Georgia earns respect in defeat, but loss not easy to take
Kenarious Gates drops to a knee as Georgia lost SEC title on game's final play. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
This was the day when representatives from every other conference, when every critic weary of the SEC’s six-year-plus rule in college football, should have come to the realization, “Oh. So that’s why they’re the best.”
Georgia and Alabama looked like the two best teams from the two best conference, if not the two best teams in the nation, and they just played a conference championship that saw four lead changes in the second half and the game not decided until the game’s final play.
What would happen if Georgia and Alabama played 10 times?
“It probably would look like that every game,” Bulldogs wide receiver Tavarres King said. “And there would be several different outcomes.”
Georgia doesn’t have that luxury. The Dogs lost the SEC championship game 32-28 at the Georgia Dome. They came that close to playing for a national championship.
They had a chance at the end, with quarterback Aaron Murray having driven the team from its own 28 to the Alabama 8 with 15 seconds left. At that point, we can debate whether Murray should have spiked the ball to reset the offense. But suffice to say, the game ended with a tipped pass that was caught at Tide’s 5, the final seconds ticked off and one team celebrated its impending berth in the BCS championship game while the other collapsed in exhaustion, uncertain of its bowl status.
The irony here was that Georgia probably gained more respect in defeat than in any of its 11 victories. The Dogs were criticized for a perceived soft schedule, for the way they were physically hammered be South Carolina, for the hiccups at Kentucky.
Yet on Saturday, even the opposing coach, Nick Saban, was moved to comment: “I think it’s a crying shame if Georgia doesn’t get to go to a BCS bowl game. That game came down to the last play. It’s ridiculous. Some teams are 7-5 and talking about winning their conference and going to a BCS bowl game? Something’s not right here.”
So yes, the Dogs proved their worthiness on this day.
Coach Mark Richt has made the program relevant again in the SEC, and therefore on the national scale.
Afterward, Richt said, “I told them I was disappointed. But I wasn’t disappointed in them.”
That said, Georgia lost to a better team.
Alabama was the superior team physically. The Tide rushed for 350 yards, led by Eddie Lacy (187) and T.J. Yeldon (154). The physical domination started with the Tide’s offensive line taking over the game in the second half, blowing open holes in Georgia’s defensive front. It continued with the Dogs, clearly worn down and drained, began to miss tackles.
“[The defense] got tired of being run against — I could figure that one out,” Richt said. “We just got knocked off the ball.”
At some point, it figured Alabama would try to get Georgia to bite on play-action, and that’s exactly what happened. With the Dogs leading 28-25, Alabama had a first down at the Georgia 45 when quarterback A.J. McCarron faked a handoff, stepped back and hit wide receiver Amari Cooper streaking down the left sideline, behind cornerback Damian Swann. The touchdown put Alabama, which once trailed 21-10, up 32-28 with just over three minutes left.
The Dogs had two more chances. They went three-and-out on one possession and quickly had to punt. They used their last two time outs during Alabama’s possession but forced the Tide to give up the ball one more time. They got the ball back with 1:08 remaining.
“We’ve had plenty of one-minute drives during the season so it’s not like guys were freaking out or anything,” Murray said later. “We were just like, ‘Let’s play ball.”
On the fourth play of the drive, Murray had a pass tipped and intercepted at midfield. But he and the team got a reprieve when the play was reversed by replay, which showed the ball hitting the ground. The quarterback then completed consecutive passes to Arthur Lynch, King and Lynch again. The ball was now at the eight with about 15 seconds remaining.
Richt decided to keep going and not have Murray spike the ball to stop the clock. “Even spiking the ball takes time,” Richt said. “We had a play called.”
The play was fade route to Malcolm Mitchell at the back of the end zone. But there were only nine seconds left when the ball was snapped, Murray’s pass was tipped at the line and Chris Conley caught it in traffic at the five (first instinct). He was buried and time ran out.
Richt: “In that play you want a touchdown or an incomplete pass.”
In between is trouble. In between ended the game. Georgia was that close going to the national championship game. That’s something they will have to live with.
