The Bulldogs didn’t just outplay Tech – they outcoached it, too
Give that Bulldog a hand, if not a great big kiss. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
This time a year ago, it was possible to wonder if the Georgia Bulldogs would ever again outsmart an opponent. On Saturday they outsmarted Georgia Tech. And there, if anyone still wondered how 0-2 became 10-2, was the answer.
It wasn’t just that these Bulldogs have good players — Georgia always has good players — or that the schedule eased after those first two games. It was that Georgia, which hadn’t played to its gifts since 2007, coalesced around a coach and his staff.
Back to 0-2. “That was when we closed the door,” said tight end Orson Charles, “and we said, ‘We’ve got to stop playing for ourselves.’ We need to play for this guy.”
By “this guy,” Charles meant Mark Richt, who has done in his 11th Georgia season something that’s difficult to do in contemporary college football. Richt has fought off the doubt accrued over three underachieving seasons and hoisted his Bulldogs back to eminence. They have two championships in the bank — the SEC East was clinched last week against Kentucky; the state title was secured Saturday against Tech — and will play for a third next weekend against LSU, the finest team in the land.
“We’ve got the best coaches in the SEC,” said center Ben Jones, and on this day his boast carried some weight. Georgia beat Tech as handily as Tech under Paul Johnson is ever beaten, and the difference wasn’t so much manpower as brainpower. Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo had one of his finest days, and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham capped a stellar second season by keeping Johnson’s prized option-based spread from doing nearly enough.
And let’s be honest: There were those among us, this correspondent among them, who weren’t sure we’d see such a day. Johnson’s first bunch of Jackets went to Athens and beat a Georgia team that had entered the season ranked No. 1 in the nation, and last year Tech amassed 512 yards behind its backup quarterback against a Grantham-coached D. (To be fair, Richt got the better of Johnson in 2009, when Georgia used power football to upset the team that would win the ACC.) But it must be said: When last the Bulldogs beat Tech this bad, Chan Gailey got fired two days later.
The key was that Georgia got ahead early, and it did because Bobo cogitated like a young Steve Spurrier on a caffeine jag. Isaiah Crowell, Georgia’s best tailback, didn’t play, and Richard Samuel, his injured backup, hasn’t worked since the Florida game. Carlton Thomas, the No. 3 man, was coming off his third suspension of the season and didn’t start. And still Bobo conjured up 17 first-half points.
Of Georgia’s first six running plays, only one involved a player listed as a running back. Branden Smith, normally a cornerback, carried twice. Quarterback Aaron Murray carried twice, and the niftiest moment was a double-reverse to receiver Malcolm Mitchell. Said Bobo: “We were trying to mix them up, give them something different … Our base plan for the game was to be balanced, but as the game went on I thought the best way to win was by throwing.”
Murray complied, completing 19 of 29 passes for 252 yards and four touchdowns. Nine different receivers caught those 19 passes. Said Richt: “Mike did a great job … Mike dialed up some beauties.”
As for Grantham: His defense yielded a touchdown at the end of the first half and another near the end of the second, but never did the Tech ground game appear as dangerous as in Georgia games past. Even in the first half, Johnson was forced to call inside handoffs to his A-backs — a play the Jackets seldom use — to approximate an up-the-gut push. “And once we took that away from them,” Grantham said, “we were back to controlling the game.”
Down two touchdowns in the third quarter, Johnson got antsy. His Jackets didn’t look capable of sustaining a series of long drives — they’d managed one seven-minute surge in the first half — and he called for Tevin Washington to throw, which isn’t a Tech strength. The resulting two interceptions killed all hope.
And that, in surprisingly simple fashion, was that. Georgia beat Tech and its coaches trumped Tech’s coaches and, after 10 consecutive victories, the matter of Richt’s job security has been tabled. He has his Bulldogs back where they’re supposed to be: Atop the SEC East, playing for the conference championship, shrugging off Georgia Tech.
“I didn’t celebrate as much after this one as I did last week,” Richt said, and there was no real need. In this state, order has been restored to nature. Why celebrate a given?
By Mark Bradley
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961 comments Add your comment
Will Cobb
November 26th, 2011
6:00 pm
Get the picture now! Tech brings back a bunch of starters next year, UGA loses Ben Jones, Branden Boykin, punter Kevin Butler, and place kicker Blair Walsh. After each team’s new freshmen class of recruits get signed in Feburary, WHATCH GOT LORAN??????
