Mike Bobo and Mark Richt aren’t why Georgia lost to Auburn
Auburn might have had more sacks had it not been for Aaron Murray's scrambling ability. (Associated Press)
Some more thoughts on Georgia’s loss to Auburn. …
As I mentioned briefly Saturday night, you can quibble with some of Mike Bobo’s calls in the game against the Tigers, particularly when he tried things (I’m thinking Branden Smith in the wildcat or screen passes to the short side of the field on third-and-long) that seemed to have much less of a chance of working than simply throwing it in A.J. Green’s direction.
And while Auburn hitman Nick Fairley (I feel the need for Purell hand sanitizer after just typing his name) is more than a handful to block, the Dogs’ pass protection faltered a bit too often Saturday. The Dogs only gave up four sacks, but that amount might have been close to doubled had it not been for Aaron Murray’s elusiveness and scrambling ability. And besides taking a lot of late hits, Murray was hurried on some key plays, like the too-high pass to Kris Durham in the end zone late in the third quarter when one of the backs missed his block.
And, yes, you can question Mark Richt running out the final 50-odd seconds of the first half rather than trying to get some more points. Perhaps he also should have been a bit more forceful in warning his kickoff return team about the possibility of an on-side kick to open the second half. And, frankly, I think he blinked in the eye-to-eye confrontation with Auburn when he called for a field goal at the end of the third quarter. When you’re in a shootout with an offense that eats up clock, you have to make the most of every possession you get.
But overall Bobo and the Georgia offense were what kept the Dogs in the game, and with the exception of the on-side kick I don’t think Richt and company got outcoached by Gene Chizik.
The reason Georgia lost against Auburn was pretty much the same reason the Dogs have lost five other games: The defense just isn’t up to current SEC or past UGA standards.
And this isn’t a complaint about Todd Grantham’s schemes. It didn’t matter what signals he called Saturday against the Tigers defense, the players on the field simply weren’t capable of stopping Cam Newton and company. The lack of a nose guard able to take control of the line of scrimmage has pretty much submarined Grantham’s attempt to install his 3-4 defense this year and unless Georgia manages to scrounge up a big JUCO player, I wonder how much better it’ll be next year.
Of course, nobody has really stopped Newton, so I’ll give them that. But as a frustrated Justin Houston lamented after the game, the Tigers did a lot of damage with players other than Newton running the reverse, including gashing the Dogs for 31 yards one time and 48 yards another time. Houston blamed “blown assignments” and defenders not being “where they were supposed to be,” adding, “Some guys weren’t as focused as they need to be and it hurt us. It’s been hurting us all season.”
Indeed it has, especially in the secondary, where Georgia’s safety play has been consistently poor. Bacarri Rambo may have snagged a key interception on a tipped ball Saturday, but otherwise his play was tentative much of the evening. And while I suppose it was to be expected that Georgia would be keying on the run since that’s Auburn’s bread and butter (that’s all they did in the third quarter), the Dogs defenders seemed to completely forget that Newton also can throw the ball. He ended up completing 12 of 15 passes (80 percent) for 148 yards and two touchdowns, and that was with a couple of drops in the first half by wide-open receivers.
Come to think of it, on just about all Auburn’s completions the receiver was open. You expect that sort of thing early in the season after a new defense has been installed. But when it’s still happening in the 11th game, you have to conclude the folks out on the field mostly just aren’t capable of getting it done.
Finally, a couple of observations on the way our so-called “country cousins” at Auburn handled this major rivalry game. Afterward, Chizik might have declared himself “disappointed” and “not happy” about two of his players getting ejected when tempers started to flare late, but as I noted in my previous blog he seemed to be doing anything but trying to keep his players’ emotions in check on the sideline.
And then there was the reaction of the Auburn fans when Georgia linebacker Reuben Faloughi went down with a leg injury in the fourth quarter, resulting in the Tigers’ hurry-up game getting slowed down momentarily.
They booed the hurt player.
Really classy. War damn eagle, indeed.
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636 comments Add your comment
Stephen Dawg
November 14th, 2010
10:02 pm
Bean Anderson should help next year at NT along with another year of growth for Geathers.
Cindy
November 14th, 2010
10:02 pm
Go Georgia Tech!!!!!!!
Macclenny_dawg
November 14th, 2010
10:06 pm
BILL,
One more coaching blunder on our next to last possession on 3rd down we have no outlet for Murray to check down too!!! I understand there was heavy pressure most of the game but this year where has our quick slants and screen passes been?????Those plays used to be our bread and butter!!! If our current rb’s can’t seem to catch a screen pass then the red shirt should have been lifted off of Malcome. Or better yet how about a te screen or wr screen WHERE HAVE THESE PLAYS GONE!!! Marlon Brown where has he been??? THAT IS WHY I SAY ITS COACHING WE DO NOTHING TO TRY TO CHANGE THINGS AND BE UNPREDICTABLE!!!
