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
GTBob
January 2nd, 2013
2:18 pm
Again, to all the haters who seem to point to rankings so much. UGA will likely be a top 5 team (maybe #6).
Its easy to look good when you don’t play anyone. That goes for UGA and Murray.
5150 UOAD
January 2nd, 2013
2:26 pm
Jason…………..how does JEFF SCHULTZ have Tech trolls or dWag trolls or even Bama Trolls? I guess Jeff could have Mark Bradley trolls.
Thomas Brown
January 2nd, 2013
2:27 pm
Your recruiting has suffered at # 52 ranking every year for Paul Johnson because the defensive players don’t want to play defense against that high school offense 7 days a week 365 days a year, and because the offensive players want to see a forward pass once in a while. This state produces more high school recruits than every state except California, Florida and Texas who go on to the NFL, yet seemingly Paul Johnson cannot recruit any of them. They ask the kids what the issues are. I have explained them.
According to you, it’s because no one can graduate from Georgia Tech since it is so hard. Yet, these other sports’ athletes at Georgia Tech taking the same courses, from the same profs, all with the same degrees, at the same time, graduate fine.
Football players at Georgia Tech CANNOT graduate. Not even half of them in the latest Federal Graduation Report 2011-2012, while your other men’s sports tennis, swimming, track, golf graduate just fine – in fact VERY WELL.
Failing in your job to graduate even half your scholarship football players, does not make Georgia Tech a better school – it is, in fact, just the opposite GTBob. That is not a failure on my part to acknowledge anything about Georgia Tech. It is your failure to not acknowledge this is your job and what the
SCHOOL
is there for – to graduate more than half your scholarship football players.
Quit making excuses for it.
There is no excuse.
Not when other student athletes at
GEORGIA TECH
are graduating.
I presume Georgia Tech does not have a Debate Team, or if so, you were never on it.
Thomas Brown
January 2nd, 2013
2:33 pm
___________________________________________________________________
“Its easy to look good when you don’t play anyone. That goes for UGA and Murray.”
___________________________________________________________________
Contraction GTBob, not possessive pronoun, sir.
How is playing :
# 1 Alabama
# 4 Florida
# 10 South Carolina
# 23 Nebraska
# 25 Vanderbilt
In the AP Poll today, not playing anyone ?
Wouldn’t that be Georgia Tech’s schedule you’re referring to ?
5150 UOAD
January 2nd, 2013
2:34 pm
homas Brown
January 2nd, 2013
2:08 pm
Same rate as others at the same school also in sports, student-athletes.
You’re damned right I do.
====================================================
There is NO Same school as TECH that plays football. MIT doesn’t play football. Cal Poly is a FCS school and about as close to TECH as you will find but they still have Liberal Arts degrees just like Stanford. There are NO comparable Colleges in the FBS to TECH.
Danny
January 2nd, 2013
2:43 pm
5150 you are correct. tech is the most unique and special school of all time. They should start their own division, let no other team in since none compares and win a championship every year.
GTBob
January 2nd, 2013
2:49 pm
Your recruiting has suffered at # 52 ranking every year for Paul Johnson because the defensive players don’t want to play defense against that high school offense 7 days a week 365 days a year
Im trying to figure out how many things are factually wrong with this statement. Give me a minute.
DawgNole
January 2nd, 2013
2:52 pm
GTBob
January 2nd, 2013
11:50 am
This was supposedly a horrible year for Tech and they beat more teams with winning records then Vandy has in the last 3 years combined.
____________________
” . . . more teams with winning records THEN Vandy has . . .”?
Of course, you’re still making that moronic mistake on purpose, right?
5150 UOAD
January 2nd, 2013
2:52 pm
Stanford will soon wrap up its 13th straight Directors’ Cup, which recognizes overall success in intercollegiate sports. Many Stanford alumni, however, consider the cup a booby prize, won mainly because the school excels in non-revenue producing sports.
They and some former coaches fear that the football, basketball and baseball teams in particular will be hard pressed to compete unless they get more help from the admissions department.
