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
Cordele Dawg
December 2nd, 2012
1:35 pm
I would like to say that GA’s players has nothing to hang their heads about, they left everthing they had on the field. This loss hurts greatly because it is unfair to those players to suit up for a chance at history and be ask to play with limitations(Mark Richt and his staff). Nick Saban loves his team, job, and his life for it shows. He not only prepares his team for greatness, he give them tools to achieve it and put them in the best position to execute a winning game plan! Georgia lost yesterday because we were out coached! Any football fan could see that one blarring fact. We played that game on talent alone and lost by 4 pts. All we needed was the same effort from the Richt regime and this close game would have been a blowout. We had chances to step on their throat and press the life out of Alabama’s title dreams and Richt chose not to. He chose to become the head coach of a storied football program, not to be its chaplan. Yes, I’m glad he is a man of faith, but he is not faithful to Georgia. How can he be when he chooses to keep games close, to give rivals every opportunity to win games and refuse to be accountable for just being a good coach and not a great one(Saban). All you homers out there, argue that! How can you support someone who constantly shows you that he is not totally committed to the best interest of your football team and its reputation. Hell, the nation is laughing and piting us! I don’t want pity, we deserve greatness! Our dawgs played the game that was called for them. Our defense was gassed for most of the 2nd half and still produced a stops with no reward. Tell me, “Is that fair to them?” The facts is this, only when forced to did TD loaded the box against Bama and was on their drive! Where was that since of urgency for other 58 minutes. Homers answer me! Why was we able to answer everytime we got behind but couldn’t produce points with a lead. Answer me Homers! Theses are facts not wishful thinking, facts. Grantham should be ashamed of himself, for he came from the Pros. We didn’t ask him to water down his coaching ability. Or did we? We did go and hire a AD from our nemesis Florida! In our best interest right? Plus Richt declared in a presser for the Cocktail Party that he was a FL fan. Sickening isn’t it! Please prove me wrong, for those young men deserves better that what UGA is paying 4.5 mil. a year for right now. Just think if we had a Nick Saban, Les Miles or even Urban Myrer. Homers, you can try but the truth is the truth, why would Richt get so mad about what others think if it was warrented. Why not answer the question unless he have something to hide or nothing to say. Like Arthur Blank, the owner of the Falcons, told Mike Smith, ” I’m tired of being good, I want to be great.!” Teddy Bruschi mention, “A killer instinct isn’t something that can be obtained but one must already have it inside in order to use it.” Richt does not have it, nor does he desire it, in fact, he abhores it. Thus we must fire him and hire someone who wants to be great, who wants to WIN every game and who desires to satisfy his fan base. Most of Dawg nation goes to church but still why live and die with our team. Such loyalty should be appreciated. Shouldn’t it Homers. Alabama needed Saban yesterday to win that game. That is a fact!
Benjamin
December 2nd, 2012
1:40 pm
Seriously, how in the hell can someone call for Mark Richt to be fired? Mark Richt may be the best thing that’s ever happened – ever – to the Georgia program.
Benjamin
December 2nd, 2012
1:42 pm
The above said, that was a great game between two great teams yesterday. Good performances on both sides of the ball.
Tavarres King, you are an NFL-worthy receiver. Others won’t say it, but I will. Good luck at the next level.
Can't stop the rush
December 2nd, 2012
1:43 pm
Nothing complicated, our defense can’t stop the run from anybody and you don’t beat a top 5 team with that hole in your game. Grantham is the most overpaid defensive coach in America. He can’t even scheme to stop the run when he knew he was outmanned. Hope someone needs him to coach their team so we can get back to just solid defensive linemen who aren’t always seeking the glory trying to be the “sackman.” We need to quit recruiting the egos like “RAMBO.” Great player, greater ego, me instead of the team attitude.
dawgster
December 2nd, 2012
1:48 pm
@Marietta-Dawg…please do some of us former dawgs and fellow alumni a favor and find another team to support since you are such an expert…If you knew a damn thing about our program or this coaching staff…then you know we practice that last play throughout the season…Yes Murray was looking to our coaches on what they wanted him to do, but the decision was made to not let bama get set by spiking the ball and throw a fade or back shoulder pass to Mitchell….we have done that several times throuhout the season and the team knows what to do, so spiking the ball does one thing, it allows bama to dig in and yes maybe we save a second or two, but the play call last night is intended to be either a TD or incomplete and you still get one, possibly two more plays….
