A mark of LSU greatness: Stink for a half, win by 32 points
Ladies and gents, that's a darn strong football team. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
After the Arkansas game, Lenn Robbins of the New York Post asked LSU coach Les Miles if he believed his team might be the greatest in collegiate football history. Eight days later, the Tigers laid sole claim to another superlative:
Worst first half ever authored by the offense of a team this great.
How bad was it? Well, LSU tied a record that can never be broken — fewest first downs in the first two quarters. And this goose egg wasn’t laid by Podunk State against Almighty A&M. This was the championship game of the nation’s best conference, and this monstrosity had been concocted by a team considered the nation’s finest by such a distance it was believed LSU could lose to Georgia and still play for the BCS title. But would an aggregation that couldn’t manage one crummy first down on such a stage deserve a mulligan?
First-half numbers: LSU had 12 total yards, 123 fewer than Georgia, and had completed two passes, one of them underhanded. It trailed 10-0 after one quarter and was still 10 points down six minutes before half. And was the man beneath the white hat concerned?
“That defense,” said Miles, speaking of his own,” and the way it was defending — when they got 10, I thought that would be it [for Georgia]. Quite frankly, we just needed to get it started offensively.”
To Miles’ other attributes — darn good coach, intriguing wordsmith, eater of grass — we can now add “ace prognosticator.” Georgia didn’t score again. LSU started scoring on Tyrann Mathieu’s punt return and never stopped. And we on the periphery can only stand back and wonder: If the Tigers can go an entire first half without benefit of an offense against a opponent of quality, might this be one of the finest teams ever assembled?
What transpired Saturday night beneath the Georgia Dome was truly breathtaking, and I mean that literally: You could see the air — and the life — sucked from the buoyant Bulldogs. Georgia started bold and fast and smart and, if not for two dropped touchdown passes and a missed field goal, would have had a lead so big even Miles would have blanched. But then the Honey Badger started running back kicks and John Chavis’ defense threw a hammerlock on the Bulldog offense, and midway through the third quarter a game that was nearly a runaway one way had gone the other.
Of Mathieu, the eloquent Miles said: “He really is the ‘Honey Badger.’ He takes what he wants. He takes what he gets his hands on.”
Which pretty much describes the Tigers in toto. Down 14-0 against Arkansas, they won 41-17. Down 10-0 against Georgia, they won 42-10. Nobody doubted that this was the nation’s best team before the past two weekends, but now there’s no doubt.
Miles: “Never are they out of it. Never was there any question that they would get their feet, get their bearings and compete.”
This doesn’t mean that this demonstrably superb team will win the national championship. The Tigers will almost surely have to play Alabama again, and how would you like to have your road to the BCS title blocked by a bunch coached by Nick Saban that you had to move heaven and Earth to beat the first time? We can argue forever the fairness of that, but Les Miles wasn’t really in the mood Saturday.
“It’s a tremendous conference top to bottom,” he said. “[Alabama has] a great team. We’ll look forward to competing against them. But I’m going to enjoy this night first.”
And why not? After a unbeaten regular season that closed with come-from-behind comprehensive routs against Top 15 opposition, why should Miles or the Honey Badger or any Tiger fear man or Saban? Tell the truth: When last did you see a team this powerful, this fast, this unyielding?
“That second half, we basically got it going,” Mile said. Then this: “This is a quality group. It’s a great team.”
By Mark Bradley
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506 comments Add your comment
Wild Hoage
December 3rd, 2011
10:33 pm
After an incredible effort by the defense and leaving at least 14 points on the field (well, 21 if honey badger’s fumble/toss to the ref had been correctly called), that 2nd half collapse was utterly complete and painful. Murray was forcing it, but with no running game whatsoever there was not much else to do. Those play action fakes he does so well don’t do much good once they realize we are not going to actually run it. I think that’s what they were attempting with the playcalling to start the third quarter but LSU was ready and the fumble was the beginning of the end. Crowell is an enigma, too brittle and a possible head case. but he may still get it together his soph year. If not I think the coaches and certainly a lot of the fans will lose patience with him. Dogs going hard after #1 running back Marshall, so hopefully he will have some competition.Special teams got us again, but it’s a little more understandable with that #7 returning punts All that said, LSU is in a separate class — a team so good it wins with a completely mediocre qb. Kind of amazing really. But they are so physically imposing you could see us starting to quit in the 2nd half. That was disheartening, but we have a lot of talent returning and the defense will be able to dominate for a complete game against most teams — including the SEC East next year. Don’t see anyone in our division really stopping us from another SEC championship game in 2012 — maybe we will be better situated to stay with LSU or Bama then. But we need to bring a legit running game to win this conference.
