Dogs’ bowl showing pretty much sums up the season: Lousy
Aaron Murray saved his worst game of the season for the Liberty Bowl. (Associated Press)
A mediocre season came to a pathetic end for the Georgia Bulldogs Friday as a talent-loaded SEC offense that had prided itself on regularly scoring 30 or more points a game failed to even score a single touchdown against Central Florida of Conference USA.
Unlike most of the rest of the year, Aaron Murray, wearing gloves in a game for the first time this season, looked every bit the freshman in the Liberty Bowl, throwing two interceptions and nearly throwing two or three more picks.
An offensive line that had underperformed most of the season turned in one of its worst outings, especially in the second half.
And playcaller Mike Bobo made no sustained attempt to establish a running game, allowing the Knights to blanket the Dogs’ receivers for much of the day when they weren’t blitzing Murray as he searched in vain for an open man.
Of course, maybe Bobo was taking a cue from his boss, Mark Richt, who in the first quarter apparently had such little faith in his ground attack that on fourth and inches at the 2 yard line he elected to kick a field goal rather than go for the first down and potentially the touchdown.
That capped off the Dogs’ best drive of the day, which featured a pretty nice mix of run and pass. Unfortunately, most of the rest of the day Georgia rested its hopes mainly on the passing of Murray, who never looked comfortable. The Dogs did manage a decent drive to open the second half but it bogged down, resulting in another field goal.
And that was pretty much it offensively for the Bulldogs.
Most of the pre-game talk had centered on the two teams’ freshman phenom quarterbacks, but thanks to rusty-looking offenses and a pair of turnovers each, the game settled into a defensive struggle.
The Knights, however, persevered with their efforts to establish a running game and eventually were able to wear down a Georgia defense that occasionally was guilty of poor tackling (how many times did Bacarri Rambo dive into the dirt at opposing players’ feet?).
Overall, though, Todd Grantham’s defense played well enough to win.
It was the offense that stunk the place up. Yes, UCF has a pretty good defense, coming into the game ranked No. 18 in the country, but Georgia’s uninspired play made them look even more formidable.
The day was summed up pretty well by the drive the Dogs began with a little over 7 minutes left in the game. A good run by Washaun Ealey was negated by an completely unnecessary chop block on the other side of the field, and then on first and 25 Ealey was stuffed. Next play, the woeful line play allowed Murray to be sacked. And then on third and 32, Murray threw the ball out of bounds trying to hit A.J. Green, who probably was playing his last game as a Bulldog.
On that depressing note, I’ll open it up for discussion of the Dogs’ dismal showing in Memphis. I’ll be back Sunday with more thoughts on the game and where the Georgia program goes from here. Until then, I hope everyone has a safe New Year’s celebration.
Oh, one more thing: Aaron, lose the gloves.
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908 comments Add your comment
Scorekeeper
January 1st, 2011
11:56 am
Boise State 70, UGA 6.
When does this maddness end?
January 1st, 2011
11:58 am
I have loved and supported Ritch. I still like the man greatly and have wished for his success. But it is time to move on. He needs some time off from the game and he and his coaches have looked for the last 2 years. The DAWGS have become a below average team and an embarrassment under his leadership…actually and possibly the worst team I remember seeing my 35 years of watching the dawgs…just one disappointment after another. Insted of him being compared to Dooley…he going to be remember along with Golf’s era before it is over…in the meantime, UGA football will be a lost cause for ever how long Garity and others allow this to continue. All the best of Ritch…but I have no confidence anymore.
Angry Dawg
January 1st, 2011
11:59 am
What about the horrible time management at the end of the game? How many times does this happen under Richt? On 2nd down, we throw the QB out of bounds and the clock is stopped, and then we call a time out!!! Why? Then on 3rd down, we do not use our last time out and about 45 precious seconds run off the clock. I was screaming at the TV to call a time out!!! We then get the ball back, and throw a 2 yard pass over the middle. Another 30 seconds wasted!!!
Fire them all! I am tired of it. We were really 4-7 this year, as the two gimme games deserve no credit at all.
Coffee Bluff DAWG
January 1st, 2011
12:00 pm
UGA should have time enough at the end to score if it weren’t for unneeded TOs. Poor clock mgmt in the 2nd half.
What was the reason for unnecessarily using those TOs?
Nanny Jordan
January 1st, 2011
12:00 pm
Hire John Gruden, he is the man!
dawg1967
January 1st, 2011
12:00 pm
This dog is gone no more donations until a New coach is signed.
ToccoaDawg
January 1st, 2011
12:00 pm
Bobo must Go. The D played their tails off. Why wasn’t Murry benched? We wasted Mason’s redshirt and didn’t play him when clearly we needed a change. WHY?
