5+1 reasons UGA’s loss was even worse than it seemed
Here's the first of Joe Cox's several interceptions. (AJC photo by Bob Andres)
1. With Georgia within 14 points and still 10 minutes to play, some 10,000 Georgia backers up and left. Think about that. You’ve paid for tickets, parking, food, hotel and gas/airfare to come watch your team, and your team still has a theoretical chance. (One tipped pass and it’s a one-score game.) And you have so little faith in your team that you walk out. And your program has won 10 or more games six times in the past seven seasons. This would seem to say, at least to me, that Mark Richt is losing his constituency.
2. When Georgia pulled within 14-10, it did its huddle-up-and-jump-around thing on the sideline, and I typed on the live chat, “I smell a late hit coming.” It came on the kickoff. Michael Gilliard, late hit. It is uncanny how this team cannot play by the rules.
3. Florida scored 41 points without doing anything extraordinary. No Gator rushed for 100 yards. No Gator had 100 yards receiving. Tim Tebow’s longest completion was for 29 yards. Not until the game’s final drive did Florida gain 30 yards on a scrimmage play. And the Gators didn’t throw a fourth-quarter pass (though Tebow was sacked once). And a merciful Urban Meyer had John Brantley take a knee with the ball on the Georgia 20. Think Spurrier would have?
Loading ...4. Joe Cox was supposed to be a game manager. Instead the fifth-year senior has been wilder than Matthew Stafford was as a freshman. Stafford had 13 interceptions in 2006 and didn’t start every game. Cox has 12 interceptions in eight games. And the second interception Saturday was just sad: Pressured, Cox tried to throw the ball out of bounds but couldn’t sling it far enough. The exact same thing had happened in Knoxville. Which brings us to …
5. Tennessee. It’s coming fast. If Georgia didn’t figure to finish ahead of Florida in 2009, neither did it seem any other SEC East school posed an imminent threat to the Bulldogs’ hold on second place. South Carolina is ensconced as a 7-5 or 8-4 team, and Kentucky and Vandy are Kentucky and Vandy. But Tennessee has now beaten Georgia and South Carolina and has played Florida and Alabama close, and that’s a scary sign. Because if Tennessee in Year 1 under Kiffin can have the same overall record as Georgia in Year 9 under Richt, what happens in 2010?
6. The black helmets. Just embarrassing.
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1,240 comments Add your comment
d.flagg
November 1st, 2009
5:32 pm
Most of the comments seem to be coming from understandably disappointed, even angry, Ga. fans. I can sure appreciate their position. This old Gator recalls the days when Ga. dominated the Fl/Ga series in Jax. Things change, cycles are just that, cycles. Ga. will be back as a serious contender….but will take time and restructuring. And by the way, about last Sat.’s game. Give the Gators some credit, Ga. did give Fl. good breaks and the Gators did what they should have done…..took advantage of them….when your opponent scores 7 on its first drive of the game. Then does it again and its 14 – 0 early, and its Halloween…..well Boo ! Trick and Treat. Tebow and Spikes were dressed as real college football players.
Snoop Dawg
November 1st, 2009
5:32 pm
EVERY STUDENT ENROLLED AT UGA IS PAYING $100 EACH YEAR TO PREACHA MAN AND DA WATER GIRRRULL…
Imdown
November 1st, 2009
5:32 pm
Even our cheerleaders are ugly. We need to get beyond all the gymnastics crap and get the hotties back out there. And sex up their uniforms too.
willie martinez
November 1st, 2009
5:33 pm
CMR saw (or should have seen) this coming with Cox for 2 years.
mustangdawg91
November 1st, 2009
5:33 pm
I didnt like the fact that some sorry butt Georgia fans sold there tixs to some FL fans and look guys when your team is not doing well you need to support your team more. Not just get up and leave. This makes me so mad. Its like we have some bandwagon fans.
Snoop Dawg
November 1st, 2009
5:33 pm
WILLIE, THAT’S A GREAT IDEA. WATER GIRL CAN BE DA COACH AND DEN PREACHA MAN CAN SPEND MORE TIME COUNTING ALL DAT MONEY!