WOW
December 3rd, 2011
10:33 pm
by the way daddo, bama brings the stigma of that ole tree killer to the national stage. you look like weirdos.
I’m thinking with how Ok St is doing it will be them versus LSU and the baylor kid wins the Heisman. So close but so far away for the Tide.
I do however think the pundits will be praying for Alabama vs USC in the national championship this year… although I’ve got to check, will USC be off probation?
Wait… will Alabama be off probation?
That’d be a funny match up.
Send'em Uhauls
December 3rd, 2011
10:33 pm
Its the same ole crap with Richt. you people need to wake up…
Erk Russell's Dog
December 3rd, 2011
10:33 pm
Dabo should thank The Ole Ball Coach for firing up his squad .I still can’t figure out how Ga. Tech beat these boys.
Tech 90
December 3rd, 2011
10:34 pm
Now it’s time for all you fair weathered Georgia fans to jump back on the “Fire Mark Richt” bandwagon. I love it, Georgia gets embarrassed at the “Georgia Dome”. What’s it gonna take for you redneck UGA fans to come back to reality. This team is a joke. The SEC East is a joke. Get a good night’s sleep and get ready to go back to work stocking shelves at Wal Mart tomorrow!
DILLIGAF
December 3rd, 2011
10:34 pm
Enter your comments here
DawgGone
December 3rd, 2011
10:34 pm
“LT
December 3rd, 2011
10:17 pm
10-3 – Losses to 3 top ten and teams, after last year i’d say that’s a step forward. Let’s build off this and get ready for next season. Thanks for an entertaining season. I look to be back here next year!!”
Ten years later…a couple of ten win seasons…no SEC Championship and ….
“LT
December 3rd, 2021
10:17 pm
10-3 – Losses to 3 top ten and teams, after last year i’d say that’s a step forward. Let’s build off this and get ready for next season. Thanks for an entertaining season. I look to be back here next year!!”
Eddiein acworth
December 3rd, 2011
10:35 pm
T
stendek
December 3rd, 2011
10:36 pm
Glad to see SEC gave some homeless guys from Louisiana after wake of Katrina an opportunity to officiate in SEC championship game. Could have made bias bit less transparent though. One blatant clip on punt return. Ball definitely flipped away before reaching end zone. Ball which bounced to Tiger in EZ was fully observed by zebra. Could not have missed it! Refs did not cost UGA game but were factor in defeat! Dawgs did not need help. Team knows how to lose on its own merit! Aaron Murray worst QB in SEC. Period.
WOW
December 3rd, 2011
10:36 pm
@send em’. Tired of playing under expectations? It’s amazing but Auburn, Alabama, LSU twice, Florida twice and UT have won BCS titles. LSU is on it’s way to the third, making six in a row for the SEC. And the next team up will probably be Arkansas. And two years from now all of those underclassman at Auburn will be two years better… and better coached then UGA.
It’s not looking pretty. And who is to say Muschamp doesn’… oh wait, I said Muschamp. Boy I think UF is dead for a long while. That was a bad hire.
Ray
December 3rd, 2011
10:37 pm
Okay for all the Crowell bashers out there I’m just saying without him we’re not in the SEC Championship especially early on in the season most of those games could have easily gone the other way.
Now don’t get me wrong the defense has also gotten 1000x better as the season progressed but you know the offense needs to score the points.
Still I don’t care if you’re a bulldog fan or whatever Mike Bobo has to get the **** out of Athens. Same for the Saint Mark Richt he just doesn’t fit the bill of SEC football coach.
Ace
December 3rd, 2011
10:38 pm
The people that post “fire the coaches” comments are losers. Give credit to a better team. UGA had a fantastic game plan that worked for a half and went south when we gave LSU a short field in the 3rd quarter. UGA has big character issues at RB and I am confident that will be addressed in the coming weeks or after the bowl game. UGA has had a great season so far… Get after them at the Outback or Capital One. Be proud and stop blaming coaches….
Eddiein acworth
December 3rd, 2011
10:38 pm
@flat tire
Exactly. Game was lost in first half when we were backed up inside the 15 and bobo decides to get away from what had been working and run out of the I and run it up the gut. Conservative crap killed us.
Then we kick it to badger. Did they even watch the ark lsu tape? The kid changes games….kick it out of bounds!!
Sure we are young. But these players will have the same coaching staff. And they cant figure out how to win big games because they dont know what they are doing…save grantham. Will we ever overachieve? Not with this staff.
And crowell should be kicked off the team tonight. What a joke.