DIRTY FAIRLEY
November 14th, 2010
10:08 pm
Those were some CLEAN HITS I put on your sorry QB. Get over it PUPPIES
T-DAWG
November 14th, 2010
10:13 pm
If we do not have a big nose in the system now and cannot get one from a JUCO, the 3-4 is not going to work. It takes at least 3 years for a DL coming out of high school to get big and strong enough to play in the SEC. The offense is going to have to out score folks to win the games the next several of years or we need to change to a 4-3. This is what I was afraid of when we hired our DC and he was bringing the 3-4 to town.
autiger83
November 14th, 2010
10:17 pm
Whine, whine, whine. All UGA fans do after you beat them is cry and complain. Truly, its the gift that keeps on giving all year. I cant think of a single SEC team that can whine like a spanked dawgie.
IF you manage to beat the North Avenue Nerds, perhaps you will be lucky enough to play in a December bowl game in some really exciting place like Detroit or Memphis.
Enjoy it Dawg Fans. Everybody else is at your expense. You suck. Deal with it.
TheItalianDawg
November 14th, 2010
10:18 pm
yup! Fairley is a dirty piece of $-h-i-t! worse than expected. I hope Bama will rip his knuckles out of his pants
Big L
November 14th, 2010
10:21 pm
Well, we’ll see what kinda genius Cheatnik is when he loses Scam Newton and Dirty Fairley after this season. Lack of class will not make a program great. One season does not create a class program .
SCAM NEWTON
November 14th, 2010
10:21 pm
Anyone want to go for a ride in the new car my Daddy got me with the money he demanded from Auburn. I’M IN THE MONEY–THANK YOU AUBURN–I THINK I WILL HEAD TO THE NFL NEXT YEAR BECAUSE MY DADDY SAID HE CAN GET ME A BETTER DEAL IN THE NFL BUT I MAY CONTACT SOME THE AUBURN BOOSTERS & SEE IF THEY CAN COLLECT ENOUGH $ TO KEEP ME THERE NEXT YEAR.
TheItalianDawg
November 14th, 2010
10:23 pm
after reading some Auburn’s comments, Bama fans are correct! Auburn fans are bunch of goofy rednecks
Big L
November 14th, 2010
10:25 pm
Autiger83. How do you know. Until this year you ain’t seen an Auburn victory over Georgia since the recession started. How do you remember what happens after beating Georgia?
The Owner
November 14th, 2010
10:26 pm
Bill, you are classless and out of bounds. Georgia has the talent on the field, but they were beaten by one of the two most prolific offenses in collage football. To call college players (18-22 years old) out by name shows what a redneck you are. I was not aware that rednecks come in a dwarf version, but you are living proof that they do.
And, in typical thUGA fashion, you call for a JUCO player to provide immediate help. Academic standards be darned, you just got to get an immediate fix. It’s not about standing for something, it’s not about student-athletes, it’s not about tipping your cap to one of the best players in college football since Vince Young, you make it about a few young men on Georgia’s team.
This is so typical of UGA fans. Small-minded rednecks whose lives revolve around the highs and lows of 18-22 year old kids. Kids that give it everything they got every weekend.
Here are the facts you little redneck dwarf:
- Cam Newton threaded some great passes to his receivers. The guy has a rocket for an arm.
- Newton’s run/pass threat puts tremendous pressure on safeties.
- Auburn has beaten better teams than UGA tis year. Why does this loss gall you so badly?
Don’t worry, you will beat Tech so you can feel good about yourself, munchkin. But the fact is that you are the epitome of everything that is wrong with UGA. 11 arrests this year, lowly academic standards, accepts Prop 48s, hoping for JUCO players to come replace the kids who are working to learn a new system.
This is exactly why I never hire UGA grads. They are just tainted.
saban
November 14th, 2010
10:30 pm
Dont` fret puppies, I will take Auburn to the wood shed next week, you can count on it.
You folks really are pitiful.
DIRTY FAIRLEY
November 14th, 2010
10:33 pm
Hey SCAM,
Pick me up in an hour. I want to tell you about the deal I have with some of our boosters.My deal includes a bonus for slamming QB’s into the ground,spearing QB’s & going after a QB’s knee.I’m making a bunch of extra cash this year.WHAT A COUNTRY
saban
November 14th, 2010
10:35 pm
I was speaking with the gods tonight and they say they are bringing a rain storm to Athens for the Tech Game. Seems they are upset with you folks.
