Same old problems plague Dogs in loss to Spartans
Brandon Boykin had a career day against Michigan State — but it wasn't enough. (Associated Press)
Mark Richt’s Bulldogs didn’t have to find any new ways to lose in the Outback Bowl — instead, they simply let lots of familiar problems resurface in suffering another second-half collapse and dropping a three-overtime battle with Michigan State.
Again, the Dogs wasted a superlative first-half defensive effort by giving the opponent a couple of cheap touchdowns thanks to turnovers by an erratic Aaron Murray, whose two interceptions put the Spartans back in the ball game.
Again, Georgia’s almost complete lack of a running game made the Dog’ offense one-dimensional. And was anyone at all surprised when Isaiah Crowell, reduced to a backup role, limped off the field after a handful of runs?
Again, placekicker Blair Walsh, once one of the nation’s premier specialists, proved himself more a liability than a weapon and ended up costing Georgia the game by missing two kicks in OT.
And again, playcaller Mike Bobo seemed incapable of adjusting to the realities of what was happening on the field and stubbornly stuck with what wasn’t working.
With the middle of the Spartan’s defensive line as solid as a brick wall, Bobo continually called for runs up the middle — often with delays that turned into tackles for loss since State was getting into the Georgia backfield so quickly. Early on, Georgia was able to have some running success on the outside, but once MSU adjusted to stop that, the Dogs basically were no threat on the ground.
To top it all off, with the Spartans continually blitzing from the corner, Bobo insisted on calling slow-developing downfield passing plays, an all too familiar scenario made even worse by Murray’s poor decision-making when pressured and Georgia’s tight ends being a nonfactor in the game.
Overall, Georgia relied too much on its big-play capability and never was able to really sustain anything offensively against the talented Spartans defense.
Typical of the day was what happened with a little over 3 and a half minutes left in regulation. Needing a first down or two to kill the clock and ice a victory, the Dogs went ultra-conservative and ultra-predictable — two hallmarks of Bobo’s career as a playcaller — by trying again in vain to run Richard Samuel up the middle.
It surprised no one, and the fact that it didn’t work didn’t surprise anyone, either.
And then the banged-up Georgia defense, which had played well most of the day, looked gassed on the Spartans’ last drive of regulation, getting no pressure on MSU QB Kirk Cousins, who cooly passed his team down the field to send it into overtime.
Just think how ugly things might have gotten had Brandon Boykin not played the game of his life in his farewell performance as a Georgia Bulldog, nailing a Spartan receiver for a safety, scoring on a thrilling 92-yard punt return that saw him reversing direction and weaving his way all over the field, and then moving over to offense to catch a touchdown pass for his third different score of the day.
He’ll be missed big-time.
So two disappointing losses bookended a Georgia season that started out 0-2.
Sure, the 10 wins between those four losses and an SEC East title is a big improvement over last season.
But, looking ahead, even though Georgia returns a lot of talent and will have another favorable schedule next year, if the problems that continually reared their head this season aren’t addressed, it’s going to be tough for Richt’s program to take the next step forward.
Got something on your mind concerning UGA athletics or a question for the Junkyard Blawg? Send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.
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1,469 comments Add your comment
Still@theKool-aidBAR
January 2nd, 2012
9:05 pm
The TRUTH is WE the REGULAR BLOGGERS need to MEET for a GAME at a sports bar and drop the attitude but have fun and realize we are FANS of out teams. Maybe I can get a Block of Braves Game tickets foe all of us to go to the GT v UGA baseball game this spring for charity.
You Bloggers interested? i will get it in the works.
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing can Stop it
January 2nd, 2012
9:05 pm
You couldn’t even get a Zac Morris cell phone the last time UGA won a title.
Magnolia, Tx Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
9:06 pm
Same problems plague the Dawgs. Then why the hell can’t the 3 million dollar man find some solutions. Probably because he’s a good ole boy taking GA for a ride. He’s not worth a damn.
waytogoricht
January 2nd, 2012
9:06 pm
. . .and Richt still hasn’t beat anyone relevant in two years.
DAWG do do
January 2nd, 2012
9:06 pm
Which team do you play for? When you actually win something talk crap about others
thanks
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing can Stop it
January 2nd, 2012
9:07 pm
UGA paid $3 million for each ranked opponent win last year.
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing can Stop it
January 2nd, 2012
9:08 pm
Please become a Basketball school. The ATL would support that effort 100%.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
January 2nd, 2012
9:09 pm
HOW many of you guys would come to the GT v UGA baseball game for Charity at the TED If I could get the GT & UGA football team to come to the game and do some signings?
Natureboy809
January 2nd, 2012
9:12 pm
A real “winner” wants the ball in his hands with the game on the line.
He is not on the field, but Richt is an offensive guy. And he does not want the “ball in his hands” in crunch time. He would rather put it ALL on the defense and special teams.
One first down ends the game? No, we’ll just run the equivalent of 3 kneels and punt.