By Jeff Schultz
If you blinked, you missed a blog
• SHORT TAKES (UGA): Dogs should’ve spiked the ball
• Braves dump a pitcher (Hanson) they once viewed as gold
• Falcons’ offense hits a wall (but as usual it doesn’t matter)
• Braves need this free agent splurge on B.J. Upton to pay off
• Weekend Predictions: Georgia pulls the upset but Tech goes down
• Georgia’s best chance vs. Alabama may be to step on the gas
• SEC title would mean Georgia’s return to elite status
• Georgia playing at level we haven’t seen under Richt
• Upsetting Georgia would give Tech needed boost for future
• Vince Dooley: Joy from Georgia’s resurgence, pain from son’s firing
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754 comments Add your comment
DawginLex
December 2nd, 2012
10:41 am
Spiking the ball allows Bama to change personnel. If the ball doesn’t get tipped it goes to mitchell in the end zone. If incomplete they run another play
Bammer
December 2nd, 2012
10:42 am
Last year ya’ll tried to tell us that winning the SEC East was somehow better than winning the NC. Well, at least you can hang another East Champs banner at Sanford and Son. Lots of low class, poor sport loser UGA fans I encountered at the Dome last night. I just hope it’s another 32 years before ya’ll get another shot.
DawginLex
December 2nd, 2012
10:43 am
buckeye
You are too stupid to be a member of society. It requires a functioning brain. Make sure you get someone to drive you wherever you go and hold someone’s hand when crossing the street.
DawginLex
December 2nd, 2012
10:44 am
shutup bammer
Grow some class you baboon
Bammer
December 2nd, 2012
10:44 am
Also noticed the UGA fans treating the Dome parking lots like they do their campus. Trash everywhere. You people are absolute nasty ass slobs…used to other folks picking up after you snot nosed brats.
Bammer
December 2nd, 2012
10:46 am
I have class. I pick up after myself and conduct myself like “I’ve been there before”. You know who doesn’t? UGA fans who haven’t been there before.
eyeswideopen
December 2nd, 2012
10:48 am
If you are gonna cry….cry about getting beat down in south carolina,cry about not being able to score on SC’s first or second team…if …and it is a big if…you take care of SC….and everything eles takes care of it’s self…..but no……you have to have help….getting across the road….STOP CRYING and Manup
Lord Saban
December 2nd, 2012
10:49 am
I can’t imagine how sore the dawgs defense is today after the complete thrashing the Alabama Offensive line gave them last night. We worked them like rented mules. Don’t know that I’ve ever seen a defense take such a physical whipping at the point of attack.
SEC Facts
December 2nd, 2012
10:49 am
Why is a Buckeye on this blog? Never beaten an SEC team in their history and would be slaughtered by Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Florida, Texas A&M or South Carolina. What a joke. Having Urban Meyer as your coach won’t change anything versus the SEC in the future. Big 10 football is only relevant in the media! Michigan and Michigan State are the only competitive programs when it comes to competing with the SEC.
BullDogMike
December 2nd, 2012
10:50 am
Hey, Bammer : here’s some low class for you at the Dome last night. How about an Alabama player leveling Murray from blindside a full 3 to 4 seconds AFTER he had thrown the ball. And of course the only people in America who didn’t get to see that were the completly biased referees. I would love to see Notre Dame kick Bama right square in the azz ..
SEC Facts
December 2nd, 2012
10:51 am
I will add Penn State to that list although if only because they have one or two wins over an SEC program.
Lord Saban
December 2nd, 2012
10:51 am
Dawginlex is whining about class? This is the same clown who made up some crap about 6 Alabama players being arrested by the Tuscaloosa pd and then being let go cause they were Bama players. Is it classy to completely make up crap about young men?
Lord Saban
December 2nd, 2012
10:53 am
BulldogMike,
Are you just stupid son? The ball had been intercepted. At that point Aaron Murray is a defender and is then a target to be blocked just like any other player on the field. Geez you dog fans are stupid.
Jorge O'leary
December 2nd, 2012
10:53 am
Hairy Dawg
December 1st, 2012
10:03 pm
I bet Rambo was up there on the tackles list today. Our secondary was having to make almost all the tackles. It was terrible watching our front seven be totally ripped apart in the second half.
