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
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
754 comments Add your comment
Return to Glory
December 2nd, 2012
7:32 pm
Fought, punched, clawed and went toe to toe with Bama until the clock said 0:00 that is all I will ever ask: Go Dawgs !
Flat Tire On Hwy 441 in Athens
December 2nd, 2012
7:48 pm
Im proud too
Im proud to be labled a program that cant win a big game
Im proud to be known for player arrests instead of championship caliber football
Wow the delusions people are posting; what a joke
true dawgs fan
December 2nd, 2012
7:54 pm
Time to get rid of richt dawgs will never win wit him
LHarding Dawg
December 2nd, 2012
7:55 pm
Flat Tire – I’m sure your parents are really proud of you, being the joke you are. But they must be jokes to, not married, and having you.
Flat Tire On Hwy 441 in Athens
December 2nd, 2012
8:19 pm
LHarding Dawg
Whats the matter you have to settle being a name caller
Truth hurts
Wake up and smell the coffee and ween yourself from the kool-aid
jwwcoach
December 2nd, 2012
8:24 pm
I hope all of you “Sunday morning” no-nothings got all your negativity out of your pathetic minds. If you don’t support the DAWGS – have enough decency and class to keep your stupidity to yourself. Find another team to bash – but I imagine most of you do that anyway. No one in their RIGHT MIND should fault the players or coaches – there is enough evil in the world to hate – not young men and their coaches. A thought would be to offer encouragement to our men and women in our military – but you probably bash them too.
Flat Tire On Hwy 441 in Athens
December 2nd, 2012
8:34 pm
jwwcoach
No-nothings
1 victory over a top 20 team in 4 years
every year 2+ losses
It doesnt take much of a brain cell to figure out we are a long way from being where we should be
Gator
December 2nd, 2012
8:39 pm
Hey Buckeye, you want Louisville to do what the Ohio State Suckeyes have not been able to do… beat the Gators. The Gators spanked that Suckeye fanny in two NC games, and on our worst day, we slapped your Suckeye butts again in the Gator Bowl. Suckeye here is some good advice, go pick up your girlfriend who works the late shift at the Waffle House and crawl back under the rock that you crawled out from under.
Honey boy
December 2nd, 2012
9:08 pm
THOMAS BROWN YOU FN FRAUD, fFRAUD, FRAUD!!!!!
GUTLESS WHERE ARE YOU AND YOUR SPEW???
IM A UGA FAN AND YOU DONT EVEN SHOW UP???????
DON’T EVER EVER EVER SHOW UP ON THIS BLOG AGAIN YOU TOTAL POS!!!!!!
YOU BORE US WITH YOUR TRIPE AND WHEN JUDGEMENT DAY COMES YOU DON’T
HAVE THE COJONES TO BORE US YET AGAIN… YOU SELF RIGHTEOIS SNOT!!!!!!
Go Tech
December 2nd, 2012
9:53 pm
Congratulations to the dogs. They finally won something. The AJC sportswriters are awarding the dogs a moral victory.
There you go dog fans.
Alabama offensive line
December 2nd, 2012
10:15 pm
Have the dog defenders still got butthurt from getting knocked on their butts all night long. Someone help Jarvis get an ice bath. He gotta be sore all over after that beatdown.
blamegame
December 2nd, 2012
10:23 pm
What Saban would have done with this same talent
After further review
December 2nd, 2012
10:35 pm
To all the “fans” calling for Mark Richt’s head: Yes, I believe the spike would have given you a better chance at the win and the NC game berth that went with it. That having been said, a quote or to seem in order (the second one actually builds on the first).
1) “Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do.” Ben Franklin
2) “Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving.” Dale Carnegie
Thomas Brown
December 3rd, 2012
1:47 am
We end regular season with highest ranked 11-2 team, # 6 in the nation (# 5 Coaches’), and watch as Seth Emerson ranks Ohio State # 3, from which they cannot possibly be ranked higher than the winner of the NC Title Game, as it should be for a program on its 6 NCAA Probation for improper benefits that the NCAA found went all the way back to 2002 – Maurice Clarett tainted national championship.
