If nobody kept score, UGA did well. Someone did, and it lost
His teams used to win these games. What happened? (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Athens – It was there for Georgia, the second-biggest game of Mark Richt’s stewardship, same as the biggest game this coach has worked had been there that cold day at Auburn nine years ago. His Bulldogs needed one drive to win. On Nov. 16, 2002, the prize had been Georgia’s first SEC East title. On this warm and frenzied Saturday, the prize was ….
A sliver of job security? Yes. A hushing, even if only a temporary one, of a roiled Bulldog Nation? Sure. A leg up on another SEC East title? Absolutely.
One drive to win. At Auburn, it had come down to fourth-and-14, to 70-X-Takeoff, to David Greene throwing and Michael Johnson leaping over Horace Willis. That was the victory that made us believe Richt’s Bulldogs could win any game, degree of difficulty be hanged.
But that was then, and this, sorry to say, is now. And now we can say of the same coach — the same but different — that his team can manage to lose almost any game, the excellence of its effort notwithstanding.
With one drive to win, Georgia couldn’t even make one play. This on a day when it would outgain South Carolina and amass 23 first downs to the Gamecocks’ 15. This on a day when the Bulldogs seemed the more gifted team. One drive to win, and here’s what happened.
Nobody blocked Jadeveon Clowney, the No. 1 recruit of 2011. Clowney burst up the middle, grabbed Aaron Murray and shook the ball loose and watched as Melvin Ingram gathered it up for the touchdown that made this a 10-point game with 3:12 remaining.
More would happen — Georgia would score a quick touchdown and Richt would botch the calling of his next-to-last timeout and the Gamecocks would run out the clock — but that sack-and-fumble-and-touchdown was the moment. These Bulldogs and their coach had the chance to grab a game they weren’t expected to win, and they wasted it.
There might well be better days — great days, even — ahead for these Bulldogs and their coach, but what we saw Saturday was what we’d seen all last season. Given the chance to Step Up, Georgia takes a seat. It hasn’t lost the capacity to make inspired plays, but it no longer makes winning plays.
So much had gone right. The defense had played far better than it had in the deflating loss to Boise State. Murray had steadied himself. The offensive line had blocked, finally, and Isaiah Crowell had rushed for 118 yards in his second collegiate game. If nobody had bothered to keep score, you’d have scored this a Bulldog victory. That said …
This is big-time football, and a score is kept. And Georgia lost.
We can look at this game and say, as Richt said afterward, that this is “going to be a fine football team.” But there was a time when Georgia didn’t need to traffic in moral victories. There was a time when Georgia went out and won these games.
A strange sequence in an exceedingly strange first half was telling. Richt ordered an onside kick after Georgia had taken a 13-7 lead, and it worked — almost. Bacarri Rambo, who recovered the ball, had been a hair offside. Undaunted, the Bulldogs forced Carolina to punt — almost. The Evil Genius in the trademark visor called for a fake punt, and Ingram took it the distance. Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks were back in front.
As Ingram was fleeing up the sideline, Richt flung his play cards and his headset 10 yards onto the field. All week he’d had to parry the question of whether this was a must-win, but here he gave us the answer. The famous stoic was throwing things in exasperation.
“Georgia outplayed us,” Spurrier said, “but we won the game. Sometimes it happens like that.”
Sometimes it does, but it no longer happens that way for Georgia. This has a program that has the requisite talent and resources but has lost half of its past 30 games. There’s still an opportunity for these Bulldogs to make hay of this season, but at this moment it’s hard to see beyond 0-2.
As for Richt: The end is not yet at hand for this coach, but we’ve reached the point where every loss nudges him a bit closer toward the door. He now presides over a program that could and should win big. It has, alas, forgotten how.
By Mark Bradley
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1,658 comments Add your comment
Harry Dawg
September 10th, 2011
9:18 pm
I loved seeing Richt tell his players, “Do your job” – clear as day on TV. Unfortunately, Richt won’t DO HIS JOB and take care of the offense and let little Bobo work with the quarterbacks.