Eddiein acworth
December 3rd, 2011
10:39 pm
Enter your comments here
WOW
December 3rd, 2011
10:39 pm
The ref’s were not a factor. Again, there wasn’t a UGA player near the LSU Honey Badger. He was handing off the ball and got too excited. The ref did raise his hands before he scored and that’s bad but he too saw that there wasn’t a UGA player challenging the grass within 10 yards of him.
Even if UGA had scored on all those blown catches and so forth, the game would’ve still ended 42-24 at best. I mean they scored 42 points unanswered. They ran an INT back for a touchdown. The ref’s didn’t collapse UGA’s offense and cause turnovers. Murray did that. The same Murray who got UGA to that game on passing when they had little else. I think honestly he is masking a lot of issues on that team like Tebow did for UF.
Really?REALLY?
December 3rd, 2011
10:40 pm
Congrats bulldogs(emphasis on bull) Once again you have shown all bark and no bite, But yall still should be playing for the NC right because you are Ga, right? wrong you are not an elite program, have not been for GATA again next year, sorry the next year, sorry the next year……………
WOW
December 3rd, 2011
10:40 pm
Someone hand me a rope, I’m going over to Tigerdroppings, this ought to be interesting. I’m not sure they’re happy tonight with how LSU played. Talk about high expectations. There are people here happy UGA played a good first half even though they lost by 32 points.
WOW
December 3rd, 2011
10:42 pm
Hey Really… quite. UGA wins the national championship all of the time, goes 10-2 all of the time, in August.
It’s kind of funny when you hear someone say, i expect to go 10-2. Really? And lose to who? Nobody. So do you think you’ll compete for the national championship? Probably not, next year for sure. And yet you don’t plan on losing to anyone this year but you won’t be in the title game? Is this Auburn 2004? I’m confused.
Draggin Fly
December 3rd, 2011
10:42 pm
Okie State looks like they could hang 60 on the Sooners tonight.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
December 3rd, 2011
10:43 pm
I honestly would consider approaching Eric Zeir for the OC position and Bobo can move back to coaching QB’s
Coach Richt
December 3rd, 2011
10:43 pm
LOL!!! ROFLMAO!!! 42-10 We got smoked… maybe next year. Coach Bobo will have another 8 months to plan for a great season.
RMikel58
December 3rd, 2011
10:46 pm
The Defense played the best 1st half ive seen anyone play on LSU in a long time. Way to go guys if it werent for our defense, we probably wouldnt have been in the SEC Championship game. Todd Grantham is doing a great job.
Cant say the same about our Offense. But i’ll say that our OL did great the 1st half and really until LSU went ahead 21-10. Momentum fired them up on LSU defense. WR oh my gosh the drop passes was a huge blow to the game.
Crowell, hey im not sure where his head is at right now. Tough LSU defense huh Crowell? Hey not taking nothing away from LSU Defense but Georgia is better but Boykin is a soft DB that cant tackle. Did anyone see how Boykin took the kickoff and immediately fell down when he saw 2 LSU players running toward him?
Georgia was thin at LB, Front 3, and has a weak CB Boykin but still challenged LSU. But that Murray kid runs fast but lays down if he thinks hes gonna get hit. No toughness in him or Crowell.
Murray single handedly gave that game to LSU by fumbling the ball at the 20.
That alone turned the entire game in LSU’s favor. The defense gave up, the offense quit blocking, the running backs gained a yard a carry and everything came to a stand still.
Georgia had already lost the game in their minds but the fumble gave away their hearts. Murray is no David Greene, full of spirit, determination or guts.
He loses his composure and gets confused then lays down without even being touched. Kinda like Matt Ryan does with the Falcons.
Mark Richt has got to go outside the coaches realm and bring in a special teams coach. Not a friend, not one that he played football or coached with but a AAA Special teams coach. Cost you 7 pts, and the momentum.
WR’s you get a D for effort, drop passes, wrong routes and running scared. RB’;s get an F, too timid, missing blocking assignments and no yardage.
QB gets a C, interception, fumble, and not getting his team up. Offensive Coach gets an F, which is the case when they play a top 25 team. Bobo just plainly stinks.
Defense gets an A-, sensational 1st half, 2nd half bad tackling and giving up! To let a LSU team score over 40 pts is unacceptable. Damn Georgia you made LSU look good in the 2nd half. Read the headlines Georgia blown out!
Take some pride in all your accomplishments, even if Murray cant play. You were that good in the 1st half and i know you were gonna be better in the 2nd half, but you gave up! Murray and the offense put you into another bad situation, but still you gotta rise up and keep going.
