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
30-24!!!!!!!!!!!
November 28th, 2009
11:56 pm
Mark- you were wrong.
Iceman
November 28th, 2009
11:56 pm
DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
observer
November 28th, 2009
11:56 pm
SC dominates clemson….GA dominates tech….the best of the acc has to play next week in a championship knowing they can’t compete with an avg sec team. Can you really call it a championship. Those are two very weak teams. Goes to show you that the sec is tops again.
MauiDAWG
November 28th, 2009
11:56 pm
How funny is it that the two ACC championship oppenents got whipped by two SEC schools. Time to wake up Tech fans
Chuckie D
November 28th, 2009
11:57 pm
Hey BOBO:
Why did it take you so long to figure out that we have a stable of running backs and just perhaps, we could establish a true running game?
Jeez—-
real St. Simons
November 28th, 2009
11:57 pm
So Proud of my DAWGS! Anyone claiming to be from St. Simons and cheering for TECH is playing you. All SSI folks cheer for UGA.
godawgs1
November 28th, 2009
11:57 pm
to saint simons…..30-24 hahahahahahahahahahahahahah sec 3-0 this weeked hahahaahahahahahahahahahaah best number 8 in country did not even play hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
heyberto
November 28th, 2009
11:57 pm
All of a sudden, ajc commentators love Georgia.. that’s odd.. I thought they were objective? lolololol. All a bunch of idiots. Go Dawgs!
dumbfounded dog
November 28th, 2009
11:57 pm
hey st simons 30-24 hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha,dumb ass
AIN'T Simon!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 28th, 2009
11:57 pm
30-24!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NXS
November 28th, 2009
11:57 pm
Tech turds tumultuously tumbling towards terrible town. 30-24, rotate on that losers!
tchance
November 28th, 2009
11:57 pm
saint simons, how does it go?????????? 30-24 hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha…doesn’t feel so good does it punk?????????????????
dawgshack
November 28th, 2009
11:57 pm
UGA and South Carolina next week in the ACC championship! Anyone up for a roadtrip?
LAKE OCONEE DAWG
November 28th, 2009
11:57 pm
MARK BRADLEY AND SCULTZIE, THE CROW IS ALMOST DONE AND WANT TO BE THERE TO SERVE YOU UP A BIG HELPING…SILENCE IS GOLDEN…GUESS WILLIE AND BOBO CAN COACH EM UP AFTER ALL…AND TO THE DOUBTERS AND FAIR WEATHER FANS, FIND YOU ANOTHER TEAM TO FOLLOW BEFORE NEXT YEAR…WITH BRADLEY AND SCULTZ STIRRING THE POT, I WAS ASHAMED OF THE THINGS I READ IN THE BLOGS FROM SUPPOSED UGA FANS…THEY DID SOMETHING NOBODY THOUGHT THEY COULD DO, SO NOW MARK FIND SOMEONE TO WRITE ABOUT AS YOU EAT YOUR CROW..WE BULLDOG FANS HAVE READ ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK OF OUR COACHING STAFF AND TEAM…FIND OUT WHERE TERRANCE WENT AND FOLLOW HIM THERE…HE WAS A BULLDOG BASHER TOO, BUT HE BASHED EVERYBODY….MARK, THIS BUDS FOR YOU….
PeachJam
November 28th, 2009
11:57 pm
339 rushing yards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s great to be a Georgia Bulldog.
DawginLex
November 28th, 2009
11:57 pm
to the nerd herd
Send the Father’s Day cards to Sanford stadium because we all know who your daddy is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
San Diego Dawg
November 28th, 2009
11:57 pm
I remember this power running game from the opening drive against OSU. Bobo should have done this all year.
Gleeknik
November 28th, 2009
11:57 pm
ACC Championship:
South Carolina and the Dawgs will meet in Jacksonville to see who’s the best team in Duke’s conference.
Russ
November 28th, 2009
11:58 pm
I am undefeated NERDS,go pop a pimple
J Dog
November 28th, 2009
11:58 pm
Anyone up for the mighty ACC Championship game?? Should be a good one. Two teams who can’t even beat mid level SEC Teams. Oh yea, and the winner goes to the BCS Orange Bowl! See anything wrong with this picture??
WE NEED A PLAYOFF!!!
