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
Pi$$onaDawg
November 29th, 2009
12:19 pm
Cuz I think the Kentucky proved what everyboy knew. COX SUX. With the lose to Kentucky Bobo came up with a good game plan. JOE COX was not going to beat the Dawgs. 8 of 14 passes. UGA did what Tech did all year. The ran the ball and the clock. We had our chances. I will say the holding call on Tech on a kick return when the Tech return man was clearly tackled by only his facemask. That should have been offsetting an Tech with the ball on the like 38. We still had chances after that. The Jaybo Shaw INT really hurt. To’s will kill your team. Well it was not a great weekend for TECH football but I had a good time with Dad.
DFWTX Dawg
November 29th, 2009
12:20 pm
Simply beautiful!! To see the UGA football team play hard-nosed, smash mouth football with a serious attitude for 60 mins was a thing of beauty. Reminded me more of a Richt team from 02-05 years. I liked seeing CMR’s reaction to the gatorade bath as well. He threw out his laid back persona for this one. Hopefully, his attitude will carry into spring practice and next season. The 2010 will need to be one of the most physical teams in the program’s history. If we can get a good DC who will re-establish the GATA attitude and get our defense playing fundamentally sound again and Richt and Bobo establish a power running game, good things will happen in 2010.
jason
November 29th, 2009
12:22 pm
Pi$$onaDawg, watch the replay. Dewberry did not tackle the Tech player by his face mask. His arm was all the way acrossed the chest and on the other shirt sleeve. It looked alot worse at full speed than in slo mo. The closes to a bad call came in the fourth on the pass down the sideline that #9 Jones almost picked. That could have been called PI, and that was a close call as well.
reality check
November 29th, 2009
12:23 pm
M Bradley, J Schultz, M, Saint Simons be careful not to break your legs jumping off the Tech bandwagon. CPJ got out coached and team outplayed by a mediocre team that has been passed by and power shift in the state, but somebody forgot to tell the UGA players about the tech coronation. They can still beat Clemson in the SEC East Consolation game this week.
There is an Old Sheriff Back in town and goes by the name of CMR.
30-24, glad it hurts so bad, hahahahahahahahahahah.
Flatsdawg1
November 29th, 2009
12:23 pm
OMG! Amazing how a team can use a rivalry to grow into the team they will be for the future. Amazing how 1 game can silence the other teams one fan as well! LOL
Frank Wren
November 29th, 2009
12:23 pm
I will say the holding call on Tech on a kick return when the Tech return man was clearly tackled by only his facemask
And the blaming of the refs begins. It was a clothesline tackle he never got close to his facemask.
Tech fans are nothing if not predictable.
SOUTH GA DAWG
November 29th, 2009
12:23 pm
NICE HANDS # 8. SUCK IT NERDS
BK
November 29th, 2009
12:24 pm
Too bad Butler can’t win with class. Way to tear up the GT on field with your cleats after the game was over – twice. His daddy wouldn’t have done that…
boots
November 29th, 2009
12:25 pm
Glad to see the Tech game mean something, and I hope (and think) they will stay strong. The Dawgs are the major program though and always will be. Georgia is just too big a program, fan base is much larger, the team is consistently the best and the SEC clobbers the ACC. Glad to see the Dawgs running – that is the future and when we are at our best. But with AJ healthy and Cox graduating, our passing game will be strong next year. GO DAWGS!
jeff p
November 29th, 2009
12:28 pm
Great win for the Dawgs and for at least a little while, restore some confidence in the program and fan base. However:
Willie needs to go – again poor tackling, poor positioning and technique (bad angles by safety and secondary on multiple plays – I have never played or coached a down at the collegiate level, but you can teach technique and positioning on how to cover a play), still not much of a pass rush, etc. etc. If you have an Ala, UF, LSU, TN, etc type defensive in this type of game, you don’t have this game (or any game) this year going down to the wire.
Special Teams Coaches – BYE BYE. How many times do you give the opponent the ball on the 40? – poor tackling, not staying in lanes, kicking ball out of bounds, etc.