<< Blog: Discuss admissions vs. athletics >>
Tom Williams, a former standout linebacker for the Cardinal who was an assistant coach under head coach Buddy Teevens, thinks Stanford’s future in football is “scary.” He said, “I see Stanford being a I-AA program if things don’t change.”
“They can’t keep raising the bar,” said Dave Tipton, a former All-America defensive tackle at Stanford who served as an assistant coach there for 18 years under five head coaches. He said the admissions standards for football players are “markedly” higher than they were 10 years ago. “Hopefully it will go back to where it was, which was tough but at least doable. Some of these kids are getting admitted to the Ivy League but not at Stanford.”
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/HIGHER-STANDARDS-Stanford-teams-finding-it-s-2589894.php#ixzz2GqjawgAb
Thomas Brown
January 2nd, 2013
2:58 pm
Wouldn’t Georgia Tech be the SAME SCHOOL as Georgia Tech ?
45 % football Fed Grad Rate Georgia Tech 2011-2012
100 % men’s golf Fed Grad Rate Georgia Tech 2011-2012
80 % men’s swimming and diving Fed Grad Rate Georgia Tech 2011-2012
88 % men’s tennis Fed Grad Rate Georgia Tech 2011-2012
74 % men’s track and field Fed Grad Rate Georgia Tech 2011-2012
Jeez Louise.
Thomas Brown
January 2nd, 2013
2:59 pm
No, DawgNole, they are both obviously that stupid, not making these mistakes on purpose.
Phil
January 2nd, 2013
3:02 pm
Our defense has been lit-up all year. Awful.
And by the way, Dawg lovers……..shut up. You know it’s true. Bama and Neb especially lit us up like firecrackers.
Phil
January 2nd, 2013
3:02 pm
Our defense has been lit-up all year. Awful.
And by the way, Dawg lovers……..shut up. You know it’s true. Bama and Neb especially lit us up like firecrackers.
Thomas Brown
January 2nd, 2013
3:14 pm
If we were lit up by Nebraska why did we beat them by 2 touchdowns ?
GTBob
January 2nd, 2013
3:15 pm
Thomas Brown, are you really comparing golf and tennis teams to the football team? Aside from the obvious fact that they have far fewer athletes then the football team has what kind of kids do you think grow up playing golf and tennis alot? Not exactly the same ones who grow up playing football.
GTBob
January 2nd, 2013
3:20 pm
If we were lit up by Nebraska why did we beat them by 2 touchdowns ?
Because you lit them up more. Not nearly as much as Wisconsin did but enough to win.
5150 UOAD
January 2nd, 2013
3:22 pm
Vandy 9-4
Lost to:
USC 11-2
Northwestern 10-3
Georgia 12-2
Florida 11-1
Beat
Presbyterian 2-9
Mizzou 5-7
Auburn 3-9
Massachusetts 1-11
Kentucky 2-10
Ole Miss 6-6
Tennessee 5-7
Wake 5-7
NCSU 7-6
Color everybody impressed with that Vandy winning record and beat only 1 team with a winning record. Franklin has really turned thing around.
5150 UOAD
January 2nd, 2013
3:29 pm
Did you see how 5-7 Tennessee and 2-10 Kentucky lit up the UGa NFL Loaded Defense?
GTBob
January 2nd, 2013
3:30 pm
Vanderbilt made themselves look good by doing the UGA strategy. Dodge all of the good teams in the SEC west and beat up on some of the worst teams in college football. Therefore when they lost to decent teams no one cared because they had already inflated their record up enough to convince people they were a good team.
Jason
January 2nd, 2013
3:39 pm
I love the Tech trolls. They are apart of this board now. It wouldn’t be right to come to a UGA blog and not see one Techie nerd.
