It was an awful loss, but it wasn’t the end of UGA’s ascent
It wasn't the greatest homecoming for Georgia's Aaron Murray, was it? (AP photo)
Tampa — This was a bad loss, OK? This was a really bad loss by a team that had positioned itself to win by two touchdowns until its quarterback began throwing the ball to the wrong team. But in the grand scheme — and by “grand” I mean a distance of Grand Canyon dimensions — losing to Michigan State might be a good thing for the Georgia Bulldogs.
A year and two days ago, Georgia was wondering how how long it would take to rise from 6-7. To the Bulldogs’ credit, they rose to 10-2 and to the SEC East title in the span of 11 months. In its final two games, Georgia proved its transformation from underachiever to champion is not yet complete.
In the SEC championship game, Georgia led LSU 10-0 but lost 42-10. In the Outback Bowl here Monday, the Bulldogs led Michigan State 16-0 and had outgained the Spartans 217 yards to 81 when, four minutes into the third quarter, Aaron Murray scrambled to his right and saw Tavarres King near midfield. Murray thought King would backtrack. Instead King ran deeper. Murray’s pass, directed where King wasn’t, was intercepted. With that, a game Georgia had dominated began to unspool.
Said Mark Richt, Georgia’s coach: “Aaron had plenty of space. He was being pressured, but he wasn’t under duress.”
Had Murray scrambled for a modest gain, had he flung the ball out of bounds, Georgia might well have won this game breezing. The interception gave the Spartans a lift they hadn’t really earned, and therein hangs a lesson.
Said Todd Grantham, Georgia’s defensive coordinator: “Good teams are always going to make plays. You have to learn to put teams away, and there’s a learning curve for that. You’ve got to educate yourself. You’ve got to go through things.”
What Georgia went through the rest of this excruciating day was a crash course in comeuppance. Ahead and in control, the Bulldogs blew that 16-point lead, surged back ahead inside the final seven minutes, saw Michigan State tie it with 19 seconds left in regulation and managed to mess up three overtimes as badly as three overtimes can be messed up. It was as if the Football Fates said, “Yeah, you’re young and you’re talented, but you’re not there yet.”
Bacarri Rambo intercepted a Kirk Cousins pass at the beginning of overtime, and that should have been that. But Richt, choosing to err on the side of extreme caution, opted to have Blair Walsh try a field goal on third down from the 25, which is where you get the ball to start an overtime. Sure enough, Walsh missed. (A low snap contributed.) Two more overtimes would follow, and finally it ended with a Walsh kick being blocked.
Georgia’s offensive yield in the three OTs: Eight plays for minus-4 yards. Indeed, Michigan State — which managed two first downs in the first 35 minutes — would outgain the Bulldogs 391 yards to 339. Georgia couldn’t run a lick, and 20 Murray completions were offset by two interceptions, a lost fumble and four sacks.
The second Murray interception was returned for a touchdown, the fourth time this season a Murray throw yielded six opposing points. Three of those came in losses. As superb as Murray can be, there’s still a bit of the wild point guard in him: He can keep both teams in the game.
Said Mike Bobo, the offensive coordinator: “We’ve just got to do a better job as a team of protecting the football.”
Said Richt: “You’ve got to respect the ball.”
Somehow Georgia contrived to lose on a day when Brandon Boykin, ostensibly a defender, scored three times (tackle for safety, punt return, pass reception). Somehow the champ of the SEC East lost to the champ of the Big Ten Legends Division, and we all know the SEC shouldn’t be losing to the Big Ten in a bowl game. That said …
This ugly loss does not — repeat, does not — invalidate the 10 games Georgia won in 2011. This game is not — repeat, is not — proof that these Bulldogs will never win anything big under Richt. Yeah, it was a wretched ending to a turnaround season, but the turnaround stands.
Said Boykin, a senior who was the game’s MVP: “We made huge strides from 6-7, but great teams finish when they’re supposed to. The LSUs and Alabamas — there’s a reason they’re going to the national championship game. We held LSU to 12 yards in the first half and didn’t finish. We had the lead today and didn’t finish. Once they figure out how to pound a team and not give up anything, Georgia can be special.”
Said Richt: “At the moment, this one hurts. But in time it will heal.”
Some of you might consider those empty words. But we need recall another bowl loss, the Music City defeat by a Boston College team of no special distinction, that capped Richt’s first season. It was easy that day in Nashville to claim that Georgia was still the same old Georgia, but soon it wasn’t. The next year the Bulldogs went 13-1 and won Georgia’s first SEC title in two decades.
