Highs (and lows) from a Saturday win Between the Hedges
Damian Swann recovers one of the two fumbles he grabbed Saturday. (Brant Sanderlin / AJC)
A few more thoughts and observations following Georgia’s come-from-behind blowout of Ole Miss. …
What was really impressive about Aaron Murray’s play against the Rebels was the way he maintained his composure in the midst of those five early sacks. I think I only saw him make one really bad pass all day, when he overthrew Chris Conley. And his touchdown passes were all literally “SportsCenter” highlight material, particularly the laser shot that a scrambling Murray zipped to Tavarres King to put Georgia ahead at the end of the first half. …
In addition to the standouts I mentioned Saturday night — Murray, the Ogletree twins and Todd Gurley — several Dogs deserve special mention for their efforts against the Rebels. Cornerback Damian Swann had two fumble recoveries, a sack, broke up a pass and made three tackles. He’s developed quite a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Replacement defensive end Garrison Smith is really coming on strong. He had seven tackles and a sack Saturday. Conley continues to be a good possession receiver, making a couple of first-down catches. I’m surprised he hasn’t gotten the ball more often. And punter Collin Barber also is developing nicely. He averaged 48.2 yards on his kicks Saturday, with his best one being a 60-yard boomer. …
With Georgia sitting on the Ole Miss 8-yard line and facing third-and-2, I thought to myself, “Too bad we never give it to the fullback any more. This would be a great place to do it.” And then Mike Bobo did exactly that and Zander Ogletree got himself a touchdown. I’m hoping that’s a sign the lost fullback page has been returned to Bobo’s playbook. …
While the Rooskie touchdown pass got all the attention, Georgia tried another trick play Saturday, with a quarterback throwback that took too long to develop and didn’t pan out. I wonder if they’ll work on that one and we’ll end up seeing it again. …
I really hate it that the season’s feel-good story — the long-awaited development of senior Marlon Brown as a go-to game-changing receiver — has ended with his ACL injury. Brown had turned into a reliable big man with great hands, and with Michael Bennett already out for the season, that’s going to be a major loss for the Dogs.
Yes, Georgia is pretty well-stocked at wide receiver and still has lethal weapons in King and Malcolm Mitchell, and Murray has been spreading the ball around quite a bit. But when the Dogs need someone to go up high in traffic, they’re probably going to have to rely on tight ends Artie Lynch and Jay Rome. Lynch caught one pass Saturday for 31 yards but has had a few drops this season, so the answer might be Rome, who caught three balls against Ole Miss. …
The officiating Saturday left a lot to be desired. The personal foul call on Shawn Williams was ridiculous since the Ole Miss ball carrier essentially ran into him out of bounds. And, as has been the case in other games this season, there appeared to be no concept among the officials of what constitutes offensive holding. …
It was also a rough day early on for the Georgia offensive line, especially freshman John Theus, but they adjusted nicely in the second half, which I’m sure Murray appreciated. …
Another aspect of Saturday’s game that left something to be desired was the crowd, which never really got all that noisy, even when the Rebels faced a third down. There also were some folks in the stands who were early to boo the Dogs, starting with a failure to convert a third-and-9 in the second quarter and then again in the last minute of the first half when back-to-back sacks were followed by Murray and Bobo mismanaging the clock (right before Murray threw that terrific last-ditch TD pass to King).
On top of the boo birds, the crowd started to trickle away almost as soon as the fourth quarter began, and once Georgia went ahead 37-10 with 8:29 left on the clock, the fans (particularly students) started streaming out of the stadium. I’ll never understand college football fans who don’t want to stick around for the post-game celebration of a big win. That’s one of the sweetest parts of the whole experience!
Georgia’s uninvolved home crowds are a big reason why Sanford Stadium isn’t nearly as intimidating a venue as it should be.
JUNKYARD MAIL CALL
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146 comments Add your comment
'94 UGA Alumnus
November 5th, 2012
1:45 pm
Hey How low,
What do you think Joe Hamilton’s SAT score was? He couldn’t even count to 4. Why else would you purposely throw a pass out of bounds on 4th down to end the game? Believe me, Tech has their share of dummies out there playing who are being given tutors and copies of tests before the test.
Joey
November 5th, 2012
1:51 pm
I wasn’t complaining about the system, AD, just curious. It would be nice to know how we compare to other venues in the SEC, in student attendance.
