Scoreboard didn’t reflect domination by Dawgs
Orson Charles makes a great touchdown catch against Ole Miss. (Associated Press)
A few more thoughts and observations about Georgia’s win over Ole Miss. …
It’s true there was more grumbling in the Bulldog Nation than you’d normally expect after a win, and, yes, if Blair Walsh hadn’t missed those three field goals a 36-13 score would have better reflected Georgia’s near-complete domination of the game.
But the fact that the Dogs had to resort to Walsh four times showed Georgia’s offense still not quite ready for prime time.
It stands out even more when you look at the Dogs’ time of possession by quarter. After holding it 7:26 in the first quarter and 9:03 in the second, for a total of 24 points, Mike Bobo decided to try and sit on an 11-point lead and went conservative in his second-half playcalling.
So while the Dogs had the ball 10:56 in the third quarter and a whopping 11:11 in the fourth, they got only 3 points out of all that time on the field. Thus, the grumbling.
OK, maybe Bobo’s faith in the way Georgia’s defense was handling the Rebels was well-placed, but that kind of mentality is not going to cut it against the better teams remaining on the schedule. …
Richard Samuel and Carlton Thomas were sporadically effective in relief of Isaiah Crowell Saturday, and while that upright running style of Samuel’s doesn’t result in many long gainers, he deserves special mention for his extra, twisting effort on that fourth-and-1 that the Dogs just barely made. But the best use of Samuel appears to be throwing to him out of the backfield. That 25-yard reception was a fine job. Let’s hope we see more of that when Crowell is taking a breather. …
Speaking of Crowell, you could tell he wasn’t the same runner in the second half that he was in the first, losing some of that ability to bounce out of the grasp of a would-be tackler and turn it on outside. Yes, 30 carries is a considerable workload, but Crowell admitted after the game he was winded in the third and fourth quarters, in contrast to South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore, who seems to get stronger late in games. As someone once said, the ball ain’t heavy, so conditioning is obviously where Crowell needs the biggest improvement (along with picking up the blitz a bit better). But the first half showed what a special player Crowell can be when he’s on his game, and even a winded No. 1 is a good potential weapon to have in the backfield. …
It was good to see Bobo finally remember the tight ends Saturday. Orson Charles led all receivers with five catches for 59 yards and a touchdown, and backup Aron White had three for 52 yards and another score. Still, it was an up and down day for Charles, who dropped one pass and let another bounce off his chest, only to have it intercepted. But he did a great job of hauling in a perfectly thrown but difficult pass from Aaron Murray in the corner of the end zone. As stocked with talent as Georgia is at the tight end position, it can only be a plus if Bobo calling their numbers more Saturday was a sign of things to come. …
Special kudos to gritty Kenarious Gates, who wasn’t fully recovered from an ankle injury but still toughed it out for the whole game on the offensive line because of Chris Burnette being out. It would be great if other Georgia players took inspiration from his example. …
You’ve got to give Houston Nutt credit for his special teams game planning Saturday, and not just for the handoff/reverse on a punt return or successful onside kick. His negating of Georgia’s dangerous return men on punts was superb. Punter Tyler Campbell’s alternating of line-drive rugby kicks with the occasional high looper resulted in only two of his nine punts even being returned by Georgia, one for 2 yards and the other for a loss of 2, meaning the Dogs ended the game with a return average of 0. …
Finally, Jon Fabris was in the crowd Saturday and Georgia’s special teams play was pretty awful. I’m not suggesting the two facts are somehow connected or that Fabris has some sort of bad mojo that can mess the Dogs up even from the stands, but let’s just hope Jon doesn’t plan to make following the Dogs a regular thing.
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321 comments Add your comment
ga gator
September 25th, 2011
10:30 pm
Overall a win is a win. Muschamp has already had a quote where basically he said, If you win in this league, nothing matters. My only concern with Richt during the game was when he kicked a field goal on 4th and inches ( or tried to anyway) instead of going for it and then when he was on his own 45 yard line a little later he went for it on 4th and about 18 inches. His logic sometimes makes no sense, but then again a win is a win. I would rather win ugly anytime than have a moral victory in a loss.
kerryb
September 25th, 2011
10:31 pm
17 games, 8W’s and 9 losses , You need to go to the Tech blog with all the other losers and morons.