You will be favored by 17 and Tech will win by 30 with no complete passes and 700 yards rushing.
BG
November 14th, 2010
10:36 pm
F Auburn and their cheating program. The NCAA will take care of Auburn this week.
col fot
November 14th, 2010
10:36 pm
auburn is trailer trash with dirty scumbags for football players!!!
jojo
November 14th, 2010
10:39 pm
No UGA does not have the players on defense. They have not had them for two years now. Grantham is doing the best with what he has. Hit the JUCO ranks, then better recruiting. It has become very obvious in the college level games that one or two super players make the difference. Where would Auburn be without Newton? Think how much better Meyer at UF would feel if UF had ignored all the problems and kept him. Does Auburn care, absolutely not. Probably 13-0 and going to championship game. If it comes out Newton was paid, no one at Auburn would still care because they were 13-0. Cue the Auburn fans to jump on board and start to scream.
icedawg
November 14th, 2010
10:40 pm
Last year and this year most on these blogs have been blamed the coaching for the poor performances. The truth is that the Dawgs have been putting up enough points most games to win the games, last year and this year. As you say Bill, It is not the offense. And it has not been the coach as much as the inferior player talent. The presumption for many has been that UGA has had excellent recruiting years, but that is just what it is, presumption. The proof has been on the field and the current defensive players are not physically or mentally better than most opponents that they have played. A coach cannot change this fact. I know that it is difficult for people who live in Georgia to grasp but there is very good talent outside the state of Georgia even superior to much of the talent in Georgia. I think the key to turning this around will be in recruiting and that will take more time which most bloggers are unwilling to accept. But it also indicates that we need to overhaul the way we recruit.
Doctor
November 14th, 2010
10:40 pm
I hate to bring it up–but the people who is in charge in Athens have turned their football program into a bunch of sissies. You can see it from a mile away. Hey I dont know who to blame —I’m just sayin. Get out there and do something or go home and read or sleep—do something constructive!!!!!!!! Roll Tide!!!!!!!!! Auburn is going to get caught —–its not if–its when.
Vandyman
November 14th, 2010
10:43 pm
BG- Ever heard of Jan Kemp or Jim Harrick?
The Owner
November 14th, 2010
10:44 pm
Jojo, you are a typical Dawg fan. You are a complete loser redneck, but you think you have a clue. You clearly stand for nothing. These are student-athletes, redneck. Take your loss with dignity simpleton.
Vandyman
November 14th, 2010
10:47 pm
If Newton was playing for GA the apologists would be dressed in red and black instead of blue and orange.
The Owner
November 14th, 2010
10:49 pm
Laughable… All those 5- and 4-star players just aren’t good enough. I got news for you redneck Dawg fans… Even if you had all 5-star players, UGA would still find a way to go 6-6.
The Owner
November 14th, 2010
10:52 pm
But that’s nothing a Blackout won’t fix… right Dawg fans?
You guys should have Camoflage day so all the redneck Dawg fans can wear their spirit garb!
DawginLex
November 14th, 2010
10:52 pm
Auburn has officially replaced UGA as the thug capital of the SEC.
Dawg 39
November 14th, 2010
10:53 pm
Mike Bobo and Mark Richt are not why Georgia lost to Auburn, or why they lost to Florida. You got this one entirely correct. Lack of Junkyard Dawgs talent on defense is what is killing the Dawgs..
THE MAJOR
November 14th, 2010
10:53 pm
Bill King is an obvious lacking in mind. Your player 95 was making to the sideline on his own when the Saint Mark signaled him to hit the ground. This is at the same time that your sorry out of shape defense was collapsing under the speed of the game.
EXCUSES EXCUSES
Even Gary Danielson said Saintr Mark started the chippiness.
still a dawg fan
November 14th, 2010
10:53 pm
You are right icedawg. I have been telling people for the last few years that we have had very little talent on defense but everyone wants to blame it on the coaches.Just like J. Houston said yesterday that a lot of guys were not focused on the Auburn game.Hard to believe that you can be playing the #2 team in the country who has the leading Heisman candidate & a lot of our guys have no focus according to J. Houston.
Vinings Dawg
November 14th, 2010
10:54 pm
Bill, why don;t you tell the truth. Auburn just beat the HELL out of us, physically , mentally, and emotionally.
SD in Auburn
November 14th, 2010
10:54 pm
Isn’t this homophobic, hypersensitive, slack-jawed, double digit IQ, passionate, nose picking “dawg” a delightful young man? He has offered us his insight on Auburn: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGnXszHYXko
Auburn/Delta
November 14th, 2010
10:57 pm
Cry babies.