Jason
January 2nd, 2013
3:41 pm
5150, actually our defense underachieved this year. We have lots of talent and it shows with our 12-2 record. You don’t go 12-2 and 5 yards away from playing for a national title if you are no good. Had we beaten Bama, the Techies would have claimed Bama as “not good as last year’s team” and how we beat “the worst Bama team in years”. Blah, blah, blah. We could beat the New England Patriots and they’d have something to say. No matter what UGA does they will have an excuse. Why bother? They are TROLLS. Trolls=haters with envy.
5150 UOAD
January 2nd, 2013
3:49 pm
Buffalo 347
Mizzou 371
Florida Atl 318
Vandy 337
Tennessee 478
USC 392
Kentucky 329
Geo Sou 318
Tech 426
Bama 512
Nebraska 443
11 of 14 teams put up over 300 yards against all the NFL Talent on UGa’s Defense. Yes UGa won games but by OUT SCORING teams not Stopping the other teams.
5150 UOAD
January 2nd, 2013
3:53 pm
JASON……….for the 10 millionth time this is not a UGA BLOG so there are NO TROLLS on this blog unless somebody that likes Bradley and hates Schultz is picking on JEFF as a Bradley Troll
Jason
January 2nd, 2013
3:54 pm
5150, who cares? We won the game. I bet you’d trade our program for yours in a heartbeat. You got what? 7 wins? Against who? Presbyterian, Boston College, Duke, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and USC. Wow! Big time team you guys have.
Jason
January 2nd, 2013
3:55 pm
Oh no? It’s not a UGA blog? What is this article about? UGA. Where did you find this blog? On the UGA site. So YES IT IS a UGA Blog.
Jimnalph
January 2nd, 2013
4:03 pm
You’re grading how “well” someone wins now? When did that become a criteria? Isn’t it enough to simply win? It is not like a team can totally control a game situation. A musician has control over their performance (there is no opponent doing something to them to make them mess up in their performance) so we judge how well they perform. But to judge a team sport on how well they did seems a bit absurd.
Dawglasville
January 2nd, 2013
4:05 pm
In what sport should Tech excel?
5150 UOAD – your comment about the UGA defense is correct. The only big game they showed up in was against UF. I don’t know that Grantham is the answer but I think we need to keep continuity for another year. Maybe a bunch of kids who haven’t had NFL dreams shot up their butts will do better.
Mike
January 2nd, 2013
4:11 pm
Its kinda of funny, that the GT fans want to talk all of that trash even know that they had to submit a waiver to even play in a bowl game plus they need to worry about if they are going to B1G or not.
Moist Dawg
January 2nd, 2013
4:16 pm
Who’s ready for the sugar bowel? They probably will have to fumigate the superdome after all the filthy, jort wearing floriduh fans come through.
I’ll be watching with a barf bag for each half and a big bottle of pepto.
Hopefully CMR is making the entire team get together and study that game tonight and then practice their plays. Now is the time to get ready fr next year.
SEC Headlines 1/2/2013
January 2nd, 2013
4:22 pm
[...] 23. Looking ahead to a very different 2013 Georgia Bulldog team. [...]
Jrmckin
January 2nd, 2013
4:45 pm
Good Lord Phil, how some network has not snatched you up as an Analyst or some NFL team has not hired you as a director of player development is, well, simply baffling. I am amazed at your insight, your knowledge of the game, your uncanny grasp of all things seeen and unseen and your ability to see the future. You are a visionary – nay – a reincarnate of Nostradamus. We are all humbled by your skill, your wisdom, your wit.
Jason
January 2nd, 2013
4:50 pm
I think 5150 just made the dumbest comment I’ve ever heard. “Yes UGa won games but by OUT SCORING teams not Stopping the other teams.”
Isn’t that the objective in football? To outscore your opponent? Lol. Another dumb Tech troll. Last time I checked, Tech’s defense is one of the worst in the country and couldn’t even stop Middle Tennessee State or BYU. So don’t feed us that crap.
Thomas Brown
January 2nd, 2013
4:58 pm
____________________________________________________________________
“Thomas Brown, are you really comparing golf and tennis teams to the football team?”