Um, it’s called domination by atheletes with superior strength. Georgia is a finesse team, always will be under Richt. Bama is old school, they pound the rock. What you saw is what they do, and you were not equipped to deal with it. Doesn’t matter the alignment. Just admit you got bitch slapped by a bunch of big bodies and move on.
DawginLex
December 2nd, 2012
10:55 am
Just because it was true and there is no internet link to it is not my problem you classless baboon
Helmet to helmet on QB’s is a point of emphasis for officials you idiot. Steve shaw admitted the call was missed
You are too stupid to be a member of society
i guess that’s why you live in alabama
Alabama offensive Line
December 2nd, 2012
10:56 am
Jarvis Jones??? Who dat??? Was he the guy laying flat on his back after big, bad DJ Fluker pancaked his ass???
Ace
December 2nd, 2012
10:56 am
UGA cannot win the big one
Flat Tire On Hwy 441 in Athens
December 2nd, 2012
10:57 am
Thought most of the players deserved to win unfortunatley they dont have the coaching staff that is able to coach a team to beat top 20 opponents
And when I say most of the players I mean the ones talking trash this week instead of keeping their mouths shut
But thats become UGA football; undisciplined and is why we now cant beat ranked teams
Bammer
December 2nd, 2012
10:57 am
Awwww…coffee not soothing your butthurtness this morning Mutts? At least ya’ll are here and not curled up in the fetal position like I suspect Flo-ri-duh and JB are right now.
Just keep telling yourself UGA is the best…its ESPN and Mike Slive and the NCAA that are out to get you.
Lord Saban
December 2nd, 2012
10:58 am
Dawginlex whining about a helmet to helmet. So what? Dawgs did their own helmet to helmet shot on AJ McCarron. So we’re even. Dawgs are just mad and now they do their usual thing of blaming the refs after they get their asses kicked. They aren’t just losers but sorry losers at that.
BullDogMike
December 2nd, 2012
10:58 am
Lord Saben, I know in the lowly poor ass state of Alabama all you rednecks have is your football team .We all recognize that. But don’t ever try and make us believe your players have class. That was a sorry low life hit on a QB. and everybody knows it. We’re not the stupid ones by a long shot. And thank God I’m not your son…
DaTruth
December 2nd, 2012
10:59 am
I’ll say it again, THE PROBLEM IS MARK RICHT, he is not a champion coach. Why is everyone expecting GA to win with this guy. Mark Richt is another Bobby Cox, these guys don’t win games their talent does. GET RID OF MARK RICHT, IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE, HE IS A LOSER, and losing is what he will continue to do. The players themselves know this, and this is why the smart ones go into the NFL draft as soon as they can. They know they will never win anything with Mark Richt, they just can’t say anything about it. FIRE MARK RICHT, IF NOT WE WILL BE BLOGGING THESE SAME CONVERSATIONS OVER THE NEXT 12 YEARS. FIRE FIRE FIRE MARK MARK MARK RICHT RICHT RICHT. DO IT NOW AND STOP WASTING ALL THIS GREAT TALENT THAT COMES THRU GA, FOR THE PLAYERS SAKE, FIRE MARK RICHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111
Eddie Lacy 181 yds TJ Yeldon 152 yds rushing
December 2nd, 2012
10:59 am
Gurshall??? Who dat???
Bammer
December 2nd, 2012
11:01 am
Someone get over to the Dome this morning and tell Eddie Lacy he can stop running now.
Athens
December 2nd, 2012
11:02 am
Alabama fans were gracious and actually quiet coming out of the dome. No one yelliing Roll Tide. They were respectful. I have found most of the alums of both schools are much better people than both teams fans.
DawginLex
December 2nd, 2012
11:03 am
lord saban a 400 pound donut munching sister humping cig smoking trailer dwelling bamatard like you is full evidence that Alabama needs to be kicked out of the south and the US and all the residents need to be shipped to cuba
Lord Saban
December 2nd, 2012
11:03 am
“But don’t ever try and make us believe your players have class”
BulldogMike,
Again. Are you just plain stupid? When is the last time an Alabama player has been arrested? A year ago maybe? You talk about class when the dawgs have had something like nearly 50 players arrested in the last 5 years??? You gotta be kidding.