By Mark Bradley
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1,128 comments Add your comment
goodsport
January 2nd, 2012
10:00 pm
I am not surprised that Michigan won, Georgia used to be the team that closed the deal on the football field,those days are gone however. The Gamecocks lost the their defensive coach and running backs coach and with their best RB ,but still beat a pretty good Nebraska team in the Capitol One Bowl. The Old Ball Coach went for it on 4th and one and got it. They call that being aggressive ! Wait till next year!
Bill
January 2nd, 2012
10:01 pm
What ascent? They lost to every decent team they played this year. They beat crap. If they played bama or lsu this year, they wouldn’t have even been to the sec champ. It’s called lucky scheduling and they get another piece next year.
Jacket99
January 2nd, 2012
10:01 pm
kerryb
December 31st, 2011
6:24 pm
Go Jackets!,I don’t hate Tech like some UGA fans do. My brother-in-law went there. What I do hate is idiot Tech trollers that come on UGA blogs talking trash when their team can’t win a bowl game. I had to come on here and dish it out some for pay back.
I feel your pain.
There are plenty of idiot troll posts on the blogs for both teams. Sometimes I think it is two trolls who change names and post on both sides just to get responses.
K
January 2nd, 2012
10:02 pm
Love it!!!!!!!!!
Coach Mark Richt
January 2nd, 2012
10:02 pm
On Wednesday, I will be announcing my decision to leave UGA. Ford has offered me a pitchman position and I look so cool driving around in that truck with my shades on. This will free up a lot of time which I will spend in the tanning booth. Plus I already have millions of dollars from UGA. Its great to be the Tan Man.
medawgu
January 2nd, 2012
10:02 pm
Te dawgs will never get to a ntional tilte game will Bobo. Richt wont let him go, e doesn’t have it in him. so we are stuck with good records when we play a soft schedule and a 500 team in conference when we dont.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
January 2nd, 2012
10:02 pm
kerryb
I didnt know being a UGA fan meant you had to except 10 win seasons as the best you can do even though the state of Georgia is a top 5 recruiting state year end year out.
I didnt realize you were suppose to except losing to top 25 programs every time you played them because you wear red and black
You need to go pull for Vandy or KY they need more fans with low expectations and who run their mouths after beating Great programs that are having a down year
Mr. Tan Man
January 2nd, 2012
10:03 pm
On Wednesday, I will be announcing my decision to leave UGA. Ford has offered me a pitchman position and I look so cool driving around in that truck with my shades on. This will free up a lot of time which I will spend in the tanning booth. Plus I already have millions of dollars from UGA. Its great to be the Tan Man.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
January 2nd, 2012
10:03 pm
kerryb
I didnt know being a UGA fan meant you had to except 10 win seasons as the best you can do even though the state of Georgia is a top 5 recruiting state year end year out.
I didnt realize you were suppose to except losing to top 25 programs every time you played them because you wear red and black
kerryb
January 2nd, 2012
10:04 pm
Did anyone notice that we were pretty much a spread team today? Our offense was better when we played I formation football with a FB. I did not even see Bruce Figgins in the game today and didn’t see him against LSU. We have morphed into a spread team which I hate. Maybe when we have Hicks the true FB next year we will go back to what we do because this ain’t it.
LakeDawg
January 2nd, 2012
10:04 pm
kerryb
January 2nd, 2012
9:51 pm
I-95, quit saying OUR. You are NOT an OUR.
————————————————————————————————————————————–
Who are YOU to be saying who is or isn’t a part of the Dawg family. YOU are the worst kind of demagogue. The kind who labels anyone that disagrees with them as not loyal. And NOTHING that comes from you has any integrity. Your not so much giving your opinion as you are spouting a party line. And woe to anyone that doesn’t go along with it, they will be labeled as “unloyal.” YOU are just a propogandist bully tearing at the heart of the Dawg Nation.
Jorge
January 2nd, 2012
10:04 pm
UGA is a mediocre SEC team and has proven it year after year. Don’t know why people get so excited before each season or after the win a few patty cake games.
They just ain’t got what LSU, Alabama, Florida and Auburn have been able to muster to win the big one.
