SHORT TAKES: Georgia shows its talent and its ugly side
Todd Gurley takes off for 51-yard TD run, one of his three first-half scores. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
(I’ll be back with the column off today’s Georgia game soon. Until then, here are my three “Short Takes” on today’s game against Tennessee.)
• 1. Hold off on “great defense” declarations: Yes, Georgia has that potential. But on a day when the Bulldogs got two of their better players, safety Bacarri Rambo and linebacker Alec Ogletree, back from suspensions, the defense had its worst game of the season. Granted, turnovers led to three Tennessee touchdowns (20 points). But the Dogs gave up far too many big plays, and few would’ve predicted the Volunteers would have 477 yards in offense.
• 2. Hey Herschel, look at the freshmen! We’ve addressed before that replacing Isaiah Crowell might be a concern. If that concern hadn’t been completely obliterated after the first four games, it certainly was against Tennessee. With former Georgia great Herschel Walker in attendance, Todd Gurley had first-half touchdown runs of 2, 1, and 51 yards (although he dropped a kickoff return out of bounds at the Dogs’ 1 to lead to a Tennessee touchdown). Keith Marshall blasted off for TD runs of 75 and 72 yards, and through three quarters rushed for 167 on nine carries (although he also had a fumble that led to a Vols score). So if Gurley and Marshall can just stop dropping the ball, the running game will be fine.
• 3. There’s a lot of to clean up: The Dogs will walk away with this win and be happy. They’re 3-0 in the SEC for the first time since 2005, which is the last season they won the conference title. But they can’t play sloppy on offense and special teams and loose on defense like they did Saturday and expect to win at South Carolina next week and against Florida in Jacksonville in four weeks. As talented as the Dogs are, there was enough ugliness Saturday to bring everybody back down to earth.
By Jeff Schultz
•
Some blogs from the digital jukebox
• LIVE: Georgia tries to avoid ‘trap’ vs. Tennessee
• Chipper Jones loved celebration, but it made him an ‘emotional wreck’
• Chipper Jones: Braves lose a legend, fans lose a hero, I lose reason to open laptop
• Weekend Predictions: No ‘bagels’ but Dogs and Falcons win
• Video blog: Are Falcons NFL’s best team (after 3 weeks)? We debate
• Falcons are looking special, and it starts with Matt Ryan
• Short takes: Resiliency, Ryan and turnovers carry Falcons
• Falcons’ defenders preferring Mike Nolan to Brian VanGorder
• Predictions: Dogs win cage match; Falcons upset Chargers
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245 comments Add your comment
Toasterz
September 29th, 2012
8:51 pm
A good win??????? Huh???
The defense choked up 500 yards, 200 on the gorund, and gsave up 44 points to one fo the worst teams in the SEC.
Good win????
Give me a break.
redandblack
September 29th, 2012
8:51 pm
Was just over at the Tech site and left the number for the National Suicide Hotline…..Just in case…
Sure didn’t see that one coming!!! HOLY CRAP!!!! WOW!!!
That one had to “sting”……I know, I know….stop it!!!
Just trying to help…….WTF!!!!!
Josh Smith for 3
September 29th, 2012
8:52 pm
The scoreboard said 44, but keep in mind UGA was working from deep within their own territory after two turnovers and from around midfield another time. It’s hard for any defense to make stops with such a short field.
And SC is fortunate that Kentucky is Kentucky. Awful time management by their coaches prevented at least a field goal and at least a 20-7 halftime lead.
Neutral
September 29th, 2012
8:52 pm
Top “10″ West Va gave up 63 points today and still won by a TD so stop all the crying!!!
Toasterz
September 29th, 2012
8:53 pm
The offense had 3 turnovers.
a good win????
dawggirl
September 29th, 2012
8:53 pm
Tennessee is the 2nd highest scoring offense in the SEC, so I wouldn’t call them lowly. They had only lost to Florida, which is a good team.
That Boy Aint Right
September 29th, 2012
8:53 pm
You super know it all critics and pretend Dawgs fans are missing one CRITICAL point ….. Championship teams (Like Alabama, Florida, LSU etc)… don’t ever give up, no matter what ! Our Dawgs did not give up, they fought to the end and pulled out the win. Cheers to everyone .. Richt, Bobo, Grantham and every single player who played today.
td
September 29th, 2012
8:53 pm
TheBody
September 29th, 2012
8:49 pm
Another DA. Murray was 12 for 13 to end the game and the only incomplete pass was a drop. Try something new because that line is getting way old.
CHDawg
September 29th, 2012
8:53 pm
The coaches pulled the foot off the gas late, like MSU, LSU, and many others and we almost lost. We had very little offensive production in the 4th. Two ints and a fumble recovery by the D saved the game. Overall, the O played fantastic. They scored 51 points in the first three quarters before CMB iced the offense.
