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
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1,585 comments Add your comment
Jason
January 1st, 2013
12:57 pm
Why would a “real” Alabama fan be on a UGA blog when they are playing for a national title? Bottom line, Tech fans hide behind other teams. It’s so obvious. It’s sad.
01HAWK
January 1st, 2013
12:57 pm
I commend TECH for wanting to be there at that game. It was not the best BOWELS. USC is more talented.
Same thing happened to WEST VIRGINIA versus SYRACUSE. WEST VIRGINIA wins 9 out of 10 times.
USC wins 9 out of 10 times…………………………….This just happened to be that one time.
Steve
January 1st, 2013
12:57 pm
“lol?” are you 10? UGA has no control over who they play in the SEC. What was the score of the Bama – Florida game? Bama – South Carolina game?
Athens PD
January 1st, 2013
12:57 pm
To me, Bama is nothing but a brand of jelly that you can buy at Piggly Wiggly.
5150 UOAD
January 1st, 2013
12:57 pm
STEVE was that RED SHIRT Freshman QB a Higher STAR and Recruit than Tevin Washington & Vad Lee? Were the USC WR’s not called the BEST tandem in College Football?
Athens PD
January 1st, 2013
12:58 pm
Enter your comments here
5150 UOAD
January 1st, 2013
1:00 pm
STEVE…..Bowl Money doesn’t make it a better game.
Steve
January 1st, 2013
1:00 pm
USC’s #1 receiver did not play unless I am mistaken.
Bama
January 1st, 2013
1:00 pm
@jason whatever makes you feel better buddy! Plenty of uga fans talked smack before the seccg, and its just fun to remind you that wins are for US! Wins over buffalo are for uga.
Dawg Patrol
January 1st, 2013
1:01 pm
I can’t wait to see the Wis. vs Stan. game later today………wait, I may be passed out.
Jason
January 1st, 2013
1:02 pm
Go Dawgs! Ignore the Tech trolls! They wish they were us!
Steve
January 1st, 2013
1:02 pm
5150 so why are you on here? You do know this is a live blog for UGA and Nebraska right? It’s funny because I also read Tech blogs and all you guys do is complain about UGA fans making comments on Tech blogs.
Dum-Bass
January 1st, 2013
1:03 pm
There have really been some sorry bowl games this year so far. Didn’t use to be that way. For instance what’s a high-ranked team like GA doing playing a low-ranked team like Nebraska? Also, you have the same thing with Florida and Louisville. They have this bowl thing so screwed up, hope it straightens out next year.
ole man
January 1st, 2013
1:03 pm
Will– the dang game is not meaningless..only to idiots.
Steve are you the blog cop? Ala has as much right to blog as you. Plus it don’t matter who plays,breaks, refs, etc..what matter is the damn score at end of game. GT won period. Clemson won period. No excuses excepted .
Go Dawgs…
Steve
January 1st, 2013
1:04 pm
Jeff how is the atmosphere? Looks like a full house on TV.
Erk Russell's Dog
January 1st, 2013
1:05 pm
@TURD FERGUSON
Loser bowl eh! How about you going back to the toilet bowl you crwled out of. Loser.
North Ave. Faithful
January 1st, 2013
1:05 pm
Steve is wrong again. GOOD GRIEF!!
Jeff Schultz
January 1st, 2013
1:06 pm
Impressive crowd. Wasn’t sure coming in but it looks close to sold out.
catlady
January 1st, 2013
1:07 pm
Sorry to say that the Georgia “leaders” arrived belatedly for the coin toss, sauntering slowly up to the waiting refs, officials, and team leaders for Nebraska. Did NOT look good.
Jason
January 1st, 2013
1:07 pm
Has anybody noticed that nobody really cares about GT football? Lol. Even the AJC doesn’t care about Tech football. That’s why Tech fans are so jealous. They can’t beat us, might as well join us on the blogs!
JSS
January 1st, 2013
1:08 pm
New Year, same old hooey!!!
@ Jeff Schultz…
Good luck with this bunch today
Jeff Schultz
January 1st, 2013
1:08 pm
Nebraska won coin flip and will kick off.
45ACP
January 1st, 2013
1:08 pm
Capital One Bowl officials just made Chuck Dowdle leave the sidelines…geez. security?
Will
January 1st, 2013
1:08 pm
Ole man, you’re right. If we don’t win this game, we might not have a some joke of a trophy to put where out BCS crystal should be.
Steve
January 1st, 2013
1:08 pm
catlady try to not get too worked up over a coin toss.
GT Fan
January 1st, 2013
1:09 pm
Go dawgs–give’m hell!
Dawg Patrol
January 1st, 2013
1:09 pm
Here we go.
Bama
January 1st, 2013
1:09 pm
Wisconsin hung 70 on the corn holes lets see what you guys can do
catlady
January 1st, 2013
1:10 pm
Steve, you are right, but it seemed disrespectful.
Benjamin
January 1st, 2013
1:10 pm
No Abry today? That concerns me a little. Not having him or Jenkins up front is worrisome…
5150 UOAD
January 1st, 2013
1:10 pm
How MANY Krispy Kreme Doughnuts will Jenkins eat while watching the game on TV and studying how to Develop a Family and raise a Child?
Murray great PASS……………
Jason
January 1st, 2013
1:11 pm
Good job Marshall!
Jeff Schultz
January 1st, 2013
1:11 pm
There’s something new. Murray lined up as receiver on direct snap to Marshall.
5150 UOAD
January 1st, 2013
1:12 pm
STEVE you are mistaken………………LEE played the whole game but who would expect a Dwag to know much.
GT Fan
January 1st, 2013
1:12 pm
Radio said game sold out…
Steve
January 1st, 2013
1:12 pm
5150 you did not answer my question.
North Ave. Faithful
January 1st, 2013
1:12 pm
Screen was a great call. Gurley needs to be totin the ball.
DawgFan
January 1st, 2013
1:12 pm
Gurley??
Benjamin
January 1st, 2013
1:12 pm
Yard Birds jumped out 7-0 early on Michigan.
Just FYI.
Dawg Patrol
January 1st, 2013
1:13 pm
Evans ran up on King’s back
DawgFan
January 1st, 2013
1:13 pm
Looks like a bad call there. We’ll take it
5150 UOAD
January 1st, 2013
1:14 pm
45 ACP…..ahaha I would make Chuck Do Little leave too. LOL
There is the PMS MURRAY we all know and LOVE.
DawgFan
January 1st, 2013
1:14 pm
Bad pass. D up
Benjamin
January 1st, 2013
1:14 pm
Right idea, terrible throw on that one.
Jason
January 1st, 2013
1:14 pm
That’s ok. It’ll be alright. Come on D! I still think the offense is going to be SCARY next year if Murray returns.
Jeff Schultz
January 1st, 2013
1:14 pm
Murray had receiver open, underthrown but nice interception.
Bama
January 1st, 2013
1:14 pm
@jason poor guy, all those “Tech trolls” – just deal with the fact that your older brothers and cousins in the SEC can talk smack right back atcha after hearing it from you all year
AM
January 1st, 2013
1:14 pm
I am coming back for my senior season I am a DGD
UGA89
January 1st, 2013
1:15 pm
G-d how I hate Aaron.
5150 UOAD
January 1st, 2013
1:15 pm
STEVE…………I’m here because it is a FOOTBALL Live game blog.