A powerful performance by a suddenly powerful UGA team
Did this guy outcoach Paul Johnson? Yes he did. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
There have been times lately when we’ve wondered, “Who are these guys?” Because they weren’t the Bulldogs we’d come to know and admire. They were undisciplined and undercoached. They were always reacting to an opponent, never forcing the issue. They were a finesse team, and a team devoid of force doesn’t win big in the broad-shouldered SEC.
But on the final night of an underwhelming regular season, Georgia played as if it remembered its breeding. It acted like an SEC team. It ran the ball with fury and blocked like the crack of dawn and played big-boy football. And at halftime we were saying, “Who are these guys?”
Because these weren’t the Bulldogs of recent vintage. These were tougher, stronger, meaner. They had come into the stadium of a team looking to solidify its hold on a rivalry and a state, and they’d been the aggressor from the first. Indeed, they were the aggressor from the coin toss. Georgia won it and, rather than do as every coach does in modern football, Mark Richt didn’t defer his choice. He wanted the ball and he wanted it now.
And when his men got it, they pounded Tech in a way Georgia never pounds anybody anymore. Ten plays, all runs, Caleb King and Washaun Ealey taking turns, the unassuming offensive line blowing massive holes in the Tech line. Ten plays, all runs, and just like that Georgia was ahead in a game it was supposed to lose.
Give Richt credit: All week he had to answer questions — one from me on the Wednesday SEC teleconference — about the need for change in his program, and in this game he did change. He and Mike Bobo eschewed the fancy stuff and just Lombardi’ed the game plan, and it was beautiful in its brutality. Three Tech defenders had to be helped off the field in the first half, and after 30 minutes Georgia had outgained the nation’s No. 7 team by 141 yards and had outscored it by 14 points.
But it was only a year ago in Athens that Georgia had led by 16 points at the half, and within seven minutes that lead was gone. Everyone knew Tech would again come out flying, and sure enough the Jackets scored on their first possession. But Georgia needed only one play to answer, Caleb King taking a handoff and fleeing 75 yards. And from then on Tech was chasing, and in the end the fleet Jackets couldn’t run fast enough.
It came down to one possession. Georgia up six, Tech with a chance to win. The Jackets moved across midfield but unaccountably stopped running the ball. Four consecutive passes, the first three nicely defensed, the fourth simply dropped. (The second and third passes were defended by Reshad Jones, the Georgia safety who’d spent the last year answering questions about his missed tackle of Tech’s Roddy Jones.) And suddenly Georgia was the second-best team in Georgia no longer.
Richt and Bobo and Willie Martinez had outflanked the new genius Paul Johnson and had done it without A.J. Green, their best player. And the guys who did play outfought a Tech team known for its pugnacity.
And now we have issues galore. Does one blissful night off North Avenue override the worst season under Richt? Probably not. But for the Bulldogs and their coach and all his coaches, it had to feel good to reclaim state supremacy and to mar what has been a glorious Tech season. (To say nothing of wrecking the ACC title game.) What happens with Martinez and the other assistants can wait until another day. What happened Saturday night was a slice of deliverance 365 days in the making.
Back to our question: Who were these guys? They were the Georgia Bulldogs, only they weren’t the Georgia Bulldogs that contrived to lose five games this season. These were Bulldogs from a different time, a time when Georgia football was power football. (The Bulldogs rushed for 339 yards, the highest total under Richt.)
And if this is the way Georgia football it to look in 2010 and beyond … well, maybe the future isn’t so grim after all. Maybe the future is big and brawny thing.
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1,342 comments Add your comment
DAWG4LIFE
November 29th, 2009
12:14 am
Suddenly Coach Johnson says “We had bigger fish to fry.” Yeah right..obviously not tonight! Do not tell me that he and techies didn’t want to win this game! Bahahahaha…Go DAWGS!
keep CMR
November 29th, 2009
12:14 am
Georgia Tech and Clemson will now play for 5th place in the SEC East.
