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
GaCracker
November 29th, 2009
1:23 am
Our defense let them back in it in the 3rd quarter as they did last week. Very poor tackling. The game shouldn’t have been close Dawgs should have won by 17-24 points!
Fort Worth Dawg
November 29th, 2009
1:24 am
Will Saint Simmons be posting this score for the next 364 days with a “cute quip”?
MADMAN53191
November 29th, 2009
1:24 am
Uh oh. Caleb just scored again!!!! 30-24, gotta love it. Where’s all the tech fans? I figured they would be up late tonight. Well to my fellow Georgia fans it looks like we are free of the Tech fans for a year and it feels good. 30-24. UGA Baby!!! We had to put tech back in their rightful place.
Palm City Dawg
November 29th, 2009
1:24 am
OH Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UUUUUU suck st. simons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thomas senor
November 29th, 2009
1:24 am
30 – 24, suck it TECH…BTW, eat at Pappi’s, it’s near your house!
dawg4life
November 29th, 2009
1:25 am
Who committed to the dawgs tonight? Anyone know?
Brian
November 29th, 2009
1:25 am
Enter your comments here
Your Mother
November 29th, 2009
1:26 am
BACK TO NORMAL!
MB, YOU SHOULD RETIRE FROM JOURNALISM.
GA TECH WILL NEVER OWN GEORGIA, EVER.
EVER.
EVER.
EVER.
EVER.
Josh M
November 29th, 2009
1:26 am
My top 3:
1. Tech’s best team in a decade couldn’t beat UGA’s worst team in just as long. What does that really say about the state of the rivalry?
2. Tech should be begging Dr. Pepper to put a can of soda in each seat because there certainly won’t be many butts there…Tech should at least be allowed to feel like SOMETHING is in the stands.
3. Go ahead and send the plumbers to the North Avenue Trade School because the drains in the 90% male university housing buildings are going to be clogged with yellow paint tonight.
Stephen
November 29th, 2009
1:27 am
Paul Johnson lost it. 3 bombs with 1:40 and a time out left? We’re a running team! I’m done with GT football for the season. I don’t care about the ACC title or some Nacho Cheese Bowl. Paul Johnson is a bone head.
~Distraught GT Alum
bdawgfan
November 29th, 2009
1:28 am
King and Ealey looked like Worley and Henderson out there tonight. Vince must have given Richt and Bobo the game plan.
Paul Johnson looked like Chan Gailey on Yeck’s last possession.
GO DAWGS! NERDS SUCK!
E-west
November 29th, 2009
1:28 am
The biggest change for the dogs was the coaches got into the game for once. Did you see the emotion in Richt? Been lacking before tonight and the players showed the same emotion. Still playing the d-backs too far off their man and yes Willie needs to go. UGA young backs really coming on and o-line played their as- off like they should be doing all year.
1eyedJack
November 29th, 2009
1:29 am
There goes Dwyer for….no gain!
“Nesbitt for Heisman!”
Berkeley Dawg
November 29th, 2009
1:30 am
30-24 Love it.
DawgFan
November 29th, 2009
1:31 am
HAHAHAHA!
(((30-24)))
Where are all those bitchy Tech fans? You will never own us. UGA owns this state.
dawgshack
November 29th, 2009
1:32 am
An option team throwing multiple hail marys with 2 minutes to go??? LOL
OldTech
November 29th, 2009
1:35 am
Never underestimate the determination of a trapped, cornered animal desperate not to go to Shreveport.
Fort Worth Dawg
November 29th, 2009
1:36 am
As a Dawg fan and an alum, it is nice to see a great win over our in-state rival. I hope Tech wins their ACC championship over Clemson and wins their bowl game. It would say alot about our program and gives more credit to the SEC as the dominant conference in college football! Go Tech beat Clemson and good luck in whatever bowl. Just remember….you lost to the Dawgs!
dawg4life
November 29th, 2009
1:37 am
does anyone know who committed to the dawgs tonight?
dawg man in Thomasville
November 29th, 2009
1:37 am
Bradley, you and tech are still a bunch of LOSER NERDS!!!!!!!
You always are & you always will be. They might be the best in the ACC, but that stands for “Almost Competitive Conf”. TECH STILL SUCKS!!!!!!!!You & your bunch of losers fall for this crap every year.
You and your co workers (soon to be unemployed) are still a bunch of Paul Johnson, 1 year wonder, biased NERDS!
Which one of you Ienstiens gave the DAWGS a chance?
GLORY, GLORY & TO HELL WITH YOU BUNCH OF BIASED, DID I SAY PREJUDICED, LOOOOOOSERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BOBBYwhitaker
November 29th, 2009
1:37 am
HEY SAINT SIMONS 30-24 PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT!!!!!!!!!!!! HA HA HA !!!!!!!!!
Jeff
November 29th, 2009
1:38 am
MB-
Does this mean that GT would be the 7th best SEC team and UGA would be going to the title game?
BOBBYwhitaker
November 29th, 2009
1:39 am
saint simons still 30-24 still no show from you!!!!!!!!!
David in Kabul
November 29th, 2009
1:39 am
Congrats Coach Richt, Willie, and the rest of the dawgs for a solid win.
Go Jackets!
flagboy?
November 29th, 2009
1:39 am
Nice win dawgs!!
I’m happy for the players and coaches who’ve gone through a trying year.
Congrats and enjoy it!
