An inspired UGA goes to 2-4 and ponders ‘running the table’
The Alpha Dawg: Mark Richt leads Georgia onto the field. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
ATHENS — The best 1-4 team in the land was so excited to be 1-4 no more that it did a victory dance in the locker room. Chief among the celebrants was the head Bulldog.
“Coach [Mark] Richt was the main one,” said Demarcus Dobbs, the defensive end. “He loves to get crazy after games.”
The past four Saturdays had yielded only a crazy sorrow. Indeed, as tailback Caleb King noted, the Bulldogs reacted with such fervor to Saturday’s thrashing of woebegone Tennessee team because their dancing had been so long deferred.
“It’s a silly dance,” King said. “But we hadn’t been able to do it for a while.”
Dobbs again: “It’s a lot different when you win. When you lose, everybody’s hanging his head and people are asking what went wrong. Today everybody’s vibrant.”
Not since Sept. 4 had the Georgia Bulldogs won a game. Not since Nov. 21 had they taken a lead against an SEC opponent. And the worst part of being 1-4 (and 0-3 against conference brethren) was that these Bulldogs knew, just knew, they were way better than that.
Here’s the redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Murray, who was as good Saturday as most redshirt seniors ever get: “We feel like we can definitely run the table these last six games.”
Got that? From 1-4 to 2-4 … clear to 8-4? (Which would mean beating Florida, Auburn and Georgia Tech.) As presumptuous as it might sound, there’s nonetheless something tangible backstopping that belief. That something is talent.
It took a lot of (mis)doing for a team this gifted to get to 1-4, and it took some effort for Richt to keep it from going totally south after the egregious losses in Starkville and Boulder. To his credit, the coach of 10 years’ standing changed some things.
The Bulldogs practiced in full pads Monday. (Richt admitted Saturday his light-contact approach to summer camp “backfired.”) The team dressed at the Butts-Mehre complex, doing the pregame Dawg Walk in full gear. Prompted by a caller to his radio show, Richt even led his Bulldogs onto the field.
And the result? Said Richt, speaking of his men: “They played beautifully.”
He also recalled what he had told his team after the full-contact Monday session: “If you guys will play like you just did, we’re going to be all right.”
Whatever has ailed Georgia — and when you’re 1-4, you’ve ailed — can be fixed. We saw Saturday the difference between a team with a bad record and good players and one with a bad record and bad players. This game was over after a quarter. Tennessee kept handing the Bulldogs the ball, and the Bulldogs kept taking it and scoring. And the best player on the field was the player Georgia hadn’t had for four games.
“We’re not going to give up,” said A.J. Green, the great receiver. “We’re all we’ve got.”
At peak capacity, Georgia has a lot. That was the message Richt sought to send with his Monday-in-pads decree, a message seconded on Friday by the former UGA linebacker Boss Bailey, who served as honorary captain for this game. Said Richt: “He felt like he needed to tell them that they weren’t playing ball the way ball should be played here at Georgia.”
On Saturday they did. They beat Tennessee by 27 points and spent the fourth quarter coasting. It would have been unseemly to embarrass Derek Dooley, the Vols’ coach and the son of Georgia’s greatest coach. (For the record, Vince Dooley watched the game from his home on Milledge Circle. His wife, Barbara, was in attendance wearing red slacks and an orange sweater, a look even the stylish Mrs. D. couldn’t quite pull off.)
By then, Richt’s team had long since proved its point: Georgia may have a bad record, but it isn’t a bad team. And now six games remain, time enough to do some damage.
Said Richt: “I never lost hope. I never lost faith. I never thought we had a significant amount of problems.”
Except for the losing. The losing was an issue. On this Saturday, as opposed to the past four, Georgia did not lose. It won and did its silly dance. It will dance some more before this season is done.
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797 comments Add your comment
danny
October 11th, 2010
9:30 am
Only from Mark Bradley…what a pipe dream.
Dave
October 11th, 2010
9:44 am
Georgia AD just confirmed King’s issue was a speeding ticket, and he was onyl mildly exceeding the speed.