T-Bob
January 1st, 2011
12:01 pm
UGA record the past 2 seasons: 14-12. Nuff said…
USMC dawg
January 1st, 2011
12:02 pm
“coaching didn’t lose this game”
Jack Bull, you couldn’t be further from the truth.
Coaching did LOSE this game.
The players are TEENAGERS who need discipline and leadership, ie. Saban, Meyer, etc.
You don’t just roll the football on the field and say “go do your best team.”
RM
January 1st, 2011
12:04 pm
If CMR were one of the 7 dwarfs, he would be Sleepy.
stendek
January 1st, 2011
12:04 pm
Etu Bill? STENDEK Care to let me know why?
CMR
January 1st, 2011
12:06 pm
At least I look good in my television commercials. Does anybody need me to sell their products?
FEDUP WITH YOU FANS!!!!!
January 1st, 2011
12:08 pm
Does anyone remember going to the SEC Championship game B4 Coach Richt?
CG
January 1st, 2011
12:10 pm
I really didn’t want them to go to a bowl game because the Dogs had already embarassed us enough this season.
USMC dawg
January 1st, 2011
12:12 pm
“Does anyone remember going to the SEC Championship game B4 Coach Richt?”
Hey buddy, Coach Richt has been a great coach for us, but his time has come and gone.
We need to move forward with a new coaching staff. That doesn’t mean that CMR was not appreciated and he will go down as one of the best coaches in UGA’s history.
But he is paid $3,000,000 and is no longer performing to that level.
Get over it.
icedawg
January 1st, 2011
12:12 pm
The recruiting class clamor is a man-made farce. The attention this stuff gets is way overblown. High School players holding news conferences. We’ve lost our ever-loving minds.
CG
January 1st, 2011
12:13 pm
One thing is for sure UGA has the most over-rated offensive line in the country. We Dog fans hope half the team does go pro so we can sub in some real players. All those (except maybe Green) who think they are going pro will be lucky to get a position on the practice squad.
marinedawg
January 1st, 2011
12:13 pm
like to know if USMC Dawg went through PI if so do you think any Georgia lineman would have made the grade.PI 1959 UGA 1958.
When I saw Georgia go for the field goal my wife{Duke)said games over.Her reason being Georgia is a bunch of Wussies.
Williams wants a release I say tell the offencive line they can all be released and good riddance.
Our future lies in beating powerhouses Buffalo,Florida Atlantic,North Texas,Charleston Southern,Georgia State,Coastal Carolina,New Mexico State,Appy State and adding some real lightweights like Agnes Scott,and Columbia college for women. Forget Kennesaw State as it has a Dooley tradition. Pass on the Citadel as these cadets have too much heart.
So sit back now for 9 months and see the Georgia football,, headlines. ,DUI,CHEATING,THEFT and all the other things you know what of which Mark Richt teams are becoming famous for.
Please Mark Get rid of Caleb King.
CG
January 1st, 2011
12:14 pm
Georgia Southern 17 … UGA 6
aarh
January 1st, 2011
12:14 pm
Marcus- Yeah, Murray didn’t look great in that game. He may not have beaten a team w/ a winning record, but he still put up great numbers over the whole season, & he didn’t have many bad games this yr…even in most of teh losses. He’s only a Fr., & he did have good games & beat 3 bowl teams. I know he & UGA didn’t look good yesterday, but maybe if the rest of the team (mainly the O-Line & RBS) were as good as teh were supposed to be….it wouldn’t be so hard for him to do it all.
UGAG is gitting the ncaa death penalty, he he ha ha
January 1st, 2011
12:15 pm
Only a fool would sign with uga, where 5 star recruits go to DIE!
Johnny Dawg
January 1st, 2011
12:17 pm
“Hell, let’s go on to basketball!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
UCF is 13-0 in basketball…I think we better steer clear of them for a while
ChicagoDawg
January 1st, 2011
12:17 pm
Long time reader…first time blogger…84 Grad (the good years). I am sick and tired of the lack of toughness, pathetic, unispired, lackadasical, effort year after year. The team is clear reflection of its coach (see Alabama/Florida). The landscape changed in the SEC with Petrino, Spurrier, Saban, Meyer and now Chizik (remains to be seen once Malzahn and Newton leave) and Richt became what he really is…a mediocre coach at best. Fundamentals stink…arm tackling, O-Line, play calling, clock management, assistant coach hires and fires, etc. He HAS to go. I cant believe the university that I attended can put up with this any longer…money is not an object. We need Harbaugh! He is the epitome of toughness and has an edge about him that we need!
Loyal Dawg in South Carolina
January 1st, 2011
12:21 pm
I am writing this for my own sanity. I am not into blasting young kids; however they are not being given the direction or support needed to achieve the success we have come to expect from our program. It is quite apparent there is a “Disconnect” at the highest level in this program and either Mr Richt is either not sincere with his comments and/or is not capable of continuing to direct this program. To provide real leadership there are expectations that must be met.