And do you know who led the nation last year in unsportsmanlike penalties??? Yep. The dawgs did if I remember correctly. The dawgs are near the top every year in unsportsmanlike penalties and usually lead the conference. Talk about class. Jeez. Its the pot and the kettle with you. Go back to your trailer on 441 in Athens son.
Buckeye
December 2nd, 2012
11:03 am
DawginLex,
The non-call was BS. That said, it was after the INT so the penalty would have resulted in Bama retaining the ball. Therefore, I argue, the non-call did not impact the outcome. Am I wrong?
Beast from the East
December 2nd, 2012
11:03 am
Great game. Was surprised at how easily each team moved the ball on each other. I thought points were going to be much harder to come by for both sides. Gotta give the game ball to the Bama o-line. They turned out to be the difference in the game.
Jorge O'leary
December 2nd, 2012
11:04 am
BullDogMike
December 2nd, 2012
10:58 am
Lord Saben, I know in the lowly poor ass state of Alabama all you rednecks have is your football team .We all recognize that. But don’t ever try and make us believe your players have class. That was a sorry low life hit on a QB. and everybody knows it. We’re not the stupid ones by a long shot. And thank God I’m not your son
Those big white boys put a whippin on your sorry a$$es!
Buckeye
December 2nd, 2012
11:05 am
Bammer,
Lacey ran all the way back to T-Town. There was a local tv helicopter covering the journey, OJ White Bronco style!
Bammer
December 2nd, 2012
11:06 am
During the review over the Milliner non-interception at the end your OL Gates slung his helmet across the field. Not called.
Jabo
December 2nd, 2012
11:06 am
Georgia; your coach is such a phony. He showed his true classless side after the game. Enjoy your trip to your Toilet Bowl.
Lord Saban
December 2nd, 2012
11:07 am
Dawginlex,
Last time I checked that man raping hillbilly book and move Deliverance was based in Georgia. And all those intermarrying cousins in Gone with the Wind. Yep- Georgia. You’re as laughable and pathetic as your defensive line is against the might of the Alabama offensive line. Musta hurt watching our massive O-line pound those dogs into submission. How does it feel to watch helplessly as your defense gets assaulted like that. It was like men against boys when our o-line punched your defense in the mouth.
Buckeye
December 2nd, 2012
11:08 am
Saban
Miles
Spurrier
Muschamp
Win With
Who is the first to get voted off the SEC! SEC! Island?
Lord Saban
December 2nd, 2012
11:10 am
Buckeye,
I don’t know if it was you but some big 10 fan added Penn State to the list. Not sure what list that was. Was it the list of big 10 teams that have whupped Georgia? Penn State whupped em in the 83 sugar bowl. Dawgs are still mad about it today. And lets not forget Michigan state putting it on the dawgs last year. Dawgs have no right to be talking smack about other conferences. Especially after MSU put it on them last year.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
December 2nd, 2012
11:11 am
how about the 15 yard penalty on Bama’s Milliner when the UGA classy player poked his fingers in Milliners eye!!!! Really. The hit on Murray (I didn’t like) was not helmet to helmet but shoulder 1st from #90 and then the helmets hit. Again I don’t like that type play nor will Nick. #90 should have just shoved Murray to the ground and that would be good enough. If you look back at the blocked FG you will see the UGA folks looking for AJ as well to block. It was a great game and either team should/could/did win. Alabama has to find a pass rusher this spring for that is our real weakness no doubt and it showed last night. AJ has a bum shoulder (again) and that has been the case since Miss State and that showed as well.
Ole Rambo wears Eddie Lacey cleat marks on his chest…just too funny and boy does that loudmouth deserve it!