Its not your fault that Georgia has a sorry Offensive Coordinator, a freshman back that gets hang nails, and a QB thats afraid of getting hit.
Honestly i thought that our Defense would get a fumble or interception and turn momentum back around. You gave up way too early D-Dawgs.
Ray
December 3rd, 2011
10:46 pm
If Mark Richt gets any extension 2 things Fire Bobo and get us a need Special Teams Coach cause all I saw out there was a load of crap on Offense and Special Teams plus we need to recruit some good players.
Abnerish
December 3rd, 2011
10:47 pm
You morons on herre are blaming Bobo and Murray for this loss? Really? Did you watch the game? We had to play nearly perfect to win this game, and when you drop 2 TD passes, 6-7 balls, and make mistake after crucial mistake, what did you expect. Our defense played its best half of football perhaps ever, but just couldn’t overcome the mistakes we made in the 2nd half. And then momentum kicked in and it was over. It also didn’t help that we had no real tailbacks. Made us entirely predictable. I hope all the great RB recruits watched that game and realize now just how big an impact they could have.
Jack
December 3rd, 2011
10:47 pm
I understand frustration but I have seen some of the absolutely stupidest comments on this thing criticizing the players and coaches. LSU IS one of the great teams of the decade but it was not but a handful of years that they were after Miles’ scalp. Some folks need the put the liquor away for the night and go to bed.
christophorm
December 3rd, 2011
10:49 pm
I thought mitchell from valdosta would be the x-factor in this game, boy was I wrong…big time players show up in big games I hear.
MAF
December 3rd, 2011
10:49 pm
Georgia’s record made them look better than they really were…they only beat 2 teams with a winning record – Auburn and Tech (3 teams if you count Coastal Carolina). The combined record of the teams they beat was 56-63 (this winning % greatly helped by CC). UGA was only 2 -3 against teams with a winning record. Big improvement over last year but still have a ways to go before being considered a top tier team.
KBP
December 3rd, 2011
10:49 pm
JB, I’ve been a Dawg fan since ‘76. I don’t know the Malcome’s but I hope he transfers. I’ve never seen Malcome practice but I’ve seen him play this year and clearly he is better than Thomas, Harton, Samuel, and surely tougher than Crowell. I don’t know what the coaching staff has against him but he can play and should go somewhere else so he can play. Love Richt, but he may have missed an opportunity for Malcome to bolster running game. Dawgs, if you remember, he did a similar thing with Verron Haynes- did not play tail back until the last 3 games of the season. Coming from 6-7 last year, this has been a great year. Recruit well again and go at it next year.
just sayin'
December 3rd, 2011
10:49 pm
UGA would never have even gone to this game if they had played anyone decent in the SEC. The only quality team they played was SC, and they lost to them. Convenient that Arky, Bama, and LSU weren’t on their regular season schedule. Being the SEC east rep is not a very big deal.
BoBo is a joke
December 3rd, 2011
10:50 pm
BoBo needs to move on. All he calls is stupid DRAW PLAYS. They have such a vanilla offense. Crowell needs to quit being a girl and step it up. UGA needs running backs that can play and don’t get hurt.
Abnerish
December 3rd, 2011
10:51 pm
Zeier for OC? You really want someone that hasn’t coached a single game in any capacity at any level? Brilliant.
JUDGE JOE BROWN
December 3rd, 2011
10:51 pm
Congats to the entire team and coaching staff on the effort this season,,,,,,,,,,Isiah you just 1st team All-Ghetto
Jack
December 3rd, 2011
10:52 pm
By the way Tech90 you can give it a rest because no matter UGA’ s record we kick your butt every year. All you have going for you is trash talk and probably unemployment benefits from your UGA business owner.
JaxDawg
December 3rd, 2011
10:53 pm
Still love my Dawgs!
GTJeff
December 3rd, 2011
10:54 pm
Georgia folks hold your head up. I was watching the first half of that game & yall dominated on both sides. I think the biggest problem yall had were the injuries to your tailbacks. Crowell was limping in the first quarter then Thomas went down. As good a Murray was, he couldn’t do it without a running game.
christophorm
December 3rd, 2011
10:56 pm
You hate to see your team quit but these guys really quit in the second quarter.They tried to punch LSU hard early but the dropped passed took the air out of them.
GTJeff
December 3rd, 2011
10:56 pm
Problem was NOT Bobo. If your running game is limping, you can’t expect miracles against the nations best team.
Spud
December 3rd, 2011
10:57 pm
Predictable outcome. SEC East is not too hot this year.