EXAMPLE: What kind of leadership does it provide to our players when so little confidence is shown in them that we will not go for a 4th and inches attempt so early in a game.
As I prefaced this is to save my own sanity and I have no other issues with Mark Richt but believe he has not displayed the ability to produce a program which meets my expectations. He appears to be a great person but I do not believe he is the right “Fit” for our program. I wish him the best as I do not know what the future may hold for him, but I personally can not continue the year long anticipations and disappointments that have become a recent hallmark of the Mark Richt “Era”. That all being said I feel much better…….GO DAWGS.
UGA Walk-on
January 1st, 2011
12:23 pm
Coach told us we learned a valuable lesson yesterday.
Not sure what it is but it was a very valuable lesson.
Voyager Dawg
January 1st, 2011
12:23 pm
First, to all the Tech fans on here giving us grief, come back when you can beat us. Second, to the folks criticizing Murray for a bad game, get a grip. This kid has been a warrior all year. Third, to anyone criticizing any of the players, take a look at the video of Chris Durham leaving the field and tell me these kids didn’t want to win this game. This year is squarely on the shoulders of the coaching staff, not the players. What message do you send to your team when your coaching staff decides to kick a field goal on fourth and inches from the three instead of punching it in. Football is not a chess match, it’s an aggressive, collision sport. Until Coach Richt figures that out, we will continue to lose games that we shouldn’t or win by razor thin margins. Richt has a great overall record and he seems to be a truly good man, but he does not have the aggressiveness and go for the throat attitude that it will take to be a truly dominating head coach in the SEC. Keep the faith Dawgs and let’s hope for the best in 2011.
icedawg
January 1st, 2011
12:24 pm
The mighty SEC lost 2 yesterday. Hopefully today they will fare much better.
6 and 7
January 1st, 2011
12:27 pm
The FireMarkRicht.com site is up and running. Over a million hits today.
Mike
January 1st, 2011
12:30 pm
Well maybe this is waht this team needed. We did not play like a team all year. Yes it all starts at the top, but a coach can not control what his team does on the field. The fact is these DAWGS were big headed and figure they walk all over UCF. Less use this as and eye opener and hope next year will be a better year.
UCF is
January 1st, 2011
12:31 pm
Ram Tough ! George O’leary drives a Hemi !!
USMC dawg
January 1st, 2011
12:31 pm
Well said Marinedawg. Yes I went through Parris Island in 1989.
These UGA players need that kind of mental and physical conditioning that a LEADER can give them. $3,000,000 is a lot of money. We need a new coaching staff. We have paid Mark Richt enough. Let’s thank him for his service, he has been a great coach for us, and move on…
CG
January 1st, 2011
12:32 pm
Pulease… nobody cares about UGA football anymore
Jack Wood
January 1st, 2011
12:32 pm
Steve Spurrier was absolutely right saying “Georgia gets all these great recruits! I don’t know what happens to them.” I know. Dawgs they ain’t. Sleepwalkers sounds more like it. Richt, do the honorable thing; and AJ, just go away!
SO SICK OF IT
January 1st, 2011
12:32 pm
MIKE BOBO NEEDS TO GO AWAY NOW . WE NEED TO UPGRADE OR CLEAN THE WHOLE HOUSE AND START OVER EVERYONE NEEDS TO GO.
ylojkt
January 1st, 2011
12:35 pm
LMAO!!! Read this puppies – http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/college/knights/os-bianchi-ucf-georgia-liberty-bowl-020101231,0,5937044.column
Let’s face it, not many of the naysayers thought UCF had what it took to beat Georgia – even if it was a mediocre version of the once-feared Dawgs. But perhaps it was an omen of good things to come when Georgia mascot – Uga VIII – didn’t show up for the game because of gastrointestinal issues. Or at least that was the official story. Considering what is going on at big-time BCS schools this year, I believe Uga VIII was probably suspended for selling his commemorative Liberty Bowl pooper scooper to a Georgia booster for $1,000.
powerhouse?
January 1st, 2011
12:36 pm
The recruiting guru, ATL XedMAN, says the problem with recruiting is all those Div II players that are called five start type. It appears gerogia has been getting a lot of Div II type playas.
yankeedawg
January 1st, 2011
12:36 pm
If a coach does not show any faith that his offense can make less then a yard for ist down on the other teams 2 yard line its time he goes!He personally showed he had no faith in his team and they responded in kind!!!