In Memory of UGA VII
November 28th, 2009
11:58 pm
All I can say is “Karma” those Tech fans(not all) that have been passing around all of these disgraceful cartoons of UGA VII, you dont mess with our beloved mascot and get away with it and Our Team proved that tonight!!!! No matter what we have more class than you can even think about and you should be ashamed! REST IN PEACE NOW UGA VII!
Bobo calls a great game....Georgia wins
November 28th, 2009
11:58 pm
Bobo FINALLY did it, he called some running plays.
pdawg
November 28th, 2009
11:58 pm
“Johnson’s team is the rising power, Richt’s the fading light. Three points did all that. Three points and one cocksure coach”
Well cocksure that Bradley. 8 out of 9 and Willie Martinez just sucked all the air out of that big nerdy baloon. And whats that Richts fading light is bright enough to still read 30-24! Dang its going to be fun reading Bradleys PJ worship articles that are now all crap.
AIN'T Simon!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 28th, 2009
11:58 pm
SEC 3 ACC 0!!!!!!!!!!!!! 30-24 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NJ Dawg
November 28th, 2009
11:59 pm
I came here looking to see what St. Simons had to say… guess maybe I should go looking under the porch or something.
Mark Bradley
November 28th, 2009
11:59 pm
I think Richt outcoached Johnson. Absolutely. Richt’s team took the opening kickoff and imposed its will. Georgia was the better team this night and its coach was the better coach.
sarfdawg
November 28th, 2009
11:59 pm
We don’t need no stinkin’ bowl game, btw. Nowhere to go but down from tonight!!!
(((((((((((((((((((((((30-24))))))))))))))))))))))))))0
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Jekyll Island
November 28th, 2009
11:59 pm
((((((((30 24))))))))) ROFLMAO! Hey St Simons! Kiss our #$%$! LMAO!
SEC fan
November 28th, 2009
11:59 pm
Sleep well Mark. Sorry your Nerds got kicked again
Freddy
November 28th, 2009
11:59 pm
Saint Simons… Your Mom is calling you to the basement
Fools Gold
November 28th, 2009
11:59 pm
Georgia’s fixing to fall?
But speaking just for me
and some people from AJC,
we got a thing or two to tell you all.
This Dawg may have stumbled
but he ain’t never fell.
And if the Techies don’t believe that
they can all go straight to hell.
We’re gonna put UGA on its feet
on the path of the another streak
and then God bless Georgia again.
And you never did think that it ever would happen again.
In Georgia, did you?
You never did think that we’d ever get together again.
Well we damn sure fooled you.
We’re walking real proud and we’re talking real loud again
In Georgia.
You never did think that it ever would happen again.
And we may have done a little bit of fighting amongst ourselves,
but you outside people best leave us alone.
Cause we’ll all stick together
and you can take that to the bank.
That’s the Gators and the Jackets and the rebels and the yanks.
You just go and lay your hand on a Georgia Bulldog fan
and I think you’re gonna finally understand.
And you never did think that it ever would happen again.
In Georgia, did you?
You never did think that we’d ever get together again.
Well we damn sure fooled you.
We’re walking real proud and we’re talking real loud again
In Georgia.
You never did think that it ever would happen again.
Dadofadog
November 28th, 2009
11:59 pm
Hats off to Coach Johnson for a great season, but where did those last four pass plays come from? Thanks anyway.
Where's Saint Simons?
November 28th, 2009
11:59 pm
Saint Simons’ football days are over. Back to World of Warcraft nerd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Barry from Eastenders .
November 28th, 2009
11:59 pm
Mark — You stated “I don’t think Georgia can pound Tech. Other way around, maybe.” Really???? Looking back on that bit of insight, do you have any follow-up wisdom you wish to impart? GA = Hammer GT = Nail
74 UGA grad
November 28th, 2009
11:59 pm
Georgia lost exactly one game this season it should have won. And that was 100 percent due to turnovers. Three good wins. One great one. One bad loss. One pathetic effort.
Not exactly what Dawg fans wanted, but not that much worse than what was realistic considering the talent lost on offense and the fact there were no changes made regarding the person in charge of the D.
As for the author of this blog, I don’t think you’re going to submit your column in the Saturday paper to any awards committees or on your resume when/if the AJC sports department is entirely turned over to Mr. AP.
