Aaron Murray high-fives Xzavier Ward before the Capital One Bowl. (Brant Sanderlin)
ORLANDO — When asked the other day if he viewed this season as a missed opportunity to win SEC and BCS championships, Georgia coach Mark Richt said, “Every year is a missed opportunity, I think.” And that’s probably the right thing to say, even if it’s not every season the Bulldogs come within one tipped pass of winning the SEC title and going to the BCS championship game.
When Georgia faces Nebraska today in the Capital One Bowl, the question is whether we’ll witness any hangover from the last game. The Dogs (11-2, coming off a 32-28 loss to Alabama, No. 7 BCS) may be a more talented team than the Cornhuskers (10-3, coming off a 70-31 loss to Wisconsin, No. 16 BCS). But that doesn’t always mean anything in bowl games. Witness Georgia Tech vs. USC. Or witness Georgia’s last two bowl efforts — losses to Central Florida in the Liberty Bowl two years ago and Michigan State in the Outback last season.
I ran into this guy in the parking lot. Who's his dentist?
OK, a few quick things about today’s game and then I’ll open the cyber-venting lines:
– The Dogs’ defensive front will have to put up a better effort than it did against Alabama (350 yards rushing). Nebraska ranks ninth in the nation in rushing at 254.5 yards per game but only 81st passing, although quarterback Taylor Martinez has thrown 21 touchdown passes.
– The defensive line will be missing nose tackle John Jenkins, who is academically ineligible, and possibly end Abry Jones (ankle), who is questionable. Kwame Geathers will start for Jenkins.
– Nebraska’s defense ranks first against the pass, but that’s a little misleading. Opponents seldom have had to throw against the Huskers because they’re so weak against the run (97th, 194.8 per game). Also, the Big Ten is not full of wide open offenses. So expect a heavy dose of Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall today.
Final thought: I think Georgia wins today. Finishing the year with a win and losing the last two bowl games should be motivation enough. A victory also could leave the Dogs as one of the top five ranked teams in the nation.
But if Georgia players are thinking about the SEC championship or the NFL draft, everything goes out the window, and they’ll lose today.
What are your thoughts? The floor is yours.
– Jeff Schultz
1,585 comments Add your comment
GFY
January 1st, 2013
2:48 pm
Stupidity reigns supreme with Murray…..
son's who?
January 1st, 2013
2:48 pm
Is anyone surprised? Not me.
blamegame
January 1st, 2013
2:48 pm
very clowny
Eric C.
January 1st, 2013
2:48 pm
Nice throw and catch to end the first half
01HAWK
January 1st, 2013
2:48 pm
Not even a chance at a field goal. MURRAY blew that one.
5150 UOAD
January 1st, 2013
2:48 pm
24-23………………..I thought the SEC was GOD?
DawgNole
January 1st, 2013
2:48 pm
At least throw it in the endzone when there’s no time left on the clock. Makes you wonder.
goFalcons
January 1st, 2013
2:48 pm
That was to good of a drive to end up like that!!!!!!!! Dang it but the bottom line is we are the better team and we will win!!!!!!!
Jason
January 1st, 2013
2:48 pm
Typical Georgia.
Georgia
January 1st, 2013
2:48 pm
Time just ran out again, I guess. Oh brother.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
January 1st, 2013
2:49 pm
NewBraska is playing with a reason and UGA is playing to get the game over. Really when the blocked punt was kicked and slapped out of bounds for a safety then you know Ole Mo isn’t wearing red and black today. A lot of these dogs are losing money in the NFL draft including J Jones. The Ole Ball Coach has his hands full on the other channel as well. These Big !0 teams are playing with a Mad today.
Buckeye
January 1st, 2013
2:49 pm
Murray is yet again being Murray in big games Murray
SOS Dawgs
January 1st, 2013
2:49 pm
Hey Richt. I’m just seeing a bad coached GA team.
Buckeye
January 1st, 2013
2:49 pm
Win with is a crappy interview
Flat Tire doesnt live in Delusionalville Ga.
January 1st, 2013
2:49 pm
No one has played in a month good one
short memories
January 1st, 2013
2:49 pm
Once again coaching rises up for Georgia and gives us a goose egg
Hairy Dawg
January 1st, 2013
2:49 pm
Great job, Murray. Boy, what a poor half. Only down by 1, but…whatever. As usual, we look disjointed. We win most games on talent alone. Every once in a while we might get a win because we played really well. Doesn’t happen that often, though.
Eric C.
January 1st, 2013
2:49 pm
That play should really help build the momentum going into halftime
50 ways to leave your lover
January 1st, 2013
2:49 pm
One of the sorriest first half performances I have seen in 45 Years.
Richt’s comments are downright obscene. What a fraud.