JB
September 25th, 2011
10:32 pm
The fact that Malcome has not gotten any noticeable carries tells me Crowell and Samuels and a little Carlton is it. Don’t know if Crowell will make it to the end. Little Young and tender for full blown physical SEC football.
Bama Mike
September 25th, 2011
10:33 pm
Four games in and the word conditioning is brought out in 3 of 4 first games. Crowell as looked gassed by the 3rd quarter. Looks like he is going to be a 15 touch per game guy. Agree Lattimore and Richardson look stronger as game goes on
Losersville = UGA
September 25th, 2011
10:33 pm
Dawgs are going to lose to MS? Damn. Just damn.
JB
September 25th, 2011
10:35 pm
If Derick Dooley beats Richt, It’ll be bad.
Still@theBAR
September 25th, 2011
10:35 pm
Those losers are 4-0? nice try kerryb. Until Murray wins a game against a good team with a winning record there is little room to talk crap.
kerryb
September 25th, 2011
10:35 pm
If Crowell is a 15 touch per game guy why did he touch it for about 30 yesterday?
kerryb
September 25th, 2011
10:36 pm
All the Tech morons can hit the exits of the UGA blog now. No one cares what you think.
Delbert D.
September 25th, 2011
10:36 pm
kerryb – Samuel is big and strong, but his upright running works against him. I’m wondering if he’s too stiff to lower his pad level.
dbc
September 25th, 2011
10:38 pm
JB, I enjoy reading your posts and I’m right there with you. Dawg Dad — you have really flawed logic. I don’t get why people have to say if you’re critical to UGA, you never went there, never played football, never sent a child there, etc. To the contrary. I spent over half my life in Athens, graduated from UGA, my father was a Dean at UGA, and I bleed red and black. I just can’t abide watching a highly paid coaching staff with every advantage in the world continue to show up flat and uninspired week after week, year after year. It’s just getting old. I love the dawgs, but they aren’t playing up to a fraction of their potential. Others have said, and I agree, after watching Bama and LSU play yesterday — they are light years ahead of us. And that’s due to Mark Richt. And we’ve been talking about the same issues for far too long, and without any solutions. UGA will not run the table. I see at least two or more losses, and if that happens, I hope McGarity has the sack to do what needs to be done. But of course, I’m a fair weather fan for wanting something better….
Hammerdawg
September 25th, 2011
10:39 pm
It would be interesting to see what a real OC could do with all of Georgia’s offensive talent, unfortunately we will never know with Bobo calling the plays!
Rick Moore
September 25th, 2011
10:40 pm
I have no respect for any person who would use the privilege of writing this blog to use it to take another cheap shot at Coach Fabris. What would make you think that you have any credentials to begin criticize any coach’s knowledge. or ability? Please put your coaching resume’ online so we can see your credentials. I will match Coach Fabris’ resume’ with yours any day. I do not think anyone in the NCAA or NFL has hired you to coach as they have Jon. Even to an amateur like you it should be obvious now that neither Coach Fabris or Coach Martinez was the root of our problems at UGA, Unlike you, Mr. King, I do not profess to KNOW the answers to our problems, but I do know that Coaches Richt, Bobo, Martinez, Fabris,etc have forgotten more football than you or any of the other wannabes who spout all the answers on this page will ever know. Like you, I wish we would win every game, but unlike you and many others on this page, I do understand that winnning the SEC and the BCS is not the most important thing in the world. I still would rather have Coach Richt as the Head MAN at UGa than any other coach in the United States. If you must criticize, please at least be “professional” enough to confine it those responsible now. Seriously, what was your purpose in bringing Jon into this article. That takes a small “man” to cheap shot someone like that. No, I am not a relative of Jon’s, just someone who has had the privilege to have known him (and his late Father, Coach Frank Fabris) for 50 years. I hope you will reconsider, be a real MAN, and apologize in writing for this cheap shot. Selah.
Still@theBAR
September 25th, 2011
10:40 pm
30 touches for 150 yards no TDs. He did all the work between the 20’s. have to get in the EZ.
kerryb
September 25th, 2011
10:41 pm
dbc, they may have showed up flat in the Boise State game but I think that was more the OC’s play calling. You can’t say they showed up flat and uninspired in the next three games. That comment has become such a cliche with the Richt bashers.
kerryb
September 25th, 2011
10:43 pm
I think most of the time Bobo tried to throw in the end zone. Don’t remember Crowell getting the ball inside the 10 trying to get in the end zone. I maybe be wrong but I think he tried to run Samuel the bigger back inside the 10.
