LIVE: Georgia tries to forget SEC ending, close with win
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
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
1,585 comments Add your comment
Reebok
January 1st, 2013
4:13 pm
…and that’s going to do it…
Reese Bobby
January 1st, 2013
4:13 pm
89 went to hide… He has been outed.
Dec-Bulldog
January 1st, 2013
4:14 pm
@Steve – I’m with you. All of these fake UGA fans need to become GT fans. And watch them jump back on the Mark Richt ban wagon……
Tampa Gator
January 1st, 2013
4:14 pm
You know…..that Aaron Murray is one sorry QB. And fire Mark Richt……..can’t make any second half adjustments at all……..are you having second thoughts……Georgia “fans?”
Erk Russell's Dog
January 1st, 2013
4:14 pm
Buckeye
I guess you won the biggest game of the year against a depleted Penn State team.
Jason
January 1st, 2013
4:14 pm
Shut up Phil you stupid idiot!
Flat Tire doesnt live in Delusionalville Ga.
January 1st, 2013
4:14 pm
goFalcons
What does it matter if you rack up all those wins and continue to lose big games
Vince Dooley
January 1st, 2013
4:14 pm
I don’t want the Dawgs to win too many games…people may forget me.
Steve
January 1st, 2013
4:15 pm
Gotta love the Buckeye jealousy! Hilarious that his life is playing on UGA blogs when his team gets no bowl, ha ha. Then he says “enjoy basketball season.” Who cares about UGA basketball? They are terrible and UGA has never been a basketball school.
Sic' 'em
January 1st, 2013
4:15 pm
Go shake your man thing outside your dorm in Midtown…ya rainbow slurpper
Georgia
January 1st, 2013
4:15 pm
The perfect call for the right situation. Total Touchdown City. Go Dawgs!!!
phil
January 1st, 2013
4:15 pm
No it isn’t…..
We usually find a way to snatch defeat from victory’s jaws….
Far from over.
Jon Carter
January 1st, 2013
4:15 pm
How bout them dawgs!
Bama
January 1st, 2013
4:15 pm
uga has 32 first round picks on defense
goFalcons
January 1st, 2013
4:15 pm
tmc———yes, i am very proud of this program
Jason
January 1st, 2013
4:15 pm
Come on defense. Don’t give it up.
Lonnie
January 1st, 2013
4:15 pm
Did u see that hit by Clowney. They need to wave the 3 yr rule!!!!
TURD FERGUSON
January 1st, 2013
4:16 pm
Looks Like The Refs Came To Play With The Duds Today..Ga Is Not A Top 10 Team. Now Cry About That.
Sic' 'em
January 1st, 2013
4:16 pm
Buckeye – Go shake your man thing outside your dorm in Midtown…ya rainbow slurpper
phil
January 1st, 2013
4:16 pm
Jason = tech fan
Steve
January 1st, 2013
4:17 pm
Looks like yet another Big Ten loss coming up! South Carolina takes the lead over Michigan.
Jock Sniffer
January 1st, 2013
4:17 pm
This is great.
Talking sports while our country goes down the toilet.
Does anyone on this blog have an IQ above 60?
phil
January 1st, 2013
4:17 pm
Here comes the QB keeper we can’t seem to handle….
Booooooooooo!!
Jason
January 1st, 2013
4:17 pm
Phil you seem more of a Tech fan than me. No matter what UGA does you have something negative to say.
Reese Bobby
January 1st, 2013
4:17 pm
Dawg89 is still hiding because I let the world know about his “experience” with Michael Stipe.
DawgNole
January 1st, 2013
4:18 pm
Marquis de Mercury
January 1st, 2013
3:23 pm
that Grantham junkyard defense really shows up in big games don’t it? the only coach that has showed up on the Georgia sideline seems to be their “trash talk coordinator”…give that guy a raise…losers…
_____________________
Losers? Who’s losing this one?
SpikeTheBallStupid!!!
January 1st, 2013
4:18 pm
Clowney should of walked on from high school
Erk Russell's Dog
January 1st, 2013
4:18 pm
Too bad Bama and his buddies have to play on the AJC’S UGA blog. Not enough Bama fans can read for their to be a need to publish any newspapers in Alabama.
phil
January 1st, 2013
4:18 pm
Clearly you don’t, jock sniffer…..
Get a life.
Jon Carter
January 1st, 2013
4:19 pm
The defense is giving up too many yards.
Dawg Patrol
January 1st, 2013
4:19 pm
Don’t tell me we’re finally catching on to the draw play to Burkhead with 8 minutes left to play. Great job Grantham.
Georgia
January 1st, 2013
4:19 pm
Diggin those corn fed, US Prime Nebraska Cheerleaders, man!!
phil
January 1st, 2013
4:19 pm
Jason, you can’t read, boy….
SpikeTheBallStupid!!!
January 1st, 2013
4:20 pm
Yes
goFalcons
January 1st, 2013
4:20 pm
wooooooo hoooooooooooo
Jason
January 1st, 2013
4:20 pm
Swann has 2 picks! All-SEC player.
UGA89
January 1st, 2013
4:20 pm
ReeseBobby are you talking to me?
Jeff Schultz
January 1st, 2013
4:20 pm
Swann’s 2nd interception, that might do it.
Dawg Patrol
January 1st, 2013
4:20 pm
Swan for President !!!
phil
January 1st, 2013
4:20 pm
Nice pick, Swann!
Scrappy
January 1st, 2013
4:20 pm
Awesome pick, #5!
Steve
January 1st, 2013
4:20 pm
Terrible defense for sure! “Only” three forced turnovers today.
1969 Graduate
January 1st, 2013
4:20 pm
8:20 to go. Can we hold up? This has been a great game so far (assuming you’re not a fan of defense). Sometimes we look great. Sometimes we look pretty bad. But, we’re up 45 -31, at least for now. Nebraska is a lot better than I thought they’d be, and I thought they’d be plenty good.
Holy cow! We just intercepted. That’s a huge help. Stopped a touchdown.
Go, Dawgs!
goFalcons
January 1st, 2013
4:21 pm
“SEC SEC” “SEC SEC” “SEC SEC”
Bama
January 1st, 2013
4:21 pm
Dawgs should’ve won by 30 . Bama wouldn’t let Nebraska score 10 and easily could’ve hung 60 on these cornholes
TURD FERGUSON
January 1st, 2013
4:21 pm
what is the meaning of this game? GA better be glad they didnt play N I U
Jim Jack
January 1st, 2013
4:21 pm
Is this right? UGA has the best defense in America? Why does UGA’s offense set records and win the games?
tmc
January 1st, 2013
4:21 pm
@goFalcons well, i applaud your loyalty, but not your football knowledge.
I want more than beating the likes of vandy, ole miss and non conference… and playing undisciplined, uninspired and poorly coached against good teams (consistently).
but, that’s just me.
GT Fan
January 1st, 2013
4:21 pm
Good game dawgs..Congrat on win..Got to go wife calling.
Marquis de Mercury
January 1st, 2013
4:21 pm
that Swann kid is the same kid that Cooper smoked in the Bama game…