Oh well, maybe next we’ll get a coach who will put the program first instead of himself and his little friends…
Jimmy
September 10th, 2011
9:18 pm
Athens Dog: Those wins won’t mean a thing unless we beat Tennessee, Florida, Auburn and Miss State.
I’ll take any win…but the circus won’t die down until we beat our tough SEC opponents and rivals.
And yeah…those field goals hurt. The offense was improved with IC…but they wouldn’t play him in the first half.
icedawg
September 10th, 2011
9:19 pm
The team lost period. Looked like a repeat of last year. Huge mistakes on both sides of the ball for DAWGS. Contenders get it done like SC did. I don’t think UGA is a contender. They’ll win the gimmes but have not been able to win the big ones. Time for coaching change.
Herschel Talker
September 10th, 2011
9:19 pm
Athens Dawg:
Are you serious?!? Who gives a hoot about beating bad teams? When’s the last time we won a game we weren’t supposed to? Are you really still excited about this?
HT
Bigdsel
September 10th, 2011
9:19 pm
Can’t be mad at my dawgs. They played hard. Just have to not miss assignments and can’t fumble the ball. I feel like this won’t happen again. Should win out the rest of our games. We are a good team with bad luck
Dan
September 10th, 2011
9:19 pm
This from The New York Times
“There is little vitriol in sports, both in pitch and emotion, that compares to a Southeastern Conference fan base fed up with its coach.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/11/sports/ncaafootball/close-loss-may-tighten-the-pressure-on-richt.html?ref=sports
Georgia starts 0-2 – boom goes the dynamite
Denver Dog
September 10th, 2011
9:19 pm
We’ll win next week, kind of competition we can play with as we’re now SEC bottom feeder
TossSweep
September 10th, 2011
9:19 pm
Last week’s loss was due to the coaches. I’m afraid to say that this loss was due to the players. The coaches made some great calls…aggressive calls. The mistakes came from the players two of them coming from Arron Murray…interception and fumble.
vance
September 10th, 2011
9:19 pm
Richt went “all in” when he added Boise State to the schedule….he gambled and lost….it’s just sad….
huffsleeper
September 10th, 2011
9:20 pm
Sitting in a restaurant next to a Florida Fan. He was rooting for the bulldogs. He didn’t want Richt to get fired because he knew Florida could dominate him.
Georgia was within a touchdown in the fourth quarter of all seven losses last year but they lost. Same old story again. Outcoached, surprised on trick plays, no discipline, can’t finish the drill. Close enough maybe to prolong the agony longer.
cantondawg
September 10th, 2011
9:20 pm
I really like CMR and i hope he succeeds and turns the season around. However, it is hard to feel sorry for someone who will get paid 5-6 million dollars not to coach.
Real Dawg Fan
September 10th, 2011
9:20 pm
Come on, Mark. You have written with a negative slant about Mark Richt all week.. Why stop now.? You cannot write anything positive about the game even though there was soooo much to mention. This UGA team held its own with the no. 12 team in the nation. Howeverk,Mark you cannot see that. You are sooooo biased.
BeerDawg
September 10th, 2011
9:20 pm
1-10 against ranked opponents in the last 5 years…..’nuff said.
Good guy or not…..he needs to go
But who should we get???….Chris Petersen?? He’s a Christian Scientist and that won’t play well with this old fashioned administration. Kirby Smart?? Skip Holz??
stendek
September 10th, 2011
9:20 pm
All true Dawg fans knew this would be another throwaway season if space cadet loser Mark Wretch were allowed to remain at the helm. Guess what? All of us were right! First 0-1. Embarrassing debacle against Northern bunch in Atlanta. Now 0-2 after coach mastermind Steve Spurrier vastly outcoached Wretch yet again. Any hopes for SEC title gurgling down drain once more.
Poopdawg
September 10th, 2011
9:20 pm
I agree Trackdawg
Jimmy
September 10th, 2011
9:21 pm
The truth is that two of AM’s mistakes cost us dearly too. The offensive line cost us…dropped passes cost us. It was a team loss that resides mostly with the O tonight.
They will improve if the pressure on Richt doesn’t bring them down.