Single or double wide for you?
September 25th, 2011
10:44 pm
And the homers are proud of barely skating by Ole Miss?
Keep on swilling the Kool-Aid in your single wides!
kerryb
September 25th, 2011
10:44 pm
Single or double wide for you? Go to the Tech blog.
kerryb
September 25th, 2011
10:46 pm
I don’t think we barely skated by Olw Miss. They were never really in that game all day. The defense smothered them. If our kicker didn’t miss those kicks it would have been 36-13. That’s not barely skating by moron.
kerryb
September 25th, 2011
10:48 pm
If a team has to resort to trick plays (ie. SC and Ole Miss) to get much of anything you are dominating them.
Still@theBAR
September 25th, 2011
10:48 pm
Nothing fun on the TECH blog. All the dawgs are over here crying. Hard to take the dawg Trolls seriously on the Tech blog when Tech is 4-0 and UGA is 2-2.
Dude
September 25th, 2011
10:48 pm
I seriously cannot see Bobo being back next season. No improvement what so ever in his play calling and it shows year after year.
Richard Dawson
September 25th, 2011
10:49 pm
Bill, you are the biggest fanboy ever. We couldn’t put away a WEAK Mississippi team despite numerous opportunities. Vandy crushed them and we barely snuck by. We are terrible. 6-6 at best.
Delbert D.
September 25th, 2011
10:50 pm
Let’s cool down a bit, and go off topic for 3 minutes or so. For those who weren’t around in the ’50s and ’60s, here is some video of Jim Brown, the greatest running back in pro football history. Incredible power and balance. Make sure to watch the last clip in the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6cCXNBeVfc
hop
September 25th, 2011
10:51 pm
mason is our only hope,but richt will play murry only until richt is fired.
PowerDawg
September 25th, 2011
10:51 pm
Pay no mind to SABAN…he is a gutless punk who talks big while cowering in the shadows. Anonymity is the only way cowards can generate attention to their rhetoric.
Still@theBAR
September 25th, 2011
10:51 pm
kerryb tell that to the Dawg trolls on the Tech blog that too. If Tech doesn’t miss a FG and Hill doesn’t drop a wide open 50 yrd TD, the Tech easily beats UNC. Isn’t that great about IFs. You like then for your team but don’t like them for Tech. That is hypocritical don’t you agree?
17 games, 8W's and 9 losses
September 25th, 2011
10:52 pm
kerryb
just chill out man, you are just too tense
kerryb
September 25th, 2011
10:52 pm
Here’s the rest of the year. Miss State is mostly a running team, Ga defense has been good against the run all year. TN is down one WR, Junior and senior secondary will completely shut down Da’ Rick. Vandy is a running team, see Miss State. Auburn has a terrible pass defense. Murray will carve it up. Kentucky is just bad. The only team UGA has to worry about is UF in the SEC the rest of the year.
Ungawa
September 25th, 2011
10:54 pm
Pretty much after the game, all that matters is the W. Check out http://www.whobeat.net, updated on Monday or Tuesday, to see a pecking order determined by W’s.
kerryb
September 25th, 2011
10:55 pm
Still@theBAR , tell them. I for one NEVER go on a Tech blog. I like discussing my team with sensible fans. I don’t care to go on another teams blog to incite them. And I wish the people that do would not come on here because I could care less what they think.
17 games, 8W's and 9 losses
September 25th, 2011
10:57 pm
kerryb
now I get it, you are a would of, should of, could of man—classic
kerryb
September 25th, 2011
10:57 pm
Still@theBAR , I wouldn’t go on a Tech blog to incite them for beating UNC. I thought they played a pretty good game against them. I wanted to see what they would do against a pretty good team and not one they could just beat up on. I think they did a good job.
SatillaDawg
September 25th, 2011
10:58 pm
Weak win. Florida will kill us.
Gotta get better, Dawgs.