DaTruth
December 2nd, 2012
11:11 am
GET RID OF MARK RICHT, HOW MANY YEARS DOES HE HAVE TO PROVE TO EVERYONE THAT HE SIMPLY CAN’T GET IT DONE? MARK RICHT DOES NOT HAVE THE WINNING ATTITUDE TO COACH A TEAM TO A CHAMPIONSHIP. HE IS A LOSER AND YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR, IS THAT 12? YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR AND THIS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THEY GET RID OF RICHT AND JUST TAKE A CHANCE ON SOMEONE, ANYONE. ANYONE BUT RICHT CAUSE HE HAS PROVEN THAT HE CAN’T GET IT DONE. HOW MUCH LONGER WITH THIS GUY? FIRE MARK RICHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Flat Tire On Hwy 441 in Athens
December 2nd, 2012
11:13 am
As Ive said a 100 times this coaching is gauranteed to lose at least 2 ball games a year
No matter how much talent we have
Yet fans and some ball players continue to run their mouths every year and before every game
Buckeye
December 2nd, 2012
11:16 am
Lord,
Wasn’t me. I claim Buckeyes.
dogs claim SEC! SEC! and haven’t done crap to add to the SEC! SEC! legacy except lose most games with any inkling of National prominence.
dogs ride coat tails and never wear the jacket (apologies to our Nerd friends)
Game Changer
December 2nd, 2012
11:19 am
Great Game — weaknesses very evident all year and more so against alabama
UGA defensive line is weak and linebackers to small — great effort though
A Murray height is an issue and once again was very apparent / 54% completion is not good
UGA players were in a position to win and while AM is wanting to spike the ball and have three plays to win the game, MARK RICHT COLLAPSES AGAIN IN A DEFINING MOMENT BY NOT SPIKING THE BALL.
Chuck Olivers question to Richt postgame is FAIR and Richt needs to answer the question:
2013 Fear — Having to watch a fourth year of A Murray and Mark Richt beat weak teams running up AM stats and still losing to top shelf teams. Over 3 million a year and not one meaningful win since 2005. Seven years of failure with what is arguably top five talent every year.
Buckeye
December 2nd, 2012
11:20 am
sec facts,
There you go again, claiming SEC! SEC!
That’s what losers do in the SEC! SEC!
Go ahead and double down on shoulda woulda coulda
Buckeye
December 2nd, 2012
11:22 am
sec facts,
TN and Auburn are also SEC! SEC!
Claiming them too?
Thought not.
Bobby Walden
December 2nd, 2012
11:22 am
Why does Richt pimp for Ford? Is his salary not sufficient for him to keep his wife in lip gloss? Anybody who is too stupid to spike the ball is too stupid to be head coach. Richt is a choker. And showed a lack of grace in the loss. Typical of a mean-spirited bible-thumper. As long as Richt is employed by UGA, I am reluctant to admit to people that I have a degree from that place.
marc
December 2nd, 2012
11:25 am
They play 10 times….Alabama wins 7…Dogs got punished off the ball.
Flat Tire On Hwy 441 in Athens
December 2nd, 2012
11:27 am
People need to stop blamming Murray
Go back and watch the game
Murray was motioning to the sidelines to spike the ball
But guess what our overpaid big game winning coaching staff told him to do…………………
DiamondbackMac
December 2nd, 2012
11:27 am
I’m an Alabama fan and I’m proud of what the Dawgs did. They were impressive.
Eddie Lacy
December 2nd, 2012
11:28 am
Was that Baccari Rambo or Shawn Williams that I ran smack over??? The answer is both. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Alabama offensive line
December 2nd, 2012
11:30 am
Someone tell Jarvis he can get up off his back. Game is over and we’re not gonna knock him flat on his ass no more.
Boo Boo
December 2nd, 2012
11:30 am
The game was eeriely similar to the game played in the GA Dome just two days prior. One team dominated the stats, but was losing, even though the score was close. Rather than Drew Brees passing to the middle of the field with no time outs and 15 seconds left, Aaron Murray passed to the middle of the field with 15 seconds left and no time outs. Both times were at the end of a half, when the game could have changed, had incompletions instead been thrown.
Trapped in a mirror, with no escape. Looking in while looking out, frozen in time and history. Believing their reality is now dispair, when for so long they could do no wrong. But, do houses have influence? Can buildings take one’s talents and turn them upside down and inside out? They can … in the Twilight Zone.