____________________________________________________________________
No, I am comparing Georgia Tech with Georgia Tech. All day long, you’ve said I cannot compare Georgia Tech with anyone, just yourselves. You’ve said that Georgia Tech is just too hard; that that is why no one can graduate from Georgia Tech. And, you stated that Georgia Tech has special degrees, and you cannot compare one degree with another degree. And, you told me that you are doing BETTER in FOOTBALL. So, I am comparing Georgia Tech to Georgia Tech, as you yourselves demanded. And, what we find, is that with the same profs and same courses and same degrees at the same time, latest 2011-2012 Georgia Tech student-athletes.
Seems it is no issue
ALL YOUR EXCUSES
with your sports’ teams, EXCEPT FOR YOUR ON
NCAA PROBATION
FOOTBALL TEAM.
Your # 52 recruiting class football team is
NOT SUITED for the purpose for which they are recruited on the field or in the classrooms.
That plain enough even for Nerds ?
Probably not.
NEXT EXCUSE ?
Laffin at GT posts
January 2nd, 2013
4:59 pm
Whos said you had to be smart to get inti Tech – “UGa won games but by OUT SCORING teams not Stopping the other teams.” If GT had managed to outscore a few more of their oponents this year, maybe they wouldn’t be regarded as a joke.
secbama
January 2nd, 2013
5:05 pm
Florida wins East and Bama wins West in 2013. Another disappointing year in Dawgville on the horizon.
GTBob
January 2nd, 2013
5:10 pm
NEXT EXCUSE ?
No excuses. You go on thinking that the Golf team and the Football team should have the same graduation rate or APR. Don’t even worry about the differences in the two.
Thomas Brown
January 2nd, 2013
5:12 pm
______________________________________
“UGA’s Defense has been LIT UP by everyone.”
______________________________________
10-42, who lit up whom ?
42 also Miami of Florida, a 6-7 LOSING RECORD team you got lit up by and LOST to.
49 middle tn college who lost the next week to Louisiana Monroe and lost their last game 45 to nothing and they don’t even play in a bowl game.
47 to Clempsum Farmers.
41 to Brigham Young who isn’t even in a conference and LOST to them as well.
50 to North Carolina and they didn’t even play in a bowl game either.
Do you think it might be appropriate here to say you gave up 42-10 vs us ?
Dear God, it can’t be any easier shooting fish in a barrel, can it to reply to Nerds ?
And, you run in here and say we are lit up ?
No.
You are the team lit up.
# 17 Scoring Defense NCAA Georgia Bulldogs
# 77 Scoring Defense NCAA Georgia Tech yellow-jackettes
Who is LIT UP and who ISN’T ?
Jeez, bloody, Louise ?
GTBob
January 2nd, 2013
5:19 pm
42 also Miami of Florida, a 6-7 LOSING RECORD team you got lit up by and LOST to.
Miami went 6-7?
5150 UOAD
January 2nd, 2013
5:39 pm
ason
January 2nd, 2013
3:55 pm
Oh no? It’s not a UGA blog? What is this article about? UGA. Where did you find this blog? On the UGA site. So YES IT IS a UGA Blog.
NO you find it Under the AJC SPORTS page and JEFF SCHULTZ.
5150 UOAD
January 2nd, 2013
5:45 pm
Yes UGa had to keep scoring to win because the Defense couldn’t stop anybody. It is not like a 2011 LSU v Bama type game was ever going to breakout in a game UGa played in this year. The ONLY reason the Florida game was so low scoring is because both teams were turning the ball over on every other play.
goFalcons
January 2nd, 2013
5:51 pm
I am going to be a broken record until it happens,,,,,,,Please simplify the Defense and let us win with the talent UGA has on Defense instead of 100 million different looks on D. UGA does not need D schemes with the talent UGA has. 14 pt win and that is not good enough? UGA is a force when you win by 14 and still have headlines that say Win with Flaws…UGA future looks great
Georgia # 1 Gamecock
January 2nd, 2013
5:53 pm
So proud to be driving back from Tampa and seeing those UGA flags and knowing that 4 in a row will be taking place in Athens in Sept, 2013!