We Ruin this State
January 2nd, 2012
10:06 pm
Any of you bigmouths who say UGA dosen’t schedule any tough games outside the conference, what do you have to say now ? Yea, thats what I thought.
laugh
January 2nd, 2012
10:06 pm
bobo has no experience outside of thomasville ga and athens ga. way overmatched
Law Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
10:06 pm
I am so sick of seeing all these posts that say we are going to be National Championship contender next year since we have so many players coming back. What do yall not understand. Mark Richt and Bobo could have Hershel Walker as our tailback and they would still find a way to screw things up. TALENT is not the issue. The problem is that our coach has absolutely NO CLUE. He has no clue how to finish off an opponent. UGA football is great for the NFL scouts and that is about it. UGA players have great NFL careers. They are able to win Super Bowls in the NFL but cant ever win any thing big at UGA. Stop going crazy on all these players and understand that they need a TRUE LEADER not a Preacher (RICHT).
We Ruin this State
January 2nd, 2012
10:07 pm
Beating Tech and having a top 10 recruiting class is more important than this game.
It's a joke that..
January 2nd, 2012
10:07 pm
It’s a joke Bradley that you don’t consider a teams freaking schedule when looking what it’s done. Had Ga played Ark, Lsu or Bama this year, they WOULD NOT have won the sec east. But they lucked out and played 3 crappy teams from the west. The 3 worst. And fla was down big. And they lost to the only decent sec team they played. Yet they are rising. Whatever. You’re one illogical pom pom waving loser just like uga.
BehindEnemyLines
January 2nd, 2012
10:07 pm
No need for today’s loss to invalidate the 10 wins, the soft schedule & abysmal performance against teams with a winning record did that weeks ago.
gmandog
January 2nd, 2012
10:08 pm
Mark – If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem. How can you say that this loss is NOT proof that UGA will not win big games in the future, when all the losses this year proves he cannot win big games. The Auburn game is the only one that approached a well coached game. UGA deserves better. Thanks to Richt and Bobo UGA embarrassed themselves and the SEC. No wonder that no other SEC coaches have any respect for Richt.
Paul in NH
January 2nd, 2012
10:08 pm
DP
January 2nd, 2012
9:59 pm
If Richt had given me the standard line about kicking on 3rd down in case of a bad snap, I’d have asked him if he could name a game he’d ever been involved with or seen where a holder had fallen on a bad snap on 3rd down and kicked the field goal on 4th. I’ve never seen one
—-
Grant Field 11-27-99 GT 51 UGA 48. GT kicked the winning FG after having a FG blocked on 3rd down.
Are you sure that you are a UGA fan?
kerryb
January 2nd, 2012
10:08 pm
LakeDawg, Blah, Blah, Blah. The guy has been sounding like a fan of another school bashing us right and left. get off your high horse.
Perspective
January 2nd, 2012
10:09 pm
Had uga played bama lsu and ark instead of missy missy st and aubbie, they would have finished the reg season at 7-5 bradley. Just sayin…
JRW7
January 2nd, 2012
10:10 pm
There is something just not right about this team, even with 10 wins, we are not very good, how many teams did we beat with a winning record this year????????? May be the OFFENSIVE COACHES and the QUARTERBACK?????? Something just ain’t RIGHT! Maybe next year??????
BamaDAWG
January 2nd, 2012
10:10 pm
Jorge, don’t get caught in Bama or they will deport you! Hope you take Richt and Bobo with you!
Paul in NH
January 2nd, 2012
10:10 pm
DP
January 2nd, 2012
9:59 pm
If Richt had given me the standard line about kicking on 3rd down in case of a bad snap, I’d have asked him if he could name a game he’d ever been involved with or seen where a holder had fallen on a bad snap on 3rd down and kicked the field goal on 4th. I’ve never seen one
—
Grant Field 11-27-99 GT 51 UGA 48 in OT. GT kicked the game winning FG on 4th down after having it blocked on 2rd down.
Pmc
January 2nd, 2012
10:11 pm
Just save this column for next season. Ga won 10 games and the east again. Then failed against good teams at the end because the coaches aren’t good enough and they make too many mistakes. Failing is what this state does
Paul in NH
January 2nd, 2012
10:11 pm
Ooops
Blocked on 3rd down
Coach Ray Goff
January 2nd, 2012
10:12 pm
Go Dwags? C’mon, people.
http://i.imgur.com/KFfDc.jpg
Season ticket holder since 1986
January 2nd, 2012
10:13 pm
DP – Tech did it to Ga a while back. Tech kicked the field goal on 3rd down and Georgia blocked it. Tech covered it and then kicked the winning field goal on fourth down and won the game. I was there. I watched it happen. Kicking on third down was the right thing to do. Georgia is just used to having a kicker that is automatic from the 25.