Percy Harvey
November 1st, 2009
5:34 pm
Go gator!
barneyb
November 1st, 2009
5:34 pm
So many serious systemic problems, one doesn’t know where to start. the helmets are a symptom of a much larger cause- an entire coaching staff that is absolutely clueless, including CMR. Time to pull the plug on all of them- if we are going to “rebuild”, let’s do it right.
inspiration
November 1st, 2009
5:34 pm
maybe the water girl should do wet tee to inspire the team
willie martinez
November 1st, 2009
5:34 pm
and the ultimate stupidity, putting in L Gray in that situation. talk about throwing a player under the bus.
Coach Bobo
November 1st, 2009
5:35 pm
Memo to Coach Richt:
I do not understand your instructions to keep the ball away from Green so that he will not build up gaudy statistics that enourage him to leave early. He cannot leave for another year, although the game planning we are into may force him to take his new helmet and transfer to Grambling in order to get some receptions.
Mike
PS: I think I know how O. Charles destroyed the crystal championship trophy at UF. He cannot stand still as evidenced by his multiple motion penalties yesterday.
willie martinez
November 1st, 2009
5:36 pm
inspiration: sounds like a good plan. let water girl show the dogs her pups.
willie martinez
November 1st, 2009
5:37 pm
was cox trying to get a j killed out there? looked like it to me.
jack
November 1st, 2009
5:37 pm
collegefootballnews.com now has Georgia ranked one spot behind Duke…at #51
BOOGER MAN FROM HARTWELL GA
November 1st, 2009
5:37 pm
THE WATERGIRL WANTS TO KNOW IF AND WHEN WE BREAK OUT THE BLACK DRAWERS
righton
November 1st, 2009
5:37 pm
I agree, we need a complete cheerleader overhaul. I could give a d**n how well they balance or stand in each others shoulders. Lets get some t&a back out there. This bunch is butt ugly.
Snoop Dawg
November 1st, 2009
5:38 pm
THOSE ARE MIGHTY FINE SHADES THAT PREACHA MAN WAS SPORTING AROUND ON THE SIDELINES YESTERDAY. DEY LOOKED LIKE SOME FINE HERMES OR MAYBE EVEN VERSACE… WONDER HOW MANY STUDENTS’ CONTRIBUTIONS IT TOOK TO BUY THOSE?
willie martinez
November 1st, 2009
5:38 pm
i hope whatever church cmr attends isnt counting on his tithe for the long term.
GT For You And Me
November 1st, 2009
5:39 pm
The water girl belongs to CMR……….
willie martinez
November 1st, 2009
5:39 pm
booger, thats what all the guys have been wearing underneath their helments.
Rocket Rod
November 1st, 2009
5:39 pm
In case you missed it Adams has stepped down from his post at the NCAA Committee he chaired to take better control of Day to Day business of UGA. Wonder if some Alumni have got his attention and what that may lead to.
inspiration
November 1st, 2009
5:40 pm
Absolutely, hell if we can win lets at least have a good show to see. I bet she like to flaunt it.
willie martinez
November 1st, 2009
5:40 pm
damn, dont blame the cheerleaders for this mess. how would you feel about trying to get people fired up for this sorry lot?
RAMBLE ON!!!
November 1st, 2009
5:42 pm
Good thing yall don’t have to play Duke.
How would you like to lose to them?
Snoop Dawg
November 1st, 2009
5:42 pm
DAT PREACHA MAN’S ONE COOL DUDE. HE’S A FASHION MAN. I REALLY LIKE HIM AS THE NEW UGA LOGO. GREAT BRANDING. REALLY APPEALS TO OUR HIGH SCHOOL KIDS, TOO… LOOKS GREAT ON THAT SIDELINE. HE’S TOO COOL TO TALK TO THE REFS TOO MUCH, TOO…
BOOGER MAN FROM HARTWELL GA
November 1st, 2009
5:42 pm
THEY NEED TO OPEN UP THE FLY SO THEY CAN SEE
willie martinez
November 1st, 2009
5:42 pm
memo to CMR: at least my coaching saved us from the embarrassment of players selling championship rings on ebay!