Kool aid drinkers galore
September 10th, 2011
9:21 pm
Mark Richt is toast. Sloppy sloppy game
trackdawg
September 10th, 2011
9:21 pm
Richt did not fumble for a touchdown or throw an interception for a touchdown nor did he drop an int with the game the game 13-7 which would have went for six. Nor did he fumble for s. carolina to pick it up and take to the 5. This was players. But the players also fought through it to the end. They will be a fine team indeed.
fmshort
September 10th, 2011
9:21 pm
Spurrier @ UGA? ????? Any one think that’s a possibility?
Ole Kin'Kade
September 10th, 2011
9:21 pm
Sorry Buck, Dawgs can’t win the big ones pal
stendek
September 10th, 2011
9:21 pm
A disheartened group without any hope after only two games! No wonder Russ cannot keep his eyes open. Send the poor pooch home. Having to view this uninspired craptrap is animal cruelty!
fmshort
September 10th, 2011
9:22 pm
Enter your comments here
Its All George Bush's Fault
September 10th, 2011
9:22 pm
You people should be grateful. CMR is good man. Stop focusing on winning, leave that to Bama, Auburn and UF. Just show up on Saturday, send a check now and then. Hey, Notre Dame has gotten used to it, so can you. Until next time.
Dawg Fan
September 10th, 2011
9:22 pm
@ Dawg in SC – I don’t think anyone would say anything to the contrary. Unfortunately, Richt does seem to be more concerned with keeping Bobo in place rather than fixing what has obviously been broken (which is in fact Bobo).
Personally, I’d like to know what Richt has done with all this “freed up time” he’s supposed to have been given back by McGarity. I hope it hasn’t been spent planning his next mission trip.
stendek
September 10th, 2011
9:22 pm
I have not respected Wretch for the last several seasons. That lack of respect has hardened into something more! It is obvious this golddigger only remains for the money. No fire or intensity to win or even compete. I also think it is time to bench Aaron “Turnover King” Cox. This untalented bozo gave the game to the Gamecocks. Truly indefensible! Cannot write more. Just so blasted disgusted. All true fans waited months for this ineptitude? So very pathetic!
stendek
September 10th, 2011
9:23 pm
I also think it is time to bench Aaron “Turnover King” Cox. This untalented bozo gave the game to the Gamecocks. Truly indefensible! Cannot write more. Just so blasted disgusted. All true fans waited months for this ineptitude? So very pathetic!
fbdawg
September 10th, 2011
9:23 pm
Cannot hold Richt responsible for 3 turnovers and a fake punt for 28 points. Defense played great. I still hate Bobo’s handoffs on 3rd and LONG.
Grow up A Murray. You cost us a game.
BeerDawg
September 10th, 2011
9:23 pm
Right now…if Greg McGarrity is earning his pay…..he should be scouring the country for Richt’s replacement. The process of reaching out to potential replacements gotta start now….and the new coach needs to be named after the Tech game
Moorman
September 10th, 2011
9:23 pm
Why does bobo start passing the ball when the defense cant stop the run???
Kool aid drinkers galore
September 10th, 2011
9:24 pm
Richt still gives us 2.8 million of crap . Pathetic!
Pulpwod Smith
September 10th, 2011
9:24 pm
Rumor has it that Richt is negotiating a buy-out ($5 million) and will resign at the end of the season to go to Honduras and build a hospital with his soon-to-be nurse wife.
BT
September 10th, 2011
9:24 pm
CMR is a good man, great recruiter, and deserves better from the UGA fans. Better days are ahead for this team. Great days are ahead for this team. Crowell is the real deal…..
TallaDawg
September 10th, 2011
9:24 pm
I realizae that this is just football and that there are many more important things in this world, but CMR is paid to WIN football games. The simple-minded errors that he makes (and they are most-definitely his) are rediculous. Not deferring last week was the first evidence of his inadequacy. The TO failure tonight was more.
nvdawg
September 10th, 2011
9:24 pm
GO DAWGS!!!I still stand by and support them. Seems like we are suffering just like Notre Dame did for years. Are players are good and they are getting better.