MIck
January 2nd, 2012
10:14 pm
Mark you are as blind as Richt and Bobo. Richt has to protect his money stream and in turn protect Bobo’s. Give UGA fans 10 wins and a bunch of B.S. from writers like you and everybody walks away satisfied. UGA doesn’t play for championships. They play for seasons that will help them keep their jobs.
AtlGator
January 2nd, 2012
10:14 pm
UGA – fraud program. They played nobody and lost to every half-decent team they played.
Richt's Tanning Salon
January 2nd, 2012
10:15 pm
Yall don’t be sad, I know I let you down, but I am offering free spray tanning for the rest of this week and eyebrow bleaching as well to help settle your nerves!
BUILT FORD TOUGH!!!!
PPS
January 2nd, 2012
10:15 pm
And the only way you get a second chance at a blocked kick or muffed snap is if the ball stays behind the line of scrimmage. Rare on a blocked fg.
kerryb
January 2nd, 2012
10:16 pm
I really think that not having a true FB took us out of our offense all year. Apparently Bruce Figgins was not the answer.
Richt's Tanning Salon
January 2nd, 2012
10:17 pm
We totally got manhandled in the second half, they run this state now until we can prove we run it next season with a winning season and bowl win! Come on in for free tans, please don’t hold the grudge against me. We can do it, next season!!!!
PPS
January 2nd, 2012
10:17 pm
I still want a playoff but if bama or lsu played stan or ok state it would be a 17-27 point win for both of them.
MissouriDawg
January 2nd, 2012
10:17 pm
Why is Mike “Bozo” Bobo employed? He is obviously not ready for prime time in the SEC!
GT is a 4th rate High School Team
January 2nd, 2012
10:18 pm
This game was a Deja Vu of the SEC Championship, Murray just decided to throw those interceptions. Richt can continue knocking on the door of the national championship, but it will never open if Murray continue to throw those interception on those big games..To this point the DAWGS have not won a game against a team with winning season at the time of the game. BOBO essentially followed the same play calling as he called in the SEC championship with the same result.
Erk Russell's Dog
January 2nd, 2012
10:18 pm
Damn if a school like Stanford can run the ball why can’t UGA with their so-called relaxed academic standards do the same.Big fat linemen and small and fragile running backs(who also have a taste for recreational pharmacology)seems to be the best UGA can do. Who rates these so called 5 star players ?Or is it what the “Ole Ball Coach “a lack of coaching them up?Also a little more diversity in the recruiting demographics may help the program get to the next level.
Dooker
January 2nd, 2012
10:19 pm
No disrespect for UGa, but if I had a FB offer to Stanford and UGa, it wouldn’t be close. But I’m smarter than UGa recruits.
Snoop Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
10:19 pm
Law Dawg, you are on it. You understand. You are in a very elite minority of UGA graduates.
InsureDawg
January 2nd, 2012
10:19 pm
Not enough people are putting enough blame on the O Line and th
kerryb
January 2nd, 2012
10:20 pm
Erk Russell’s Dog, If you notice Stanford runs an I-formation pro style offense like we use to. We had no FB this year so we had to use more spread.
Darth Maul
January 2nd, 2012
10:20 pm
Were going to lose to Missouri. Last time we went out in that area, we got beat down by ok state.
kerryb
January 2nd, 2012
10:21 pm
We have a FB committed for this class so hopefully we’ll go back to I-formation football.
Snoop Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
10:21 pm
The night they tore ole UGA down…
Marco Polo
January 2nd, 2012
10:21 pm
Mark Bradley will be writing another article almost exactly like this one this time year after their cake schedule get them to the SECCG to get beat to a bloody pulp by one of the three powerhouses from the West and then getting beat by another legit team in a bowl.
tmc
January 2nd, 2012
10:21 pm
It’s not the loss that gonna kill them…
IT’S THE WAY THEY LOST.
But if it leads to Bobo’s dismissal and a new OC… i’m cool w/ it.
Snoop Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
10:22 pm
Enter your comments here
Darth Richt
January 2nd, 2012
10:22 pm
I have taken over the uga program and will destroy it from the ground up