SOUTHGADAWGG88
September 29th, 2012
8:54 pm
SC don’t look all that good to me.We scored 42 on that “great” D last year.I think they had a better team last year as well.
Mike
September 29th, 2012
8:54 pm
All rats gotta die even Stuart!
HB
September 29th, 2012
8:55 pm
ESPN guys just commented, all agreed, UGA will drop out of the top 25 after this weekend.
Another seaosn WASTED!
7576DAWG
September 29th, 2012
8:55 pm
Georgia made some mistakes and Bobo went back conservative which let Tennessee bring the corners in the middle and shut down the run . We should have won by 14 to 17 points but I prefer to give credit where it is deserved. Bray is one hell of a Quarterback. He is dead on target with nearly every throw. His receivers dropped at least 2 or 3 pass , thrown perfectly. Tennessee will beat some good teams this year. I’m just glad Georgia was able to finish the drill and win.
dawggirl
September 29th, 2012
8:57 pm
Nice try, HB.
CHDawg
September 29th, 2012
8:57 pm
Let’s not forget that Alabama lost to LSU and then crushed them later in the season…on any Saturday anything can happen. Our offense was remarkable tonight, and the D came on strong with two interceptions and a big fumble recovery in the 4th quarter. It was a great game.
SOUTHGADAWG88
September 29th, 2012
8:57 pm
Grantham is a bit shaky in the big games IMO.He seems to have a hard time with the concept of moving Jarvis Jones around.If you don’t get a pass rush against a decent QB,your secondary will get toasted.Willie Martinez 101
Highly Respected Southern Troll
September 29th, 2012
8:57 pm
Still don’t understand why Dawg fans are so high on Grantham. Is it because he’s better than Willie Martinez?
Neutral
September 29th, 2012
8:59 pm
Wow, last week some of you bloggers wanted to give Grantham a raise….this week you want him fired!!! Make up your fickled little minds!! I will let you know how I feel about him in January. Right now UGa has won 100% of their games this season and 15 straight regular season games. Chill dudes, chill.
Tampa Gator
September 29th, 2012
9:01 pm
I will call it a night with this…….
Florida beat Texas A&M at College Station and Georgia fans posted that Texas A&M is a horrible team…..and A&M is undefeated since and crushing everyone they play.
Then, Florida goes to Knoxville and wins 37-20 and shuts down the Vols offense in the second half….and Georgia fans post that the Vols were a horrible team and that Florida has not played anyone.
Well…..Dawg fans…..what do you think of Texas A&M and Tennessee now…..still horrible teams?
Truth……Florida is a very talented team……and so is Georgia. Should be very interesting in JAX this year.
Good night.
Neutral
September 29th, 2012
9:01 pm
By the way, Bama has not won 15 straight games, and they play those patsy teams in the west!
Diamond Dawg
September 29th, 2012
9:02 pm
Neutral, Very nicely said.
bO
September 29th, 2012
9:02 pm
Gators shut Tenn down in 2nd half, UGA couldn’t.
dawggirl
September 29th, 2012
9:03 pm
I never said A&M was a bad team, ever. And it’s clear that Tennessee is good, although Tyler Bray off the field has little to no class. Very good QB though.
Roc
September 29th, 2012
9:03 pm
UGA lost to LSU & Mich St, and has only won 5 games in a row.
Neutral
September 29th, 2012
9:03 pm
Florida Gator,
Stats are for losers…..the only game that matters is when they play.
Rick James
September 29th, 2012
9:03 pm
I truly think that most of the comments on this blog are by Tech fans..There is no way Georgia fans can have so much to whine about.I guess when you get blown out by a Sun Belt conference team there’s not much to say on the Tech blogs..As for the Georgia fans who are whining,Sourth Carolina is looking worse against Kentucky than Georgia did against Tennesee.All good teams have games where they survive ours was today.Two years ago we would have lost it.
GaJoe
September 29th, 2012
9:05 pm
Our offense was pretty good, but the defense playted awful
Willie
September 29th, 2012
9:05 pm
Our defense is a joke. Ive been saying all along that Grantham aint all that. Defensive secondary needs to learm how to wrap up and tackle somebody. South Carolina and Florida will eat our lunch.
Neutral
September 29th, 2012
9:05 pm
ROC, learn to read. I stated an absolute fact. Re-read my comment and focus this time on the words “regular season” hint, hint
MontanaDawg
September 29th, 2012
9:07 pm
I agree with all your points Jeff. Nice synopsis. Watching South Carolina right now, and they look as ‘ugly’ on offense right now as we did on defense today. I guess Kentucky can play ball too. GO DAWGS!
Russ
September 29th, 2012
9:07 pm
Rambo and Ogeltre ain’t all that.