Sic ‘em.
kerryb
September 25th, 2011
11:00 pm
SatillaDawg, because UF beat up on Kentucky? Kentucky is just bad this year. They almost lost to Western Kentucky to start the year. Beating up on this year’s Kentucky team that doesn’t have Randall Cobb or Mike Hartline anymore doesn’t impress me.
kerryb
September 25th, 2011
11:02 pm
SatillaDawg , I don’t think beating a team that you only allowed 183 total yards against is a weak win. We shouldn’t miss FG’s with a Grozo award runner up kicker.
powerhouse?
September 25th, 2011
11:03 pm
Bill, you sure about a SC player appearing to get stronger during a game?
Normal football training takes weeks of preparation and certain types of exercise are avoided immediately prior to a game to prevent fatigue.
A fatigued player is a slower player. Is that not the reason you need depth?
Still@theBAR
September 25th, 2011
11:03 pm
I was happy with how the D stood up. The O had 2 TO that hurt some but still had almost 500 yrds. Like I said Hill doesn’t drop that TD Tech would have been over 500 yrds again.
No I don’t really like the dawgs but I ma smart enough to know for tech to be seen as good they have to beat a good UGA team too. I still say MASON is worth giving a shot. I think he will prove to be good in games if he can play when all the best players are on the field not scrubs in clean up duty
17 games, 8W's and 9 losses
September 25th, 2011
11:04 pm
kerryb
you are right about losing to Florida, but you also lose to at least 2 of the other teams you listed. less than a 50-50 chance against MSU and Tenn and Richt always loses to a team he should beat–Vandy, Ky, or Auburn———-hello 6-6 and goodbye Richt
Delbert D.
September 25th, 2011
11:05 pm
Ungawa – Thanks for the link. I’ve been seeking that kind of info for several decades.
drbasic
September 25th, 2011
11:05 pm
@Richard Dawson
dude, if by “crushed” you mean Vandy had under 200 yards of offense against Miss. and GA had right at 500 yards offense against Miss……then crushed=weak…………so i guess Vandy did crush them and Ga didn’t…………….moron
kerryb
September 25th, 2011
11:05 pm
Hard for Lattimore to get fatigued with Garcia chunking incomplete passes and INT’s all over the field in the first half then relying on him to bail them out in the second half. He gets all of his work in the second half. He takes the first half off.
kerryb
September 25th, 2011
11:06 pm
17 games, 8W’s and 9 losses , I didn’t say we would lose to UF. I said it was the toughest SEC game we have left.
Still@theBAR
September 25th, 2011
11:06 pm
Steelers and Colts 13 each. Never would have guessed that. Don’t think I can finish watching it. i might fall asleep. Stilladawg do what is best for UGA and it will work out.
kerryb
September 25th, 2011
11:08 pm
17 games, 8W’s and 9 losses , we will absolutely not lose to UT. What are they going to beat us with? If Auburn can beat Miss State with the terrible defense they have then we should certainly beat them.
drbasic
September 25th, 2011
11:09 pm
Just wondering, is there a Ga blog where GA FOOTBALL can be discussed? not so much Tech, Auburn, Bama, LSU. Tenn, etc….I guess other colleges have no blogs. I think the only colleges this week I know of SHOULD be GEORGIA and MISS St………..nothing else need matter
kerryb
September 25th, 2011
11:10 pm
17 games, 8W’s and 9 losses , I wish you would go to the blog of whatever team you are a fan of because you are obviously just a moron that wants to come on here and bash UGA and try to start something up. Be gone with you.
Still@theBAR
September 25th, 2011
11:11 pm
drbasic
a dawg fan explained to me after the Coastal Carolina win with few yards and a big score it was because UGA or in this caes Vandy didn’t have far to go to score because of where they started their drives. Now you get the moron tag. See it is all relative. Vandy crushed them every way they could. UGA did not crush Ole Miss other than running around with the ball between the 20’s and burning the clock I guess.
kerryb
September 25th, 2011
11:12 pm
drbasic , It should be this one but you can’t keep the idiots and morons that troll out of here. From now on I’m just commenting on sensible comments by REAL UGA fans. the rest of them can just kiss my a**.
Furman Bishop
September 25th, 2011
11:14 pm
Only a masochistic UGA fan would want to play LSU or Alabama for the SEC championship in front of a national TV audience. Richt could never beat WVA in Morgantown the way the “Mad Hatter” and LSU did. Richt just doesn’t have it in him, and there is nothing that can be done about it.