Youve been Banned
November 5th, 2012
1:56 pm
Being called out for booing by the kool aid drinkers is like being banned by Chip Towers.
LawDawg
November 5th, 2012
1:59 pm
I hate to be the old curmudgeon, but what the heck is wrong with the current student body?? They seem to either be absent, silent, or booing. It really is sort of pathetic.
Even with a terrible team, you would never see Neyland or Williams-Brice like Sanford has been for every game this year.
AltamahaDawg
November 5th, 2012
2:17 pm
I think Chip did some research a couple years back and found that UGA allocates a slightly higher % of the of tickets to students, that the comparable schools he looked at.
Strat Cat Dawg
November 5th, 2012
2:27 pm
I like being 8-1 with 3 highly beatable teams between us and Bama. Let our team hone their skills in preparation for the opportunity of a lifetime. And best wishes to Marlon Brown, DGD, job well done, always in our hearts. The NFL needs guys like you.
old dog
November 5th, 2012
3:30 pm
‘94 LUMNUS,
Believe that was Reggie Ball……………..
SSIgator
November 5th, 2012
3:37 pm
Joey -
I have been to every SEC stadium over the years (except for Columbia, MO – next year) and Sanford stadium on several occasions. I would have to agree about the comments made by some that there seems to be a distinct lack of passion on the part of the fans. The only time that atmosphere changes is in a “really big game” but that is usually gone at some point in the second half because we have all seen how well UGA has performed in the “really big games” of recent. Being 2-9 since 2008 in those types of games is hardly a ringing endorsement of the current coaching staff.
Macclenny_dawg
November 5th, 2012
3:38 pm
Once again we came out flat. Why is this still happening year after year. Can’t our coaches get these kids ready to play starting the 1st play??? Yes koolaid drinkers Bobo made some nice adjustments at halftime but why do we continue to not start out with a good gameplan. If we played a top ten team we would have been down by a big score just like in South Carolina!!! I think 1 reason is Murray he just has no competition so he knows he isn’t gonna lose his job. We are trying to redshirt our backup so he has no competition. Not sure that was a good move because when he does get a chance to play it will be over 4 years since he even played a full game. The booing is never directed at the players it is always directed at the coaches for the play calling. When have you heard booing going on when the defense was on the field??? If we don’t start coming out the gate better the SEC championship will be worse than when we played South Carolina. Go Dawgs!!!
GB's Hamburgers
November 5th, 2012
3:49 pm
I thought I saw a lot of empty seats in the upper level. What’s the deal with that? It’s time to throw a bouquet at Murray. The anointed one was very crisp on Sat. Hallelujah! Whup Glory!
BLEED SWAG
November 5th, 2012
4:07 pm
How about just concerning yourself with the lack of production in Gainesville….
Still now WR’s in 2013 and Fred’s boy better be like gurley or your offense will be mediocre once again…
I see 3 in a row….
AltamahaDawg
November 5th, 2012
4:11 pm
Yes, Not starting a far less capable 2nd string QB, is exactly why it took a quarter and a half for our OTs to make adjustments to what Ole Miss was doing.
WDE
November 5th, 2012
4:12 pm
SSIgator bitter much reptile?
Macclenny_dawg
November 5th, 2012
5:13 pm
Altamaha,
Not what I was saying. Just stating Murray over the tears have came out and been flat himself and seems like in the 2nd half he finally gets it going. My point on the backup is Richt since he is redshirting him it makes Murray have no competition. Also I believe Richt will feel obligated to start him in 2014 since he stayed and redshirted. Regardless weather he is best qb or not. I also believe Murray is not allowed 2 run more due to no reliable backup. That is why when the pressure gets to him he just takes the sack.
Mobile Dawg
November 5th, 2012
5:37 pm
Ole Miss came out looking pretty sharp, which conversely made us look a little flat. Common sense and the announcers told us that if we could weather the storm, we would outlast them, which is ultimately what happened. The booing we heard was directed at the person that was responsible for the offense looking completely lost the last minute of the first half. Murray bailed that guy out with a “great” play. We were very lucky to come away with points after that miserable series, and “terrible” clock management.