Sideline Stalker
January 2nd, 2013
5:58 pm
Jason
January 2nd, 2013
1:10 am
You are an idiot. Tech fan who has nothing better to do than be on a UGA blog at 1 in the morning. You are sick. Have fun losing to UGA every year! Go Dawgs! 12-2! I’m out!
____________________________________________________________________
This post alone shows just how ignorant you are Jason. This is a feature writer blog at the AJC, NOT a UGA blog.
Once again your lack of understanding and IQ Level shows that you need to unplug and reload your brain( if you have one) and sit back and watch others in how to communicate on a blog.
goFalcons
January 2nd, 2013
6:00 pm
I am glad you can be happy with the only thing SC can do,,,,,,We are talking about championships and winning the Sec east again,,,,,so glad your goal is to beat us, now little kid let the big Dawgs and the Sec real contenders talk Mr. Gamecock
Sideline Stalker
January 2nd, 2013
6:03 pm
Jason
January 1st, 2013
11:48 pm
Next year’s defense will be better than this year’s…here is my projected 2013 projected starting lineup:
DE: Ray Drew (finally shows his potential)
NG: Kwame Geathers (yes, he stays and gets better)
DE: Garrison Smith (becomes a star on the UGA defense)
OLB: Jordan Jenkins (becomes the next terror at pass rusher)
ILB: Ramik Wilson (another hard nosed LB)
ILB: Amarlo Herrera (already good player, break out year next year)
OLB: James DeLoach (will be a good, steady player)
CB: Damian Swann (potential All-SEC player)
FS: Corey Moore (will show potential)
SS: Josh Harvey-Clemons (rangy safety, can cover ground)
CB: Sheldon Dawson (Brandon Boykin pt 2, but better cover
_________________________________________________________
Look folks Mark Richt is on the blog posing as “Jason”…notice the words in his post:
“Next year’s defense will be better than this year’s…here is my projected 2013 projected starting lineup:”……The key word being “My”! When did Mark Richt decide to start posting on a Featured writers blog at the AJC?
goFalcons
January 2nd, 2013
6:06 pm
Look Folks,,,,,,,,,SIDELINE STALKER gets mad that a fan gives his opinion! That is what fans do SIDELINE STALKER. why you waste space with putting down a fan for having knowledge on the team?
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
January 2nd, 2013
6:22 pm
Ray Drew…please..the dream team 8.0
goFalcons
January 2nd, 2013
6:24 pm
Shultzyyyyyyyyyy, write a Falcon blog so we can get down to business please!
Mike S.
January 2nd, 2013
7:33 pm
I think UGA will be as good if not better next year. As pointed out, the NFL talent didnt exactly play up to billing. Suspensions and inconsistent play all year kept them from being one of the top units they were in 2011. If you didnt know better, you’d have to swear they all went to the draft last year and UGA was rebuilding. Considering that, its hard to imagine the defense stepping back next year. Offenseively, UGA will be loaded…especially if Murray comes back. Even if he doesnt, redshirt Junior Hutson Mason should be a good replacement.
One thing thats clear about UGA…they are have been recruiting immediate impact players the last couple of years. Even Crowell got freshman of the year in the SEC. A lot of first and second year players stepped up and filled big holes for them this year. If they continue that trend in recruiting, this program will be top notch for quite some time.
Brainiac (CMR/UGA Fan For Life)
January 2nd, 2013
7:36 pm
@ phil:
If the best you can contribute after a really good season by UGA is to badmouth CMB then you just need to shut STFU. CMB has done an outstanding job with the UGA offense this season as ALL true Dawg Fans know.
Maybe your miniture brain never considered that CMB may have been quoted with an error in typing, which we have hundreds, if not thousands, on here daily!!!!!
He AIN”T getting paid to suit your taste in responses anyway so find another hobby knuckle head!!!!!!!!!!!