Georgia wasn’t as good as folks like you thought they were going to be this season, but did not play as poorly as was reported (with the exception of the Tennessee game). You completely overreacted in your Saturday column, and followed that with a complete about face after the victory.
Nice 180.
Thanks to the turnover fest last week, no New Years game in Florida.
Hello Peach Bowl. Hope it’s against Clemson and not Va. Tech.
Mark Bradley
November 28th, 2009
11:59 pm
Pretty impressive debut for ol’ Russ, wouldn’t you say?
dawg149
November 28th, 2009
11:59 pm
I’m not gonna jump blogs like y’all been doing all freakin year, I’ll just stay here and enjoy this one with DAWGS…………………….nite nite St Simons sleep well and dont DROP the hemlock!!!!!!!!!!!!!
boog
November 28th, 2009
11:59 pm
Bradley you are so fickle it borders on the ridiculous. You don’t know any more than the rest of us…actually less. Your views change based on the most recent moment. It’s a joke. You and Schultz have no credibility whatsover. So now we are good again? Geez. First, if Tech played in the SEC they may win seven games a year. This was not an upset. They were lucky to win last year
Bibb Dawg
November 29th, 2009
12:00 am
Can’t hear you, Saint Simons. Guess you’ve tucked tail.
BitDawgBarking
November 29th, 2009
12:00 am
Tech wasn’t man enough, PJ wasn’t coach enough, and the ACC sux. How sweet it is!
J Dog
November 29th, 2009
12:00 am
These blogs are piling up so fast I can’t even read them!
GO DOGS!! (sorry Dawg Nation, but when the dust settles we still need to replace Willie)
elllis
November 29th, 2009
12:00 am
great game Dogs
How Sweet It Is
November 29th, 2009
12:00 am
Yes where is Saint Simons?? He’s thinking of a way to hate on Georgia. But wait, he can’t b/c Tech got busted in the mouth! Ramble on you bunch of nose picking nerds!!!!!!!!!! Oh how sweet it is!!!!! the ACC sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dawg Fan
November 29th, 2009
12:00 am
The ACC sucks!!! Clemson to S. Carolina and Ga Tech to the DAWGS. Two below avg SEC teams demolish the best of the ACC. Man they suck!!!!!
John Thomp
November 29th, 2009
12:00 am
Tech plays gimmicky football. Their skill position players are really not that talented… its just all that “trickeration” that allows them to bust big plays. Let’s face it, Dwyer and Co. would not make it in the SEC playing for a real football offense. Johnson and tech should take their little sho to the XFL. By the way, imagine if we had AJ tonight! Go Dawgs!
seve
November 29th, 2009
12:01 am
Yes, they did the yellow jackets right and St. Simons bite my a$$$!!!!!!1
JPaul
November 29th, 2009
12:01 am
about friggin time dawgs–willie still needs to go!
sarfdawg
November 29th, 2009
12:01 am
Mark, is Willie still gone, or did Bobo save him (great gameplan).
dawg149
November 29th, 2009
12:01 am
The ACC…….Almost Could Conference………………………………..enjoy Tampa………………………….
Barry from Eastenders .
November 29th, 2009
12:01 am
Mark — You have become a caricature of yourself you column from yesterday was exhibit A. It is almost as though someone has hi-jacked your column and is recycling these columns so as to make you look evermore ridiculous. We just read earlier this week how last November, with one humble victory, college football as we know it in the state of Georgia has been changed. That singular event served to launch Georgia and Georgia Tech on diverging trajectories. Obviously, these were absurd and grossly over-simplified leaps in logic — but you made them – so they must be true. Now, just a few days later, we read that if Georgia were to somehow win tomorrow it would be harmful to Georgia. Brilliant.
Now that you have crafted these logic loops with your keen insights, can you please share with us what profound conclusion can be derived from a UGA victory? We know you believe it would somehow be harmful for Georgia, but what pray tell does it mean for the state of college football in Georgia and for the nascent juggernaut of program led by your new love Paul Johnson? I mean, if CPJ loses to the bumbling idiot that is Mark Richt, who can’t even beat basketball schools like Kentucky, then what does it say about the Paul Johnson as Clint Eastwood in Jacket drag narrative you have spun? I mean, as you told us earlier this week we can draw conclusions about careers, programs and rivalries based on the outcome of a single game. I will wait with baited breath as to how you craft your next masterpiece.