Robert
November 29th, 2009
12:14 am
Maybe Paul Johnson doesn’t OWN Mark Richt afterall. Great game! Great way to end the regular season. Go DAWGS!
steen
November 29th, 2009
12:14 am
nnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrdddddddddddssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
CPJ who?
November 29th, 2009
12:14 am
Like I said, I give him 3 more years tops before he’s fired. Can’t even beat a crappy UGA team at home with 2 weeks to prepare???
1eyedJack
November 29th, 2009
12:14 am
This is to Yellow Fuzz, M, Saint Simons, Ramble On, Trade School Junkie and all your other lame aliases. To the rest of the civilized Bee Nation..good luck next week.
We STOMPED a mud hole in the Bumble Bees!
There goes Caleb King walking into the endzone!
Washaun Ealey rumbles for another first down!
We kick that azzzzz!
That was a beatdown of Mythical proportions.
Paul Johnson is NOT a god, he got out coordinated by Willie!
340 yards rushing….HAHAHAHA!!!
We are by default, the ACC Champions!!! I guess that settles the strongest conference argument.
Russ is 1-0!!!
Paul Johnsoon now has something in common with Chan Gailey, they have both lost to Coach Richt.
There goes Washaun for another first down!!!
30-24 HaHaHaHaHaHaHa!!!!
Great to be a DAWG!!!!!
rob
November 29th, 2009
12:14 am
lol much deserved
MyView
November 29th, 2009
12:14 am
CMR did not seem enthused tonight and this was the least enthusiastic that I have ever seen Willie when his unit is playing well. I think the decision regarding Willie has already been made and CMR and CWM had that weighing on them tonight. They did not seem to enjoy this as much during the game as I would have expected. This should have been the best ending a 7-5 season could produce. CMR was yelling about the Gatorade shower. Hmmm…
Bye Week
November 29th, 2009
12:15 am
lol
Nerds on suicide watch
November 29th, 2009
12:15 am
Where’s Saint Simons?????
Where's Saint Simons?
November 29th, 2009
12:15 am
Hey Saint Simons,
This is what it’s like when you play a real team. ((((((((((((( 30 to 24 )))))))))))))) ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The State Champions!!!!
November 29th, 2009
12:15 am
The Governor’s Cup is going back to Athens where it belongs!!!!
Georgia Bulldogs 30 – GA Tech 24
GO DAWGS!!!!!
Proving once again that the SEC is far superior to the ACC in football.
AndyC
November 29th, 2009
12:15 am
By my count, the SEC is 5-2 against the ACC this year with the only losses by the two worst teams in the SEC, Vandy and Miss St.
Joseph
November 29th, 2009
12:15 am
What are Ace and Gary….I mean Bradley and Schultz going to talk about Now?
Not So Fast Bumblebees
November 29th, 2009
12:15 am
All of the AJC sportwriters can now eat their words….get off the bus…..you spent your ticket praising GT
Observer
November 29th, 2009
12:16 am
The big question is — Which team will be ACC Champions? Georgia or South Carolina.
Darth Dawg
November 29th, 2009
12:16 am
To Mark Bradley/Saint Simmons: I find your lack of faith…disturbing!
hahahah
November 29th, 2009
12:16 am
NERRRRRRRRDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSs
Chuck Uga
November 29th, 2009
12:16 am
“blocked like the crack of dawn.” What does THAT mean?!!
Special team still played poorly. A kickoff that was nearly fumbled (does Shayn Chapas not know the ball is live on a kickoff?!) Anothe rkickoff out of bounds, poor coverage and a missed field goal. The field goal is excusable, the other mistakes are not.
One last not Bradley. Why your Wildkittens can beat UGA but blow yet another game they should have won against Tennessee is inexcusable. I doubt we will ever see Kentucky beat Tennessee in football again in our lifetimes.
Not So Fast Bumblebees
November 29th, 2009
12:17 am
Can St Simons come out and play?
NewnanDawg
November 29th, 2009
12:17 am
1st off…..WTF is Saint Simons??????? I gotta score I wanna show him
steen
November 29th, 2009
12:17 am
bragging rights again. giving them up 1 out of 9 years isn’t too tough
Uh Observer
November 29th, 2009
12:17 am
UGA beat SC so they are the ACC Champs.