Give Bama some credit, there job is to stop our play and unfortunately they made a play, we didn’t execute as we should have and it’s “ballgame”. We can second guess all day, but bottomline we don’t know that any play would have been successful…If you know anything about football then you know how difficult it is to score inside the “RedZone”, much less with no time outs and only 15 seconds…Had we scored I promise, you and others would be saying what a great strategy we had and that Coach Richt outcoached Saban…Look at what happen with Saban and Bama in the first half and their time-management just before half…Its part of football, and at times things don’t work out regardless of how well conceived a play is or not…
My point is be a man and admit that there were two very good teams outthere, both well coached and deserving to be there….if you have any doubt about that, then find some sport that you know something about….One other point…the reporter you are asking about works at 680 the fan and is a former AU guy and it was classless to ask that to Coach Richt at that particular time…If you want to ask that question do at another time…I thought it was one of the most classless questions I have ever seen addressed to a Coach or about a young man who has done nothing but work his tail off for this University…You evidently didn’t see the hit he took after his interception…As tough of young man that you will ever find…but you, you sit behind your computer, as do many others and hurl insults and bash out program when you don’t get your way….I don’t mean to just pick on you, but your comments just about did for me after reading some of the others…I get other fanbases writing these type of comments, but for supposedly loyal supporters or our program, I don’t get it…and finally…I’m just as disapointed for this program, the players, coaches and fans…I know what it takes to to get to where they got to…believe me they deserved to be in this game and I am damn proud of these young men and coaching staff…and congratulations to the bama team…they are very good…go dawgs
Mark Richt
December 2nd, 2012
1:52 pm
Dawgster, you are a shining beacon of colossal ignorace
DP
December 2nd, 2012
1:56 pm
Ohio State 3rd in the AP poll? Pathetic, any of the top 6 SEC teams would mop the field with them. After the beatdown from Saban and Alabama 3 years ago put Meyer in the hospital, he realized that he had to go to the Big 10 if he wanted to keep winning.
Gene chizik
December 2nd, 2012
1:58 pm
Undefeated national champions are a very exclusive club dawgs…keep your dreams in check and you will get there one day
Gay Dawg
December 2nd, 2012
1:59 pm
That last drive had so much tension and lead up and just exploded all over our faces. Ugh
dawgster
December 2nd, 2012
2:00 pm
@Bama Fans…I know its easier to give credit if you are on the winning side to the other team, but from most of the comments I have read, you guys have been very classy and gave credit to our team…We could play the what if game all day, but as I try tell people games are won in the trenches, and if there is any doubt on who won the war, then look at the 350+ yards rushing from your backs….I mean we won some battles too, but its hard to overcome those numbers….and yet somehow we were there in the end…15 seconds and a chance for both teams to make a play, bama made the play and we didn’t …We can play the what if game….I’m sure the coaches are playing it among themselves. but we believed in what we had called, unfortunately we came up short…I truly believe we will get another shot at a BCS championship in the near future…Its been a long time and many fans are really frustrated, and I guess its easy to just bash the whole program…I hope they all take a look around and look at where Tenn, Au, Ark and others are right now…good luck against ND…I really don’t believe offensively they have the fire power needed to take you guys…go dawgs
Slayer
December 2nd, 2012
2:01 pm
Dawgs didn’t lose time just ran out and the refs beat us! We are best team in nation.
