Live from the Outback: UGA should win this bloomin’ bowl
The press box food preparation table, shown after hungry scribes descended. (Photo by M. Bradley)
Tampa – The nice thing about covering the Outback Bowl is the sponsor. It’s the only bowl that serves steak and a bloomin’ onion as a pregame meal. I mention this so you’ll know not to expect much in the way of back-and-forth from this correspondent over the next half-hour.
As for the game … well, here’s what you need to know about Michigan State. The Spartans are 7-14 in bowls. They haven’t won won since Dec. 31, 2001. They’re 0-4 under Mark Dantonio. Even Nick Saban was 0-3 in bowls as MSU’s coach.
The Spartans are 0-3 in bowls against teams from Georgia. (Lost to the Bulldogs in Vince Dooley’s final game and in the Capital One in 2008, lost to Georgia Tech in the old Hall of Fame Bowl in Birmingham in 1985. Georgia fans will remember that as the game in which John Dewberry, who transferred from UGA and became Tech’s quarterback, did not partake — he’d been suspended for missing curfew in Birmingham, which isn’t easy to do.)
It’s possible Michigan State could win today, but recent history shows it’s not smart to bet against the SEC in a bowl against the Big Ten. (Example: The Spartans lost to Alabama 49-7 in the Capital One last January. Though Michigan State did beat Florida in the Citrus on the first day of this century.)
Enough. Georgia should win. I make it 27-17, but I’m often wrong. Sometimes even bloomin’ wrong, which reminds me …
Discuss among yourselves. I’ll be back in a few. And happy bloomin’ New Year.
By Mark Bradley
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3,667 comments Add your comment
HunkerDawg
January 2nd, 2012
6:19 pm
Fire Richt! Pathetic performance! We will never be an elite team. We are doomed to always screw something up as long as Richt is here. FIRE RICHT NOW!
Denver Dog
January 2nd, 2012
6:19 pm
Sure, let’s give CMR a contract extension for beating up on poor teams and never winning against a Top 25 team. Great!
Stander
January 2nd, 2012
6:20 pm
The O-line got whupped pretty good today by a stout d-line so they couldn’t open running lanes all day as a result the offense was held in check.. Murray was inaccurate down the stretch and could not get the job done by himself without a running game. Where were our tight ends all day? At every level of football over the past few years tight ends have become much more integral parts of offenses and a good TE can make a huge difference as we saw Michigan State’s tight end do for them today.
I hope the hire ups at UGA chew out CMR for the decision to kick a 42 yarder with an unreliable kicker on third down in the first overtime that is a move you make when you are lining up for a chip shot not a kick over 40 yards.
My opinion on the program remains the same as it was at the start of the year we have some great high caliber coaches who are not getting enough out of elite recruits. Mike Bobo is not now nor has he ever been a high caliber coordinator and should probably be demoted to position coach, but we all know that won’t happen.
Todd Grantham’s defense made great strides this year, and CMR earned a small contract extension.
Going to miss the seniors particularly Boykin next year.
Hopefully the painful lessons learned today will lead to greater successes next season.
Go Dawgs!!! Sic em
GT Fan
January 2nd, 2012
6:20 pm
Let me see if I’ve got this correct:
GT blows a 14 pt lead, and loses in OT …. b/c they don’t have a RELIABLE FG kicker!
GA blows a 16 pt lead, and loses in OT … b/ they don’t have a RELIABLE FG kicker!
Yeah, 75 int returns for TDs (GT) and 92yd punt ret TDs (GA) are great, but hey coach PJ & MR, how many games are won/lost b/c of FG kicking!?!????
SouthGadawg
January 2nd, 2012
6:20 pm
I hope we’ve seen the last of Crowell. Sad to say, but the truth is he’ll soon be back in Columbus selling drugs
Pmc
January 2nd, 2012
6:20 pm
50 bucks Richt says they had a great season and he sees no reason to change anything. Optometrists everywhere will disagree
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
January 2nd, 2012
6:20 pm
Hoss Cartwright
Who should have sat that QB on the bench
Who should have come up with better play calls to get us a 1st down
Wake up bud
JOS
January 2nd, 2012
6:20 pm
UGA still hasn’t beat anyone this year – they beat three teams with a winning record (GaTech, Auburn, Coastal Carolina). Face it , if it wasn’t for a schedule full of patsies and teams having down years, UGA would have been just another also ran from the SEC. They beat a bad Fla. team and an undermanned Tenn team to “win” the SEC east. If they had played Ala., LSU (during the season) and Arkansas, the best they could have been was 7 and 5. 10 and 2 doesn’t look so good now does it?
Buckeye
January 2nd, 2012
6:20 pm
SEC! SEC! SEC? Go dogs.
Snake Doc
January 2nd, 2012
6:21 pm
Dang – just last week Murray was the greatest UGA QB since Tarkenton… Boneheads are so ignorant its not even funny anymore. You idiots should just end your miserable existences so the rest of us don’t have to endure your total, ginormous stupidity any longer
willie
January 2nd, 2012
6:21 pm
Just got in. Did UGA win?
JB
January 2nd, 2012
6:21 pm
Thanks GTBob….I needed that. Richt and greatness ( in football) don’t mix. He is a wonderful man, but he fell asleep in the second half today.