Dog4Life
November 5th, 2012
5:41 pm
Your comment concerning Knemdichi (sp?) is absolutely correct on several levels Doefaced dawg 1) Didn’t academically qualify, but CMR helped him to enter a lesser college so that he could academically qualify–should be thankful not resentful; 2) explains why the GT idiot should be quiet; UGA does not admit partial qualifiers–never has and never will; unlike Fla St and others who have half their roster as PQ’s. At least under Bowden, there were many of these dubious academics.
As far as the Kool-aide, I am waiting cautiously to see how UGA manages the rest of the schedule. They are playing for all things UGA here–beat Au–SECCG; finish off the season with wins and respectable wins w/o letting down–an 11-1 season–then with some help who knows–but I have said this before–the hardest job in the world is making a living and preparing a retirement plan based off the success and motivation of an 18-22 year old hormone–coaching is vexatious at best.
Dog4Life
November 5th, 2012
5:56 pm
AD–just to clear up or understand the comment about a far less deserving back up over Murray–are you saying that next year or the next we will be in the Joe T or Joe Cox boat? Surely Mason isn’t hat bad–Remember what Spurrier said last week–”the bench is a coach’s best friend.” He said Shaw played better because he knew he could be benched and therefore had to play better and run the scheme’s better or he would lose his job–wonders what proper motivation can do sometimes. May not work for us, but has always worked for Spurrier, at Duke, Fla and SC–just saying
Skitty Fritty
November 5th, 2012
6:29 pm
Alabama beat Ole Miss at home by a score of 33 – 14.
Georgia beat Ole Miss at home by a score of 37 – 10.
Very Interesting!
Dog4Life
November 5th, 2012
8:23 pm
Let’s come out sharp and hang 40 on Awbarn–same with ga so and the nerds–get into an offensive and defensive rhythm that hopefully will carry over to the SECCG–we will need to be clicking on all cylinders against Bama.
jocrazy
November 5th, 2012
11:51 pm
them old folks give alot of money. pick your poison but we need the money.
KISSBridges
November 6th, 2012
1:36 am
Zander looked great. Why not a steady dose of Malcome and Zander besides the Marshall experiment, Bill?
Ty
November 6th, 2012
6:20 am
The Booing before halftime was directed toward the COACHING STAFF for their lack of good time management not directed toward the players and the team. If we had not scored when Murray scrambled and threw to King and went into Halftime behind there would have been a lot of Booing the coaches for their inattentiveness to the time left on the clock. Probably all the way to the locker room.
ColumbiaDawg
November 6th, 2012
6:21 am
Georgia needs to do a better job of getting the fans pumped up and involved in the game. That is one that South Carolina does a great job of. Every time USC was set to kickoff, that stadium would be playing Sandstorm, and that crowd would go wild and noisy, and the fans would be waving those rags. Sanford Stadium has too much of a laid back atmosphere.
Old Dog Class of 1980
November 6th, 2012
7:41 am
“Georgia needs to do a better job of getting the fans pumped up and involved in the game.”
Here is a novel idea for getting the fans excited:
Play REALLY good football. Against real teams. Georgia should try it once.
Old Dog Class of 1980
November 6th, 2012
7:44 am
So when Murray leaves – What? I guess we go with our back-up QB who has zero experience. Sounds A LOT like Joe Cox. But the important thing right now is to get Murray’s stats up.
DRad
November 6th, 2012
8:07 am
I left GT because I KNOW we will never be a factor. GT is broke.
GT is in a crime zone.
GT usually has 21,000 in the stands,unless Clemson or UGA or possibly UVA come to town.
GT basketball is meaningless, now.
I left GT because UGA stomps us like a forest fire.
AltamahaDawg
November 6th, 2012
8:07 am
OK look, this team is NOT coached by Stever Spurrier. So I could not care less what he said. Also I don;t know of another coach in the league that subscribes to the same type of Qb flip flopping that he does, so why would go with it.
I just think you guys are flat ut making this stuff up about Murray does this or than, because he is not looking over his shoulder. every thing I have read, everything I have heard, or seen of Murray……..HE is the guy who motivates Murray to do better. I think its silly to suggest he would have had a better game to start the Ole Miss game, if only Hudson Mason was standing there with his helmet on and the QB coach was ready to pull him, ala Steve Spurrier
Also as everybody who watched the game (TV broadcasters and fans) has already correctly identified, the “flat start” nothing to do with Murray. It was our O-line, specifically out tackles.