TampaGator
November 26th, 2011
6:00 pm
Now….let me get off before the toliet bowl water starts being slashed in my direction. Go Gators. Go Dawgs….beat LSU. Create BCS turmoil galore. Then…maybe….we get some kind of playoff system…finally. At least a plus one system.
JB
November 26th, 2011
6:00 pm
Jim 70, as a Dawg fan, I thought your defensive front played really well today. In the first half, the Dawgs hit a stone wall EVERY time they tried to run inside.
Its Just Horseplay
November 26th, 2011
6:00 pm
Is anyone who says we cannot hang with LSU watching this Alabama game?
LADAWG
November 26th, 2011
6:01 pm
Lewis…sounds like sour grapes…….what was tech averaging coming into the game? Tech was manhandled, don’t worry…you can play Halo with you buddies.
georgia87
November 26th, 2011
6:01 pm
@Dan, our schedule was weak, especially toward the end. And I don’t understand all this “you work for us” business. We run companies and, when we need someone who specializes in a technical area, we hire a Tech grad. Being thintelligent doesn’t make you a leader.
Jesse Toole
November 26th, 2011
6:01 pm
To all you Tech fans,
It doesn’t matter what our schedule is, you clowns are always full of excuses. 10 in a row is 10 in a row, and 10 out of 11 is 10 out of 11.
Its Just Horseplay
November 26th, 2011
6:01 pm
LSU scored 6 pts on Alabama, Auburn scored 14.
Loyal Dawg
November 26th, 2011
6:01 pm
Richt haters?? The silence is deafening. I’m sure you guys will come up with something.
Congrats Coach Richt and staff. Job well done.
Chris
November 26th, 2011
6:02 pm
im tired of tech saying we had an easy schedule. yall play in the acc. Clemson who lost by 35 to NC state is yalls only “tough game” other than uga. Even without playing arkansas alabama or lsu our schedule is harder than yalls. Funny how a really easy sec schedule is way harder than an acc schedule. Plus we had a harder out of conference schedule than most teams in the country. Tech and boise st thats pretty good. Go dawgs
Its Just Horseplay
November 26th, 2011
6:02 pm
Blocked punt?
Mama Says
November 26th, 2011
6:03 pm
It was not an issue of being outsmarted it was an issue of a lack luster and subpar (thats saying alot) defense putting Tech in a hole. Tech has to have a QB that can pass also. Bottom line, when teams don’t play defense they HAVE to pass and Washington has looked scared to do that all year. Happy feet on every drop back results in INT’s. Not bothering to look at the defense before you throw the ball dosen’t help either. It’s not Rec ball, a college QB has to see the field, Washington just throws where he thinks people may be instead of where the defense ain’t.
When Tech gets a defense AND a QB that isn’t scared to throw they will win. The opposing coach and his intelligence had nothing to do with it !
Its Just Horseplay
November 26th, 2011
6:03 pm
I don’t hate Richt, but I believed it was time for him to move on to something new. And I am not sure that is not going to happen.
GTBob
November 26th, 2011
6:04 pm
Congrats Coach Richt and staff. Job well done.
Richt is the worst coach in the SEC. Congrats to him for beating a string of bad teams with some of the best talent in the country.
Turkeyneck
November 26th, 2011
6:04 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZVdR19E5mU&feature=youtube_gdata_player
The President
November 26th, 2011
6:05 pm
Georgia still hasn’t played anybody.
Chris
November 26th, 2011
6:05 pm
serously gt bob?? yall got out coached today richt is the third best coach in the sec behind saban and miles
Ryno
November 26th, 2011
6:06 pm
That sound you hear is all of the Tech recruits tearing up their offer letters.
They’d rather go to Furman than play in a beatdown every fall.
dawgerbrown
November 26th, 2011
6:06 pm
I’ll admit I have had my doubts about Bobo. But, today, he did a helluva job. This game wasn’t even a contest. Not only did our coach and his staff outcoach Tech’s, but UGA’s coach’s will always outclass Tech’s. Heard when the Tech team and staff got on buses, Johnson got on the short bus!
Jumbo
November 26th, 2011
6:06 pm
Shine my shoes dawg….cute….still 31-17…..is still 31-17
Its Just Horseplay
November 26th, 2011
6:06 pm
UGA has not played anybody….But….If Auburn beats Alabama, what does that mean? Alabama does seem to be hanging around.
Pago Pago DAWG
November 26th, 2011
6:06 pm
Not sure we really want LSwho?!
cochise
November 26th, 2011
6:07 pm
Ha Ha Ha to @DanWeiner smoocher
coloradobulldog
November 26th, 2011
6:07 pm
The best coaching was making sure Dawgs didn’t come out flat by looking ahead to LSU. Great job all around for the UGA staff.
