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
Xenophon
September 10th, 2011
9:27 pm
Defense has given up 87 points in the opening two games. What defense? What coaching?
TDAWG
September 10th, 2011
9:27 pm
Careful what you wish for, you might just get it. If you call UGA your team then win or lose you stand by them no matter what.
Jimmy
September 10th, 2011
9:27 pm
fmshort:
The only way Spurrier comes to UGA is if he suddenly grows a conscious for all the bad things he’s said about the team over the years.
Ain’t gonna happen.
RV
September 10th, 2011
9:27 pm
I played college FB and am a Dogs fan- don’t care if Richt stays or goes. Facts: Murray-4 big Td tosses and largely great game. BUT, terrible interception for near TD and careless with ball that led to fumble/TD. Crowell- huge coming out and horrendous fumble that cost the team the game. Walsh- best PK in US but cost the team the game with Crowell and Murray with a 25 yd miss (actually nearly missed the field). Richt did not wrongly coach these miscues. Players need to take responsibility and be accountable.
Dean Tate
September 10th, 2011
9:27 pm
The boys made a few mistakes and Spurrier caught a lot of breaks, which is not surprising, given that he sold his soul to the devil years ago. I give the Dogs credit for a solid effort and think there is a lot to build on. My prediction is that they take it up a notch and win eight of the remaining ten games.
Scooter
September 10th, 2011
9:28 pm
Big improvement from last week…but in the end it’s the little things that make the difference in big games. To me the worst play by far was the fake punt: how do you call a timeout before they punt and let them run a fake on you???? Especially with it being Spurrier. I don’t really fault the Crowell fumble…you’re gonna have mistakes like that with a freshman and he scored two TDs…even the Murray INT wasn’t backbreaking…him not just going down and holding onto the ball and the defense not being able to stop Lattimore were.
FLA DAWG
September 10th, 2011
9:28 pm
GOOD CHRIST MARK!
Did you miss the entire first half!?
Garcia GAVE THE GAME to The Dawgs and we managed only two field goals before scoring a TD.
Despite their player errors their coaching staff pulled them through.
Despite our player successes our coaching staff gave us yet another loss.
FIRE RICHT FIRE RICHT F I R E RICHT
This is my opinon only of course.
tallahasseedawg
September 10th, 2011
9:28 pm
What i saw was a team thet played hard for there coach in which they should.If they play every week like that we will be ok.With that said AM still has some growin to do,IC is the real deal,C.Washington has no football IQ,Coaching was good(still to much shotgun),SC did a lot of holding that was not called.For the first time in a long time it wasnt coaching that lost this game.Have a good night dawgnation
Hollywood
September 10th, 2011
9:29 pm
“Dang” (as Mark Richt would say) I say “How in the Hell can Gene Chizik win with superior and average players and Coach Richt can not win with “Dream Team” Players. There comes a time in every program where the head coach has taken the program as far as he can. We said it with Ray Goff, Jim Donnan, and now Mark Richt. A nice guy and I wish well somewhere else. If Auburn, LSU, Alabama, and Florida can take it to the next level, then “Dang” we can too! GO DAWGS!!
tony
September 10th, 2011
9:29 pm
The sad part about this lost is that we have better players. Chris Petersen currently makes 1.6 mil…..lets see if he will take 2.5 mil to coach the dawgs.
Frank
September 10th, 2011
9:29 pm
Come on people get off the ledge. Actually nevermind go ahead and jump. That way I won’t have to read all of this crap anymore. Richt didn’t get out coached. Bobo didn’t even get out coached. You played a really good football, and only lost because they made one more play than you did.
Moorman
September 10th, 2011
9:29 pm
Yoi could see it coming when georgia had to settle for those field goals in the first quarter, after bozo kept derailing drives with bad play calling on third down.
gabugman
September 10th, 2011
9:29 pm
I better not read another tweet from you this year Brandon Boykin.
Way to jabronie that tackle on Ingram, you puss…that 6 points may have been the diff in this game.
Wally Butts
September 10th, 2011
9:30 pm
I am proud of Mark Richt and the Dawgs. Isaiah Crowell ran well, Murray passed well, and the Defense was great except in the red zone. We are a good team and we will finish well. I am sick of the fair weathered fans who are so quick to turn on the team who are young players and very impressionable. Do you think we are going to sign anyone with fans so unrealistic and bratty.
Mark Richt has spoiled us and UGA fans need to grow up and know that not every game is going to be won and not every season is going to be a championship. Where in the world do we have a team that has done that. Please go cheer and boo for another team. Go Dogs!
Over rated, over hyped GA
September 10th, 2011
9:30 pm
Love ya, Steve S
bamadawg
September 10th, 2011
9:30 pm
Enter your comments here
BeerDawg
September 10th, 2011
9:31 pm
I give credit to Spurrier……He was at least honest…..
Ginger
September 10th, 2011
9:31 pm
Still support the DAWGS…Players gave great effort…..They may have been pressing too much..
