Tigers show Dogs half a win isn’t better than nothing
Malcolm Mitchell contemplates what might have been after dropping a sure touchdown pass. (Brant Sanderlin / AJC)
Is there such a thing as half a moral victory?
If so, you could probably chalk up Georgia’s first-half showing in the SEC title game as something along those lines.
Of course, the cold, hard truth is that moral victories are just losses in which you can find something to make it hurt just a little less. And that’s where UGA fans are left after running into the Honey Badger and Co.
Yes, the Dogs were soundly beaten by LSU in the Georgia Dome in what turned into a very ugly rout in the second half. But that doesn’t change the fact that the Georgia defense played a remarkable first half, holding the No. 1 team in the country to a mere dozen yards of offense and absolutely no first downs.
I can’t remember ever seeing that before in a game against a major opponent.
Unfortunately, while Georgia came out initially with an aggressive game plan that included a flawlessly executed onside kick at one point, the rest of the offensive execution left much to be desired, thanks to several dropped passes (including two sure touchdowns) and continued special teams miscues. And playcaller Mike Bobo suddenly reverted to a conservative approach that took all the wind out of Georgia’s sails.
In the second quarter, neither team could move the ball, as Georgia continued to stuff LSU’s running game but the Tigers defense adjusted to the fact that the Dogs had no running game and they could turn loose and just go after the quarterback.
So instead of leading LSU 21-0 at halftime as they should have, the Dogs had a mere 10-7 advantage.
And then the wheels came off.
I had the feeling it wasn’t going to be a good half for Georgia when Bobo opened it up trying in vain to run little Carlton Thomas up the middle twice, putting his quarterback in just the sort of third-and-long situation you don’t want to face against the ferocious Tiger defense. Aaron Murray’s resulting fumble as he scrambled gave LSU a short field — and one of their patented scoring spurts was off and running.
At that point, you pretty much knew it was over.
Murray had a pretty lousy night, completing just 16 of 40 passes with two interceptions on top of that fumble, but some of the blame for that should go to Bobo, who put his QB in bad situations. Admittedly, though, Bobo was hampered by not having a running game.
You had a gimpy Isaiah Crowell, the anti-Lattimore, who was ineffective running the ball, averaging just 1.5 yards per carry, but who managed to draw a penalty running his mouth. Then there was Thomas, who wasn’t well used by Bobo before leaving the game with an injury. And Ken Malcome, who had some tough runs late in the game when it was already decided and who probably should have been the starter, as he was against Georgia Tech. A curious decision on the part of Bobo and Mark Richt.
No wonder a testy Richt didn’t want to talk about the tailbacks this week. LSU had four pretty interchangeable backs and Georgia couldn’t come up with one consistent threat, which is the difference between pretty good and great.
Keith Marshall, come on down!
Still, Georgia fans shouldn’t get so down in the dumps over our Dogs being throttled by what may well turn out to be one of college football’s greatest teams ever that we lose sight of the 10 wins in a row that secured UGA the SEC East title and a trip to a January bowl game.
Richt’s program isn’t yet back in the SEC elite with LSU and Alabama, at least not for a full 60 minutes.
But Saturday’s first half showed the Dogs aren’t all that far away.
Feel free to share your own views of the game against LSU and what Georgia needs to pull even with Les Miles’ program.
Got a question for the Junkyard Blawg? Send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.
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498 comments Add your comment
Dawg48
December 4th, 2011
11:50 am
Dogman
If you are a real dog fan could you spell your coaches name correctly.
WhyBo
December 4th, 2011
11:50 am
BoBo…………..please explain yourself to the DAWG Nation. We deserve to know what the hell you were thinking.
goSec
December 4th, 2011
11:51 am
Hey Dawg89 that’s what they have been saying since 2005… I agree with Dawg man it’s time to quit suffering Florida state finally got enough since to get rid of Ricth’s mentor how many more years will it take Adams to do the same with him…
LSUis#1
December 4th, 2011
11:55 am
I think you guys should keep Ricth he is doing a great job, I look forward to seeing our guys play against his teams for years to come.. You really should give him a raise….
North ave. faithful
December 4th, 2011
11:55 am
Have to agree with you dawg48, thought yall had a season to be proud of. You got some pretty tough fans on here. Murray showed some guts putting his head down and trying to get that first down when he fumbled, guarantee you these critisizing fans would have took the slide. I was amazed at how scared your db seem to be toward the end of the game. Rambo stood there and watched blue run right past him.
junkyarddawg
December 4th, 2011
11:57 am
for all those who still want to replace CMR take a look at this and tell me who you want, http://www.coachesbythenumbers.com/coach-rankings/ Interesting that Stoops at the time and how many NC does he have? Saban only one above CMR, look who is below CMR, Miles.
