Georgia projects well for 2013, even with flaws in win
Mark Richt gets the Gatorade bath after Georgia's Capitol Bowl win over Nebraska. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
ORLANDO – The players wore hats reading “CHAMPIONS” in all cap letters. The fact that “Capital One Bowl” — and not SEC or BCS — also was stitched on the caps in a much smaller script might deflate that declaration a bit, but it doesn’t take away from where Georgia may be headed.
Were the Bulldogs great in their final game of the 2012 season? Hardly. The defense, purported to be loaded with NFL talent, too often played sloppy and undisciplined. The quarterback, Aaron Murray, threw two interceptions in the team’s first three possessions. It is what happens sometimes in bowl games. The Dogs didn’t save their best for last. Their best came in the next-to-last game against Alabama.
But ultimately, what came out of Georgia’s 45-31 win over Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl were signs that this program isn’t likely to take a step back next season.
There will be new players. There will be a different team personality. The schedule will be tougher. But the Bulldogs just finished a season that saw them go 12-2 and come within five yards of winning the SEC championship and going to the BCS title game. They rebounded from the crushing loss in the SEC championship game to win a significant bowl game. They showed resiliency by losing two starting wide receivers (Marlon Brown, Michael Bennett) during the season and a third in Tuesday’s game (Malcolm Mitchell). They endured several early season suspensions on defense and played without two defensive starters against Nebraska (John Jenkins, Abry Jones).
Jarvis Jones and several defensive starters now are expected to leave for the NFL. Maybe Murray comes back, but probably not. But Georgia is in a good place now, a player again on the national scene, and nobody could have seen that coming two years ago in Memphis when the team schlepped off the field a loser to Central Florida in the Liberty Bowl, dragging a 6-7 record.
“The seniors started a legacy here,” freshman running back Todd Gurley said Tuesday. “They’re passing it down to us, and we’re just going to keep moving forward and winning each year. I know a lot of teams will have the goal of going to the national championship next year, but we really believe that. We’re going to bring in a great recruiting class and we’re going to get it done next year.”
Todd Gurley, here breaking through for a 24-yard touchdown, finished with 125 yards rushing to lead the Bulldogs. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
As flawed as the Dogs looked against Nebraska, the result and the season projected well for the future.
It starts with the two freshmen in the backfield, Gurley and Keith Marshall. There were questions about the running game going into the season following the excommunication of Isaiah Crowell, but the two quickly eased concerns. In the final game of the season, Gurley rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown and Marshall made a difficult back-shoulder, 24-yard touchdown catch to give the Dogs a 38-31 lead early in the fourth quarter.
There’s the future.
It doesn’t matter if the starting quarterback is Murray or Hutson Mason. Georgia’s offense should function well, and the team should be in the middle of things again.
When asked about Marshall’s catch, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said, “We’ve kept things pretty simple for him and Todd because they’re freshmen. But that play there gives us a level of confidence next year that we can expand their package.”
Gurley, Bobo said, brought “a physicality to the offense that we needed. He did a great job leading us as a freshman. I told him after the game, ‘You had a great year, but now you have a chance to be great. So let’s go to work.’”
Marshall said he battled knee tendinitis before the season, affecting his workouts. “I lost some of my explosiveness,” he said. “But it’s finally feeling better. I’m looking forward to getting started on my workouts.”
And then this: “Honestly, I feel we’re the best team in the country. We can play with anybody. We were one play away this year.”
There were hiccups Tuesday. The first half took nearly two hours. The two teams combined for 47 points, five offensive touchdowns, three interceptions (including Nebraska’s pick-six against Murray), a field goal and a blocked punt for a safety. The Dogs trailed 24-23, then 31-23. But Murray, after starting 11 for 24, stopped scaring NFL scouts. He connected with Chris Conley for a 49-yard touchdown, then later scrambled away from pressure to connect with Marshall. Later, he found Conley again on a “jailbreak screen” against Nebraska’s blitz — nice call by Bobo – for an 87-yard score. Checkmate.