We play in a bowl game against Nebraska, who up and quit the Big XII and is ranked # 23 AP # 21 Coaches’ in the CapitalOne Bowl Game. When we win, if Vanderbilt can with their 2nd consecutive bowl bid, we can knock Nebraska out of the top 25 and put Vanderbilt into the Top 25, as Vanderbilt is ranked # 27 in AP and # 27 in Coaches’.
In the end, for all the poor sports for Alabama such as 01HAWK, Blackland and others, as Mark Richt summarized : We were knocked off the ball by Alabama’s OL and despite our 21-10 lead after our player of the game Alec Ogletree scored the TD, could not tackle their running backs, whoever they sent out. They kept our defense on the field, and the penalties did hurt.
After that, Alabama had runs of 31, 10 (TD), 32, 15,14, 1 (TD), 10, 11, 7, 3, 5, (Bomb 45-yard TD), and despite Aaron Murray playing well enough to win the game, it was this string of running plays given up with the 21-10 lead that lost the game. Nothing else.
We start 2013 with large numbers of recruits 30 so far and as many as 19 might come in early, opening up a few late openings for lots of top recruits to come join us. We had a fun year. We will have 11 drafted in the NFL draft after this season, all of whom have started for us. Alec Ogletree with 2 tackles in the bowl game goes over 100 tackles for the season, and obviously some team is getting a whale of a football player.
Alec Ogletree could not beat Alabama by himself.
He tried.
It took a team effort and our defense, well, we end the season # 79 in the nation in rushing defense after 13 games. That’s pitiful.
I would have preferred a bowl game against a team who throws the football and cannot run it.
They matched us up with the complete opposite.
We have a month to try to figure out how to have someone not named Alec Ogletree tackle a running back.
They also matched us up against Nebraska because they are # 1 in the nation in Pass Defense.
Aaron Murray will fix that.
I do not see a top team who Nebraska beat, and their loss to 5-Loss Wisconsin in the last game yesterday, is a BAD LOSS.
And, Nebraska did not just lose to 5-Loss Wisconsin, they lost 70-31 yesterday.
And, so where we are 12-2 after we beat Nebraska, is exactly where I said we would be after this 2012 best shot I said we’d have. In fact, we beat the teams exactly I said we would beat. And, we lost to the teams exactly whom I said we would lose to South Carolina and Alabama. I did, however, say that Florida win for us would be over a poor lousy Florida team. The fact that Florida did put together a great season and is ranked ahead of us today, makes this and that win Mark Richt’s best to-date.
I still want to keep Mark Richt. I still love his recruiting. He will take-over the lead starting 2001 when he started here with NFL Drafted Bulldogs 2001-2013 after we dispatch pretender conference Big 10 Nebraska with the 11 players drafted by The League, but they are going into the NFL knowing they cannot tackle on running plays – except for Alec Ogletree, who will play in the secondary in the NFL and whom Erk Russell would have had playing Rover – turning over in his grave as he is at us ending the 13-game season before the bowl game # 79 in the country rush defense.
____________________________
# 79 nation Rushing Defense UGA
____________________________
Thomas Brown
December 3rd, 2012
2:37 am
We can square the record with Nebraska, a Sun Bowl loss in 1969. Andy Landers’ 5 freshmen performed well and made some baskets to win by double-digits over Georgie tek on TV today to take that record to move Andy Landers’ record vs Georgie tek to 28-3 all-time, much like what Mark Richt is doing to them in football now at 11-1 – both over 90 % UGA wins over Georgie tek.
Vandie plays to play into The Top 25 in Music City New Year’s Eve against NC State, a 7-5 squad who beat FSU along with Florida. Georgie tek 6-7 looks to lose their 8th bowl game in a row at 2pm 12/31/2012 playing in the Sun Bowl against 7-5 Southern California – I presume that is what USC means listed beside them.
