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
He Hate Gator
November 29th, 2009
12:42 am
Dawgs to get ACC champion rings??
DamntheButcher
November 29th, 2009
12:42 am
Can’t let up the pressure on ole Wille. Bye Willie
Salty Dawg
November 29th, 2009
12:42 am
Damn I would love to see UGA play this type of smash mouth football going forward. Get back to what SEC football is supposed to be about. Going into this I was expecting Tech to run all over us and make the coordinator decision an easy one. Now the water has been muddied and my guess is we will see Martinez standing on the UGA sideline once again next year. Oh well, if nothing else it was fantastic to see that big blag “G” flying in the middle of Bobby Dodd stadium.
kd
November 29th, 2009
12:42 am
good game. i don’t speak for the tech fans on this blog that always talk shat. but i will say tech played the’re worst game they could play and the dawgs played ther’re best bowl game in years. i mean were u surprised tech’s defense was bad, i mean really! i’ll say it like this pj is building a program, his record speaks for itself. to say tech is overated is dead on. real tech fans know that pj is building something, not trying to define a season off of 2 bad profomances in a season. u gotta say mark richt was the most intense he’s been all year. pj is that intense in his sleep. pj won’t make any excuses and he’ll be the first to say we sucked, but it’ll only make the team better next time. enjoy this win cause u know now what the future holds, a battle every year pj is here. remember that was still all gailey recruits out there stinking it up on that d line. u know and i know pj will fix that problem. maybe the whole ga coaching staff will b back next year! any bets on next year, u beat tech at their worst, with ur best and could only win by what 6. come on pups u know deep inside that dead dawg of urs whats coming and thats losses. not only to tech in years to come but 2 almost every other team u play. it’s just a mirage. wake up,u just won the blue turf bowl! congrats
Tech Man
November 29th, 2009
12:42 am
I’m not a nerd, but a nor easterner who moved here and have enjoyed season tickets to Tech games because of how cheap they are and how you can show up 30 minutes before kick off with very little hassle. Not joking…it’s true! I will admit that the SEC has proved, once again, that they are a much more physical conference. Has UGA ever ran for that much this year? Has to be our Dfense. We have a better scheme, but no doubt we got pushed around tonight.
New Dawg
November 29th, 2009
12:42 am
doubt UGA will be making “state champ” rings for this lil win
PMC
November 29th, 2009
12:42 am
Honestly It’s efforts like that in a horrible season that show you just how good a coach Mark Richt is.
DawgByte
November 29th, 2009
12:42 am
Mark – It’s a great question to ask. but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure what UGA had to do to win. Even Bobo can spot a mismatch when he see’s it. . Our O-Line was significantly bigger than Tech’s, so what’s the best way to take advantage of a mismatch and keep the vaunted triple option off the field? POUND THE ROCK!!!!
As sweet as this victory is, I still saw disturbing things on defense that are 100% related to poor coaching. Our defensive backs have an irritating propensity for tackling high. This led to all kinds of YAC and even a Tech TD. I will be glad to see Prince Miller and Bryan Evans moving on. They have been a nightmare to watch over the last 4 years. I will also be glad to see Martinez coaching somewhere else.
Jeff
November 29th, 2009
12:42 am
hahahahaha…and tech has bigger fish to fry??? That fish got smacked by another sec school…hahahhahah…All Good Pest Solutions just hit the AJC blogs….when bugs are all gone…its all good. Now we get to see the AJC sportswriters EAT crow and somehow tell us all they didnt mean it when they said the Jacketts would “roll” over UGA……
Marco11222
November 29th, 2009
12:43 am
Helpful tip to Tech fans, you have to win more than one in row to claim a change, Think about that for the next 365 days!
playmeortrademe
November 29th, 2009
12:43 am
Florida Dawg
November 29th, 2009
12:32 am
Anyway, I would trade two loses to the techies for one win over Florida….gotta beat Florida.
I wouldn’t go that far, but we were 2-2 against our four big rivals again this year. (last year 2-2 with two NFL first rounders, 2007 went 3-1, 2006 2-2). Those should be at least 3-1 every year with Ws against everyone else, unless it’s a road game against Bama or LSU if Dawgs want to be the best. We should NEVER lose at home, EVER.
donster dawg
November 29th, 2009
12:43 am
With all due disrespect S’AINT SIMONS…30-24 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA breath HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA breath HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Denver Dog
November 29th, 2009
12:43 am
Great victory for UGA, and Mark, Jeff, Tony, and all the others. Take it from Elliot Ness, Never quit, Never ever quit, Don’t ever quit until the game is over. HERE ENDETH THE LESSON>
RED DOG 77
November 29th, 2009
12:43 am
Oh yeah, good job Russ, a little brown spot never hurt, I say we keep Russ on the sidelines!!!!!!!