Unreal
November 6th, 2012
8:11 am
Attitude reflects leadership. I would love to see CMR lose it one time!
AltamahaDawg
November 6th, 2012
8:12 am
So where were you guys in 2008 hollarijng “why doesnt Richt take Stafford out and give Joe Cox a chance to play (lose) more in the big games, so we don’t have a bad situation next year with an inexperienced starter”?hmm?
And personally I think Murray starts next year, and the RS freshman Brice Ransey eitehre takes the everntual start from LeMay/Mason. Thats IF he doent outright beat both of them out for the back up role next year as A TF.
So no I don’t we have a Cox situation brewing, I think we have a Stafford situation brewing, only better becasue this guy is going to get a year of some kind under his belt before he starts.
AltamahaDawg
November 6th, 2012
8:22 am
TY, the problem with that justification, (as if booing the hometown coaches is any less classless) is I can assure you that the players didnt try to disect exactly who/what that was for.
What the player heard was thier own fans BOOing the the football team, while they were out there busting thier tails.
clock managment , great…..well the clock became an issue after the 2 sacks. So, do you really think that the OL that gave up thosesack, didnt beleive they were partly to blame for that whole chain of events…………. I seriously doubt that you could convince them that they were imune from the boos. .
AltamahaDawg
November 6th, 2012
9:19 am
And the issue was not inattentiveness. Clearly they knew exactly was the clock had on it, and intended on beeding it down as low as possible, on purpose. You may disagree with the strategy, or how it turned out, given the events, but its pretty unlikely that that staff of a dozen highly experienced college football coaches simply did not know what the clock was doing there, isn’t it?
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
November 6th, 2012
9:40 am
So is LeMay a “bust”?!
Bulldogs for Muschamp Lifetime Contract
November 6th, 2012
9:53 am
SSIgator
November 5th, 2012
3:37 pm
Joey -
I have been to every SEC stadium over the years (except for Columbia, MO – next year) and Sanford stadium on several occasions. I would have to agree about the comments made by some that there seems to be a distinct lack of passion on the part of the fans. The only time that atmosphere changes is in a “really big game” but that is usually gone at some point in the second half because we have all seen how well UGA has performed in the “really big games” of recent. Being 2-9 since 2008 in those types of games is hardly a ringing endorsement of the current coaching staff.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Who gives a flying rat’s arse what you think? The Swamp is a dam dump and everyone knows it. And that coaching staff you bash owns your current coach so enjoy your mediocrity and annual whipping in Jacksonville. Why don’t you go find a gator blog to spew your crap?
Cowdawg
November 6th, 2012
1:25 pm
Ever had to get out of a parking deck after the game? It is a total nightmare. I stayed for the entire Ole Miss game, the entire Redcoat band post-game performance, and the first overtime of the Pitt/ND game and when I got back to my car in the deck, I still have to wait 45 minutes before moving. The fumes in the deck can’t be good for our fans!!
NCDawg
November 6th, 2012
1:37 pm
I think the booing is a symptom of our impatient society. We want everything now… not a second from now…. NOW. It spills over to every aspect of our culture. So we give up some sacks and don’t look especially crisp and the boo birds start crowing because the idea of waiting to see what will happen is beyond their tolerance.
There are times for booing but that wasn’t one of them. In fact booing college players is just wrong. These guys are kids… they aren’t pros that are supposed be as close to perfect as they can be. They screw up… just like any non professional would. They are only allowed to practice a certain amount of time each week people.
Anyway… please remember that they hate to screw up as much as you hate to watch it.
Yes, the fans could be a bit more vocal. But they will be for Tech… and maybe Ga Southern because they are an in state school. If we beat Auburn and everyone else and make it to the dome 11-1, you’d better believe our half of the Dome will be rocking.
Mark (another one)
November 6th, 2012
1:46 pm
I think TV and the late starts have something to do with the crowd size and noise. It seems that every TV timeout causes the crowd to get quite and there are so many of them in a game, that they have become a factor. It’s hard to keep things stirred up when they stop every couple of plays for a TV timeout.