Burma Shave
December 4th, 2011
12:00 pm
The dawgs have shown
What kind of team they are
It’s time to dump Richt
And bring in a star
BURMA SHAVE
Dawg48
December 4th, 2011
12:00 pm
North ave
Lol those were some big ole bruising backs!
Williams still put some licks on em…..
Their depth was something else they never fell of no matter how far they went down the depth chart.
I don’t see how they keep all those kids happy with playing time?
The Glass Is Half-Full « My Two Cents
December 4th, 2011
12:10 pm
[...] – Bill King: ‘Tigers show Dogs half a win isn’t better than nothing‘ [...]
James Mc
December 4th, 2011
12:11 pm
“Like Bulldogs, like coach….No depth…not Ford tough”.
Ben
December 4th, 2011
12:12 pm
I want to hear Richt address the running back situation. There are so many rumors out there about Crowell.
Bobo has no more excuses. Our D is no longer the problem.
North ave. faithful
December 4th, 2011
12:15 pm
Yea 48 that williams is a hustler, just a strange 2 halves of football. Been watching football for 50 years and that first half was one of the most complete shut downs ive ever seen, and then, well you know.
'Noon to ya!
December 4th, 2011
12:16 pm
Keep beating your chests and chanting ‘SEC’.
Every group of pretty girls has a loudmouth fat girl in their ranks. Their ‘mascot’.
UGA is the fat girl.
Georgia fans realize, in their hearts, that LSU and Bama are part of some OTHER league.
A league which they aren’t members of.
Desert Fox
December 4th, 2011
12:16 pm
GA’s D played outstanding for 1/2 the game before the refs and GA’s own offense and special teams sucked the life right out of them. Give credit to LSU for exploiting GA’s weaknesses in the running game and special teams punt coverage. But what a time for GA’s young receivers and a few vets who have been near perfect the entire season to drop TD passes that ripped the heart out of Dome and GA’s QB. Why play IC if he’s ineffective? Why Bobo and CMR didn’t play Ken malcolme sooner is a coaching blunder but one we’ve grown accustomed to w/these 2 coaches. GA will never win a SEC C nor NC w/Bobo as OC and to some degree CMR as HC. Their decision making involving players and play calling during big games will result in the same old song and dance we’ll just have to get better at executing plays. I feel for the defense and the DC. The D played great until Bobo and his O sucked the life and game out of them.
Irony Escapes Me
December 4th, 2011
12:18 pm
I just turned on CSS and the Dawgs are winning again!
Hurry, Dawg Fans, if you want to watch it… It’s almost halftime.
What I Saw
December 4th, 2011
12:25 pm
The GA QB did the best Jeff George imitation I have ever seen!!! When the LSU rush came at him he would just lay down. The GA fans NEXT Herschel is now what we always thought, another pretty boy thug. So there you have it GA fans, may be you”ll win it ALL. Or, was there another excuse. GA Fans are full of excuses. And, by the way was out this a.m. and couldn’t any of those SILLY GA flags on your redneck’s trucks!!!
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
December 4th, 2011
12:26 pm
Dawg48
and anyone else
Come on we played no one this year and the only complete game we played was Auburn and maybe Tech the rest of the wins were sloppy victories against lousy teams
And those 2 teams are a joke this year.
This coaching staff never makes adjustments thats why we havent won a big game in 6 yrs
Blame the O-line and execution and recruiting and depth and whatever else that you want but all that falls back on the coaching staff
Again year 6 going on 7 and we are blown away by good teams. This is TexasA&M/Arkansas/GT/Michigan ST/Wisconsin/Clemson/ wooda shooda coulda football
All Saints
December 4th, 2011
12:27 pm
Jan Kemp: 1949 – December 4, 2008
May our martyred Saint Jan rest in peace.
Brad
December 4th, 2011
12:27 pm
If I am Keith Marshall there is no way on earth I come to UGA. Not because of the football program or coaching staff but because of the delusional fan base. My god if he comes in and doesn’t rush for 1500 yards as a true freshman they was turn on him like a pac of rabid dogs. UGA fans have to be some of the most delusional fans in the country.
'Noon to ya!
December 4th, 2011
12:27 pm
Could it be more obvious that I’m a pathetic NATS troll?