GTBob
November 26th, 2011
6:07 pm
Paul Johnson for president!!!!
Its Just Horseplay
November 26th, 2011
6:08 pm
Look at Alabama working HARD to beat Auburn…..NC, Really?
jay
November 26th, 2011
6:08 pm
I sure thought Richt had peaked as a coach. I gladly admit that I was wrong. Getting and 0-2 team
to win 10 in a row and make it to the SECCG is a mighty good coaching job. Grantham has brought
fire back to the defense and Bobo has gotten the most out of 3 great looking freshman wide receivers.
T-Town Dawg
November 26th, 2011
6:08 pm
Cajun Boy, You may or may not win next week, but you will not blow us off the field. If we shut down your ground game, your offense is pathetic. I predict a low scoring game, 20-17 one way or the other.
Turkeyneck
November 26th, 2011
6:09 pm
Excellent point coloradobulldog
GTBob
November 26th, 2011
6:09 pm
according to my calculations richt is a terrible coach! In fact the percentages say he is teh worst in the sec
Its Just Horseplay
November 26th, 2011
6:09 pm
Sorry, but Alabama does not look any better than UGA playing Auburn. Actually, quite the opposite.
BobbyDodd21/20
November 26th, 2011
6:09 pm
Pretty bad for Tech to play like that after 10 or so games, ..Tech knew it needed a passing game since Iowa 2 years ago…and whats up with those routine end zone passes that should have been covered…and the drag pattern for first TD too?…Congrats dogs,…I have hated you for 40 years…ah, not really, you’re good ole boys…just dont touch my slide rule, …thats the thing you chop the heads off flies with while eatin…your mommas cooking….wait til next year…
Its Just Horseplay
November 26th, 2011
6:09 pm
Ok GT, because we know that your calculations are spot on.
dale in newnan
November 26th, 2011
6:10 pm
NERDDDDDDDDDDDSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
19
November 26th, 2011
6:10 pm
Kudos Mark Bragley, great blog. Total class!
Chris
November 26th, 2011
6:10 pm
t town tech shut down our running game cuz we didn’t have samuel or crowell. and our offense was still pretty darn good
Tech Sucks
November 26th, 2011
6:10 pm
Lol after another entire year of listening to the nerds talk trash, it’s the same ol same ol. UGA owns Tech as usual. Suck it Nerds.
Turkeyneck
November 26th, 2011
6:10 pm
To all the lsu fans…go deep fry an alligator you mouthbreathers.
Tobias Funke
November 26th, 2011
6:10 pm
UGA is 10-2. Man, that feels good to say.
coloradobulldog
November 26th, 2011
6:11 pm
GTBob, If Richt beat a string of bad teams, I guess you are including Tech. On that I will agree with you. GT is a bad team. And yet… Florida or Auburn could win the ACC.
todd grantham
November 26th, 2011
6:12 pm
I wonder if Ben Jones is still grazing on the Grant Field turf…
GTBob
November 26th, 2011
6:12 pm
well if i went to tech im a hell of an engineer and so my calculatinos will always be right!
Tech Sucks
November 26th, 2011
6:13 pm
GTBob you are an idiot. Your team blows. Congrats on 8 wins against the weak ass ACC.
Shine my shoes, dawg
November 26th, 2011
6:13 pm
Anyone got that picture of the uga fan with the high – top sneakers, striped parachute pants, leather jacket, and the super mullet? Please send that to me ASAP for my subordinates at work – Thx
Chris
November 26th, 2011
6:14 pm
ya gtbob ur an idiot. Acc sucks
GTBob
November 26th, 2011
6:14 pm
coloradobulldog, yes Ga Tech is a bad team. This has been known for a while. Read Mark’s blogs after the UVA and Miami games. They give a good recap of how good we are. I disagree on Florida and Auburn though. Neither one would have much of a chance winning the WAC, let alone the ACC.
Chris
November 26th, 2011
6:14 pm
auburn almost beat clemosn gtbob
Turkeyneck
November 26th, 2011
6:14 pm
The story of GT football
Chapter 1
They suck. The end.
Tobias Funke
November 26th, 2011
6:15 pm
Paul Johnson is not a genius. Paul Johnson has no class.
I think CPJ cussed out his own players at least 10 times on television. That’s classy.
Tech Sucks
November 26th, 2011
6:15 pm
You didn’t go to Tech though Bob, just like all Tech fans.