TnDawg
September 10th, 2011
9:25 pm
If you can settle for many wins against unranked teams and losses against a few of the rank teams, you can’t be a true Dawgs fan. That’s not Georgia football. We now in our 3rd year of losses against rank teams. Something has to change.
Andy
September 10th, 2011
9:25 pm
Mark Richt should ask for his offensive & defensive coordinators to find gainful employment elsewhere (of course, that’s been said since UGA started slipping). I know he is their friends but they need to put friendship aside at this point. The thing that is disappointing (and I’m not even a Georgia fan) is there were times during the game that showed Georgia was serious and would win. Georgia was just out-coached.
volquest
September 10th, 2011
9:25 pm
best kept secret in SEC,,, Mark Richt,,, don’t fire him,,, we have learned to love him…
stendek
September 10th, 2011
9:25 pm
No fire or intensity to win or even compete. I also think it is time to bench Aaron Cox. This untalented bozo gave the game to the Gamecocks. Truly indefensible! Cannot write more. Just so blasted disgusted. All true fans waited months for this ineptitude? So very pathetic! At least the Falcons are playing for real now!
Complex Simplicity
September 10th, 2011
9:25 pm
Georgia has sucked for at least the last FOUR YEARS. WHY is anyone surprised???????
Jupiter
September 10th, 2011
9:25 pm
My guess is that Richt will not finish out the season. Gameday reported the board of trustees met to discuss options. Looks like Bobo will finish out the season as HC.
Jimmy
September 10th, 2011
9:25 pm
Not a Dog fan…they will have to win the division…I am afraid…to save Richt’s job.
But I’m not going to worry about it.
Next week is another game.
I’m cheering for the team no matter what.
DAWG
September 10th, 2011
9:25 pm
They need to fire the whole bunch. We will lose to Auburn, Tennessee, Miss State, Florida and more than likely Georgia Tech and end up with a 5 and 7 record. The sad part is to have someone come into your hose and beat you like a red headed step child. As god is my witness I will be wearing a “ROLL TIDE” hat by the end of the week, at least they are coached right and know how to win ball games. My wife mentioned having a garage sale and I will sell everything that has Georgia on it, and when it comes time to renew my tag, which is Georgia, I will be replacing it with an Alabama tag and drive with pride.
Rabun Dawg
September 10th, 2011
9:25 pm
I told my wife after the Walsh miss earlier in the game…..that miss will come back to haunt us… and it did! Good effort by the dogs,but you cannot give a pretty good team those kind of gifts. And, how many times have fake punts come back to bite us? Several times that I can recall in the past few years. Crowell is the real deal and if he can stay healthy, look out. And, Lattimore is a beast! Very dissapointing loss for sure!
Moorman
September 10th, 2011
9:26 pm
Its clear when you watch other teams that georgia’s coordinators coach the players DOWN.
browndog
September 10th, 2011
9:26 pm
Young team will only get better! USC got the breaks today. Spurrier knows USC outplayed but they got the W. Many times it has been the other way around in the UGA/USC game. Great effort by UGA. CMR will get this turned around.
dawggirl
September 10th, 2011
9:26 pm
Cannot put this loss on Richt. We should have won and could have won the game. It was not a failure of coaching. I put this loss squarely on Murray. Sorry for the players that really truly showed they wanted it, we’ll see what happens from here.
BeerDawg
September 10th, 2011
9:26 pm
Dawg Fan….it’s not just Bobo. You can only blame your assistants so much. Buck stops with him. The college game has passed him by…..you can’t coach in 2011 like you coached FSU in the 90’s
TallaDawg
September 10th, 2011
9:26 pm
@trackdawg-
No, but CMR is the one responsible for preparing them to do well, and they DID NOT.
Its All George Bush's Fault
September 10th, 2011
9:26 pm
Rosie O’Donnell says
The UGA USC game was an inside job. UGA admin set this up to allow them to fire CMR. If they had not rigged the outcome, USC wins this by 30. You can’t fool me. Anyone here like a few tix to my broadway show? It closed after 10 performances, but I still have plenty of tix left. Front row!
J Clay
September 10th, 2011
9:27 pm
Proud of the coaches tonight for the 1st time in a while