Bulldog Nation feels a profound sadness mixed with immense pride
UGA football staffer Bryant Gantt consoles Jarvis Jones after Saturday night's game. (Brant Sanderlin / AJC)
Just as I imagine it will take a while for Mark Richt’s Bulldogs to shake off the hurt from their close call with destiny Saturday night in the SEC Championship, the disappointment of the so-close loss to Alabama also is going to linger with the Bulldog Nation.
Talking to and hearing from fans Sunday, the overall mood was one of profound sadness over just how close this team came to playing for a national championship mixed with immense pride over the never-say-die effort the Dawgs gave in the Georgia Dome against the most elite of college football programs.
Only the most ignorant of so-called fans were expressing anger toward the coaches and players over the Bulldogs’ loss. More representative were those UGA students and fans who were on hand in Athens late Saturday night to greet the returning team buses with cheers, applause and chants of “It’s great to be a Georgia Bulldog!”
Such a classy display of support filled me with what the folks at Butts-Mehre like to call Bulldog Pride.
Zack Watson of the UGA Spike Squad shows how most of us felt after the loss to Alabama. (Curtis Compton / AJC)
But now many of us just feel drained. Several fans said they found they actually felt worse about the loss Sunday, once the adrenalin generated by the exciting match had worn off, than they did immediately after the game ended. I know I woke up at 5:30 a.m. Sunday and couldn’t get back to sleep because the game and its many turning points and near misses kept replaying in my mind.
Fortunately, there was a bit of good news Sunday afternoon to buoy Bulldog spirits as the feared fall to a lesser bowl in the wake of the championship loss didn’t happen. The Dogs might not be getting the other BCS spot in the Sugar Bowl, as even Bama coach Nick Saban said they ought to, but Georgia got the next highest available spot in the Capital One.
Hopefully, the resilient support for the program will translate into UGA selling all its tickets to the Orlando game, because as was pointed out on the postgame show Saturday night on the Bulldog radio network, how well a fan base travels factors into future bowl selections. (Tickets are now on sale to the general public.)
Likewise, let’s hope the players — even those who stuck around for another year of college ball just to try for a shot at the BCS, didn’t make it, and soon will be departing Athens — are able to rededicate themselves to ending this season on a high note. Win the bowl game, do it in the same impressive fashion that they took the battle to the Crimson Tide, and they’ll be rewarded with a Top 5 finish and the designation of a great team that fell just short of winning it all.
The Dawgs didn’t achieve their season-long goal of making it to the BCS game in Miami or winning Richt’s third SEC title, but as I’ve said before, anyone who considers this season less than a rousing success already deserves a dose of cold, hard SEC reality such as has been experienced in recent years by the loyal followers of the Tennessee Vols.
As Sanders Commings said after Saturday’s loss, “Any time you win 11 games in the regular season and go play for the championship, and lose the way we did, it’s a good season.”
He added: “We’re sad but we can’t be disappointed.”
Let his attitude provide a model for fans as well.
The Bulldogs did not fail against Alabama. They gave it everything they had and nearly beat a team that was already stamped with greatness. To paraphrase the UGA players’ motto for the season, our team “ran out of time,” as Richt said Saturday. But we should have no regrets.
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338 comments Add your comment
stendek
December 3rd, 2012
11:50 am
Gutless Reject (GR) has spoken. Another who embraces Dawg defeats which are close. Loser with capital L!
stendek
December 3rd, 2012
11:53 am
The Dawgs of Saint Mark Richt are devoid of heart, toughness, determination, pride, sense, intestional fortitude and talent. They do have nice dregs though.
