 29th, 2012
5:36 pm
UGA needs to get their head outta their azzes, stop looking at SC, and whip Tennessee in the 2nd half or there WILL BE NO Miami! GATA in the 2nd half! I’m sick of it! If there are no turnovers, this game is 30-10.
Tampa Gator
September 29th, 2012
5:36 pm
Folks…..Georgia lost its focus in the second quarter….but they obviously have a better and deeper team….and that should be the difference in the second half. But the Vols are spreading the field on offense….and challenging the questionable Georgia secondary…..and winning that game right now. They are also challenging Theus at RT…and winning that game as well. I would put Jones at DE and blitz him more to put more pressure on Bray….and when you put pressure on Bray….he folds and throws INTs and makes mistakes, etc. I think you will see some of that in the second half.
meagain
September 29th, 2012
5:36 pm
Vesaversa
September 29th, 2012
5:32 pm
Just go to show that you don’t start playing conservative football in the first half . Coach had Tenn. on the ropes and decide not to turn his QB lose.
You dunce.
1) Mitchell didn’t field the punt on the 20 and let the ball roll to the 1.
2) Murray fumbles on the 15.
3) Gurley horks the kick off and steps out of bounds on the 1.
4) Marshall fumbles when Theius doesn’t block his man.
What do any of these have to do with being conservative?
Hairy Dawg
September 29th, 2012
5:36 pm
Well, folks. It’s 0-0 right now. Let’s go out there and beat ‘em to sleep in the second half.
Brownies for everyone
September 29th, 2012
5:36 pm
Richt has no killer instinct. Just sayin.
ARdawg
September 29th, 2012
5:37 pm
well if it can go wrong, it dam well went wrong in that 2nd quarter
BobDawg
September 29th, 2012
5:37 pm
DAWGFAN… you know you don’t just plug two knew guys in and dominate…Give ‘em the 2nd half and another week…
Tampa Gator
September 29th, 2012
5:37 pm
By the way…….
A lot of Georgia fans posted that Florida has not played anyone. Well…..Texas A&M is someone….and Tennessee is playing Georgia well today. Want to take that back now?????
Just saying….
nobody
September 29th, 2012
5:37 pm
Ive got good news. We are playing TENNESSEE and not MIDDLE Tennessee….
That Boy Aint Right
September 29th, 2012
5:38 pm
Stop worrying you fair weather fans !!!! The Dawgs will dominate the second half and we will roll to a 21 pt victory. Remember this post !
Blackoutanyone?
September 29th, 2012
5:38 pm
Looks like the state of Tennessee is working over jawja today. Middle Tennessee just curb stomped jawja tech
Predictor
September 29th, 2012
5:38 pm
meagain
September 29th, 2012
5:34 pm
Predictor
September 29th, 2012
5:33 pm
The best quarterback is the one who wins the most games.
Pretty simple, really.
“Must be a 47% guy. What a stupid comment.”
You must be a loser. Jealous of winners…
BobDawg
September 29th, 2012
5:38 pm
MEAGAIN… good post…. Like I said … the Bandwagon fans can get off at the first stop!……
ARdawg
September 29th, 2012
5:39 pm
Tampa Gator
Bullsheet. We killed ourselves with bonehead TOs. The D has been asleep. If they don’t awaken, we lose this game and Murray has to stop with the mistakes
Blackoutanyone?
September 29th, 2012
5:39 pm
Tampagator… UF much better than I anticipated. Hats off
Mike
September 29th, 2012
5:40 pm
We are clearly the better team, but a 2nd quarter collapse wasn’t what we needed. We need to come out and dominate the 2nd half.
Hairy Dawg
September 29th, 2012
5:40 pm
Maybe we’ll see the running game again in the second half?
RiffRaff
September 29th, 2012
5:40 pm
Run the damn ball with Gurley. Enough of Murray. Learn to call a fair catch on a punt. Anything inside the 10 let go.
dbc
September 29th, 2012
5:41 pm
We’ve been saying Murry needs to protect the ball now for 3 years. When exactly will he start doing it? After he’s gone? The second half will determine if he’s a real QB or a choker. This is his defining moment. This is just like last years SC game.
Josh Smith for 3
September 29th, 2012
5:41 pm
I see alot of you talking about the offense. What about special teams? Our special teams has wet the bed twice with really dumb plays, and there was a third time that could have been horrible if Malcolm Mitchell had fumbled after being hit. Furthermore, UGA has missed yet another extra point.
I’m a Mark Richt fan and don’t want him going anywhere, but I didn’t see anything like this when I went to Tuscaloosa a few weeks ago to watch Bama play. Bama and UGA are not separated by talent at all, but they are certainly separated by mental fortitude and preparation.
azdawg
September 29th, 2012
5:41 pm
TO’s and terrible spec teams play kiilling nus. This game was in hand until Mitchell let the punt roll to the 1 and marshall couldn’t get the 1st down on the run. Then the fumbles and the dawgs not pressuring Bray and now its all even at 30. What a let down and again so typical of GA over the years to let a game get away when leading. Just gotta hope the D comes thru and Bobo doesn’t get too conservative.
Mike
September 29th, 2012
5:41 pm
We’re giving this game to Tennessee. They’ve done nothing to us. We’ve turned the ball over and given them scores. Our defense is not playing well however.
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
September 29th, 2012
5:41 pm
We agree, No killer instinct. Vols get the ball to start and march down the field.
Blackoutanyone?
September 29th, 2012
5:41 pm
Are we watching the same game? UT dropped a FO SHO Touchdown… Not sure as to why you folks think UGA is the better team.
UGA Football 30 + Years of Failure
September 29th, 2012
5:42 pm
At half time, Herschel Walker will sign autographs his 1980 Black Pontiac Trans AM for all you uga fans.
NJDawg
September 29th, 2012
5:42 pm
Can’t put all the blame on the D when the offense and special teams put the defense in bad positions there a few times. Hopefully we don’t see anymore of that in the 2nd half.
Brownies for everyone
September 29th, 2012
5:42 pm
Insanity=doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. It’s how it is to watch a game coaced by cmr and cmb. Get some cahoonies and leave the pedal to the floor. At the one if you got a third year starter as your ab and definite weapons on outside throw it on second down. Come on.
Big Crimson 75
September 29th, 2012
5:42 pm
Blackie – I wouldn’t trade AJ for any of em.
He’s the only QB in the SEC with a BCS Ring & a BCS Title-Game MVP Trophy.
Jeb
September 29th, 2012
5:43 pm
OVERRATED, WHERE IS THIS GREAT DEFENSE AGAINIST GAY BRAY. FLORIDA GAVE UP 20 AGAINST THEM AND WE ALREAD GAVE UP 30 IN OUR HOUSE. GAME SUCKS.
That Boy Aint Right
September 29th, 2012
5:43 pm
We’re lucky we played our worst 4 minutes of football in the first half, could have been worse if it was in the 4th quarter. But rest assured, the Dawgs will come out breathing fire after the break.
RiffRaff
September 29th, 2012
5:44 pm
RUN THE BALL. NO MURRAY.
BobDawg
September 29th, 2012
5:44 pm
That 1st half was a blur…..
catlady
September 29th, 2012
5:44 pm
Can anyone explain why so many football players get in trouble for raising hell yet on the field they kneel after every score?
Mike
September 29th, 2012
5:44 pm
Just win the damn game. I don’t care how ugly it may be. Just win the game. I do think we’ll drop in the polls however. But that doesn’t matter to me. As long as we’re top 2 at the end of the season.