In the 1st quarter—we had opportunity to a 21 -0 lead…Our QB was not playing well in beginning–not accurate with his throws…Our QB missed Boykin wide open in flat when he threw to Brown deep near SC goal line….Our DB missed a pick six deep in SC territory…Our reliable field goal kicker missed a very makeable field goal….We had the opporutnities–but did not put them away.
Cardinal Sin on punt team for fake punt TD…then INT, fumble, fumble….Ball security—will usually always beat you in close games….Just think players were pressing too hard…appreciated the great effort..
Big think for UGA for here on out—is relax and just play good discipled football…..They can’t worry about so much—just go out each week and continue to give their all…..
As far as our coaching—think that I would just tweak the offense and add some of the Boise offensive plays–just to cut down on predictability and make it a lot harder for opposing defensive coordinators to call blitzes….the last blitz hurt today pretty good.
Field Goal Jesus is the answer
September 10th, 2011
9:31 pm
DAWGS lose by 3 …Time to get a new coach
FLA DAWG
September 10th, 2011
9:31 pm
Mark,
Is this your token gimme to Richt because you know he will be fired?
All SE-WHAT????
September 10th, 2011
9:31 pm
Aaron Murray…6 and 9 as starter……LOSER!!!
you u[sic]ga homers
September 10th, 2011
9:31 pm
mark, you and rest of the ajc u[sic]ga homers need to just give it up. YOU did everything you could to get paul hewitt fired, bringing up his contract and railing against him constantly. this fool in athens is .500 in his last THIRTY games and you’re still making excuses for him. how’s that preseason #11 ranking look now, mark? you’re no different than the bullpuppy fans who think they’re alabama and lsu and fancy themselves national title contenders every year.
national championship contenders do not rely on true freshman running backs for a ground game that’s new orleans-worthy.
Dream(ER) Team
September 10th, 2011
9:32 pm
Yep, over rated, over hyped
Bigdsel
September 10th, 2011
9:32 pm
We just played our hardest two opponents on our schedule. We will finish strong. We should have beaten the cocks. But instead we blew it. Don’t laugh. We will play the rest of our schedule strong and hard. Get your minds out of the gutter. Goooo. Dawgs!!! I have faith u can finish strong
BeerDawg
September 10th, 2011
9:33 pm
Tony…….Petersen ain’t coming here!!!
Could you imagine that a-hole, Dr. Adams, offer the job to a…..(gasp!)…..a Christian Scientist????
Hell (pun intended) NO!!!!
huffsleeper
September 10th, 2011
9:33 pm
sat in a restaurant next to a florida fan who rooted for Georgia. Only because he didn’t want to see Richt fired so that Florida could continue to dominate him. Georgia was within 7 points in the fourth quarter in all seven losses last year. Good effort but same story. Outcoached, surprised by trick plays, no discipline causing mistakes, can’t finish the drill. Probably a good enough effort to continue to prolong the agony of a slow death of Georgia football. A good enough effort to bring out the koolaid drinkers again who will say we will be beat some unranked team. We are dying, we’ve been dying and one day people will look back in hindsight and wonder what took so long.
June Jones
September 10th, 2011
9:33 pm
I still got my run and shoot…….
Fire Mark Richt
September 10th, 2011
9:33 pm
Consider this: Georgia has only won 6 out of the last 15 games, and two of those wins were against Louisiana-Lafayette and Idaho State. One of the losses was against UCF. This program is in big time trouble under Richt right now.
In my opinion, he’s been exposed since Shockley, Green, Pollack and Van Gorder left. And maybe Neil Calloway meant more to his early success than we know. But Richt’s been sucking wind since the ‘06 Sugar Bowl, the last half of the ‘07 season notwithstanding (the first half was mediocre).
It’s time for Richt to leave. Letting him coach 10 more games won’t change anything. Maybe an interim coach can spark something in this team.
Duuuuh Mark
September 10th, 2011
9:33 pm
Hey Mark, don’t they ALWAYS keep score?
piermontdawgny
September 10th, 2011
9:33 pm
the pass interference call against Love on 3rd down – right after we take the 35-31 – was HUGE!
same ole same ole
September 10th, 2011
9:33 pm
same crap, same hope, same excuses and same results. Time for change folks!
stendek
September 10th, 2011
9:33 pm
Guess the Dream Team will really perform against School Of Blind, Anywhere Tech and Widget University. Since it is obvious said Dream Team is more a nightmare against QUALITY opposition. To the tune of 0-2!
CHDawg
September 10th, 2011
9:34 pm
I am extremely proud of the fight in the Dawgs–they never gave up and they improved tremendously. SOS is correct; we outplayed them in many areas, but about six plays killed us: missed field goal; fumble one for the big return; fumble two for six; pick six; fake punt TD; six inches off sides on the on side kick. SC is far too good to spot them 20-30 points. Good of him to point that out. There were too many great efforts out of our players to mention in one of these messages, but I have to say if IC improves that much every week, then he’s got the Heisman wrapped up–wow, what an improvement! Several of the terrible sacks, including the fumble six, were broken screen plays. Our linemen should be checking the D linemen, and for some reason they let them go in unchecked and Murray didn’t have enough time to even dump it.