GFY
January 1st, 2013
2:49 pm
Looks like Suckeye aka Tech Nerd has made an appearance….
gethimoffmyteam
January 1st, 2013
2:49 pm
Hey Wes, somebody else thinks someone on the staff is an Idiot. Ban them All! Hail the christian coach wes says.
Buckeye
January 1st, 2013
2:49 pm
The tatt parlor is 24/7/365
CigarDawg
January 1st, 2013
2:50 pm
If Richt is “seeing a good football game”, what game is he watching? Maybe he should pay attention to the crap going on in front of him instead.
5150 UOAD
January 1st, 2013
2:50 pm
Chuck Do Little is a JOKE a…hole. How does he still have a job?
Steve
January 1st, 2013
2:50 pm
Buckeye, good to see you still don’t have a life. Poor little man.
phil
January 1st, 2013
2:50 pm
Textbook UGA ineptitude…..
Classic, 100 percent inability to manage the clock.
My chair can handle these situations better than we do.
I hope most of you aren’t expecting to actually win this game.
UGA Season Ticket Holder since 1986
January 1st, 2013
2:50 pm
5 yards short. You are an idiot and/or a liar. Richt didn’t storm out of the press conference. There were no more questions. He left. He did come back. But you are lying to yourself and the readers if you say he stormed out of the press conference. Where I come from the worst thing you can call somebody is a liar and I’m callling you a liar.
UGA89
January 1st, 2013
2:50 pm
I want to scream and break things. Why do we keep throwing to Rhett over TK or Conley? What are we doing?????? McGowan isn’t our playmaker. I’m so p@ssed.
Larry
January 1st, 2013
2:50 pm
Murray’s just another stat QB in a Bobo offense. He’ll have the same fate as David Green in the NFL…zilch.
GTAE70
January 1st, 2013
2:50 pm
This is a 1 pt game – anybody could win. Murray is a good QB and will play on Sunday. Why are all of you so down on this team? I certainly do not understand you guys. Teams in a bowl game are not patsies so what do you expect? Support your team!!
Buckeye
January 1st, 2013
2:50 pm
Pryor won on Sunday
HA!
ToolMan
January 1st, 2013
2:50 pm
CMR is an arrogant jerk!
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
January 1st, 2013
2:50 pm
Are we being out-coached again?
Question
January 1st, 2013
2:50 pm
What was the deal with Chuck Dowdel at the coin toss?
GT Fan
January 1st, 2013
2:51 pm
@2:47….low..lol
bill goldberg
January 1st, 2013
2:51 pm
Guess he is staying. If David Greene couldn’t make it in the NFL, how in the world could Murray even make the practice squad?
short memories
January 1st, 2013
2:51 pm
UGA catches the ball on the ground to end another half. Dull witted thinking goes to the core of an athletic but clueless coached team
Buckeye
January 1st, 2013
2:51 pm
Northwestern being Miss St.
SEC! SEC!
Eric C.
January 1st, 2013
2:51 pm
Dawgnole, if Murray had thrown it in the endzone, it might have been intercepted and lowered his draft stock even more
DawgNole
January 1st, 2013
2:51 pm
goFalcons
January 1st, 2013
2:30 pm
4:43 on the clock and I know UGA will not go into half with only 23 pts……Championship teams like our Dawgs will respond right away with a score. Go Dawgs
goFalcons
January 1st, 2013
2:35 pm
You cant stop the Dawgs!!!!!!! woooooo hoooooooooo
_____________________
Would you stop already? You’re embarrassing us.
45 ACP
January 1st, 2013
2:51 pm
As long as I get mine……….lol…..
Mariage Parfait Gueze
January 1st, 2013
2:52 pm
Who was the joker that predicted a 42 – 10 UGA victory?
short memories
January 1st, 2013
2:52 pm
If Richt could just admit how much he screws up. Admitting a problem is halfway to solving it. Denying it means history is continually repreated.
UGA89
January 1st, 2013
2:52 pm
GoFalcons… You r a moron.
50 ways to leave your lover
January 1st, 2013
2:52 pm
UGA ticket holder. What is worse than a liar is an idiot. You are a complete embecile.
Dawg Patrol
January 1st, 2013
2:52 pm
Dawgs are making a lot of mistakes.
GFY
January 1st, 2013
2:52 pm
Oh goody we get to listen to Corso mumble during the halftime analysis……if he says anything coherent I will be surprised.
Flat Tire doesnt live in Delusionalville Ga.
January 1st, 2013
2:52 pm
im not surprised at all by this sloppy play
but Im sure when this game is over and we win the kool-aid crowd will say this was a great Nebraska team that we beat
Georgia
January 1st, 2013
2:52 pm
The running game success! The Nebraska secondary has the routes figured out. We stay on the ground we win.
Buckeye
January 1st, 2013
2:52 pm
Murray being Murray in big games Murray is tops in the SEC! SEC! in the two minute drill.