LSU has Clempsum Farmers later 12-31 which will be a blow-out. Beat no one Missy State has Northwestern. The New Year’s Games start out with South Carolina playing to knock Michigan out of the top 25 a final time 2012-2013 season. Louisville dispatched to the Sugar Bowl as fodder for Florida. Ole Miss plays Pittsburgh. Best of luck Alabama in a blow-out over Notre Shame with Notre Shame’s losing all-time bowl record, against 1 of the best we were that close against.
UGA Season Ticket Holder since 1986
December 3rd, 2012
3:40 am
Why in the world would an up tempo team with a play already called and the defense on their heels spike the ball and only have two shots at the end zone instead of three? Makes no sense at all. Anybody anywhere please cite for me any example where somebody caught a spiked ball for a touchdown. Thought not. The Bama player who tipped the ball made a good play. It happens, spike or no spike.
Thomas Brown
December 3rd, 2012
4:49 am
Spike had nothing to do with who won the game.
We lost the game because all season long we could not stop the run, ending # 79 in the nation before the bowl game in rush defense, and worse than that after the bowl game.
Aaron Murray played well enough to win the game, and to be the difference in the game – our way.
But instead, after 13 games, we’re # 79 NCAA Rush Defense.
Buckeye
December 3rd, 2012
7:03 am
morning dogs
Buckeye
December 3rd, 2012
7:03 am
morning tom brown ( reluctantly)
Buckeye
December 3rd, 2012
7:07 am
Nice reward, eh dogs?
dogs will lack motivation and underestimate the Huskers.
Besides, the standard bearer of the SEC! SEC! (dogs) doesn’t even have to strap em on the beat the B1G, right dogs?
Buckeye
December 3rd, 2012
7:10 am
gator,
At least we made the game.
This year and not any time recently, did you or the dogs.
SEC! LEAST SEC LEAST!
Old Dog Class of 80
December 3rd, 2012
7:42 am
Is that a chorus of owls I hear?
WHO? WHO? WHO?
That is their answer when you say “Fire Richt!” It is not that they think Richt is a great coach – they just think you can’t get any better without paying a king’s ransom. So just stick with mediocrity, they say.
Thomas Brown
December 3rd, 2012
7:42 am
109-125-1 Big 10 bowl games thanks to Ohio State vs SEC
207-161-9 SEC bowl games thanks to Ohio State vs SEC
59-59-0 Big XII bowl games
115-105-5 PAC-12 bowl games thanks to Ohio State Big 10
52-40-0 Big East bowl games
92-99-2 ACC bowl games no thanks to 7 in a row lost by Georgie tek
Jeff Schultz spelled backwards is Ffej Ztluhcs
December 3rd, 2012
7:53 am
Sadly,
I think dogs will be down and still depressed about the lost in the championship game, Nebraska 35-Dogs 21
Thomas Brown
December 3rd, 2012
8:16 am
etats oiho backwards is still 6 NCAA Probations in football and 0 wins 11 bowl games vs SEC.
globeflyer
December 3rd, 2012
8:24 am
UGA fans, please disregard any blather from some of our more “rabid” fans. The Dawgs showed up and went toe-to-toe with the Tide and ran out of time. In the heat of battle, not everything goes right and you have to make adjustments as you go. UGA just ran out of time to make “adjustments”. My hat’s off to that team for a tremendous effort, they went down swinging. Wish us luck as we try to squash “The Leprechaun”! RTR
Buckeye
December 3rd, 2012
8:25 am
tom brown,
And we thought you had hit rock bottom
Thomas Brown
December 3rd, 2012
8:30 am
What for ? We had a great year and were not on NCAA Probation. We beat the # 4 team and are finishing in the Top 10 for the 7th time of the 12 in the Mark Richt era. We have a great recruiting class coming in. And, we play in a bowl game New Year’s Day. You haven’t done any of that.