Bobo – I am on the fence with him, but still needs to look himself in the mirror. Joe Cox is what he is – a good fit for a 1AA or Div II program – not an SEC or Div I QB. On this night, the O Line got nasty and mean for the first time all year and completely dominated the line of scrimmage – again, reminded me of a physical Dawgs team of the past. Where was this all year? Was it the coach? Was it execution? Scheme? Bottom line is it worked last evening and provides some hope with all returning except for Cox next year – can Sturdivant come back and not get hurt and all of a sudden you appear to have a great O Line which you need to be great.
Richt needs to understand you can be a Christian and still be passionate. It may not be his personality, but I like the fact he got ticked last evening with the Gatorade dousing.
Like in any of our jobs and in life, my motto is you pay attention to the detail things and that is what separates good from great.
Somehow they have to figure out how to minimize penalties (thought I was going to go nuts when Chris Davis was flagged on the first drive – why the heck can’t you be on the same page when you are at the 1? – you kill drives and scoring chances when you mess up like that. Late hits out of bounds – darn it, make the tackle inbounds in the first place and you don’t have that issue. So on and so on).
You win games in the trenches and so O Line and D Line need to be more nasty. You can have all the flashy RB, WR LB and CB/S, but if you don’t have a tough line, you are toast. Keep recruiting and for gosh sakes coach up the line because that is the difference between being good and great – the QB, RB, AJ Green and WR, TE, DB, LB all deserve better next year.
Seriously, look at the game and look at the tape from this team this year – talent IS there, but execution, discipline and attention to detail is lacking – all functions of a complete coaching staff. Hopefully, everyone will look themselves in the mirror and have an objective assessment and make some tough choices – that is the only and honest way to get the program better and back in the right direction.
Houdawg
November 29th, 2009
12:28 pm
So I got nuked ?? How’s this ……..
TECH SUCKS !
More to come ……
King Gator
November 29th, 2009
12:30 pm
If only S.Carolina and the Dawgs played in the ACC… Great wins by both yesterday.. Enough with the ACC is as good as the SEC… tune in next week for the National Championship game, oops I mean the SEC Championship game. Go Gators!
Houdawg
November 29th, 2009
12:30 pm
Hey Tech ……… never forget …….
You’re an ACC TEAM !!
You’re IRRELEVANT !!!
jason
November 29th, 2009
12:30 pm
UGA knows about being screwed by the refs. That is just sad that that is Tech’s excuse for the loss. Look the refs were from the SEC, and we all know how they like to screw UGA over. I mean not even one PF called on #9. How does that happen with SEC officiating. Yeah Tech, the refs really screwed your team over. Next excuse, I am waiting.
pcjeff
November 29th, 2009
12:31 pm
The best team won the game, that is all that needs to be said.
1eyedJack
November 29th, 2009
12:31 pm
Stomped a mudhole in the middle of Grant’s Field.
PI$$ONANERD
November 29th, 2009
12:32 pm
134? LOOK AT MY NAME.
Coffee Bluff DAWG
November 29th, 2009
12:32 pm
jason,
You’re right – it was a good tackle. Did anyone listen to Matt Millen’s comments? – it was a “GREAT TACKLE”.
Bugs just need to MAN UP and say Hey, UGA, you played a GREAT GAME. We could also complain about not having Rambo, AJ, etc. but what’s the point?
Houdawg
November 29th, 2009
12:33 pm
Hey Tech …….
Your BEST team in 20 years couldn’t beat our WORST team in over a decade ……..
And, oh yeah ……. you SUCK !
jason
November 29th, 2009
12:34 pm
How does a team that runs the ball 99% of the time get called for only one holding call the entire game? Regardless, UGA manned up and kicked the crap outta the Jackets.
Preston
November 29th, 2009
12:35 pm
You guys know that saint simons isn’t gonna show up here anymore. Good riddance! What a prick.
Big L
November 29th, 2009
12:35 pm
Gonna be a lonely 8 months.
jason
November 29th, 2009
12:36 pm
UGA was the more physical team. Face it Tech, you just had your mancard pulled. Tech had 3 defensive players leave the game hurt in the first half, and that is not to mention Nesbit.
SEC FAN
November 29th, 2009
12:36 pm
Geez if I had a choice to go to a FCS playoff game or the ACC championship game I would chose the FCS Playoff game. Both of the leagues championship teams lost to two “lower tier” SEC programs.
jason
November 29th, 2009
12:38 pm
SEC FAN, True. And USCe put the smack down on Spiller and the Tigers. Cocks were relentless on D. When they were not sacking the QB, they were blowing up the Screen passes. Total domination on D by the Cocks.