DP
November 29th, 2009
1:40 am
In the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Georgia Tech won three out of ten games against Georgia per decade. To keep that streak alive, they had to win tonight. So, instead of matching previous success, this decade was WORSE than usual. Two wins the entire decade. Where’s all the talk about Johnson owning Richt now? Rivalry is still clearly in Georgia’s favor.
College Dude
November 29th, 2009
1:40 am
Hey Saint Simons ((((30-24)))) How about a big dose of STFU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Taint Simons
November 29th, 2009
1:44 am
((((((30-24)))))))) HAHAHAHA…..
Saint Simonsux
November 29th, 2009
1:47 am
((((((((((( 30-24 ))))))))))))
Helluva Engineer
November 29th, 2009
1:49 am
dawg man in thomasville, i anxiously await your nobel prize. you have clearly demonstrated your unparalleled literacy.
Fort Worth Dawg
November 29th, 2009
1:49 am
If Mark Bradley and Jeff (bandwagon) have anything to do with the “story”…Well, there were SEC officials running the game, just like ESPN downgraded UGA to the point of Tech making mistakes….and will blow up that Nesbit was injured….Was nice once the game was over that they(at espn/abc) flipflopped to how WELL UGA played? Does ABC have the ACC championship?
NCDawg12
November 29th, 2009
1:54 am
30-24! Now that was a ball game. Best game the Dawgs have played all year. And Richt’s emotion to start the game and all game long for that matter was great to see. Still can’t stop smiling. 30-24 HE HE HE HE HE
Lindsay
November 29th, 2009
1:55 am
OK. I’m a Tech student, and huge fan. But I’m not afraid to say it: the SEC is and always will be better than the ACC. I love Paul Johnson and his Yellow Jackets. We were ASSHOLES last year after we won. But you Georgia fans are twenty times worse.
Pi$$onaDawg
November 29th, 2009
2:00 am
Dawgs played and didn’t let bobo and cox beat themselves. Not a bad game plan for the first time all year.
jumbeauxtiger
November 29th, 2009
2:01 am
THE OVERRATED SEC 3 THE ACC 0.
Way to go Dawgs, Gamecocks and Gators!
The ACC title game just lost some luster.
Geaux Tigers
Go Dawgs, Gamecocks, Gators
Go SEC
RealDawg
November 29th, 2009
2:06 am
Another cheap shot by Brandon Spikes… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lPz1WjRVHM
Dawg since 1965
November 29th, 2009
2:07 am
5 in a row at Booby Dood/grants tomb, 9 of 10 at Boody Dood/grants tomb
ACCCG, tickets available….. by 1 get 3 free with 4 cokes and 4 hot dogs
UGA and SC beat #1 ACC and #2 ACC = ACC always chokes conference
BCS orange bowl looking to drop acc from its automatic bid
30k tickets still available at the ACCCG in tampa, can someone please buy some tickets
Cuz
November 29th, 2009
2:07 am
POAD, I will take that as a compliment, not quite we are better.
Cuz
November 29th, 2009
2:09 am
I will be wearing yellow and blue next weekend during the ACCC. But this morning I have some venting courtesy of the man who once was an island.
Comin' Down The Track
November 29th, 2009
2:11 am
I told you thy beatdown was coming.
Cuz
November 29th, 2009
2:11 am
Anyone seen my buddy RAMBLE ON. He may have gone to lesser case letters after last night.
Damn, only 364 more days to rub it in. Oh well, life is short.
Mark
November 29th, 2009
2:15 am
Russ the dog just got a new bitch.
RomeDawg
November 29th, 2009
2:16 am
(30-24) hahahahahahahah 8 out of 10 hahahahahahahahah! The 2008 Anomoly! So much for the great CPJ coaching comparisons. CPJ and CWM! hahahahhahahahahahha! bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahhahahahahahahhahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahhahahahahhaha
jason
November 29th, 2009
2:16 am
Whoo, Had to take some time and take in this win. First thought is, where was this team all season long? Great win, GREAT game plan; both offense and defense.
I said a few days ago about #9 being a NFL stud. Who can argue after his game tonight. He was up in run support making tackles and dropping deep to cover WRs and int passes. That’s what a Safety is susposed to do. Hoping he comes back for his SR year to team up with Rambo to deliver some punishment.
Also congrats to Banks for being healthy and getting on the field. Banks had 2 impressive tackles. The best not lettin Nesbit continue momentum to get in the EZ.
Last, To all Tech fans: You guys have had a hell of a season. Don’t hold your heads down. You guys played a great game and fought hard. Came back like myself and all UGA fans expected you to do. Now, go and tear Clemson a new one and get your BCS Bowl.
1eyedJack
November 29th, 2009
2:17 am
Caleb King just ran through Tech’s secondary untouched again!!!
Associated Press
November 29th, 2009
2:18 am
(AP) — TECHWOOD HOMES – Georgia Tech to play another ACC loser football team in the 4 tix, 4 hotdogs, 4 cokes Bowl presented by cash4gold.com.
SOUTHGADAWG88
November 29th, 2009
2:20 am
Great to be a DAWG!!There future was on display tonight and I feel great about 10!!
Nerd Menace
November 29th, 2009
2:20 am
Just think, the two best teams in the ACC got beat by two middle of the pack SEC teams. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Russ the Bulldawg
November 29th, 2009
2:24 am
I’m out in Buckhead lookin’ for some tail…’round about 4, clear the hotel lobby and….well, you know!
Jason
November 29th, 2009
2:24 am
Looked forward to the eat crow column by Bradley he is a douche. Go Dawgs welcome to the rivalry CPJ