Was Waiting for the Whining
December 3rd, 2012
11:54 am
I don’t respond to people who type in ALL CAPS (GR). They’re only a half-step above people who carve crude messages in public restroom stalls.
robodawg
December 3rd, 2012
12:01 pm
Forget the 1-10 or whatever else. This isn’t last year’s team and it’s certainly not the 2010 team. Anyone who can’t see that difference doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
Skokie Dog
December 3rd, 2012
12:04 pm
Flat Tire: AMEN.
robodawg
December 3rd, 2012
12:08 pm
Right now, Bama is the yardstick by which college football is measured. Their OL is the strength of the team and the best in college football. We have talented starters, some of them excellent players, but not much depth. The fundamentals of this game favored them. That we hung with them at all, much less came so close to winning, showed grit and determination and solid preparation. Our players made huge plays to keep us in it. One or two plays at several points in this game would’ve been the difference. We’re competitive and we’re beating on the door. That’s where we want to be and that’s nothing to be ashamed of.
I agree … you want to blame someone, blame the Bama player who tipped the last pass.
Orlando Dawg
December 3rd, 2012
12:12 pm
GT fans, haters, ub so funny….no Dawg fan is not absolutely proud of all the players and coaches! Get ready for another beatdown in 2013…Dawgs on the rise and will stay there for a decade or more! Go Dawgs!
Thank God for Reggie Ball
December 3rd, 2012
12:19 pm
@stendek
to challenge whether these young men have put in effort or desire is the most gutless jab I have ever seen. You are a pathetic excuse for a human being. You have invested not one one thousandth of the time, blood, sweat, tears, or work that these men, and for that matter these coaches have invested. To question their play on the field or to say ‘I wish they had done this or that’ is one thing. To call into question their heart? their pride? You obviously have no clue what the game of football is about. I said earlier I don’t know what playing college football is like because I am not skilled enough to compete on that level. I only played high school ball. But you see my lack of playing experience in college is the reason for my respect. These young men are doing something I couldnt do and I know D@mn well you couldn’t do. You don’t deserve to so much as watch a Georgia football game again.
Thank God for Reggie Ball
December 3rd, 2012
12:21 pm
I would love to be striking up an intelligent conversation with the likes of robodawg, altamahadawg, etc. but instead I have to beat back imbeciles, sigh
WDE
December 3rd, 2012
12:21 pm
stendek as normal your raising the bar for morons on a UGA blog you are the “gold standard ” for trolling morons..enjoy your day. We played with passion and heart and just came up short against a great football team…your no member of Bull Dog Nation never have been and never will be…
Flat Tire On Hwy 441 in Athens
December 3rd, 2012
12:25 pm
Thank God for Reggie Ball
imbeciles
Who is the imbecile; the one who continues to see this coming or the one who continues to deny reality
Thank God for Reggie Ball
December 3rd, 2012
12:31 pm
@Flattire
Did I deny we lost? I’m sorry but I didn’t post the week of this game, nor at any point do I remember posting and saying we would win a national championship this year or even next year. In the words of Stephen A. Smith if you’re going to try to quote me at least do it correctly.
So in your mind we are stopped at the 4 yard line and Richt and Murray suck and we may as well have lost by 40? No sir I think that is being an imbecile
I am PROUD of my football team for the HEART they showed.
you know what that is don’t you, well on second thought maybe you don’t…
Preacher Dawg
December 3rd, 2012
12:31 pm
Let’s win the next one!! Go Dawgs! Sic Em!!
SSIgator
December 3rd, 2012
12:39 pm
Question: Are those “moral victory” banners kind of like the MLB NL division play-in banners that the Braves get to post on their outfield wall? Oops, it was the Cardinals – not the Braves. Sorry.
Fools Gold
December 3rd, 2012
12:42 pm
Like Ive been saying for a while with this coaching staff and our football program… its merely Fools Gold. Coming up short in the big game is a trend and a norm.