DamntheButcher
November 29th, 2009
12:43 am
Willie Must Go
DawgInDC
November 29th, 2009
12:44 am
tech asked for it with all that jawing they were doing the last 365 days, now a little payback is so
sweet! how bout them dawgs!!!!
Taron
November 29th, 2009
12:44 am
The football world has been righted. Dawgs rule Tech AGAIN!!! We had to let them win one last year just so it will still be a rivalry, and not a continuous smackdown. Now go stick that in your protractors and smoke it Tech! You bunch of engines with ears.
2N4YEARS
November 29th, 2009
12:44 am
ACC vs SEC
South Carolina 34-17 over Clemson (Co-ACC Champion)
Florida over Florida State 37-10
Georgia over GaTech 30-24 (Co-ACC Champiion)
Wow. That ACC Conference sure is Great!! LOL
Enjoy the Rings boys!!!!!! 1 in 9 ….you deserve them.
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DamntheButcher
November 29th, 2009
12:44 am
Denver Dog that quote was stolen from Winston Churchill
Joe
November 29th, 2009
12:45 am
Will Tech players get a ring for this one….??? Maybe if they win the ACC- they will include this score on rings as well…….SEC2…ACC Championship game teams 0
dawgma
November 29th, 2009
12:45 am
MB…sometimes your best work comes at the end of your run – and u wonder “why’d they let me go?”
Let’s hope Willie is asking that soon. Willie wonders – what would have happened if they’d made that last catch?
Cujo
November 29th, 2009
12:45 am
Dear saint simons – THIRTY to twenty-four!!! How does it feel?? Get use to again and again and again!!!!
Saint Simmons
November 29th, 2009
12:46 am
24-30 hahahaha!!!!
Who’s my Daddy Now?
The Dawgs
SatillaDawg
November 29th, 2009
12:46 am
Oh, this is just too good! 24-30 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey, Saint Cryin’ Cause He’s Dyin’…..after you leave the Yeller Jacket wake at Gnat’s Landing, come on down to the river.
We need some humble-bumble bee pie to go with this fine Florida gator sizzlin’ on the grill!
Glory, Glory to Old Georgia! How ‘Bout Them Dawgs!
Pi$$onaDawg
November 29th, 2009
12:46 am
CUZ and 45 ACP good game we had some chances and never got the BIG stop when needed. TO’s hurt too. Didn’t see the replay of The last pass in the endzone I thought LIVE it was Pass Int. for sure
jellybeandawg
November 29th, 2009
12:46 am
Give us your lunch money NERDS!
Mccaig
November 29th, 2009
12:46 am
Maybe they should move the ACC Championship to Friday night along with the MAC conference since both conferences seem to have about the same influence in the BCS. Both ACC division “Winners” lost to mediocre SEC teams today – so how can we respect this conference?
Should be a great game between unranked Clemson and 16th ranked GT….Man what a powerhouse conference!
Hype does not equal ability!!
Pi$$onaDawg
November 29th, 2009
12:47 am
Who do the dawgs play next week?
RED DOG 77
November 29th, 2009
12:47 am
PMC 1242 Yer dern tootin, I agree 100%
The Grinch
November 29th, 2009
12:48 am
uga has won 8 of the last 9.
yep, the “rivalry” is back.
BWAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!!
toasterhead
November 29th, 2009
12:49 am
Silly 1-8 nerds…. when will they learn the ACC is just the minor leagues? How much you want to bet we don’t put the score of the game on our rings or decide to eat your fields foliage? haha its called class and superiority GT – take a lesson.
sarfdawg
November 29th, 2009
12:49 am
Where did you get those “state champs” shirts and rings done last year, techmites? Sorry, Georgia doesn’t need shirts and rings. Georgia’s used to it beating you.
RED DOG 77
November 29th, 2009
12:49 am
On the other hand I think I will change my name to CRAP ON A BEE
dan
November 29th, 2009
12:50 am
Hey Bradley, Schultz, and Barnhart.