Dave
October 11th, 2010
9:46 am
The King story has FINALLY been updated, with information they should have had 4 hours ago, Macon did.
http://www.ajc.com/sports/uga/ugas-caleb-king-jailed-675433.html
JB
October 11th, 2010
9:47 am
#11? Maybe we can win the Fulmer Cup two years in a row. No need to worry about SEC titles. The Fulmer Cup will do.
Joel
October 11th, 2010
9:50 am
South Carolina gets:
Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida, and Clemson
South Carolina ranks LAST in the SEC in pass defense. South Carolina gave up over 300 yards rushing against Auburn.
Kentucky, and Arkansas’ offenses are perfect matches for South Carolina’s defense, 2 losses there. I don’t think Spurrier’s done real well against Urban Meyer, you’d have to pick Meyer in that match-up. Even Clemson has some weapons. South Carolina should get 1 more win at Tennessee, though not as impressively as Georgia, of course.
Bart
October 11th, 2010
9:52 am
I think Tenn will crush South Carolina. Tenn wills tart using that Freshman receiver, he’s incredible. And Poole can run. tenn had an off-game against Georgia, but if Tenn plays like they did against LSU, South Carolina will lose that one too.
South Carolina willl go 0-5 from here out. I just don’t see a team they can beat on their schedule.
baddog99
October 11th, 2010
9:57 am
See this is what ticks me off!! They tell Ealey not to drive and he does. King has a court appearance for a speeding ticket and he doesn’t show up. It’s one thing after another with these guys because they all think they are above the law and that because they play football for a major college that they are immune! Grow up and act like responsible young men you punks!!
Bail Money
October 11th, 2010
10:00 am
Can right bail caleb king out of jail in time for the vandy game?
Dawgs Beat Gators!!
October 11th, 2010
10:01 am
This florida team is average, with all kinds of coaching and attitude problems. The Dawgs will end the string and beat florida by 10 in jax—book it!
Atlantan
October 11th, 2010
10:02 am
As an actual Uga grad it is time for Mark Richt to go. If you can’t keep the players out of consistent legal trouble – with 10% of the team being in legal trouble this year enough is enough.
It actually does tarnish the University and the degrees alumni hold. I’m sick of it and ready for a change. I’ll never give another dime to the school until the administration shows they actually care about academic and athletic excellence in that order.
danny
October 11th, 2010
10:04 am
Caleb…rent the old Elvis movie “Jailhouse Rock”. Play football and quit worrying about dancing!
jtdawg
October 11th, 2010
10:07 am
Brandon,
What a childish statement. Why would a poster be an ‘idiot’ for posting obvious coaching deficiencies?
Actually, the ‘idiotic’ statement is thinking that beating up a very young, mistake prone, overmatched Tennessee team makes everything OK.
The truth is Richt, the Dawg players, and whoever was impersonating as Bobo did what they have been expected to do all along – get this team prepared to play phyiscal, agressive football.
Unless you don’t pay attention at all, you would notice there are still some very correctible deficiencies this staff need to work on with this team. The OLine still has problems, the running backs are poor by UGA standards, the special teams are nothing to write home about, the defense still has issues playing assignment football, and mental lapses leading to penalties and fumbles.
The coaches did well at their jobs this week. THe players flew around and leveraged their natural talent, but with all due respect to the Vol Nation, that wasn’t the ‘98 NC team we played yesterday.
FulmerCupWinners
October 11th, 2010
10:11 am
I can see some of the team giving Caleb King secret high fives when he gets back and when the coaches aren’t around saying “yeah man you got out of that one, ha ha he he” Bet they think these arrests are funny and cool but to everyone else they look like a bunch of spoiled, stupid jacka$$es!!
jtdawg
October 11th, 2010
10:12 am
This staff and Ricth gets props for getting the Bullpups prepared this week, now lets see him keep the edge and have them firing out and being physical every week…
Then there will be other deficiencies he can focus on, like discipline…
Some people are ridiculous. The yell about not overreacting to one bad game, then at the same time one good game negates what has turned out to be years of neglect. What a frikkin hypocritical joke.