10-1 sure does hurt
Also, What I Saw, come back to bed, I’m not nearly finished with you
dr91uga
December 4th, 2011
12:29 pm
Dear ADman I don’t actaully recall Thuga beating any highly ranked teams…errr like GT did this year ( No 5 Clemson). Same old stuff with thuga fans. Liars and cheap shots–oh yeah–and pot heads, etc etc etc etc . Sit down and shut up, Ad man.
mars
December 4th, 2011
12:44 pm
Bobo is an awful play caller, but he is not solely responsible for the loss. That blame rest squarely on HC Richt. AS far as special teams go we should demand answeers from the special teams coach…oh thats right, we don’t have one, do we, Coach Richt?
We have the best talent in the nation. Marion Campbell could coach this crew to a championship. Guess who can’t?
bulldog steve
December 4th, 2011
12:46 pm
You can count the real UGA fans on here with one hand. The rest are a bunch of wanna bee’s. If you don’t want to support your team, then go find another one. LSU was a damn good team.
Good Luck Dawgs
December 4th, 2011
12:50 pm
You Georgia fans are just unbelievable. Can’t you simply accept that you were beaten by a better team?
Look, the first half is always deceiving against LSU this year because LSU’s real strength is its depth. If you had caught every dropped pass and gotten every break in the first half, and you had gone into the locker room leading 24-0 at halftime, LSU’s experience this year suggests that you STILL would have lost.
It wouldn’t have been Richt’s fault, or Bobo’s, or Grnatham’s, or Murray’s. It would be attributable to the fact that LSU effectively has 22 elite starters on defense, four elite running backs, etc. It’s their depth.
Thank God they have eight fifth year seniors that are leaving.
Enjoy your solid season, and get over losing to a better team.
junkyarddawg
December 4th, 2011
12:51 pm
DawgNation – you are correct (according to NCAA rule, from what I can find) teams are allowed 9 assistant coaches and 2 grad assistants. Looking at web sites Miles has a ST coach, Saban’s coaches TE and ST so lets look at how CMR uses his 9
Bobo OC/QB’s
Grantham DC/Outside LB’s
Gardner Associate HC/Recruiting Coordinator/DL
Ball WR’s
Lilly TE’s
McLendon RB’s
Friend OL’s
Oliviadotti ILB’s
Lakatos DB’s
Gardner responsible for too much and needs to GO!
Lilly seems to be the wasted slot coaching TE’s – REALLY, he’s responsible for 4-6 player 1 position while Friend has 5 OL positions, Lakatos 4-5 DB positions, Ball 3+ receiver positions. Really looks like Lilly is a waste of a position. (I realize he is a long time close friend of CMR but this is serious business and it may be time for him to retire or move on).
So Santa please add to the DAWGS’ Christmas list- 1 young, agressive, creative, motivator who loves the trill of Special Teams and if he can also coach TE’s that would be great (otherwise Coach Ball you now have TE’s to work with your WR’s
So how could we best use the allottments?
junkyarddawg
December 4th, 2011
1:02 pm
You are wrong Brad. We won’t expect Marshall to come in and rush for 1500 as a true freshman. What we will expect is him to give 100% everytime he steps on the field, does not run his mouth to the opponent, and not take himself out of the game everytime he gets tackled “hard.” It would also be refreshing that he be a responsible, law abiding, mature young man off the field as well. Unlike the last 2 highly recruited RB’s Rodney Gardner has brought to Athens.
Lil 7thWard
December 4th, 2011
1:17 pm
LSU will be even better with Zach Mettenberger. Glad we shut all the dawg fans that was talking a lot of trash on these boards. Geaux Tigers! Who Dat 2012!
RNB
December 4th, 2011
1:25 pm
Everyone keeps talking about Keith Marshall. Remember he is smaller than Crowell. We need big backs like LSU and BAMA. They have set the bar. Now it’s time to see if Georgia can catch up.
GATiger
December 4th, 2011
1:27 pm
Another good year for a UGA team, winning a division, not nothing more. I’m afraid that’s the best you’ll get from CMR. I can’t think of a coach that has won his first BCS championship after 10 years at his school. In other words, if Richt hasn’t won it by now, he never will. And don’t go blaming Bobo. First, he was handed the OC job with no prior qualifications, and second, it was Richt that promoted him. ESPN did a study of the best recruiting schools over the past 10 years, based on Rivals rankings. No. 1, to no one’s surprise, was USC. No. 2, that’s right, the Dawgs. They come in as high school stars and leave as..er..high school stars.
RNB
December 4th, 2011
1:29 pm
GOOD POST GOOD LUCK DAWGS. CLEARLY ALABAMA AND LSU HAVE SET THE BAR FOR THE SEC. EITHER THE OTHER TEAMS RECRUIT TO BEAT THEM OR THEY WILL ALWAYS BE PLAYING FOR THE LEFTOVERS.
hiramtiger
December 4th, 2011
1:31 pm
as usual a louisiana team comes to the ga. tent and takes ownership of it
Still@theKool-aidBAR
December 4th, 2011
1:31 pm
Is 42-10 better than 31-17 or worse?