ChicagoDawg
January 1st, 2011
12:37 pm
Agreed Jack Wood…Richt needs to the right thing and quit for the sake of the program…money and ego will keep him from doing it until he is forced out.
gadawgfan0711
January 1st, 2011
12:39 pm
Is it just me or does everyone else see the way bobo falls into calling play action passes over and over again. The idea of play action is to make the defense think run but if you do it ever play then it doesn’t work. The end result is a play that is slow developing and keeps the qb’s eyes in the wrong direction for to long. If you run a strait drop back pass the qb can see the feild more and also see the rush better. I just don’t think defenses bite on play action when it is second or third and forever. Just wondering if I was imaging this or did everyone else notice this. Bobo is to play action what jim donnan was to the screen game.
ChicagoDawg
January 1st, 2011
12:43 pm
Bobo cant call plays…with 4th down and their 2. We should have showed the power I and slid the tight end out into the end zone for an easy pass…would have been an aggressive play call that should have set the tone for the game…He is way over his head..
UCFKNIGHT
January 1st, 2011
12:46 pm
Hey dawg fans, quit being so upset. Aside from FSU we are the best team in the state of Florida, too bad we couldn’t play the Gators, who you guys should have beaten. Other than the coach kicking the first field goal there wasn’t much you could have done. Just beat UF next year and we all will be happy
sammiamm
January 1st, 2011
12:46 pm
Harbaugh? Why would Harbaugh (or Gruden or Smart or…) want the job. Harbaugh is coaching an elite team at Stanford and wouldn’t make a lateral move, let alone backward to UGA. Harbough’s eyeballing Michigan.
1eyedJack
January 1st, 2011
12:46 pm
Last year we said, ‘Things can’t go on like this’, and they didn’t, they got worse.
This team is an enigma, less than the sum of it’s parts. We have 10-12 win talent….but, is that very talent causing 6-8 wins a year? Is that talent being wisely used or do these players have any hamster’s running their wheel?
As far as CMR goes I am officially on the fence. I like him, and I think he deserves one more year to “right the ship”, but this can’t continue.
The team I witnessed play yesterday was a disappointment. I am almost embarrassed to wear my Georgia gear….almost.
The game was lost on the first drive. Fourth and inches at the goal line and you kick a field goal. That is a bad message to send to your team….or did CMR know what was to come already?
For all the hype this O-line has received the last two years they’re horrible. Mike Bobo calls delayed draws on 1st and 25 and 2nd and 13. Timeouts wasted, players make plays and then disappear for two quarters, and when something seems to be working we abandon it.
For whatever reason this Senior class showed no leadership, except for maybe Kris Durham.
Searles has done nothing here. Tony Ball and Bryan McClendon have not earned their money.
Tell Bobo to go back to coaching QBs or take a hike. Pay Neil Callaway to return as Offensive Coordinator and O-line coach. Replace Ball and McClendon. Hire a full time Special Teams coach.
I just hope our recruits didn’t take that seriously. Hopefully they can envision themselves turning this thing around and being heroes. If this class falls apart we are toast.
Wilson
January 1st, 2011
12:49 pm
We suck this year, but at least we beat Tech! They lost their bowl game too AND lost to us hahaha.
USMC dawg
January 1st, 2011
12:55 pm
“I like him, and I think he deserves one more year to “right the ship”, but this can’t continue.”
What is “right the ship?” Is it an 8 win season, a 9 win season? From what we have witnessed over the last 4 seasons, what makes you think CMR has the capability to “right the ship”?
We need a new coaching staff, period. ($3,000,000?)
Dawgstradomus
January 1st, 2011
12:56 pm
i repeat….NO MORE MONEY……keep your contributions….take a nice vacation….you will feel much better than how you are going to feel after winning 5 or 6 games next year.
USMC dawg
January 1st, 2011
1:00 pm
Also, our Strength and conditioning has sucked for years and Richt did nothing about it until this year and he hires from within, Tereshinski. Are you kidding me?
Why would you hire from within the Strength and Conditioning staff that has already demonstrated that they are not very good….. at strength and conditioning?
Go ahead, scratch your head…
Uncle Curly
January 1st, 2011
1:00 pm
I have no horse in this race but seems to me that “righting the ship” may be like trying to save the titanic.
USMC dawg
January 1st, 2011
1:09 pm
Regardless if you like him or not, Coach Richt has been getting paid $3,000,000 PER YEAR to perform a job. Let that sink in…..
I like the man. And no, I am not a yahoo who thinks we are number One every year.
But we have one of the largest revenues in college football and are in a great conference that feeds the BCS national championship game every year…. Let that sink in…
USMC dawg
January 1st, 2011
1:14 pm
How many other college football coaches are paid $3,000,000 PER YEAR???????
I am a nice guy and Christian as well, but if I don’t perform well on my job, I get FIRED, as I should be…
So get over the “he is a nice Christian” bit.
This is a top CEO paying position for one of the TOP money earning universities in the country.