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
UGA Football 30 + Years of Failure
September 29th, 2012
5:44 pm
Gayturds and South Carolina going to put a beat down on the leghumpers.
Silly Bloggers
September 29th, 2012
5:44 pm
Why do people continue to blame the coaching staff??? Bobo called a perfect game…got us 27 points in a quarter. Defense has allowed 10 points. This comes down to a crazy pick six and Murray turning into a little girl every time a lineman sniffs his jock. Been a problem for years (which I guess you can blame on Richt)…but you would think Murray would learn to hold the ball after so much time.
Blackoutanyone?
September 29th, 2012
5:45 pm
BC75…. that’s because you obviously know and understand the game of football.
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
September 29th, 2012
5:45 pm
Can you just imagine what WVU would do to our defense?
Big Crimson 75
September 29th, 2012
5:45 pm
UGA will win.
Their better than the Vols.
Turnovers are the great equalizer.
I’d pound Gurley over & over & over…….and over some more!
Best recipe to keep UTs offense off the Field.
ARdawg
September 29th, 2012
5:45 pm
30+ years
Tough being a GT fan, isn’t it?
NJDawg
September 29th, 2012
5:46 pm
Hopefully we’ll pull this out but even if we don’t, just think…it could be worse…we could be Arkansas fans!
COOTER
September 29th, 2012
5:46 pm
Daggone and we got USC Next. CMR needs to get his staff in order. This could be a great team getting beat 3 times by teams we are better than.
Not So Fast
September 29th, 2012
5:46 pm
So you realize before the game that Malcolm Mitchell is killing you on punt returns but you do absolutely nothing to fix it. I’d be happy just to have someone fair catch like Logan Gray used to do. Once the field position switched so did the game.
Joey
September 29th, 2012
5:46 pm
My greatest fear this season – a Pick-6. Even though it was tipped, now Richt has lost his faith in Murray. As soon as we get another lead, it will be like last season – 3-and-out.
Has anyone noticed that running the ball has its detriments also? Yeah, fumbles, just like INTs happen. I hate to say it, but this looks right now like last years SC and LSU games.
UT has 20 points off of turnovers.
Do we not have a single player who can properly field a punt or KO?
Just one?
One day, maybe Richt will donate some of his salary to a ST coach.
Boise Dawg
September 29th, 2012
5:47 pm
Jeb I don’t think Florida turned it over 3 times inside their own 30 yard line. Not excusing the defense, but the score is misleading. Also 7pts are from an interception return. No turnovers and Tennessee has 10pts.
evil empire
September 29th, 2012
5:47 pm
shake it off dawg fans…you’ll probably win this game…the bad teams you played before today skewed your vision…you ain’t going through this undefeated, richt is the weak link….if saban, miles or spurrier had this team, it would be a different story…
BobDawg
September 29th, 2012
5:47 pm
Side bar note….Tech and Dawgs have 2 fine golfers playing well in the Ryder Cup…Go USA!!!!
Stuart
September 29th, 2012
5:47 pm
Dawgs will tumble in the ranks, even if they win…
RiffRaff
September 29th, 2012
5:48 pm
Glad we fixed special teams……wait? What????
Keith
September 29th, 2012
5:48 pm
Georgia’s defense has looked horrible in the first half. Absolutely, no pass rush at all, we do not stand a chance against a top tier team if we do not play better defense.
Here we go again...
September 29th, 2012
5:48 pm
Time for hard liquor…
RunninWithTheDawgs
September 29th, 2012
5:49 pm
I hate to see Tenn. exploit all of the Dawgs weaknesses for Spurier to review and plan his game on.
BobDawg
September 29th, 2012
5:49 pm
…Makers Mark is being poured as we speak…
Dawgz81
September 29th, 2012
5:49 pm
Everyone that’s saying “Just win! That’s all that matters” -> this is NOT the NFL. It is NOT good enough to ‘just win’ in college…especially against un-ranked opponenets in YOUR house and you’re considered Top 5 out of 120+ schools nationwide. Be serious. . . .or be content with the Papa John’s bowl every year.
Big Crimson 75
September 29th, 2012
5:49 pm
Mike — You seem to be a level headed Football Guy. You’re correct — just win the game.
In the SEC — just get a Win.
It ain’t no beauty contest out there!!
BobDawg
September 29th, 2012
5:49 pm
RUNNIN.. we are just getting the Ole Visor overconfident….
RiffRaff
September 29th, 2012
5:50 pm
Maybe we can play spoiler next week.
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
September 29th, 2012
5:50 pm
Thought for sure UGA would win by 15 with that fast start.
Can imagine what the guys in Vegas are thinking.