It ended well. There’s reason to believe it could end well next season, too.
By Jeff Schultz
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772 comments Add your comment
Larry
January 1st, 2013
9:00 pm
phil is spot on about a number of things (except his minority acceptance–make it tolerance–of the racist, JSS). The facts are not in question: Grantham is profoundly overrated, Murray is, in fact to short and I’ll bet anyone, any amount he won’t measure break six feet even at the combine (he’s, at best 5′ 11 3/4″), and MUrray has very poor instincts as a QB as his horrific, untimely, and idiotic interceptions indicate. And, as much as I admire and respect Coach Richt as a man, I think his teams could use a little more tough love when it comes to stuipd penalties that kill their own drives or extend their competition’s.
And I am a dawg fan that simply wants to be challenging for national titles every season like Spurrior, Meyer and Saban accomplished, not threaten to challenge every 4 or 5 years.
Summit Dawg
January 1st, 2013
9:00 pm
Great 2012 Dawgs team….good game….my only negative is “clock management!” It cost us the the Alabama game, and came down to being close in this game!!!! I have noticed some criticism about Grantham’s coaching, but if you look on the sidelines, he one of the coachingest one….he’s in the game, while Richt is busy adjusting his headset!!!!!
“
kerryb
January 1st, 2013
9:00 pm
Phil=poser
Quit saying “we” and “us”. You don’t have the right Techie
kerryb
January 1st, 2013
9:01 pm
Phil is about as much a UGA fan as Tide Roll is a Bama fan.
Larry
January 1st, 2013
9:02 pm
phil,
Please tell me we won’t lose to a coach by the name of “Dabo?” My heart couldn’t take a Dabo beating a Bobo!
BulldogBen
January 1st, 2013
9:04 pm
I think the healing process began today from the loss to Bama. Starting to finally get over it and look to the future.
Offense looks good but Defense is a giant question mark now that Ogletree is gone. LOTS of Freshmen are going to get their chance.
Unfortunately, I’m in for life so we’ll line it up and try again.
Flat Tire doesnt live in Delusionalville Ga.
January 1st, 2013
9:05 pm
Larry
when have we challenged cause I havent seen that since 82
phil
January 1st, 2013
9:05 pm
Fraid so, Larry.
We have little to no chance in that game, unless we put up 55 or so.
I’m already stressing about it. HNY
phil
January 1st, 2013
9:07 pm
There is no healing from the bama loss….
It is forever.
Heads should roll.
Larry
January 1st, 2013
9:07 pm
And Richt and Gramtham both could stand to skip a few meals to start the new year. Notice the conditioning of Coach’s Urban Meyer, Nick Saban and other recent National Title winners the past several years…no double chins or man boobs amoung them.
If you’re going to ask your players to condition themselves to be strong in the fourth quarter and endure the rigors of an SEC schedule, then set an example by having the discipline to condition yourself.
Skeptic
January 1st, 2013
9:08 pm
kerryb
settle down. He’s reeling you in.
barrie
January 1st, 2013
9:10 pm
phile,
if you have a degree from uga and are excellent in everything you do, re mediocrity commentary, then fine. otherwise you are nothing more than a delusional blowhard that is a bully online. i live in athens and watch morons like you (most who never played a down in their life) invade athens every fall in this city where we live and where the dawgs call home…a bunch of morons treat it like their own personal grownup toddler camp. go away…real bulldog fans do. ot need you. 12-2 is hardly mediocre.
Larry
January 1st, 2013
9:11 pm
Flat tire,
We werer the best team in the country in 2007. We were robbed of the title game and would have easily beaten Ohio State. And had we gained just six more yards againt Alabama we would be the favorite to be Notre Dame.
This facts are not in dispute.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
January 1st, 2013
9:11 pm
So there you have it sports fan ..Girley is putting the UGA best team in college football out of the table and it’s not even March!!!!! I guess McGarity will not be calling Slive to complain about the Dogs #36 going after the QB from NewBraska after the pick? #36 represents your team well and what they stand for no doubt.