LDawg
September 29th, 2012
9:07 pm
Okay – did anyone watch the game I did? Our D sucked. We were too busy trying to make the big play instead of just wrapping up these fools or sacking their QB who had ALL DAY! I still cannot believe the fumbles and special teams OMG! Why can’t we make a PAT? They guy makes a 50-yarder but not 2 little measly PATs? It also seemed like we were going back to our old conservative playbook. I knew Bobo wouldn’t be able to resist – up the middle will be on his gravestone.
For those of you out there who envision SC moving up into the rankings, they are LOSING to Kentucky and had trouble with Vandy. LSU doesn’t seem to be handling Towson well (now there’s a powerhouse!)
Dawg88
September 29th, 2012
9:09 pm
Well folks, another 10 win season, at best. Now we know what kind of defense we have.
We have a defense that gave up 21 points to Florida Atlanta.
We have a defense that gave up 23 points to the Buffalo Bisons.
We have a defense that gave up 44 points to the Vols.
The dream is over.
Swami SEZ
September 29th, 2012
9:10 pm
UGA aint got no D.
Highly Respected Southern Troll
September 29th, 2012
9:10 pm
@Willie – I’m a Southern and Tech fan so I can’t (and wouldn’t) talk smack to Dawg fans, but Grantham looks like a marginally better version of Al Groh with outstanding defensive talent and backup from an offense that looks somewhat reminiscent of the machine the Jackets had under O’Leary and Friedgen.
Big Wally
September 29th, 2012
9:11 pm
All I know is, I was in that stadium a few years ago, when Tennessee hit 50+ on us with W. Martinez. Today was not much better from a Defensive standpoint. No pressure at all on Bray. Defensive line was pushed around. Jenkins and Gaithers played like wimps.
Thye Factor
September 29th, 2012
9:12 pm
Just another routine win, don’t know what all the fuss is all about?? Go dawgs!!
Neutral
September 29th, 2012
9:16 pm
I’m so concerned about our kicking game. 2 MORE botched PATs and we made 2 mistakes on punt returns. Once we should have fair caught the ball and it is amazing we didn’t fumble. The second time we should have called for a ” fair catch” on the 12, but we let the ball roll to the 1 yard line. What the heck is going on? This is just fundamental stuff that most good HS teams rarely screw up!
Swami SEZ
September 29th, 2012
9:16 pm
Todd Grantham was a third choice… you get what you pay for and he is a joke!
Icedawg
September 29th, 2012
9:17 pm
The d is still not playing junkyard style. Last year’s edition was better.
Jeff Schultz
September 29th, 2012
9:19 pm
Folks, game column is posted here: http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2012/09/29/georgia-has-uncomfortable-mix-of-highlights-slapstick/
Just for simplicity of tracking commenting, I’m going to be closing commenting on here and on the live blog.
Thanks
J
Observer
September 29th, 2012
9:19 pm
ESPN highlights never once showed TN leading, said UGA just getting ready for showdown with USCe.
Its funny how they skew some games ie LSU, FSU,Ohio St.
SOUTHGADAWG88
September 29th, 2012
9:20 pm
TampaGator UGA has scored 30 plus in the last two games against that vaunted Gator D.40 will be reached this year
1969 Graduate
September 29th, 2012
9:20 pm
I’m so glad we won. It could have gone against us. We all know that.
We all know too that we have a lot of room for improvement. Make no mistake, we must improve, or be unbelievably lucky, or we will lose. We had some luck today.
Mostly the offense is very good, but seemed to be much better when the pedal was to the metal. When they backed off, they didn’t look so hot. I don’t think we have to be gunslingers, or wild, crazy, and dangerous to stay aggressive. We shouldn’t think that any lead is sufficient against any team capable to putting up quick points.
Speaking of which, our defense sure made Tennessee’s offense look mighty. I suspect the Tennessee offense really is quite good, but we don’t need to be showcasing our opponent’s strong points.
I sure hope nobody goes into our game with the chickens thinking we’re world beaters with the game in the bag. I don’t see how anyone could think that.
This was a game we survived, that’s for sure. Games of this sort are so very valuable – building character, putting a bitter dose of reality in our face, and graphically pointing out the many flaws needing to be urgently addressed.
I almost started dreaming big in the 1st quarter, but the second and fourth were the ones the players and coaches will learn the most from I suspect.
I think we have a lot of potential, and better work really hard if it’s to be realized.
I’m so happy we came away with a sweep of the state of Tennessee. Good win, team, good win. You guys showed me you can do it. Lots of class. Lots of talent. Lots to learn, and I’m sure you know that better than any of us fans.
Go, Bulldogs!
Jeff Schultz
September 29th, 2012
9:21 pm
Closing commenting here now.
Shift to game column site:
http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2012/09/29/georgia-has-uncomfortable-mix-of-highlights-slapstick/