Buckeye
December 3rd, 2012
8:31 am
tom brown
You’re late for the work detail bus
Treeofwoe
December 3rd, 2012
8:32 am
It comes down to coaching. We can beat the bad and middle teams but not the good ones. Good coached teams spike the ball with 15 sec to give yourselves 3 shots in the end zone. Good coached teams don’t try to throw the ball in the middle of the field to let the clock eat seconds off of it on a 1 minute drive when the sidelines are your friend. Good coached teams understand situational football and try to get first downs when you have left your defense out to dry against a brusing running game instead of throwing home run shots. Good coached teams teach their box o rocks QB to miss long on deep passes, to the sideline on outs, and take the easy first downs instead of “pushing it down the field” constantly and wasting downs. Good coached teams worry about penalties because they constantly put your offense in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and longs and make your offense sputter. In short we aren’t a well-coached team. You can get by with that against the teams that don’t have equal talent, but you can’t against the teams we’ll have to beat to get to an SEC or National championship. It’s frustratingly obvious.
UGA is an illusion
December 3rd, 2012
8:39 am
The UGA-AL game is a reflection of the season. If not CMR program. At first glance UGA looks like a great team. It isn’t. It is the schedule. The game on saturday looked close. But closer inspection shows that UGA was lucky that the score was close and very lucky to be in a position to win the game at the end of regulation. 350 yds on the ground…speaks for itself. In all probability, this was UGA’s last shot. UGA will have to beat more good teams to get there now. Based on past performance. Not gonna happen.
HUH?????
December 3rd, 2012
8:41 am
I can’t stand UGA football or most of their fans. That said, UGA should have won that game and could have if Murray spikes the ball. I was listening to Bill King on the radio and he was basically putting the blame on CMR.
HUH?????
December 3rd, 2012
8:42 am
Thomas Brown
Guess UGA won’t be playing for their 7th imaginary title, huh?
Treeofwoe
December 3rd, 2012
8:44 am
For everyone talking about our rush defense being the problem in this game. Did you not watch our offense?!!! Seriously how many times did our defense early in the game and late hand the ball back to our offense only to watch ineptitude? Constant 3 and outs for most of the game and you wonder why the defense got rolled up on by that rushing attack? Our offense was NO friend of the defense all night long. We throw away downs constantly, we take WAY Too many deep throws, we hardley ever run to the wide side of the field, make stupid penalties on offense that KILL drives, Murray has Stafford syndrome where he’d rather throw into double coverage down field instead of take the easy first down play, etc. etc. etc. Our defense wasn’t the problem Saturday…it was the offense that hung em out to dry over and over and over.
HUH?????
December 3rd, 2012
8:44 am
“etats oiho backwards is still 6 NCAA Probations
UGA is now 2-3 in the SEC Championship.
OUCH.
Treeofwoe
December 3rd, 2012
8:44 am
For everyone talking about our rush defense being the problem in this game. Did you not watch our offense?!!! Seriously how many times did our defense early in the game and late hand the ball back to our offense only to watch ineptitude? Constant 3 and outs for most of the game and you wonder why the defense got rolled up on by that rushing attack? Our offense was NO friend of the defense all night long. We throw away downs constantly, we take WAY Too many deep throws, we hardly ever run to the wide side of the field, make stupid penalties on offense that KILL drives, Murray has Stafford syndrome where he’d rather throw into double coverage down field instead of take the easy first down play, etc. etc. etc. Our defense wasn’t the problem Saturday…it was the offense that hung em out to dry over and over and over.
Thomas Brown
December 3rd, 2012
8:47 am
We’ve beat some of the good teams.
# 4 Florida 2012
# 15 Auburn in 2007
# 19 Hawaii in 2007
# 13 Georgie tek in 2009
# 19 Virginia Tech in 2006
# 6 LSU in 2005 SEC Championship
# 17 Wisconsin 2004
# 16 LSU 2004
# 18 Purdue 2003
# 15 vols 2003 to put vols into these fits they’re in since
# 22 Clempsum Farmers 2003
# 21 FSU 2002 to put FSU in this funk they’ve been in too, since
# 14 Auburn 2002
# 11 Alabama 2002
# 4 vols 2001
# 9 Auburn 2006
You cannot say that we’ve not beat some of the good teams, can you ?