All you guys can eat it! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DAWGS!
Matt Daddy
November 29th, 2009
12:50 am
I’m living on the crushed dreams of Techie nerds everywhere
DamntheButcher
November 29th, 2009
12:50 am
SEC vs ACC today equals SEC 3 ACC 0
BugKiller
November 29th, 2009
12:51 am
Tonight we witnessed a defense going out and playing their hardest for a DEAD MAN WALKING.
It was like “The Green Mile.”
Willie is walking the mile, no matter WHAT happened tonight.
The Grinch
November 29th, 2009
12:51 am
To Pi$$onaDawg
We’re taking next week off to get measured for our rings. BWAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
BugKiller
November 29th, 2009
12:51 am
The ACC just invited South Carolina and Georgia to Tampa to play for the ACC Championship and the conference’s bid for the Orange Bowl.
LizDawg
November 29th, 2009
12:52 am
349 rushing yards? By the Dawgs? Are you guys sure the “Perfect Option” didn’t run for that many and the stats are reversed? Nope, I guess it’s true…30-24 ALL YEAR LONG maggots!
Greek Dawg
November 29th, 2009
12:52 am
As happy as I am with the win, I am concerned about the rumors which seem to have traction about our program. Martinez will take on another role in UGA football. Fabris is gone. Those I expected and have no problem with. I am concerned that Gardner is leaving, Bobo is looking elsewhere and Searles already has an offer on the table. These I was not expecting. It may be the nature of the game, but I think Damon has to to look seriously about whether UGA is among the elite prgraqms in the FBS. I think we are, but we cannot lose a Searles to a top five team over money. We cannot get and keep top notch coordinators and assistant caoches on the cheap any more. We have to be willing to match the top programs to stay in their league. Say what we will about Lane Kiffin, but he could have gotten more money but he asked for and got more money to recruit top notch assistant coaches and coordinators. You get what you pay for. Give CMR the money to go out and get the best coaches. We deserve it. And, by the way, we need to work our butts off to keep our recruits if five coaches leave who have been recruiting them. Lets move on Dawg fans. Stop the BS about Tech over this win. It was only Tech. Let’s focus on what’s important. Getting the best staff possible and keeping a very good group of recruits.
doyle, winder
November 29th, 2009
12:53 am
OMG! Go Dawgs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
humble the bumbles
November 29th, 2009
12:53 am
Fantastic win with old-school, smashmouth UGA football. Run it down their throats and dare them to stop you. Great game Dawgs!! A near-perfect day! SC manhandles Clemson and we play like madmen and beat Tech. The only thing that could have topped it was if Tebow had fumbled three times, been picked five and the Gaytors had lost to the Criminoles.
I’ll take two out of three.
R.I.P. Saint Simons
November 29th, 2009
12:53 am
30-24!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!GO DAWGS!!!
The only noise I hear in Atlanta right now is slight sobbing.
Cujo
November 29th, 2009
12:54 am
kd – you need to wipe your glasses clean. That’s the best team you tekkies have ever had and probably ever will have and one of our most sub-par teams just handed it to you IN YOUR OWN STADIUM (which is really a dump). CPimmaJohnson just fielded the best team he’ll ever have at tek & couldn’t get the job done. CMR just snatched the series back to where it belongs!
Saint UGAVII
November 29th, 2009
12:54 am
Pi$$onadawg,
We don’t play anyone, but good luck winning 4th place in the SEC East next week!
Preston
November 29th, 2009
12:54 am
and now the world is right again. your little dreams are over. the little trade school is back in it’s place in the world. TECH SUCKS! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
MaconKnight
November 29th, 2009
12:54 am
saint simons and yellow fuzz (((30-24-))) hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahah
1 win in last 8 games hahahahahahahahahahahahah
DaddyDawg
November 29th, 2009
12:54 am
Well, for those who are confused, UGA is the Georgia state champion of college football again and has been for 8 out of the last 9 years!! That’s a Bulldawg Point of Pride that Dawg fans can use EVERY DAY for the next YEAR!! For obnoxious GT fans like Saint Simon, Pi$$onaDawg, m and others (not all GT fans…….you know who you are), your meaningless existence has been revealed for all to see………
Scout Dawg
November 29th, 2009
12:54 am
ass whipped by a bad SEC team, ha ha ha