The dream team and the ring team and now for 2013 the We’re Dayum Close Team”. Cheers , Beers, and Hot Dogs for 2013.
J.C.
January 1st, 2013
9:12 pm
I find it interesting that Jarvis Jones hasn’t stated he is entering the draft yet. I mean is there any chance this guy wants to finish his degree and stay?
tokenwhiteguy
January 1st, 2013
9:13 pm
Phil- you clueless catamite. Get off the blog if you are going to do nothing but troll. I hope Murray stays. I think we could easily find ourselves back in contention for FBS Championship. I thought this kid was special from the moment I saw him the Army HS All Star game. Being the gym rat he is and also being a great athlete really compensates for the height issue. Go Dawgs!
Flat Tire doesnt live in Delusionalville Ga.
January 1st, 2013
9:15 pm
Larry
I doubt those facts; we continue to lose big games all the time
BulldogBen
January 1st, 2013
9:16 pm
Phil, yes, Clemson beat us in 1990 pretty badly but that is being pretty selective. We’ve won the last 4 meetings, including the last in 2003 (?) when we beat ‘em 30-0.
The teams you saw today will be very different this Fall.
Middle Dawg
January 1st, 2013
9:19 pm
Lets get reallistic for a moment and stop viewing the college football world through Bulldawg colored glasses.
We will lose at least 7 starters on defense, a couple of key backups and will be really young in 2013.
Our Defense will have to learn how to play, they will have to find a couple of players who know how to make plays( which at times this year we did not have that player), and we will have to find out how many of these young guys have what it takes to play in big games for the first 6 of 8 weeks.
Aaron Murry should go to the NFL, his chances of getting injured grow each time he takes a snap at the college level and as proven today our offensive line has tendencies of giving up some horrendous sacks. Mason is good but unlike many of you I do not think he is Better than Murray( just two years ago EVERYONE on these blogs were over talking about how Great LeMay was and how he would beat Murray out) and take the job only to take a Redshirt year.
The Offense will be fine, but when we play teams like Clemson, South Carolina, Florida, LSU we will have to find playmakers who will be able to play at a higher level.
Our Depth will continue to be a difference on both lines of scrimmage in 2013.
I take the Munson approach and see things how they really are, not they way I want them to be.
I see 8-4 , 9-3 and maybe as bad as 7-5 in 2013.
GA Sandlapper
January 1st, 2013
9:19 pm
Does UGA open up with Clemson then SC next year?
Honey boy
January 1st, 2013
9:20 pm
Hey…Phil, you freakin pixie… Mediocrity is a 12 win season? Yeah how many schools would kill for 12 win seasons? You’re a cretin… Look it up..
Brewmaster
January 1st, 2013
9:21 pm
Everyone one here needs to realize that Larry, Phil and Moist ( The 3 Stooges) know farm more about Murray’s potential than Tony Dungy or the announcers today who comented on Murray’s NFL throws.
Skeptic
January 1st, 2013
9:22 pm
Congress and the Prez are hoaxes. We get to pay them overtime for their shenanigans on the stupid ‘cliff’. McPolitics.
GA Sandlapper
January 1st, 2013
9:22 pm
I’ll take a 12 win season. I think this was only the 3rd one in UGA’s history.
Middle Dawg
January 1st, 2013
9:24 pm
http://cdn.fbschedules.com/helmets/2013-sec-helmet-schedule.pdf
Yes , Clemson, SC, N. Texas, LSU, Tenn,
Could be 0-2, 1-3 by the time we go to Tennessee.
BulldogBen
January 1st, 2013
9:25 pm
Middle Dawg, some fine points but wouldn’t the Munson approach be “we’re just not big enough or fast enough” or “we’ll be lucky to go 1-11″.
“North Texas has the best long snapper in the country, we’re in trouble”.
Or am I mixing that up with Vince Dooley?
Buford T. Pusser
January 1st, 2013
9:27 pm
To this point from the outside looking in this blog has been highly entertaining.