MtnDawg
November 29th, 2009
12:39 pm
ST Simons,
Where are youuu? Come on out and quit playing hide and go seek!
What’s the matter, dawg got your keyboard???!
30-24 hahahahahahahahahah….
jason
November 29th, 2009
12:42 pm
What’s the matter, dawg got your keyboard???!
Nope just his man card. It has been pulled. Along with all the other Jackets.
MamaDawg
November 29th, 2009
12:45 pm
UGA never trailed in the game, UGA never punted in the game…and hence UGA didn’t lose the game. Too bad, so sad for Tech fans. 30-24. End of story.
gtturnedup
November 29th, 2009
12:45 pm
Well it looks like CMR will keep his entire coaching staff…..haha great things to come…..have fun in beautiful Shreveport
Dagadawg
November 29th, 2009
12:45 pm
45-42 HAHAHAHAHAHAHA…………….
Upset Special
November 29th, 2009
12:46 pm
Hey were are the REAL Tech fans… Ramble on, M, Yellow Fuzz, Trade School Flunkie, Stinger… Where is Burdell??
I can tell you where they are.. hiding under their mother’s skirts. Come out and play boys. Afraid you’ll get your nose bloodied? Find you buddy St Simons and bring him too. You guys have no balls. Come and get your medicine. You are all a bunch of big mouth fair weathered fans that give all Tech fans a bad name.
The best thing about this win is seeing you chicken excretments run and hide. Now you can start talking about academics or Wal-mart or trailers because you sure can’t talk about football.
The ACC should give up football.
DFWTX Dawg
November 29th, 2009
12:47 pm
Congrats to GT on a great season, but we took you guys behind the wood shed tonight. CPJ’s play-calling at the end was as arrogant and asinine as I can remember. I think it ranks with Belicheck’s decision to go for it on 4th and 2 from his own 28 against the Colts a couple of weeks ago. ACC got a serious slap in the face from the SEC yesterday. Everyone expected FSU to get manhandled, but when both division champs of a conference get beat-up and bullied by middle-tier teams from another conference, that should be a nice slice of humble pie. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah I know you beat the other 2 SEC teams you played this year, but come on…MSU and Vandy were the weakest the SEC has to offer, and it’s not like you completely manhandled them. You think UGA is physical, could you imagine what would happen if you played UF or Bama. BTW…your defense is even worse than UGA’s.
Tron5000
November 29th, 2009
12:47 pm
Hey, Upset Special, I’m here and I ain’t hiding. Not blaming officials either. Read my post on page 12. That’s what a real Tech fan thinks.
DFWTX Dawg
November 29th, 2009
12:49 pm
PROPS to O-line and Chapas. GT defenders were dropping like the turd-flies they are.
Kendawg
November 29th, 2009
12:51 pm
I got my Christmas present early this year. I can’t believe how well the UGA team ran the ball last night compared to how we ran it early in the season. And how about that game plan? I don’t know if Bobo or Richt came up with it, but it was brilliant.
ApopkaFlDawg
November 29th, 2009
12:52 pm
Let’s give Joe Cox a break. He was inactive on the sideline for four years and we expect him to come in as a fifth year senior and play perfectly in the SEC? I saw some bad plays over the season, but I saw some very good passes from him. I think he has the talent; he just did not have the game experince. Also, the Teck game is no vindication for Martinez. Tech came out in the second half and scored touchdowns on eavery possession except for the two they stopped themselves with a fumble and a dropped pass. Good game, but the defense still sucks. Willie has to go. Bobo has to go also. We run the ball effectively all night. We get into field goal range to ice the game and Bobo calls a pass play that loses yards and takes us out of range. Stupid. Both have to be replaced.
1eyedJack
November 29th, 2009
12:53 pm
There’s a new sheriff in town and the DAWGS just stomped a mudhole in him.
Try to sound like a pup
November 29th, 2009
12:54 pm
“We won the second half”
Coffee Bluff DAWG
November 29th, 2009
12:54 pm
hey gtturnedup,
You saw the future last night and apparently you didn’t like what you saw. Instead of all the GT excuses why not say UGA, you played a GREAT GAME?