Still@theKool-aidBAR
December 4th, 2011
1:33 pm
HiramSaint/tiger I guess the LSU fans really liked the indoor toilets at the Dome over the Toilet of a town they live in.
Typical
December 4th, 2011
1:34 pm
So let me sum this up….
UGA played 3 rank teams this year, and lost to all of them. UGA played 10 unranked teams, and won those games.
If UGA fans want to pat themselves on the back for going to the SECCG game, go ahead. However, UGA is a very average football team.
Brad
December 4th, 2011
1:38 pm
Hey junkyarddawg, you must be a huge UGA fan, it’s Garner and not Gardner, and if he wouldn’t have gotten Crowell you would have been bashing him for that also.
johnny boy says
December 4th, 2011
1:41 pm
…if the Dawgs could play ball as well as they taunt, they would win by a hundred. We’re down by 18 and the defense gets a tackle and acts like it is in control, taunting the opposition. This bunch acts like those losers in Tallahassee…..wonder where they learned to act like thugs…..
Still@theKool-aidBAR
December 4th, 2011
1:43 pm
Mr Boudreaux is selling his But Paste half priced to UGA fans this week just to say thanks for the good time in the Ga. Dome.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
December 4th, 2011
1:46 pm
I don’t think the Dawgs will have to worry about a Preseason #1 ranking next year.
johnny boy says
December 4th, 2011
1:52 pm
Tigers looked and acted like they were winners, even when down. The Dawgs spent to much energy taunting them. FSU and Miami gave the thugs a platform for the gangstas to be a part. I am wishing Mark had left that in Tallahassee……after this season, Tallahassee may be calling him….but maybe not..
johnny boy says
December 4th, 2011
1:59 pm
..thUGA.. says it all
61-39-5
December 4th, 2011
1:59 pm
GATiger sez
I can’t think of a coach that has won his first BCS championship after 10 years at his school.
Do you know how long Dooley,Paterno,Bowden was at their respective schools before they won NC’S? Lou Holtz?
UGA24-7
December 4th, 2011
2:02 pm
UGA wins all coaches look good . UGA loses all coaches should be fired. Im on the Richt bus and whoever he believes should be OC on that bus. Anybody on this blog think they could do better then go start in pee wee ball . I love UGA football and cant stand on and off fans. And all you other people i dont think every back is the next Hershel. Only 1 Hershel and I believe ( only my opinion) no RB or person will ever dominate the college game like that again Complain oh uga has weak schedule which everyone has at some point. Either way i expect to be ridin the energy bus to atlanta ext year. GO DAWGS
Old Dog
December 4th, 2011
2:04 pm
” Really looks like Lilly is a waste of a position. (I realize he is a long time close friend of CMR ”
Martinez was “a close friend of CMR”. Bobo is ” a close friend of CMR”. Do we see a pattern here?
FB
December 4th, 2011
2:05 pm
Ten wins straight is NOTHING to belittle. We are not LSU but we did improve greatly. 6-7 to 10-3 is honorable. Everybody that wants Richt fired should come up with WHO is gonna win 105 games in 11 seasons… You all touted Dan Mullen and Lil Dooley earlier. Still want that???
Still@theKool-aidBAR
December 4th, 2011
2:07 pm
What did we Learn?
Huston Mason needs to LEAVE and go Play football for another team.
Murray 1 TD and 2 Int’s I think Murray is way WAY overrated.
The 3rd quarter is still the death of the Dawgs.
Crowell is a BUST I mean a Bench Beast.
CAR YDS AVG TD LG
I. Crowell 10 15 1.5 0 11
Lastly we learned the Honey Badger on had 3 stars out of High School but he has a SEC Championship Ring and an MVP.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
December 4th, 2011
2:18 pm
Still@theKool-aidBAR
We also learned as bad as UGA is they still beat Tech soundly
Im glad I dont have to wake up to that reality
jack bull
December 4th, 2011
2:21 pm
QB controversy… I think so….
FB
December 4th, 2011
2:23 pm
Regardless of the weaknesses, when is the last season we beat UT, FLA, Auburn and GT? Some of these “fans” need some perspective.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
December 4th, 2011
2:27 pm
So is 31-17 better of worse than 42-10 FLAT TIRE?
Still@theKool-aidBAR
December 4th, 2011
2:28 pm
FB the perspective you are looking for is UGA beat those very bad teams and that is all.