OT and all we need are points of any kind? We’ll just run the equivalent of 2 kneels and kick.
Dawg48
January 2nd, 2012
9:12 pm
BYOT!
DAWG do do
January 2nd, 2012
9:13 pm
Murray and bobo lost two of the 4 games all by themselves.
wait till next year
January 2nd, 2012
9:13 pm
Dream team! Smoke more weed, ride more scooters, Coach CMR is the best diving coach in the SEC!
Good luck GATA fans– total joke!
Seriously????
January 2nd, 2012
9:13 pm
No Name, No Respect – Easy to post garbage. Man up.
PT
January 2nd, 2012
9:13 pm
If I’m not wrong UGA and Vandy are the only SEC bowl losers so far. How does it feel to be put in the same class as Vanderbilt and they surely don’t recruit in the top ten every year? When is enough going to be enough? When fans stop going to the games!
Dawg48
January 2nd, 2012
9:13 pm
Bamaguy= classy
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing can Stop it = Harvey Updyke!
Roll damn tide , Harvey!
Allen
January 2nd, 2012
9:14 pm
Outcoached . . . again. Defense played great until let down too many times by offense. Total lack of imagination in play-calling. Did anyone see what Auburn did vs. Virginia? Now, THERE’S some good offensive play-calling. Didn’t like the field goal try on third down in OT at all . . . and very disappointed in the play-calling when we needed a first down to run out the clock in regulation. A very, very disappointing loss. Hats off to Michigan State for a nice comeback victory . . . they had all the mo’ at the end.
tony
January 2nd, 2012
9:14 pm
Does anybody really think we’ll ever win another SEC Championship much less a national championship with this coaching staff?
UGAKEV from columbus ga
January 2nd, 2012
9:14 pm
I am starting to believe this state is cursed in all sports.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
January 2nd, 2012
9:15 pm
48m LOL I am starting to work on it right now. Honestly would you come to the game to meet the Bloggers and the Players?
Colts are loving their SUCK 4 LUCK after that PASS.
I live in bammer
January 2nd, 2012
9:16 pm
Tide lost to LA tech just 2 half years ago at home…hahahahahahahahahahahahahah
That stink is still on the field. Are we at bama still paying the 8 coaches we have had since 2000?
BOOWHO
January 2nd, 2012
9:16 pm
Casey, you’re wasting your time trying to console the mutts. They have a hard time when reality hits them in the face….they are no where near as good as they pretend they are! LOL
Allen
January 2nd, 2012
9:16 pm
Natureboy809, I like your comments . . . you hit the nail on the head.
BamaDAWG
January 2nd, 2012
9:16 pm
CMR and Bobo are worthless! And yet we get to veiw 3 more years of the same crap, because he lucked up and won 10 in a row against worse-than-average teams. Yes, Bobo calls the plays…but CMR can overide him at anytime. He’s not blind, can’t he see what is going on out there?
I can’t take it anymore. The AD has to step in and get rid of this guy before Kirby Smart is gone! I totally agree with whoever posted that our guys leave early for a reason!
Even Florida won today against a BIG10 team…that is bad!
wait till next year
January 2nd, 2012
9:16 pm
Dawg48 = loser! Beat a quality team and then run your mouth!
Harry Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
9:18 pm
Richt needs to fix his problem at the OC – bring in some real talent and finally act like he’s the head coach of a major program.
Other wise, just fire the bum.
private plane watching
January 2nd, 2012
9:20 pm
2 SEC loses– UGA and Vandy! What a joke! MSU lost to Bama by 40+ last year!
James K. Polk
January 2nd, 2012
9:21 pm
What you people do not realize is that taking a knee on 2nd down in OT is the type of “cutting edge” football that Richt has been studying all year.
Dawg48
January 2nd, 2012
9:22 pm
Still
I’m up for it if folks want to meet up.
Jorge
January 2nd, 2012
9:23 pm
dogs were too scared to try to win, just like GT. Must be the Georgia air.
peachdog
January 2nd, 2012
9:24 pm
GREAT D, GRATHAM AND WILL MISS BOKIN. O LINE COULD NOT PUNCH OUT FIRST DOWN WHEN GAME ON LINE, COULD NOT GET 1 YARD ON 4TH IN FIRST QUARTER INSIDE 5 COULD NOT GET FIRST ALL GAME ALL SEASON MISSED ASSIGNMENTS, MISSED BLOCKS WHY WOULD ANY TAILBACK COME HERE… GET VANDY O LINE COACH. BOBO WOULD BE COACH OF YEAR WITH BAMA OR LSU O LINE COACH, HE NOR MURRAY CANNNOT EXECUTE WITH THIS O LINE
Dawg48
January 2nd, 2012
9:24 pm
wait till next year
Hmmmmmmmmmmm. I bet you have been saying ” wait till next year ” about your virginity about 30 years now!
Mobile Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
9:24 pm
Would it have been a bad decision had the field goal been good?