Almost like a collusion of Honey Boo Boo and Deliverance.
I hear Banjo’s playing!!
GA Sandlapper
January 1st, 2013
9:29 pm
Thanks Middle Dawg! Should have just looked it up.
COACH GARNER
January 1st, 2013
9:31 pm
THAT ORANGE KOOL-AID THAT GOT POURED OVER MARKY’S HEAD SENDS A MESSAGE THAT I’M COMING TO EMBARASS YOU NEXT YEAR!
Skeptic
January 1st, 2013
9:33 pm
My observation is that you want a strong schedule up front if you’re voted high preseason, because it’s easier to move up then. If you slip up in the last half, like Kansas State, you can recover better. The question is, can you whip a$$ in September?
Middle Dawg
January 1st, 2013
9:34 pm
It is just hard to get past the point of losing 8 to 13 players who played a great deal on defense, losing our quarterback, a much tougher schedule with practically every team in the division getting better( Vandy, Missouri, Tennessee, Florida, USC) plus add to it LSU and see us getting back to the SECCG. If we do then Mark Richt will have done his best coaching job during his tenure, if we fall back then the distractors will be out in force.
I can think of only one or two teams who could lose that many players on defense, and their quarterback who came back better the next year and they won the BCS Championship( Alabama) but we do not have Saban on our sidelines running the program and keeping our players too scared to screw up during the offseason.
Middle Dawg
January 1st, 2013
9:38 pm
Anyone on here watching the FSU/N Illinois game? FSU too have that much talent is just horrible on offense. That is what happens when your quarterback is just horrible. He was better when he was a sophomore than he is as a Senior.
Middle Dawg
January 1st, 2013
9:39 pm
Should have typed” FSU has too much talent to be that horrible on offense”
Dum-Bass
January 1st, 2013
9:42 pm
So far the SEC is standing tall, that is, except for the LSU Tigers. Who would have thought they would let us down? The SEC EAST, out of their four teams, has wins from all except Florida and they play tomorrow. The SEC WEST is not holding it’s own, due to LSU and Miss ST losing, with AL still to play. Even Vanderbilt won yesterday, which the AJC sports dept. has chosen to basically ignore for some reason. Come on guys, do your jobs!
DawgFan
January 1st, 2013
9:43 pm
Good win Dawgs. 2 pretty good offenses and lot of credit to our backup receivers for being ready and contributing. Phil is a Dawg by the way. Falcon, Brave and Hawk as well. He knows what he’s talking about but could probably benefit from switching to decaf and reading a Norman Vincent Peale book or 2. Lol
Skeptic
January 1st, 2013
9:48 pm
Come on Pusser!
The hillbilly sodomite joke is kind of old. If it weren’t for James Dickey, you yankees couldn’t think of anything to talk about except snow tires. I thought all you midtown people embraced that kind of thing. There’s nothing wrong with banjo’s. Or fiddles. Everybody wants to make fun but in reality they should be proud of it. That’s what makes Georgia folks different. You don’t see ND fans trying to hide the leprechaun.
Vent, vent, etc…
Hairy Dawg
January 1st, 2013
9:49 pm
I like the confidence from Gurley and Marshall. We’ve got those two kids for at least two more years, folks. The O-line was fairly young, too. The offense will be fine whether or not Murray returns. As far as the D goes, it’ll be up to players like Jordan Jenkins, Amarlo Herrera, Damian Swann, and Ray Drew to improve on the cohesiveness that was lacking at times from the talented players who will depart.
mike
January 1st, 2013
9:51 pm
So much Georgia hate on this board. Who cares if you goobers don’t like the way the Dawgs won. They won so that is that. Murray whether he goes or stays has a better chance of making the NFL than all you morons commenting on his size and ability. Maybe the winner of a football game can be decided on how tall the quarterback is and if the offensive and defensive plays are pretty according to standards set by a bunch arm chair morons. I always thought the winner was decided by who has the most points when the end of game buzzer sounds and not because some goobers think the win was not like they think it should be.