HUH?????
December 3rd, 2012
8:47 am
“Georgia was that close going to the national championship game. That’s something they will have to live with.”
Yep, and once again proves that UGA is not an elite football school. You need the coaching to be elite and that just isn’t happening.
Keep giving CMR more contract extensions and you’ll keep seeing Bama, LSU, Florida and Auburn win national titles.
HUH?????
December 3rd, 2012
8:49 am
In other news.
Auburn interviews Kirby Smart.
UH OH, UGA!
Thomas Brown
December 3rd, 2012
8:53 am
On offense, our offense was fine 2012, and will be fine 2013. We just don’t run the ball enough. If we ran the ball on either/or downs exclusively, we’d be a lot better.
Thomas Brown
December 3rd, 2012
8:56 am
Our Defense was the problem all year 2012. When you finish a 13-game season before your bowl game and are # 79 in the nation in Run Defense, you have a Defensive problem. It cost us the game vs Alabama, and well could loom large, as Mark Richt points out against Nebraska in our New Year’s Day Bowl Game in Orlando. How in the hell can you sit there and try to say our Defense is not a problem with the # 79 in the nation Run Defense ?
Buckeye
December 3rd, 2012
9:00 am
tom brown,
2002
What was “tainted”?
A judgement call was made just as a judgement call was not made against the boo hoo hoo dogs.
Go outside and proclaim “we’re # 6 we’re #6″ you stooge.
Au in ATL
December 3rd, 2012
9:01 am
Hey Tom Brown,
I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help myself. Saw your “list” of good teams UGA has beat going back to 2002. Do you realize that fired Gene Chizik has over half that number of ranked wins in 4 years, 2/3 maybe? I don’t have enough time to do math and list all of Tuberville’s wins over top 10 teams. I’m guessing several more than CMR in less time.
Buckeye
December 3rd, 2012
9:02 am
tom brown
Cannot wait for your lady gym dog commentary
Buckeye
December 3rd, 2012
9:04 am
Au,
Thanks. That will keep tom brown busy until morning nap time.
HUH?????
December 3rd, 2012
9:05 am
Au in ATL
Thomas Brown is the same genius who keeps claiming that UGA has SIX national titles even though they only claim two.
HUH?????
December 3rd, 2012
9:07 am
Au in ATL
Chizik had 7-8 wins over ranked teams in 2010. That’s more than CMR has in the last 6 years. Tubberville had that same number in 2004.
Auggie in Watkinsville
December 3rd, 2012
9:11 am
@ Thomas Brown
Is point of your list to say that in 3 years (2012, 2011 and 2010 that UGA has only beaten 1 ranked team??)
Are you sure you have not omitted some other noteworthy wins?
# 4 Florida 2012
# 15 Auburn in 2007
# 19 Hawaii in 2007
# 13 Georgie tek in 2009
# 19 Virginia Tech in 2006
# 6 LSU in 2005 SEC Championship
# 17 Wisconsin 2004
# 16 LSU 2004
# 18 Purdue 2003
# 15 vols 2003 to put vols into these fits they’re in since
# 22 Clempsum Farmers 2003
# 21 FSU 2002 to put FSU in this funk they’ve been in too, since
# 14 Auburn 2002
# 11 Alabama 2002
# 4 vols 2001
# 9 Auburn 2006
beanster
December 3rd, 2012
9:13 am
yeah, Chizik was a great coach. Really smart hire. His overall record speaks for itself.
Thanks for the laugh…needed something good on Monday a.m.
Hate Lizards (gators) and Bees (GT)
December 3rd, 2012
9:13 am
Texas Dawg
Dude you are sooooooooooooo right!!!!!!!!!!!