Was Waiting for the Whining
December 3rd, 2012
12:44 pm
Georgia is the college football version of the Dallas Cowboys. There are a lot of proud fans who remember the good old days, but the good old days were DECADES ago. Both teams are loaded with talent but poorly, poorly run. Dallas will never have a chance to succeed until Jerry Jones dies, and Georgia will never have a chance to succeed until Mark Richt retires. Enjoy at least 10 mores years of disappointment and mediocrity.
stendek
December 3rd, 2012
12:45 pm
Thanks FG. Glad to see some folks are true Dawg fans who will never ever settle for moral victories! Glad you too expect more. Too bad truth eludes so many.
stendek
December 3rd, 2012
12:46 pm
Exactly Was Waiting! Absolute truth. Peace.
Flat Tire On Hwy 441 in Athens
December 3rd, 2012
12:47 pm
Thank God for Reggie Ball
Lets get one thing straight I do not blame Murray at all for this loss nor have I said that in my posts
Murray deserved to win this game
the game was basically lost really before the game started
Lack of team discipline continues Bama 2 penalties UGA 7 penalties; Richt still thinks penalties arent that big of a deal
No emphases on special teams; missed field once again costs us a game as well as field position during kick offs
Lack of emphasis on having the right number of scholarships cost us being able to rest the D and have them refreshed
Bama changed the way they were blocking our D line thats great coaching
Bama ran 2 backs down our throat
We ran Marshall 2 times that was it
Our TE were exposing their D all night yet we went away from them basically after Rome caught the TD and didnt use them until the last drive
Bama adjusted Like LSU like Michigan st; like Boise St on our Defense and we still do nothing to respond
The reason why the game was as close as it was; was do due to NFL talent on the field
My response is to all these moral victory appologist who think UGA is somehow on track to win championships; get used to 9-10 wins over nobody while losing the big games cause that is all we are going to see
SSIgator
December 3rd, 2012
12:50 pm
Well, another regular season comes to an end. UGA goes 2-2 against teams with winning records and the Kool-Aid Club breaks out the champagne and petitions the AD for raises for all of the coaching staff. Onward and upward to the usual non-BCS bowl game and one that they hope to win instead of going 0-3 the last three years in bowl games.
Flat Tire On Hwy 441 in Athens
December 3rd, 2012
1:02 pm
SSIgator
I would be stunned if we lost to Nebraska but then again I wont be shocked either
CigarDawg
December 3rd, 2012
1:04 pm
Go Dawgs!! Shuck the Huskers!!
Thank God for Reggie Ball
December 3rd, 2012
1:05 pm
@flattire
bama doesn’t have NFL talent?
This is my biggest complaint, people act like Mark Richt simply can’t coach and all 117 of his wins are sheerly because of his talent which we all know is WORLDS above Florida, LSU and Alabama’s right?
Aaron Murray, AJ McCarron
Todd Gurley, Eddie Lacy
Keith Marshall, TJ Yeldon
John Jenkins, Jesse Williams
Brandon Smith, Dee Milliner
red apple, green apple
the only spot on the field where we had more talent than Bama was in our LB corps and even there it was a slim edge, meanwhile Bama had a big edge in their OL over our OL. I sort of see where Rambo was going with the ‘we have more talent’ thing because in terms of big name guys I guess we have one or two more who are considered “stars” but Bama doesn’t really have a weak spot
Thank God for Reggie Ball
December 3rd, 2012
1:07 pm
btw only running Marshall twice was a great call. Gurley was showing OUT and do you really think Marshall was going to do anything. Our OL was giving small creases that required physical running and breaking arm tackles=Gurley. Marshall needs holes and one-on-one situations with LBs
SSIgator
December 3rd, 2012
1:08 pm
I missed the earlier post by the Yoda of all things UGA football – AltamahaDawg – who proclaimed the season to be “fun” in the official year-ending Kool-Aid Club statement. His pal Nancy also chimed in with her thoughts, so I guess they are off together on their way Athens to be present for the official Moral Victories Ceremony in Athens later today. I guess this is when all of the players receive their participation ribbons and the coaching staff receives their raises and contract extensions for going 2-2 this year against teams with winning records. What fun.
Caleb King
December 3rd, 2012
1:08 pm
Bama just wanted the game more.