Necromancer
November 29th, 2009
12:17 am
Okay, I have to jump on the hatin’ on St. Simons bandwagon here:
((((((((30-24))))))))))))HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHA
willie martinez
November 29th, 2009
12:17 am
Well Mark, you think i deserve to keep my job now??
kbatuc
November 29th, 2009
12:17 am
Ben Jones and the GA OL for MVP! They knocked Tech on their butts the entire game.
Dawg Fan
November 29th, 2009
12:18 am
The big cure for UGA’s running game is to play an ACC team!!!!! How about the way the Dawgs offensive line manhandled Tech and Ealey and King ran like they thought they are Herschel Walker!
30-24!
Where's Saint Simons?
November 29th, 2009
12:18 am
GT got owned, or as you nerds would say pwnd! (((((((((( 30 to 24 )))))))))))) ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Eric
November 29th, 2009
12:18 am
We ran Terrance Moore out of town, now we have to deal with you, Mark Bradley??? The future of Georgia Football is grim.
fair and Balanced
November 29th, 2009
12:18 am
Not one comment from the insects. HOW BOUT THEM DAWGS!
JAXDAWG
November 29th, 2009
12:18 am
WOW!I love the smell of a dead termite in the morning. It smells like………victory!
majordawg
November 29th, 2009
12:18 am
Caleb King just scored again.
Barry
November 29th, 2009
12:18 am
Tell me why the Dogs didn’t run the ball like that all year.
SE GA LADY
November 29th, 2009
12:18 am
Don’t worry — I called the Glynn County Police, and they said that “SAINT SIMONS” has not jumped. SAINT SIMONS told them he would wait until after the loser ACC championship game and see what happens. Those two games today must be really killing the ACC officials and teams.
DON’T YOU JUST LOVE IT?????
If those of us who really do live on SSI find out who he is, he will wish he had jumped!!!
Boo Radley
November 29th, 2009
12:18 am
Mark — You and Jeff S. made the bed, so I hope it is comfy….you guys have were so premature in your coronation of Tits Johnson and now it just blew up on a Saturday night in front of God and everybody. Georgia is down this year and they were not a good team. However, they will be back and Tech will be….well….they will be Tech. So, I hope you and Jeff have fun fawning over CPJ while Georgia gets their act together and resumes their dominance over this series and goes back to winning SECCs. Enjoy.
Mark Bradley
November 29th, 2009
12:19 am
The decision is not mine to make, Coach Willie. But your D bowed up tonight.
Yeah Right
November 29th, 2009
12:19 am
Yellow Fuzz
November 28th, 2009
1:15 pm
georgia = Tech’s bitch for 364.75 straight days!
georgia = Tech’s bitch for 364.75 straight days!
georgia = Tech’s bitch for 364.75 straight days!
georgia = Tech’s bitch for 364.75 straight days!
georgia = Tech’s bitch for 364.75 straight days!
georgia = Tech’s bitch for 364.75 straight days!
georgia = Tech’s bitch for 364.75 straight days!
georgia = Tech’s bitch for 364.75 straight days!
georgia = Tech’s bitch for 364.75 straight days!
georgia = Tech’s bitch for 364.75 straight days!
georgia = Tech’s bitch for 364.75 straight days!
georgia = Tech’s bitch for 364.75 straight days!
Where's Saint Simons?
November 29th, 2009
12:19 am
The ramblin wreck got wrecked. (((((((( 30 to 24 )))))))))))))))) ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
willie martinez
November 29th, 2009
12:20 am
it was a game we showed poise
our crowd made the noise
johnson got beat
my God what a feat
i am so so proud of my boys
Can you say "OVERRATED?"
November 29th, 2009
12:20 am
Georgia Tech is NOT a Top 10 team!!!!! The 7-5 Georgia Bulldogs just proved that!