willie martinez
November 1st, 2009
5:44 pm
these are bottomless
Snoop Dawg
November 1st, 2009
5:44 pm
I DON’T REMEMBER SUCH A MESS SINCE JASPER SANKS…
GIVE ME A BREAK
November 1st, 2009
5:44 pm
Wonder what the players thought when the black helmets and black pants were handed to them. How ridiculous. Richt doesn’t have a clue. Poor Dawgs.
willie martinez
November 1st, 2009
5:45 pm
new uga course for cuff, vance, etal. driving miss daisey; and not getting caught.
cheerleaders
November 1st, 2009
5:47 pm
I couldn’t agree more. What happen to our cheerleaders? We need to hire a new coach and redefine the selection criteria. Hell I pay a lot of money for season tickets. I expect to see some skin and hip action going. Instead I’m visually assaulted by a group of brawny acrobats. We need to sex it back up, may be get the crowd to stay for the whole game.
Dawgcrew34
November 1st, 2009
5:47 pm
I liked the uniforms! It did what it was suppose to do and that is fire up the kids. With that said, Cox is not what we thought he would be, and that is an average QB. He’s not even mediocre…I wish him the best down the road, but it’s time to see what Logan can do. I don’t think we take the redshirt off either of the freshman, since there is only 4 games left.
Ealey looks like he wants to be the RB of the future….Green, well Green is still a beast!
We need wait until after the season and look to throw whatever at Kirby!!! I would put the rest of the coach’s on notice also, and make sure they know that changes can be made. One more year of mediocre play and the fans, and big bossters will be calling for Richt’s head. They underachived last year, and they are playing like crap this year….meanwhile Tennessee is on the up and up!!!!
GT For You And Me
November 1st, 2009
5:49 pm
I have an autographed David Pollack authenticated football card,if any of you would like it have it to inspire the DAWG nation………
david
November 1st, 2009
5:51 pm
I used to get pissed off at the comments regarding how over-rated we were. We always had our 10 win season BS to make us feel good. We finished in the top 10 6 years or whatever the hell it was. That made us feel better. We suck–we are Kentucky and Vandy– no heart/ no coaching/ #1 preseason LAST YEAR??? Now we are what–7-6 our last 13. THAT IS PATHETIC!!!!!!!!!! Im an optomistic man and love the dawgs–class of 85– but this is ridiculous. Tech will put up 1000 yards of offense on our weak d.
BOOGER MAN FROM HARTWELL GA
November 1st, 2009
5:52 pm
GLAD OTHERS ARE USING CAPS LOCK LIKE I DO……EASIER TO READ ……….. LOVE COMMENTS BY WILLIE MARTINEZ
Brokebackvol
November 1st, 2009
5:52 pm
Ouch.
From CFN.com:
What a mess. It’s a good thing Tennessee Tech is visiting Athens this week because that’s about the level that the Dawgs are playing at these days. Nobody figured this team to elevate after Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno left early for the NFL, but neither did anyone expect this train wreck. Losers of three of the last four games, Georgia can’t run the ball, makes a million silly mistakes, and is next to last nationally in turnover margin.
Dallas dogfan
November 1st, 2009
5:53 pm
I just want to say. If you are the type of fan who says “hey man, we have a winning seasin and we compete for a div title every couple years.” I say you are not a true dog fan. I don’t want to be a mid pack SEC team. And it all starts with one simple thing each year. IF YOU CAN”T BEAT UF YOU DON’T WIN NC! I want to do what ever it takes with who ever it takes to make this game competitive again. Until then the rest is just Farts in the breeze my friend. I don’t care if we go 1-11 for the next two years, as long as those two are in Jax. What else is there. I live in Dallas and I am so sick and tired of watching the all white long horns and OU clean up the big twelve while I hide in the back of the bar every Oct. Find a coach who understands it is not about winning percentage, but about having a team competeing, Truly competeing for NC. If you are always #2 in the SEC East, how can you be #1 in the country.
cheerleaders2
November 1st, 2009
5:54 pm
I’m with you. The wife is a real pain about me going to the games. Hell I need some inspiration and visuals on game day to go back home with in order to take care of the battle ax.