Champion Dawg
January 1st, 2013
9:56 pm
Congrats CMR, staff, and Team. Could we have played better, Yes. Just win Baby! WE Did. Offense set records this year. Next year offense should and will offend our foes. Competition from recruits. Great. Best 11, both sides of ball. Our defense will have bigger and better athletes at every position. Only NG will be smaller, but maybe much better athlete. Dream Team, Ring Team, Now This Year’s Crystal Team. 35 or 36 outstanding recruits and Top Class in 2013. Coach Grantham will hire an awesome DL Coach. Coach Friend has done wonders and will be three deep with much experience. May have another stud freshman to start next year. With full squad of 85 players plus 15 outstanding walkons UGA will be fully loaded for first time in 3 years. 2014 is Dream Team’s Senior Year Look Out and Fear “The G”. 2013, 2014, 2015 and beyond is BRIGHT. Defense keeps getting bigger, faster, and nastier. True Junkyard Defenses. Our Offense keeps hanging half a hundred. Over 30 points against Championship Contenders. Georgia will be in Final Four for years to come. Go Richt’s Righteous Dawgs!
hind tit
January 1st, 2013
9:57 pm
Russell Wilson is 5-11. Just looked it up.
Champion Dawg
January 1st, 2013
10:00 pm
AD McGarrity keep giving CMR what he needs and more. Our Football Program is laying a foundation for a Fine House. Git’r Done! Greg
SpikeTheBallStupid!!!
January 1st, 2013
10:01 pm
Can we get a field goal kicker?
Jason
January 1st, 2013
10:02 pm
Georgia will be better on defense next season and here’s why: Nobody on the defense next year will be riddled with “NFL talent”. The players we have on defense next season will try to make a name for themselvse and play with huge chips on their shoulders.
On offense, Murray will be back and that spells doom for the rest of the league. Pair him up with Gurley and Marshall, not to mention Conley, Mitchell, Bennett, Tibbs, Scott-Wesley, BOTH Tight Ends, and the entire O-line. The offense will be scary next season. One of the best in the country…I’m talking top 5.
UGA will win it all next season.
Jason
January 1st, 2013
10:08 pm
And if Murray does decide to enter the NFL draft, he won’t get passed on just because he isn’t that tall. How tall was JaMarcus Russell? And where is he? Russell Wilson is 5′11 and is the QB of the playoff team Seattle Seahawks. Don’t feed me that crap.
5150 UOAD
January 1st, 2013
10:10 pm
WOW …………….WOW ………………….WOW……….the MUTTS won a GAME against a top 2 team…………So PMS Murray is now 4-10 against top 25 teams…………..NFL will LOVE PMS murray………….LMMFAO….Murray the UGa Reggie Ball.
5150 UOAD
January 1st, 2013
10:12 pm
Russell Wilson is 5′11″ but he is a WINNER…………Murray is 6′1″ and a winner against BAD teams……Murray is a JOKE like BOBO……..
Music City Dawg
January 1st, 2013
10:12 pm
A big THANK YOU to the UGA team, coaches and staff for a great football season! Its been a fun run!!! Looking forward to next year. Go DAWGS!!!!
SpikeTheBallStupid!!!
January 1st, 2013
10:16 pm
Ohio state will smack everybody around next yr. They scored 63 points on Nebraska this yr….look out for Urban, he’s always had UGA’s number and recruits.
Jason
January 1st, 2013
10:17 pm
Phil is a Tech troll. I’ve figured that out. He may be a Falcon fan, but he is no Dawg fan. There’s no way. He’s a Techie so inflamed in jealously of UGA that he doesn’t know what to do. You’d think Tech would be happy over their bowl win over USC and celebrate on their own board but the UGA boards are much more lively.
5150 UOAD
January 1st, 2013
10:18 pm
What is PMS Murray’s address? I have a bunch if EGGS just waiting to deliver to him……..UGa Sucks and Sucks eggs…..