NC_DAWG
November 29th, 2009
12:20 am
Larry Munson would’ve been shaking in his hobnailed boots on that last drive… I could just hear what he would’ve been saying on those long pass plays… and then the drop…
“IT’s 4th Down, 10 yards to go, the clock is just stuck, 1:45 left… We’re just CLINGINGs to this six point lead, 30 – 24, GEORGIA TECH DOWN TO THIS LAST PLAY, NESBIT BACK TO PASS, THROWS LEFT, MAN OPEN,….HE DROPPED IT! HE DROPPED IT! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT… (lots of noise in the press box, chairs falling over, etc.) CAN YOU BELIEVE IT, HE WAS WIDE OPEN AND HE JUST DROPPED IT… HAD THE FIRST DOWN AND JUST DROPPED IT… SOMEHOW HE DROPPED IT AND I JUST DON’T KNOW IF WE COULDA STOPPED ‘EM… IT WAS FOURTH DOWN AND THEY JUST REALLY NEEDED A MAKE A PLAY…HE HAD THE FIRST DOWN AND TECH WAS REALLY GONNA BE IN BUSINESS BUT HE JUST LOST THAT THING OUTTA BOUNDS AND SOMEHOW WE’RE GONNA ESCAPE WITH THIS THING…. AND WE JUST BROKE THE JACKETS NOSES. WE BROKE THEIR NOSES AND SPOILED THEIR SEASON….”
or something like that!
IT’s GREAT TO BE A GEORGIA BULLDOG!
NorthCarolina_DAWG
November 29th, 2009
12:20 am
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
DAWGS ………. SIC ‘EM ….. WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF !!!!!!!!
Diggity Dawg
November 29th, 2009
12:20 am
Ealy and King:
“Shake and Bake, baby!”
What the Huck!
November 29th, 2009
12:20 am
I guess St. Simons can go back to sucking on sucking on his mama’s teat for the next 365 days. Order has been restored to the universe. Paul Johnson told his team they have “bigger fish to fry.” Yeah, right. Like playing in the ACC Championship game in front of 22,000 fans….Nos. 1 and 2 in ACC lost to nos. 9 and 10 in SEC. Sound about right. ACC tickets $10 SEC tickets $350–$750 bigger fish my a$$. Let the excuse making begin.
nams
November 29th, 2009
12:20 am
Wow, CPJ really sucks. Can’t even beat a crappy UGA team at home with 2 weeks to prepare. UGA didn’t even have their best player!!
Paul The Vol
November 29th, 2009
12:21 am
Hello Tech fans? Any Tech fans around? Any ACC football fans around? I didn’t think so. Welcome to big boy football ACC. You have been measured and you have been found wanting. Good luck with the ratings for that championship game next week. That’s assuming it is on TV.
gatorboy
November 29th, 2009
12:21 am
this just in…ealey scored again…acc…what a joke
Kentucky is better than Georgia Tech
November 29th, 2009
12:21 am
The ACC = A Crummy Conference. Tech was sooooo overrated!!!!! LMAO
tchance
November 29th, 2009
12:21 am
have all of you noticed not ONE techie on the board tonight?? they had no problem talking trash the entire season and ramping it up the past 2 weeks. GT like USC and Ohio State runs up great offensive stats in their pu__y conferences until they have to step out and play with the men, then get it handed to them when they screw up and have to play an SEC team, especially when they have to play one of our elites for that particular year. Get it through your hard heads from the Big 12, Big 10, Pac 10, ACC. While you may have one maybe 2 decent teams each year, there is NO week off in the SEC cause top to bottom, no tougher conference. Here’s a more practical way to look at the SEC. The SEC is basically the AAA for the NFL. We laugh when a Leifert, Bush, McCoy, Bradford racks up great numbers cause they are playing against defenses Vanderbilt would kill to play each week. Then these guys hit the NFL and have their asses handed to them. Padding stats against Baylor, K State, Arizona, Maryland, Virginia, Indiana, Kent State, Arkansas State isn’t going to prepare you to play any SEC team you idiots!!!!!!!!!!!!! SEC rules and Bama is going to our 4th champion in a row!!!!
Burgess
November 29th, 2009
12:21 am
Why did Ga. Tech decide to become Texas Tech on their last series ?