Thank God for Reggie Ball
December 3rd, 2012
1:11 pm
@SSIgator
how was your trip to Jacksonville this year, or last year for that matter
lol
Caleb King
December 3rd, 2012
1:11 pm
Bama= Elite UGA= 2nd Tier
Mike Bobo 17 INT
December 3rd, 2012
1:13 pm
No surprises here….and I called it.
Roll Tide Roll!!!
Mike Bobo 17 INT
December 3rd, 2012
1:14 pm
Caleb King….you hit the nail on the head.
We need Dawglinlex to chime in….he has to have something positive to say about losing the big one?
SSIgator
December 3rd, 2012
1:17 pm
Flat Tire On Hwy 441 in Athens
December 3rd, 2012 – 1:02 pm
SSIgator
I would be stunned if we lost to Nebraska but then again I wont be shocked either
______________
Let’s see:
2013 Citrus Bowl – UGA vs Nebraska
Same UGA coaches? – check
Same coaching philosophy? – check
Same UGA players? – check
Same penalty-prone players? – check
Given the stats of the two teams, I would be stunned also, but when you consider the above checklist, I would certainly not be shocked either.
Thank God for Reggie Ball
December 3rd, 2012
1:19 pm
Gurley had a buck 20 against Bama while Nebraska gave up over 500 rushing to Wiscy??
yeah as long as Jarvis gets off the team bus we got that one
SSIgator
December 3rd, 2012
1:19 pm
Mike Bobo 17 INT -
Nancy already checked in earlier today. She is on her way to Athens with AltamahaDawg for the Moral Victories Ceremony.
Thank God for Reggie Ball
December 3rd, 2012
1:22 pm
arent stunned and shocked synonyms lol
Leeman Bennett
December 3rd, 2012
1:24 pm
UGA football= Bridesmaid of the SEC
Caleb King
December 3rd, 2012
1:24 pm
Jarvis did not do much, but ride Lacy’s back down the field.
SSIgator
December 3rd, 2012
1:24 pm
For all of you UGA fans going to the Citrus Bowl you might want to check this out:
http://www.timeshareorlando.com
As many bowl games that you go to in Tampa and Orlando area you could save a fortune on hotel bills over the years.
Caleb King
December 3rd, 2012
1:25 pm
Alwaysthe bridesmaid not the bride.
Fools Gold
December 3rd, 2012
1:27 pm
@ SSIgator….LOL Timeshares for UGA fans… Crapital One Bowl packages galore!
Caleb King
December 3rd, 2012
1:28 pm
When will the AD wake up?
SSIgator
December 3rd, 2012
1:28 pm
Thank God for Reggie Ball -
I would not really call it a trip. More like an afternoon outing since we only live an hour away, but thanks for your concern.
Flat Tire On Hwy 441 in Athens
December 3rd, 2012
1:31 pm
Thank God for Reggie Ball
Marshall with elite break away speed should not have been used
Yet bama has two backs like ours and they both play big roles
hmmmmmm nah your right coaches made a great decision sitting him
oh you need to add some to your player to player list
We have 2 great TE’s to their 0
We have 2 more WR to their 0
Our secondary is better than theirs
oh and our D had more experience than their D
But hey high 5 and cheers to 30 more years of 8-10 game victory seasons going to meaningless bowl games and not showing up in big games
Thank God for Reggie Ball
December 3rd, 2012
1:35 pm
I’ve always believed that the National Title game shouldn’t count as a BCS bowl in terms of the number of teams from each conference allowed in BCS bowl games. imagine UGA-FSU in Miami or even better UGA-UF rematch in New Orleans, sigh. instead we get the pleasure of watching UF-Louisville and FSU-Northern Illinios. Also a joke that Oklahoma got left out.
what could have been
Rose – Stanford-Wisconsin
Fiesta – Kansas State-Oregon
Sugar – Georgia-Florida
Orange – Florida State-Oklahoma
Thank God for Reggie Ball
December 3rd, 2012
1:42 pm
I don’t think Tavarres King or MM is better than Amare Cooper personally, and if you considered Arther Lynch and Jay Rome as ‘Great’ TEs then you need to say the same for Michael Williams because he is about the same level.