Chet
November 1st, 2009
5:55 pm
The black jerseys against Auburn a couple of years ago made sense as it was looking to be a close game. Something like that can give a team an “emotional spark.” They also made some sense against Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl, as CMR needed something to keep everyone focused to prevent a major upset.
However, when I saw the black helmets, I immediately thought that wearing them was a mistake. It would have been better to save them for another day when you had two teams that are more evenly matched, and the outcome of the game matters a lot.
Having said that, I think that CMR has earned a little more patience from UGA fans. You do not lose the players that we lost last year and still expect to compete in the SEC. If you look at who we have lost to, they have all been ranked, except for UT.
Fire Martinez, but get off CMR’s back.
confusedagain
November 1st, 2009
5:56 pm
Brokeback Mountain Vol fan?
GT For You And Me
November 1st, 2009
5:57 pm
Mark Richt will never change. The proof is right here……… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2BRV_bU2jE
Bill
November 1st, 2009
5:58 pm
Brandon Spikes is a thug
link to the eye gouge video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDOy-RMIpF0
Of course, no flag
dadawg
November 1st, 2009
5:58 pm
I agree with you Snoop. Mark projects just the kind of image a good UGA man wants
Herschel Walker
November 1st, 2009
5:58 pm
First off, we stink. Plain and simple. CMR isn’t in jeopardy of losing his job. Come on, we finished #2 in the country two years ago. I do think Willie Martinez needs to go. He has completely lost the plot and it’s painfully sad to watch him on the sidelines. How can we have two weeks to prepare and that’s what the defense gives us? UF just waltzed down the field the first two drives. The game was essentially over. The guy is not a good schemer. If he doesn’t go I’d be shocked.
Oh… and Brandon Spikes is a dirtbag. I am sure Urban Meyer will defend his player and say it was an accident. Does this look accidental??? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDOy-RMIpF0
G8TR
November 1st, 2009
5:58 pm
You all shoulda figured out that hiring a ‘Cane who coached the ‘Noles was never going to be the solution for the UGA-UF series. Next time try someone who knows how to coach in the SEC. (And I don’t mean winning East titles in the Zook and late Fulmer eras.)
headcase
November 1st, 2009
5:59 pm
Honestly this concussion issue is real!
Dallas dogfan
November 1st, 2009
6:00 pm
Proof you want proof? You can’t handle the proof.
Proof CWM and CMB suck ass. How many programs out there are recruiting Willie and Bobo? Sans Lakeside high.
KNelson
November 1st, 2009
6:00 pm
joe joe, I can tell you what Tennessee put on when they played UGA, They put on an A$$ kickin ! At least Georgia knows to wear black to their own funeral. Funny how all of the realist to start the season were saying Georgia loses 4 maybe 5 games this year while the homer’s of homerville spoke of Joe Cox taking them to an SEC Championship and a BCS game. Looks like the realist were correct. Oh , Georgia fans, who has better stats? Johnathan Crompton or Joe Cox?
Next year will not be any better than this one as players will jump ship soon as this one is sinking. Keep calling Tennessee’s coach lame kitten as you always love to joke about those programs that beat you consistantly. Lame Kitten hasnt lost to UGA in fact Daddy Kiffen didnt let your offense into the endzone. Its a JOY to see you Homers Burn !
icedawg
November 1st, 2009
6:01 pm
Like I said yesterday, I think the Dawgs got caught looking ahead to Tennessee Tech. We’re now used to being beaten by UF. It’s a given. Even if changes are made at the Coordinator levels, who knows whether their replacements will make that much difference. Though I think that the team actually played better than I thought that they would, penalties and batted passes for interceptions, etc., shut down any possible threat we could mount. Costly penalties should be corrected by good coaching and self discipline, but our record speaks for itself. We had 80 yds. of penalties in the first half! It improved in the second half. We actually were able to run the ball against them. Poor Joe, he turned over the ball, a couple of them were heroic efforts on the part of the UF player. Having said all of that, we lost. Who likes to lose and keep losing? As nice as our opponents are in calling us a “good” team, the truth is that we have now become a non-threat to in our conference. We have been going downhill for the past few years. Quite the opposite from when Coach Richt took over.