MamaDawg
November 29th, 2009
12:56 pm
ACC—–> All ‘Cox’sucker Conference. ROFLMAO!!
The ACC proved yesterday that they just can’t run with the big boys of the SEC. GT certainly doesn’t deserve to be playing in the ACCCG.
30-24 We aren’t gonna let you forget it!
jason
November 29th, 2009
12:56 pm
Tron5000, Upset’s post is not directed at you. It is directed at certain Tech fans. I give nothing but respect to Tech and what they have done the past 2 years under CPJ. I was even touting Nesbit for Heissman reconition. That was a hell of a game last night. UGA jumped out early, but we knew Tech would answer. Look at this. There were only 10 penalities combined. 3 TOs combined. Tech just gave up more big plays than UGA did. When Thomas twent 75 for a TD, I wasn’t worried because I knew CPJ would make the necessarry half time adjustments. He did, but UGA was just to physical up front on both sides of the ball. The point at whinch I got worried was when Bobo went to shotgun on third and four and ran the screen pass. I would have just stayed with the power and run the ball to the middle of the field. When Walsh missed that FG, I was nervous about the defense being able to continue to slow Tech’s offense down. While Tech mad some nice runs on the outside, once UGA had the lead, they just made Tech earn every yard and not give up the big play. When Tech finally scored on that 1 yd. TD, they had ran almost 7 min. off the clock. UGA was still up a td, and I knew it would be hard for Tech to score a TD, They would have had to be in a passing mode, and UGA was ready for it. All in all it was one of the better games in this rivalry. I was expecting a close hard fouhgt game with Tech winning. To say that I was pleasently surprised is an understatement.
Swampdawg
November 29th, 2009
12:58 pm
Cox not so bad….Cox bailed out Stafford in the Colorado game a few years back. Had better scores with FL in the last 2 years. Beat Tech on 1st try. Give him a break!
jason
November 29th, 2009
1:01 pm
Why don’t we lay off the coaches today and enjoy this win. I too have been highly critical of Bobo, CWM, and even CMR. Last night was the perfect storm. We may never see this again. We had CWM and Bobo working in synch. Both lines were dominating all night. Bobo called an excellent game with the exception of one play. CWM had a good game plan as well. Is it enough for CWM to stay? No it’s not. To me, too much water under the bridge. As for Bobo, I think he should be given a pass. He is still a rather young OC and is getting better.
jason
November 29th, 2009
1:02 pm
What’s up Mark. not posting my posts?
jesse james
November 29th, 2009
1:02 pm
There was justice last night at Historic Grant Field. Joe Cox walked off that field knowing that he helped win a big rivalry game. That kid has had to put up with alot of crap. On the QB keeper he showed what kind of character he had. Not many QB’s would have put his shoulder down and run over the defender. As far as Nesbitt, you have to really admire that kid for coming back and trying to lead his team. I tip my hat to both kids. You can be on my team anyday!
gtturnedup
November 29th, 2009
1:04 pm
where was the excuse…..how about you learn to comprehend what people type
Hal Mumme
November 29th, 2009
1:04 pm
BBBBWWWWAAAAHHHHAAAAAA – Tech
GGGGOOOOO DDDDAAAAWWWGGGSS Even with a bad year, we are ACC Champs
I prefer to win the SEC, but winning your conference will do this year
Nice program- douches
FLUKE PROGRAM
The Varsity holds more people than your stadium
Coffee Bluff DAWG
November 29th, 2009
1:12 pm
gtturnedup,
Sarcastic remark about our bowl game. Nice try after getting your mouth bloodied last night.
How ’bout them bugs gtturnedup! MAN UP and give a compliment or get lost.
jbeggs
November 29th, 2009
1:17 pm
Well I guess all those tech car-tags, flags, and t-shirts can be put away again. Too bad you Techies only got to sport them for a year. Second rate conference, second rate coach (that may be leaving), second rate offense, and second rate team!!! All those posts over the last year I had no choice but to absorb – an I read them all from you techsters. Suck on this loss for a year!!!!!!!!!!!
Duke
November 29th, 2009
1:18 pm
Pissonadog…you are a poor loser, but at least you have the sand to come back here…unlike Saint Simons…30-24…suck it!!!