COOTER
September 29th, 2012
5:50 pm
Hard liquor will make the pain go away for awhile lol
Dawgz81
September 29th, 2012
5:50 pm
Mike & BogCrimson,
I was obviously talking to you two… smh
dawglova
September 29th, 2012
5:50 pm
I can’t believe people are griping about coaching in this game so far. Richt and bobo didn’t drop the ball twice or step out of bounds at the 2on a kickoff or completely whiff on a block.Get the hell over it. Not many teams can turn the ball over 3 times on their side of the field and still score 30 at the half. Now we start again and only half to win oh
Half a game. Hold on to the damn ball and we win
waytogoricht
September 29th, 2012
5:51 pm
Mark “never to be confused with Steve Spurrier, Les Miles and definitely NOTSaban, is about to disappoint the Bulldog nation again. Looks like Michigan State bowl game all over again. Richt loses control in a game and the wheels come off the wagon. I think after Vince’s baby boy finishes bloodingly Richt’s nose in this one, Spurrier is aching to kick Richt’s sorry a$$ AGAIN next weekend for his third consecutive year of thumping Mark “completely lost” Richt. Richt, those of us who were never sold on you, could never expose you like you are now exposing yourself as a sorry coach. When the Buffalo’s and Vanderbilt’s are out of the waqy the wins cease don’t they Richt..
BobDawg
September 29th, 2012
5:51 pm
Agree with you CRIMSON… just win, baby… football is a funny game and momentum swings can even things up in a hurry…
Big Crimson 75
September 29th, 2012
5:51 pm
BobDawg
September 29th, 2012
5:49 pm
…Makers Mark is being poured as we speak…
—-
Touche’
UGA Football 30 + Years of Failure
September 29th, 2012
5:52 pm
ARdawg- Not a GT Fan. All u dumb rednecks like yourself, thinks anybody who dislike UGA are GT fans.
COOTER
September 29th, 2012
5:52 pm
Holding on to the ball is part of coaching these guys have had there chance can not play with the big guys
Dawgz81
September 29th, 2012
5:52 pm
We know we’re better…
We know we’re going to win…
The gripes are about handling an un-ranked team in your own house as a Top5 team in the nation. Everybody satisfied right now will be satisfied with a Barack Obama Bowl at the end of the season. Sheesh!
ARdawg
September 29th, 2012
5:52 pm
We’re fine. I hate such a meltdown though. Gives us a chance to experience and learn. A couple of Fr mistakes as well. I expect the 2nd half is a different game
evil empire
September 29th, 2012
5:53 pm
redcoat, vegas is thinking “same old georgia”…
Hairy Dawg
September 29th, 2012
5:53 pm
“Try not to self-destruct.”
Yes, Mark Richt, that is a key to the second half.
Al
September 29th, 2012
5:53 pm
Turnovers are part of the game & Murray tends to do that in big games. Grantham is a good DC not great as some people claim he is.
@Tampa Gator
Shuy up and go away. Who cares what you think.
ARdawg
September 29th, 2012
5:53 pm
30+ years
Yes you are. You gave yourself away, nerd
Reebok
September 29th, 2012
5:54 pm
Tech fan here, straight off of watching what was left of our season implode in a 3 touchdown (!!!) loss to Middle Tennessee State (!!!!) To the Georgia bloggers,…you are going to win today. Your team took their collective foot off the gas when it was looking like a blowout, but I can tell just from watching on TV that UGA is by far the better team. Enjoy the 2nd half.
Al
September 29th, 2012
5:54 pm
shut
Ga Wins
September 29th, 2012
5:54 pm
Richt sounds like he had a lot of frustration in the half time interview, hopefully he expressed this to team in th locker room
Hairy Dawg
September 29th, 2012
5:54 pm
It’s really time for this defense to show what it is made of.
dawglova
September 29th, 2012
5:55 pm
Coaching…..okay you win
Theavgjoe
September 29th, 2012
5:55 pm
You cannot have a championship team with a quarterback that gives up so many big plays to the other team. Also, has Murray ever had a tipped pass that was not caught by the other team? But hey, the media thinks he’s a great quarterback. When he leaves UGA, he’ll be like Eric Zeier – great stats but no championships. Murray is like a fighter with a glass jaw except that he can’t take a hit without fumbling the ball. If he can’t take an average football hit without fumbling the ball he should take up a non contact sport. Unfortunately we are stuck with him for another year because an NFL team won’t draft him.
Looks like the defense is over rated. Tennessee is running up the middle at will.
And oh – I guess we still don’t need a special teams coach?
evil empire
September 29th, 2012
5:55 pm
ardawg, just shut up and watch the game….
Here we go again...
September 29th, 2012
5:56 pm
BobDawg
September 29th, 2012
5:49 pm
…Makers Mark is being poured as we speak…
______
Exactly what I had in mind and tipping it in your direction.
dawglova
September 29th, 2012
5:56 pm
Bad coaching was the reason the pass was tipped for a pick 6
Keith
September 29th, 2012
5:57 pm
Where is this heisman candidate been in the first half?
Tampa Gator
September 29th, 2012
5:57 pm
Al…..
Ditto to you.
jerry
September 29th, 2012
5:57 pm
Dooley is 0-11 vs ranked teams, 4-13 in the SEC with wins only over KY, Vandy twice, Ole Miss and about to get his ass run off. An excellant job of making Vince’s son look good, maybe it will get him another year and a couple mil.