That said, if UGA goes to JAX at .500, Richt gets another year to turn the program around. If for some reason we slide into another embarassing meltdown or 2 before December, don’t be surprised if McGarity, who has no loyalty to Richt at all, doens’t turn up the heat on the Saint, who I actually love as a man and role model, just not so much a leader of a team….
Bart
October 11th, 2010
10:24 am
Richt .500? He’s never won less than 8 games in over 20 years as a coach.
St. Richt
October 11th, 2010
10:27 am
Shouldn’t this title read: “An inspired UGA goes to 2-4 and ponders “stealing the table”"
Bail Money Fund
October 11th, 2010
10:30 am
I’m getting concerned that the UGA Bail Money Fund may be running low, requiring a special appropriation from the Georgia legislature to replenish it to keep these players out of jail for game weekends. Does anyone know much cash is left after all these arrests and bail outs?
Dawg H8R
October 11th, 2010
11:05 am
Jawja sux.
This jacket will beat a dawgs ass
October 11th, 2010
2:04 pm
Congrats on the win dawgs, I was actually there with some Tennessee friends and I was impressed by what I saw, especially from Murray.
On the other hang, Mark Bradly, and the rest of you AJC reporters……All last week I saw NOTHING but NEGATIVE article after NEGATIVE article about UGA football and how much they suck and how hopeless they are and I heard how every coach on the coaching staff should be fired.
Now all of the sudden you morons think that UGA is going to “RUN THE TABLE”….. This is the most bandwagon article I have ever read in my life and you AJC reporters should all be ashamed of yourselves.
Also, UGA fans, while you looked great, please don’t get too excited. Tennesee is a HORRIBLE football team. ANYBODY can get a big win against a team that coughs the ball up on their side of the field THREE TIMES. Big win, but not as big as you pups think, and to hear you say you will “run the table” makes me want to be an AJC reporter because it is straight up blasphemy how you guys flipped all your thoughts in the matter of a week.
Bart
October 11th, 2010
2:44 pm
Yeah, LSU did great against the HORRIBLE Tenn team, right? Too funny. Face it, Georgia’s the new SEC power, and you can’t handle the truth.
Boobie Bowden
October 11th, 2010
2:48 pm
All I got to say is the road to the SEC East better not go through Walton County,
Sincerely,
Caleb King
Inmate #987654321
This jacket will beat a dawgs ass
October 11th, 2010
3:38 pm
Georgia is the new SEC power?? OMG ya’ll are complete idiots, thanks for the good laugh.
This jacket will beat a dawgs ass
October 11th, 2010
3:39 pm
FYI Bart…..”The new SEC power” is 1-4 in the SEC this year…in other words, YOU ARE THE SCUM OF THE SEC….moron
chazzo
October 11th, 2010
3:44 pm
Let’s just focus on getting past Vandy. Please.
MURPHY
October 11th, 2010
4:12 pm
Bart,
I believe I read your morning post correctly. You said UT would crush Carolina? Yeah ok! Ut will play everyone tough but Im sold on this years Spurrier team and I dont see them losing focus on that SEC Championship.
MURPHY
October 11th, 2010
4:17 pm
chazzo,
How we play against Vandy and Kent will tell us if this weeks performance was a fluke. I sure hope we have half way righted the ship. I still dont think Tenn is that bad. I do however dont think they are nearly good engough to overcome 3 turnovers. I look back on how tough we played Carolina and Ark and wonder if we are talented enough to compete with the rest of our schedule.
Bart
October 12th, 2010
12:05 am
Georgia is THE new SEC power.
Georgia will finish 5-3 in SEC play, win the SEC East, win the SEC Championship, and win a BCS Bowl.
South Carolina ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS IMPLODES under Spurrier. Every year, same song at end of season.