Jimmy
September 10th, 2011
9:34 pm
There were a lot of plays that could have lost us the game. Too many mistakes.
But this is a young team.
That is going to happen.
They should play the freshmen the rest of the way.
Start IC, MM, and let these boys win it or lose it for us.
Open the playbook and have fun.
Buzz 2011
September 10th, 2011
9:34 pm
Mr Bradley again declares UGA the better team. Let’s see Mr Bradley also said UGA was the better team when BSU bounced them.. What games are you watvhing Mark Bradley.
Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers., no defense.. You UGA pick is in danger next weekend to Coastal..
Complex Simplicity
September 10th, 2011
9:34 pm
Actually, this is OBAMA’S fault.
Will Martinez
September 10th, 2011
9:34 pm
Does it hurt mutties? LOL!! I hope it hurts a lot! LMAO!!
Rcgator
September 10th, 2011
9:34 pm
Since 2009 Uga is 14 – 14…keep doing what you are doing.keep Richt.
bamadawg
September 10th, 2011
9:34 pm
Our kids have HEART. All the hates can go to h*ll. Maybe tonight they got even for the Pollack strip in the Endzone because we let them take this one from us!! GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
stendek
September 10th, 2011
9:34 pm
Dream Team is giving me nightmares!
BT
September 10th, 2011
9:34 pm
If CMR does leave, go after Kirby Smart or Urban Meyer.
South Florida Dawg
September 10th, 2011
9:35 pm
The positive outcome of this loss is the fans got to see the potential of this team. The negatives are too many to count and ideally, going forward it will depend on which team shows on whether we finish the season with 2 losses or 4. The poorly designed and poorly coached team or the poorly executed, too vanilla schemed team. Richt is a fine man but not all fine men have the ability to execute and manage. How many of us have excellent, wonderful bosses terminated because sales or numbers just weren’t met. Sadly, a GOOD guy will be cut loose if these issues don’t get fixed. Otherwise, this will be a lame duck team playing for a lame duck coach.
RxDawg
September 10th, 2011
9:35 pm
They played hard. I was proud of them. We played better than USC. We just made more mistakes too. I couldn’t’ say I was proud of the team last week, but I can say that this week.
Bottom line is we recruited some trash on and off the field. We had to weed it out and now have to replace it. I saw the improvement we’ve all been wanting to see tonight. Yep, the record is unacceptable. But I’m not so sure we should axe Richt now. I hope he can turn this thing around with the youth that we have and be a formidable opponent for the rest of the year.
First Coast Dog
September 10th, 2011
9:35 pm
Really? Everyone take a step back and breathe. Crap happens. We lost week one to a good Boise St team. This week we lost to a team we should have beat. We are a young team still. I’m not saying we are perfect but everyone seems to be caught up in the here and now. Chill folks. Our coach has had his current tenure longer than any other coach in the SEC. He has SEC titles, he wins. We will bounce back. Teams go through phases. We will return. Quit being a bunch of NFL type ‘immediate success’ clown a**es. We can’t buy success, we will earn it. Plus, doubt there is anyone out there available to coach that could come in immediately and win. Plus half the coaches you might name you would b*tch about if they came here anyways because you all are a bunch of low life ajc troll monkeys. Keep your head held CMR and Bulldogs. We will survive this and move forward.
BeerDawg
September 10th, 2011
9:35 pm
Crowell is the real deal though, that fumble was not on him…..it was Murray’s fault
Gator Nation Rules
September 10th, 2011
9:35 pm
I actually feel sorry for the doggies. Its sad seeing them get kicked around like…..well…..dogs.
JB
September 10th, 2011
9:35 pm
Tonights loss came in many ways but none more glaring( folks will hate this) but the lack of emphases on recruiting Offensive lineman. The ball Murray lost was the result of a Carolina DE blowing by out tackle before he could get out stance. We have a big nasty line with talent and Crowell gets 35 carries and 200 yards and Sprurrier does nothing but watch. Saban Gets it. Richt doesn’t. His philosophy would work great in the ACC, where I guess is where he’s heading. We pound the rock today with Crowell behind a line like Bama, We kick their Butt. I’m not really sold on Grantham, but there was some good play on defense today. We’ll see how it’s plays out. We could finish 10-2.
Mark Richt
September 10th, 2011
9:35 pm
Glad the game was over in time for me to catch Georgia Tech score their 49th point against Middle TN State.
pigs fly
September 10th, 2011
9:35 pm
Mark Richt must go
Frank Lane
September 10th, 2011
9:35 pm
Major improvement in one week. Crowell makes one mistake. Defense makes one. Murray makes one. Cost us 21 points and we could not over come.