Bobby Bowden
December 2nd, 2012
2:01 pm
And the wire to wire #1 club is even more exclusive, Gene
dawgster
December 2nd, 2012
2:02 pm
@Mark Richt…And just who are you…Is that the best you can bring…I mean come on man…thats it….man up and speak your mind….
Gay Dawg
December 2nd, 2012
2:05 pm
I am tired of teams ramming it down our theoats
dawgster
December 2nd, 2012
2:05 pm
@Mark Richt…come on you threw out the insult in my direction so back it up with some credible stuff….
dawgster
December 2nd, 2012
2:05 pm
If I put respect and good efforts in one hand and national championship trophies in the other, I wonder which one would fill up first?
Someone tell me, I really don’t know the answer to this.
Gene Chizik
December 2nd, 2012
2:05 pm
Some teams are not championship timber
11-2 is a good year, right!?
December 2nd, 2012
2:06 pm
Face it, that is as close as UGA is going to get for a while. It all come together for them this year: the schedule, a defense loaded with talent, experienced QB, and not one, but two stud RBs to carry the ball.
Then even more gifts as the awful loss to SC was negated by just sheer luck that everyone else lost.
But the one constant is, and will be, Mark Richt and a coaching staff that cannot put these players in the best position to not only win, but win easily. Richt has lived off of some really lucky breaks in his first seven years, anyone who thinks otherwise wasn’t paying attention. When the breaks don’t go his way, he just can’t get it done. Alabama wins that game easily if not for the breaks that went Georgia’s way in the first 2 1/2 quarters because they are an extremely well-coached and prepared team. That’s what UGA supporters should want, not a program that lucks up every few years and comes close and celebrates moral victories.
Tommy tuberville
December 2nd, 2012
2:07 pm
My 2004 team would have smoked both these lame wannabes
whata ya got
December 2nd, 2012
2:09 pm
I’m tired of waiting til next year.
I wasn't even alive in 1980
December 2nd, 2012
2:10 pm
32-28 …..hahahahahahahahahahahaha
Ga Tech: 4 national titles
UGA: 2 national titles
Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Dum-Bass
December 2nd, 2012
2:10 pm
Yep, “RESPECT” gets you lots of rewards in college football. Vanderbilt use to get all the respect one could get no matter how bad they were. Now they are actually doing something on the field. There is a name for what happened on the GA Dome field. It’s called “Hotlanta Syndrome” or “The ATLJINX”. Had this game been played in Athens the Dawgs would have won it. The Braves started it, now it has affected the DAWGS, and it will hit the Falcons this year also. Just wait, mark it down!
DP
December 2nd, 2012
2:10 pm
Schlabach is saying that UGA will play Nebraska in the Capitol One bowl. Bowl officials were hot for Texas A&M but Schlabach says SEC and Big 10 offices are intervening to protect conference championship game losers.
Given that Nebraska gave up 70 to Wisconsin yesterday, if Georgia can bounce back from yesterday and get up for the game they should put up 600-700 yards on that garbage Big 10 defense.
Buckeye
December 2nd, 2012
2:14 pm
dp,
Did you watch or catch the highlight on Sportscenter. Either way, you paid attention, didn’t you.
whata ya got
December 2nd, 2012
2:15 pm
Schlabach is always wrong.
Buckeye
December 2nd, 2012
2:15 pm
dp,
Another opportunity for you to hide behind SEC! SEC! coat tails. You take, you do not contribute.
Woody Hayes Mental Health Center
December 2nd, 2012
2:17 pm
The Big 10 is pitiful.
11-2 is a good year, right!?
December 2nd, 2012
2:18 pm
Capital One Bowl…..again!…..whoooohoooo can’t wait to see that one! Maybe UGA will score another moral victory for the trophy case. I hope Nebraska knows that they should respect the heck out of UGA since the Dawgs ALMOST won the SEC championship. Heck, why even play the game? UGA has obviously out-respected Nebraska this year, so the respect battle won’t even be close. Nebraska is not even in Georgia’s league when it comes to respect after last night!