James K. Polk
January 2nd, 2012
9:25 pm
I’m all for getting rid of Richt, but if we hire Kirby Smart to replace him we will be in big trouble…Ray Goff type of trouble. Smart doesn’t run a d@mn thing at Bama, and never will. That’s Saban’s defense. Let’s pass on any more coordinator experiments with out head coaching position. Let’s get somebody who has been a head man, and has won.
topdawg
January 2nd, 2012
9:25 pm
When you look at the elite offenses around the nation like Oregon and Boise State and watch how dynamic they are it really hurts to watch BoBo’s plodding system. If we don’t address the special teams and get a dynamic offensive coordinator we are doomed to mediocrity. Coach Spurrier said it best. At UGA we turn 5 star athletes into 1 or 2 star players. Coach Richt whom I respect and admire it is time for you to overhaul the offense.
Dawg48
January 2nd, 2012
9:26 pm
peachdog
January 2nd, 2012
9:24 pm
GREAT D, GRATHAM AND WILL MISS BOKIN. O LINE COULD NOT PUNCH OUT FIRST DOWN WHEN GAME ON LINE, COULD NOT GET 1 YARD ON 4TH IN FIRST QUARTER INSIDE 5 COULD NOT GET FIRST ALL GAME ALL SEASON MISSED ASSIGNMENTS, MISSED BLOCKS WHY WOULD ANY TAILBACK COME HERE… GET VANDY O LINE COACH. BOBO WOULD BE COACH OF YEAR WITH BAMA OR LSU O LINE COACH, HE NOR MURRAY CANNNOT EXECUTE WITH THIS O LINE
Well said!
RedandBLackDAWG
January 2nd, 2012
9:27 pm
I think it is time to get a new OC. UGA has some really good athletes but the play calling in the second half of games is pretty bad. The defensive coach of the other team, can prepare for the same thing he has seen in the first half and know that Bobo will not change anything around. The defense simply makes the corrections to stop what UGA was successful at in the first half and then beats UGA. There is nothing in the way of innovative play calling or adjusting the offense. The DAWGS defense can’t be expected to win the game every time for the offense. I feel bad for the seniors as they have to go out knowing that they should have had a win, but instead knowing their OC can’t do the job once again and let them down. He might be a good recruiter and QB coach, but I am not sure about that last part. This game is going to hurt recruiting. It is time for Ms. Dooley’s son in law to move onto a position he is more suited to. The university, their fans and most of all, the players deserve better than this.
Pago Pago DAWG
January 2nd, 2012
9:27 pm
We agree, we need to lower our expectations while we enter our re-building year.
PT
January 2nd, 2012
9:28 pm
Why is Mark Richt so confident in Arron Murry? I don’t care how many TD passes he has thrown in two years, he cannot manage a game against any quality teams. Murry is 16 – 11, not what I would call a winner!
OkieDawg
January 2nd, 2012
9:29 pm
Defense great…Offense bad…Grantham great…Bobo bad. Let’s just keep it simple for simple folks.
Replace the husband of Barbara Dooley’s niece…and that would be BOBO!
dawgenuff
January 2nd, 2012
9:30 pm
Don’t forget that none other than Jon Gruden said at the beginning of the game ,that Aaron Murray will be a Heisman hopeful next year!
Dawg48
January 2nd, 2012
9:30 pm
Mobile Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
9:24 pm
Would it have been a bad decision had the field goal been good?
Great question…..
No it would not have!
Well said!
gb
January 2nd, 2012
9:30 pm
murray lookedm like he had a concussion in the seconf half
PT
January 2nd, 2012
9:31 pm
What did Jon Gruden say at the end of the game. That’s what is important!
Sun Devil Dave
January 2nd, 2012
9:32 pm
Comedy Central called, they want to make a special on losers and have asked if Georgia Dawgs will star as headliners.
mountainman
January 2nd, 2012
9:32 pm
Yeah, Same old PROBLEMS, NAMELY, RICHT AND BOBO! Get a SEC caliber coach and then UGA will become an SEC team to be feared and not an SEC JOKE!!!!!!
wreckmaniac
January 2nd, 2012
9:34 pm
This team won 10 in a row ! They should be nat champs ( or is it chumps). Right ?
private plane watching
January 2nd, 2012
9:34 pm
I.C.– 3 rushes for 3 yards. Where are all the UGA lovers??? “We are going to run all over MSU”, “UGA is great now”, “Wail till next year”… you guys are a bunch of fair weather fans…
wreckmaniac
January 2nd, 2012
9:34 pm
All of this can be solved with better recruiting (he..he..he).
Mobile Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
9:36 pm
Dawg48, I’m not MMQB’ing CMR, but I didn’t agree with the decision. I thought it was a spineless decision, which also indicated he had no confidence in his personnel. I agree with what R&BDawg said but would add to that, “NO” contract extension for CMR at this point.
wreckmaniac
January 2nd, 2012
9:36 pm
UGA – WE PROVE THAT RECRUITING DOSEN’T MATTER.