Jailed DAWG
November 14th, 2010
10:58 pm
DawginLex, there is no way, we lead the nation in jailed dawgs. I’m still here dor my speeding ticket.
logotiger
November 14th, 2010
10:59 pm
This is sad. I live in Georgia but I am from Bama and love Auburn. I was at the game last night. I have always respected Georgia and cheered for them when they were not playing Auburn. But now this program has been reduced to this? Crying like kids and calling Auburn names because you lost? No wonder you are 5 – 6. Georgia was once a hard core SEC program who would hit you in the mouth and give as much as it got. If they lost a game, they did not make excuses. I don’t know what they are now.
THE MAJOR
November 14th, 2010
11:00 pm
What cheese should I have delivered to your home for this whine of yours? I can start a list of the late hitting cheap shot artists that played in the Red and Black. Please realize these Dogs belong in the WAC.
The Owner
November 14th, 2010
11:01 pm
That YouTube post is so typical.
Auburn/Delta
November 14th, 2010
11:01 pm
For all the crying and fussing on this blog, just imagine if Georgia had won what would be said? UGA fans can never ever talk enough trash win or lose.
Sven Ottke
November 14th, 2010
11:02 pm
Bill, you are getting worked regarding this column pal. Worked.
DIRTY FAIRLEY
November 14th, 2010
11:04 pm
Hey The Owner,
If for some reason I don’t pan out in the NFL will you please hire me. I would make a good ENFORCER.
Your moonshine operation would be safe under my watchful eye. Sorry,Scam told me not to out your operation but I want some of the cash you are paying to Scam’s daddy. I like the remodel on Scam’s daddy’s church & my MAMA needs to fixup her DOUBLEWIDE.
Auburn/Delta
November 14th, 2010
11:05 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQy0VQUVSCQ
Fairley was blocked into Murray. Probably didn’t even think he’d hit Murray. Like many games this year Murray just didn’t move fast enough when the o-line failed to block.
Now why wasn’t UGA’s 60 and 71 ejected and why did UGA fail to stay on their sidelines while Auburn did? Hmmmm? Thugs?
Auburn/Delta
November 14th, 2010
11:07 pm
Ben Jones needs to be suspended from the first half of the GT game, shouldn’t he?
The Owner
November 14th, 2010
11:07 pm
Hey Dirty, you will do fine in the NFL, but if you don’t make it, then come see me. We hire winners at our firm, not whining little excuse makers.
logotiger
November 14th, 2010
11:10 pm
The Ga coaches were trying to keep their players on the sideline. Their players were ignoring them. Auburns players wanted to run on the field to but when their coaches started yelling they ALL stopped! Many of my friends who are Ga fans have wondered if the coaches really control the players. Look at that one incident and you may find your answer.
TomDAWG
November 14th, 2010
11:11 pm
The Owner is a redneck moron.
DIRTY FAIRLEY
November 14th, 2010
11:11 pm
Hey Auburn/Delta,
I didn’t get blocked into Murray. I went after his knee. I could have pulled up but I didn’t because I have a booster paying me extra for hits like that.
GO WAR EAGLES
The Owner
November 14th, 2010
11:15 pm
No, TomDawg, I am not. I am the man telling you how it is. There is nothing redneck about me, but you are a Dawg fan, therefore you are an uneducated redneck. Your University is a disgrace and you are aligned with the biggest whiners in all of sport.
Keep crying and whining redneck Dawgs.
What?
November 14th, 2010
11:16 pm
There is absolutely no way that Bill, or any UGA fan, can call into question the actions of an opposing coach, if you refuse to have the same outrage over Grantham’s actions against the FL kicker. Absolutely hypocritical.
DIRTY FAIRLEY
November 14th, 2010
11:16 pm
The Owner,
That sound great & it would be wonderful to have someone like you to call BOSSMAN
GO WAR EAGLES
Auburn/Delta
November 14th, 2010
11:18 pm
Fairley really did kick Murray’s *** but Murray is a tough kid, he stood in there pretty well as he took an absolute beating that never had to happen if someone had just blocked Fairley.
Fairley is NFL quality in that he is very hard hitting just like Troy Polamalu or a Ray Lewis. Now as far as I am concerned, the ref’s got it right. Illegal hits were penalized on both sides of the ball. The ejections were correct but at the same time some UGA player(s) should’ve been ejected.
The Owner
November 14th, 2010
11:18 pm
Go anybody playing thUGA! Even North Korea!