Urban Meyer Mental Health Clinic
December 2nd, 2012
2:19 pm
Come back to Ohio.
Buckeye
December 2nd, 2012
2:19 pm
The SEC! SEC! is like the rest of the country. The top percentage pay for everyone else.
Buckeye
December 2nd, 2012
2:21 pm
dogs vs. Nebreska.
Nice reward, eh dogs?
Urban Meyer Mental Health Clinic
December 2nd, 2012
2:24 pm
Ohio State vs Probation,
nice reward.
Buckeye
December 2nd, 2012
2:26 pm
no worries dogs,
Lady Gym dogs start Jan 5.
Humbleddawg
December 2nd, 2012
2:26 pm
The biggest problem with our program at UGA is the idiotic folks who call themselves dawg fans. Some of you folks just don’t get it. Our program is not one of the top in the country. We almost had a chance to play for a national title for the first time in 30 years and yet you fools act like we are some storied program! You guys are nuts and probably never took a class in Athens, rather you grew up in the state at a time when you either pulled for the Dawgs and listened to Munson or you liked Ga Tech basketball. Stop the insanity and the calling for Richt’s head. The guys wins 10 games a year.. He got us to our second straight SEC championship game and consistently has us in the top 5 or 6 in the SEC. What coach at UGA has ever done better? Wake up and realize that we will never be a program like Florida or LSU, much less one like Alabama.
The Sherminator
December 2nd, 2012
2:26 pm
Still chasin the holy grail dawgs?
Buckeye
December 2nd, 2012
2:27 pm
Urban,
What you lack in creativity is supplanted only by your constant state of delusion
Kennesaw state dawg
December 2nd, 2012
2:28 pm
Fire richt
Buckeye
December 2nd, 2012
2:29 pm
Humbledog,
At least you are honest.
remedial studies
December 2nd, 2012
2:29 pm
They actually have classes in Athens?
Gay Dawg
December 2nd, 2012
2:30 pm
I am tired of being different. Only big name school in sec without title
Buckeye
December 2nd, 2012
2:30 pm
remedial
DUI school, beating misdemeaner pot charges and how to fight weapon charges
Rust Belt
December 2nd, 2012
2:31 pm
Ohio is the armpit of the nation.
Corey Hart
December 2nd, 2012
2:32 pm
Anyone know what CMR’s record is in night games and in games played in a dome? Seems to me that he can’t win without his sunglasses!
Buckeye
December 2nd, 2012
2:34 pm
BREAKING NEWS:
Win With to lobby the Georgia Legislature to legalize pot. WIll help eliminate playa suspensions
Buck Belue
December 2nd, 2012
2:34 pm
I am still relevant!
Buckeye
December 2nd, 2012
2:34 pm
rust,
Macon is the armpit of the Southeast
To Tell the Truth
December 2nd, 2012
2:35 pm
RESPECT, for what?
32+ years since a NC? LMAO!!!!
Buck Belue
December 2nd, 2012
2:35 pm
At least Uga gives partner benefits. I am now on Terry’s plan
11-2 is a good year, right!?
December 2nd, 2012
2:36 pm
Humbleddawg, and many others, settle for second best. Humbleddawg and many others are the ones that don’t get it. UGA should be a program like Florida or LSA or even Alabama. They are the flagship university in the second most talent-rich state in the southeast and have incredible resources available to develop a championship program. What UGA lacks is the leadership to take it from a very good program that contends for national every once in a while to a program that is ALWAYS is going to be in contention for a national title. Humbleddawg, don’t label people who want UGA to reach the top of college football “idiotic”. I think people who settle for second best are idiots themselves.
Bobby Bowden
December 2nd, 2012
2:37 pm
Indeed Gene, indeed.
I tried to tell ole Mark to hang tight and not to go up to Athens. Nothing but a bunch of losers with unrealistic expecations up there