My point on Marshall is he needs space and a one-on-one situation with a LB so he can put on a move and use his breakaway speed. That space was simply not available against Bama’s D. Yeldon is better than Marshall, he actually has some level of physicality to him and I think you agree our OL is nowhere near their OL. Gurley was PERFECT for what kind of runs we needed.
I agree about the secondary but it needs to be divided. Our SAFETIES are better than Bama’s but our CORNERS are not. Damien Swann is a ball hawk, when crazy things happen he always seems to end up the one with the football in his hands, but as a cover corner, well he’s less than impressive.
BigDawg
December 3rd, 2012
1:44 pm
jaxdawgfan
Like you, I wonder how many of our Fellow Dawgs actually ever played football and how many of them actually paid attention to what was happening along the line of scrimmage. Bama was only flagged twice in this game and one of those was for delay of game on that play that was going to be a fake punt, yet conservatively they should have been flagged for obvious holding at least 10 times. To me it is a wonder we were in this game at all and had a chance to win at the end. Also how many of my fellow Dawgs paid attention to the spotting of the ball I did and it was the same thing spotting it forward for Bama and spotting it back on Georgia which aided Bama’s running attack. The officials called tacky penalties against Georgia stopping us on offense in the first half thus our defense was on the field an inordinate amount of time and they wore down thus also aiding Bama in some of their success at running the ball. While ignoring that flagrant personal foul on Murray after that interception just before halftime which led to that field goal giving Bama a 10-7 advantage at halftime. If the officials had called that personal foul and yes the replay shows the head official looking right at it and he calls nothing maybe Bama starts around their 40 yard line instead of in Georgia territory and the clock runs out. But we will never know huh, also the tacky block in the back that was called then they penalized the Dawgs 15 yards oh I forgot they adjusted 1 yard forward so they only penalized 14 yards. It was a penalty that was supposed to be from the spot of the foul, yes it occurred at the Bama 35 not the 40 or 39. Instead of being 3 rd and 10 we would have been 3rd and 5. Might have tried another long field goal huh and maybe this time it would have been good. See bad calls have an effect and the cumulative effect of spotting the ball forward for Bama added around 80 yards to that running total over the course of the game while taking away about that much against Georgia.
See my Fellow Dags should be demanding that THE SEC see that this kind of blatant miscalling of a game stops. If they can’t or won’t call it even then they have no business officiating a ballgame much less a championship game.
Caleb King
December 3rd, 2012
1:46 pm
We just got beat! Plain and simple!
Caleb King
December 3rd, 2012
1:47 pm
I would rather play Oregon.
mgdawg
December 3rd, 2012
2:00 pm
In the past few years UGA hasn’t had very many close losses like this. Usually when they lose, they lose bad. I was hoping for a “Greene” moment, and murray came very close to achieving it. Hopefully this game is a turning point for UGA. No longer will they roll over and play dead, they will fight until the final second runs off the clock.
Also, I think we need to give a lot of praise to bobo. He has taken a lot of ridicule, and grantham has taken a lot of praise. While the offense didn’t perform great, who has against bama, the offense was able to keep us in the game when the defense was getting ran over.
Flat Tire On Hwy 441 in Athens
December 3rd, 2012
2:00 pm
I would rather beat ranked teams again
Thank God for Reggie Ball
December 3rd, 2012
2:06 pm
@mgdawg
I agree on the point of giving Bobo more credit. Grantham I thought had the worst coaching season he has had in his time as a DC at Georgia, meanwhile Bobo had his best as OC.
If you’re going to bash Bobo when the offense fails, you need to give him praise when they do well. Georgia’s offense scored more touchdowns this year than any other team in school history.