Florida ain’t even in the talk, they’re simply atrocious, giving excuses again for losing like Brantley’s was hurt. Cry me a river, this is the SEC boys, you get bruised ribs, you play on.
Dawgtards ruin this state
October 12th, 2010
12:19 am
thUGA players are trying to get arrested so they won’t be made fun of for being losers on the field.
valleyboy32
October 12th, 2010
12:26 pm
I JUST WISH RIHCT WOULD OVER SIGHN RECRUITS LIKE SABAN DOES IT’S BENDING THE RULE NOT BREAKING IT TAKING ABOUT GOING FULL PADS THATS THE EVEN BETTER REASON TO DO IT
fair and Balanced
October 12th, 2010
3:30 pm
At the present rate of arrests – we won’t have enough good players to win 6 more games. Trust me – they won’t do it. They can’t do it. I wish they would and I wish they could, but this whole program is so out of sync that this is just impossible. I’m discouraged, disappointed and disgusted with GA Football! It all needs to be changed at the end of this season.
Tech Buzz
October 12th, 2010
8:28 pm
UGA is now “inspired” according to mark bradley? YES!!! Now the dawgs can win the rest of their games easily, go to a good bowl and richt will get a huge raise and bonus!!!!!! YES!!!! The dawgs are back and are “inspired!!!” I heard they have planned a new, elaborate endzone taunting dance when they score their first TD against florida, like 2007!!!!! Ricth–the master motivator!! He’s got the dogs “inspired!!!” YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!
steveinga
October 12th, 2010
8:43 pm
Bama has fought a few wars the last couple of weeks. USC had two weeks to prepare. After the Fla game Bama had an emotional let down. It is almost impossible to keep that emotional high and maybe Bama looked past USC. I even told people that this was the week Bama would go down based on that. In the SEC Championship Game if both teams make it, God Help the Cocks – it will not be pretty. Bank on that!
I have read over and over that Ga is a medicore team and always has been, especially from you UF fans. UF is a medicore team and without Tebow this will be self evident. Welcome to a 3 or 4 loss season UF. I predicted that before the season and UF is making that a truth. Fact is you do not have a coach that has ever built a winning team, he has always been a walk on. We at UGA have a coach that with some common sense we will keep. You on the other hand have one that will bail and run if the season keeps going as it is, does retirement sound familar. Fla St and Miami will cut into your recruiting. Welcome to the days of yore UF,
Those of us that are long time SEC supporters realized long ago that no one, no one stays on top forever in the SEC. Impossible. I have lived long enough to remember the days of when Ole Miss, LSU, Ala, Auburn, UGA and yes even UF. They all take turns. I judge our success on our performance against Bama and Auburn it has always been a good bench mark. USC and UF seem to always refer to UGA on how well their season was, jealousy is a terrible thing. The fact is I expect to watch another 20 to 30 years of SEC football and rest easily at night knowing that even in that amount of time USC and UF will never even the score against my medicore Dawgs.
steveinga
October 12th, 2010
9:51 pm
God help the Cocks if they meet the Tide in the Championship Game.
UF fans don’t bust your ass on the way down. When you get there you will have just much more in common with your parents. What day does he announce his retirement again. Start looking!
UT fans, ask Fulmer for forgiveness. You got what you wanted. Justice can be cruel.
Bama do a DNA test on Sabin, The Bear walked on water, he may have risen.
Vandy, Bless you all, Bobby did you wrong
LSU, I saw the 12th player get on your bus, Shame on You.
USC enjoy the ride, it never lasts long enough in the SEC
Miss St, welcome back, you are starting to look like SEC again
KY you always look like you may have arrived, there is always basketball
Ark because of your coach it is hard to find reasons to pull for you even outside of the SEC
Ole Miss you are verge of commanding respect again, you have the coach to make that happen
Auburn you play like you never hear the fat lady sing, pure SEC football
DAWGS, you are my brothers, this to shall pass, even the best have had their bad days, greatness is built on overcoming trails and tribulations. Our history is great, our future greater. Go Dawgs.