Starting games late has two impacts. The local hotels charge a two night minimum and there is a shortage of rooms. That means leaving the stadium late and driving for several hours to get home. This is made worse by the fact that the police directing traffic seem bored and don’t do the job they used to in getting people away from the stadium.
Combine the late start with the tailgate crack down and the entire game atmosphere has changed, and not for the better. People use to make games a whole day event and looked forward to going downtown at 4:30 or 5:00. Now the every changing schedule upsets plans and makes the event more a made for TV special.
NCDawg
November 6th, 2012
1:50 pm
Get the local jail population out to clean up the mess after tailgating. If the mess is why the heart has been cut out of game day then use the jail population for clean up. They need something to do. Aren’t they supposed to paying back their debt to society?
#7-Ole Miss
November 6th, 2012
2:16 pm
The injury to Marlon B. looked very much intentional. Look at the replay.
Bill King
November 6th, 2012
5:01 pm
Altamaha:
Bobo blamed himself and Murray for the poor clock management in the last minute of the first half. They didn’t intentionally let the time run off the clock.
PonGT
November 6th, 2012
5:03 pm
Bear Bill,
I assure you that the officials will figure out what constitutes “HOLDING” when the Dawgs play Bama. You can bet the mortgage that the SEC will have the officials calling holding on UGA to ensure that Bama doesn’t lose. Hate to say it …. but politics and getting the SEC CASH COW [or in this case, elephant] into the Bull Crap Showdown is a priority at the SEC Headquarters. BTW, where are the SEC Home offices anyhow?
Dog4Life
November 6th, 2012
6:06 pm
AD–you are in man-Love with Murray-get over it big guy. Murray has proven for 4 yrs (a redshirt) that he doesn’t completely know the system–Bobo said at the beginning of the year, we can open up more of the play book for Murray–are u freakin kiddin me–4 yrs in the system and a little above average is what we get–I realize Spurrier is not our coach, but who could argue that he doesn’t have UGA and CMRs number. Sometimes experience and reality are great teachers (remember he didn’t play with Wuerfel this way)–entitlement teaches nothing. I am a Murray fan and have been since the start–as I am painfully aware every time he flops–people who know me remind me he is my boy. I actually predicted that given a couple of years he may win a heisman–so I was wrong–but I am not a blind sycophant as you seem to be. As I stated in an earlier thread, I actually played D-1 at QB position. I am no longer sold on Murray–he has all the skills and qualities, but for whatever reason he comes up short. I agree with Spurrier, if a player knows he plays based solely on performance and not just expected potential–sometimes that is the motivator–competition brings out the best–entitlement — well you get what you, don’t you. I hope he has the game of his life against Bama–but we will see. Hope you have a great night!!!
AltamahaDawg
November 6th, 2012
7:25 pm
Of cource Bill, I am sure they didnt plan on getting sacked twice. But they CLEARLY were not going to stop the clock on 2nd down intentionally. Now did they lose a few seconds after the miscues, sure, obviously. THATS what they blamed themsleves for.
that is nothing like….inattention.
AltamahaDawg
November 6th, 2012
7:39 pm
Dog4life, thats complete BS. I “love Murray” no more or less that any player on that team.Or qb past, present, or future, including Mason. I said not one thing that lead you to accuse me of just taking up for Murray with no real point. What i said was directly to your comment about competition. and motivation. In man love…….how cheap was that shot?
And again, if Murray signed on to play for Spurrier, it might matter how Spurrier handles QBs. Again, since he is the only coach in the league who seems to agree with his style, i can’t see how you put him out there are the accepted model.
Sorry , but I think that entitlement cliche is just overly simplistic.
AltamahaDawg
November 6th, 2012
7:42 pm
And how does his beating Georgia lately(but lost plenty before) prove HE would know what is best to motivate the current Qbs on our roster?
Bill King
November 7th, 2012
9:27 am
Please do your political commenting (for either side) elsewhere. That’s not what this forum is for. Thanks.
OrlandoDawg
November 7th, 2012
10:51 am
Bill ur correct! Our fans are not as loud as some others…I noticed how the Michigan St. fans stayed loud all game, it was noticeable sitting in Tampa at the Outback Bowl. I have noticed how Mizzo and Texas A&M fans are loud. UGA fans need to realize that we need to come to Sanford Std. and CHEER our Dawgs on, not sit and be entertained!!! GET Rowdy Fans!