MikeinAtlanta
December 3rd, 2011
10:57 pm
You know in general I love how fair weathered all you jackwagons are. For the guys that posted the positive stuff awesome. The coaches dont go out and catch the passes, and the quarterback cant keep the pass rush honest without a running game. Georgia came out and did what they could with what they had, the defense held them out the entire first half, with exception to the punt return. That being said our defense was getting left in longer and longer and longer, while our offense put them in worse positions. As good as our defense is, it could hang that long. We need more running backs over 200 pounds, and we need them next season. Aaron murray did the best with what little time he was afforded, and for all the rest of you asshats you try and run an offense against LSU, I doubt any of you even appreciate how hard it is to put points on them, or keep them from scoring.
joe taxpayer
December 3rd, 2011
11:00 pm
And we still have not beaten a good team in 6 years but CMR will get his contract oh well.
Delbert D.
December 3rd, 2011
11:00 pm
Oklahoma St. is .5 points behind Alabama in the computer poll average, and their strength of schedule goes up with this win tonight. Looks like even a large margin of victory won’t be enough to sway the humans, though.
Mobile Dawg
December 3rd, 2011
11:01 pm
Best half of defense we’ve ever played IMO.
0-down & 12 Yards
December 3rd, 2011
11:02 pm
we made mistakes, LSU had only 230 Yards of offense!! we need RBs
John
December 3rd, 2011
11:02 pm
Remember UGA fans, Tech has been part of a National Championship since you have. That must really hurt.
Fair and Balanced
December 3rd, 2011
11:04 pm
I guess I was right to fear a blowout. My thought was that in the second half we would have to do something different to keep pace. I guess we didn’t come out with a different look or Lsu came out on steroids. We are in their class, but only for a half a game.
GTJeff
December 3rd, 2011
11:04 pm
Look, as much as I HATE the Dawgs, you can’t looks at this game & say “Oh they didn’t play anyone & this showed they are no good” They are still 10-3 after going 6-7. They stomped us royally last weekend. They played a great 1st half but did not play a perfect game (too many dropped passes, missed field goal, missed interception) & to compete with LSU you HAVE to play a PERFECT game. LSU is just on another level of any team in the FBS short of Alabama.
MikeinAtlanta
December 3rd, 2011
11:05 pm
Secondly anyone who says aaron murray is afraid of getting hit is just plain stupid. The kid has taken insane risks and the play he fumbled on he was taking the only shot he had to get a first down. The kid has gotten abused all season and the smartest thing he could do on a couple of plays was drop and not risk getting the ball knocked out on a sack. Sometimes when your a quarterback and your going to get sacked its better to drop lose the yards and keep your head attached to you to throw another down. Man alive it’s like you guys like watching him take murder hits. I can tell none of you ever played quarterback either, those guys want you out of the game when they hit you.
Ndamukong Suh
December 3rd, 2011
11:06 pm
Isiah,MY MAN!!!
RMikel58
December 3rd, 2011
11:08 pm
Any Division would be weak if you pit it against the SEC west. LSU has better coaches than Georgia does. Todd Grantham holds his own. Les Miles is very similar to Nick Saban of Alabama. They devote most all their time to football where Mark Richt doesnt because he believes in spending time with families are just as important.
His passion isnt as deep and demanding as the Sabans and Miles of the world. Just look at LSU and Alabamas recruiting. They cover alot more area than Georgias staff, infact almost double. These 2 schools are a well oiled machine than any college would love to have.
LSU and Alabama are very well organized football programs. Georgia is no where near them on that level both coaching and recruiting.
Then you take LSU and Alabamas developement program, they really work those guys hard and demand alot from them when they play.
Bobo can never develope into that type coach because he never developed as a player at Georgia. Mediocre at best.
But Todd Grantham has. This is why were seeing our defense getting better every year and the offense getting worst every year. Bobo has been trying to learn how to run an offense, he has no mentor and is learning as he goes.
Just be happy to win the SEC east, go to a bowl and let Georgia and Dr. Adams get millions of dollars from revenues. No BCS, no hershel walker, just a continuation of frustration when we play a very good team.
There really isnt many schools that can have programs like LSU and Alabama.
Ray
December 3rd, 2011
11:12 pm
People say Bobo ain’t the problem after that supposed great first quarter everything I mean everything just went downhill the great QB Aaron Murray finally showed us who he really was overrated.
There were many times I saw him throwing passes without any defensive players around him couldn’t even reach the receivers themselves.
Maybe Crowell does need some competition around him, but a bad RB he is not just needs more players to challenge him for the spot.
Still Coach Richt has yet another year to prove what we already know that he’s not a great head coach.