AFDawg
October 12th, 2010
10:01 pm
Excellent point RAID — the kicking teams need practice. I couldn’t believe the lack of aggression on that PAT either. Also, we were lucky we didn’t get a turnover on the kick-off that went off our returners knee. He should never have tried to catch that ball — it was headed out of bounds. In a close game those kinds of mistakes can kill you.
AFDawg
October 12th, 2010
10:04 pm
The dogs had better be ready to do some hard hitting against Kentucky — they look tough. CMR will need to use his depth against them to try and wear down their starters.
King Gator
October 12th, 2010
10:37 pm
hit and running the table?
carey
October 13th, 2010
2:03 am
i suppose mark bradley is being sarcastic because that is all that is being reported on ga dawgs. caleb king did next to nothting why is ajc so down on them are they trying to get mark richt fired and why is everything from atlanta so negative its not from the rest of the state so what is so wrong in the innercity, out here inthe state it is nice just wish the dawgs could win but im here win or lose!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Earl
October 13th, 2010
8:17 am
One game at a time!
41-14
October 13th, 2010
1:00 pm
Why are all the Trekkie douches posting?
Do you remember 30-24 or 73-66 or 8 of 9 or 60-39-5 or 50,000 seat “stadium” or free hotdogs and cokes to get people to attend even though you are in downtown Atlanta?
Dawgs Win Out!
October 13th, 2010
1:37 pm
Even without caleb king, the dawgs will blow out the next two creampuffs, vandy and UK–these teams are terrible. After that huge UT win, the dawgs are fired up and will be practicing the next 2 weeks for florida, which is way down and beatable.
Davey
October 13th, 2010
5:52 pm
Given Spurrier’s annual metldown at SC, and Meyer’s extreme record of either going 13-1 or 5-3, you’d have to say Georgia wins the SEC East, then the SEC Championship game, and heads to a BCS Bowl to finish 10-4. Another 10 win season after starting out 1-4, pretty amazing. Richt averages 10 wins a season, and he wants to get to 100 wins in 2010. So heeds to win at least 7 more games this season.
Davey
October 13th, 2010
6:10 pm
I think Meyer goes winless in October in 2010 & 2011. If he loses to MSU, which I think he will, then Georgia will finsih Meyer off.
I think Coach Mullen was a critical part of Meyer’s success, and Mullen’s offensive play-callign skills are better than Addazio’s, Saturday will show that.
MSU upsets Florida, and so does Georgia.
Ruff
October 13th, 2010
6:14 pm
Spurrier has proven he cannot keep a winning streak going at the end of a season at SC. He’s a starter, where Richt’s been a finisher. The team is just destined to lose. It doesn’t matter of Spurrier starts out 5-12 or 7-1, it’s just not in the cards for Spurrier to ever win the big one at SC.
Steve;’s like that sprinter who gets out to a big lead, and then runs out of gas by the 3rd turn around the track, and watches every team go by.
Richt’s a marathon runner, he might start slow, but he usually finishes near the top at the finish line.
UGA>UF
October 14th, 2010
10:17 am
The gators are done–their offense is one of the worst in the SEC and UGA is moving up! Look for a huge UGA upset over florida in jax followed by a blowout win over Tech! These dawgs are back–book it!
John
October 15th, 2010
1:32 pm
Shocked!
October 16th, 2010
11:09 am
Jeff,
You are truly a gutless, nutless wonder. You posted an article on 9/30 about how the Dawgs were better than people might think, even proclaiming them to go 9-3 for the season. And not only would you not respond to the calls to answer for your ridiculous statement, you locked down the article from further comments after only 5 pages (plenty of comments, but that’s not the point). Yet, this article is on page 8 and counting. Dude, if you can’t take the heat, get the hell out of the kitchen! To proactively lock down an article because you are getting heat as a writer, that’s just friggin’ petty, lame, and as I said, GUTLESS. Grow up or go home!
CMR 4 LIFE!!!
October 16th, 2010
8:10 pm
cuase he teh best goergia.. cando!