Bob
January 2nd, 2012
6:21 pm
Flat, I agree; however, we should never…ever…play a prevent defense. The game should have ended in regulation.
Buckeye
January 2nd, 2012
6:21 pm
Dogs are in the time of year when they are nat. Champs.
Snoop Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
6:22 pm
Mark, you said that UGA should win this bloomin onion? Then get out of your comfort zone and tell us why we didn’t win….
Larry Munson
January 2nd, 2012
6:22 pm
Rolling over in his grave, embarrassing
SWDAWG
January 2nd, 2012
6:22 pm
Murray cost the Dawgs the S.C. game, the bowl game, and nearly Miss. State and Kentucky. When will a real coach step up and let Mason get his opportunity. If you don’t trust your QB enough to at least TRY to move the ball in OT, it’s past time to make a change. Still not looking forward to next year. The kool-aid keeps getting weaker!
Objective fan
January 2nd, 2012
6:22 pm
YOU CLOWNS BLAMING TEH DEFENSE NEEDS TO LAY OFF THE HAPPY BROWNIES.
COUSINS THREW 3 PICKS AND BOBO AND RICHT HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO DO WITH IT. GAME OVER, LADIES!
mexdawg
January 2nd, 2012
6:22 pm
Will someone please go out and get us a OC who is not afraid to win.
evil empire
January 2nd, 2012
6:22 pm
kinda like christmas all over again!!!!
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
January 2nd, 2012
6:23 pm
chazzo
get off the kool-aid
we had a 16 point lead at the half.
But like i have told you and your buddy kool-aid drinkers Richt and Bobo refuse to put a game away.
oh
3 years now and still havent beat a top 25 team
NYC Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
6:23 pm
CMR needs to grow up as an Executive. I love CMR and want him to be our coach, but his achilles heel is that he is more loyal to individuals (like Bobo) than he is to the UGA program. I am a senior corporate executive, and I have seen this so many times in big companies: an executive is operating in a highly competitive and threatening environment, and becomes too insecure to hire excellent, talented people around him. Instead, he takes comfort in having “loyal”, non-threatening, mediocre people around him. The executive won’t make a move until the external pressure becomes too great. It’s a character flaw (insecurity and a needy ego) disguised as a virtue (loyalty.) Deep inside, CMR knows this is the case, but it goes against his nature to do something about it. I think he is slowly outgrowing this limitation, but I wish it would happen faster. He needs to mature as an executive and make the tough choices that will enable UGA to be an elite program.
WestOfAthens
January 2nd, 2012
6:23 pm
The UGA coaching staff failed.
Too conservative with 3 min to play. The run has not worked the prior 3 1/2 quarters, why attempt with the opposition possessing 3 timeouts? No Sense
Walsh is not to blame, this past season dictates that outcome.
Poor execution, this time, by those that wear hats/visors
greatness
January 2nd, 2012
6:23 pm
when does the greatness start that richt talked about this week??? Hello??? when???
DP
January 2nd, 2012
6:23 pm
JB writes “If Drew Bree’s (sic) showed up”.
JB, please tell us you didn’t get a degree from UGA. If you did, you should demand your money back.
JB
January 2nd, 2012
6:23 pm
We haven’t run blocked anyone in 3 years….Today was embarrassing watching Bobo keep calling run plays and being stuffed like a HS team
son's who?
January 2nd, 2012
6:23 pm
I just heard that Walsh’s final kick was not blocked but actually hit a UGA player in the back?
Is this true? I don’t have a DVR.
gafans
January 2nd, 2012
6:24 pm
We won the first half!!!! We won the first half!!!
Sharps burg Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
6:24 pm
Thank God we played poor teams this year because we sure didn’t beat any good ones
another choke
January 2nd, 2012
6:24 pm
sure, ga choked away another easy game, but richt will do some more missionary trips in the offseason with a fat bonus, raise and long term contract!!!
JB
January 2nd, 2012
6:24 pm
DP, did and doing well
01HAWK
January 2nd, 2012
6:24 pm
Michigan State found something in a cover cornerback for several years to come, a kid from a tiny town called Dry Branch, in swampy Twiggs County, one of the least-populous areas of Georgia, unless you count the mosquitoes.
DARQUEZE DENNARD……………………………….2 PICKS TODAY…………….YOU GO BOY !!!!!!!!!!!
Buckeye
January 2nd, 2012
6:24 pm
Though now I know how 6-7 feels
DP
January 2nd, 2012
6:24 pm
What’s the thought process with the apostrophe there JB, shorten Brees to Bree and possessive of “showed up”?
Objective fan
January 2nd, 2012
6:24 pm
3RD AND 10….. FULLBACK DIVE!!!!
GIVE THAT MAN A CONTRACT ENTENSION.
Pale Rider
January 2nd, 2012
6:25 pm
Interview quote from CMR- “In December 2000, [the University of Georgia's] President Michael Adams and then Athletic Director Coach Vince Dooley came to Tallahassee and interviewed me for the position of Head Coach of the UGA Bulldogs. After many hours of prayer, Coach Dooley called me and I accepted the position. We moved to Athens in January 2001 and have truly been blessed. We have a great church, an outstanding school for the children and a wonderful staff. Throughout all of life I try to live according to COLOSSIANS 3:23 – “And whatever you do, do heartily, as to the LORD and not to men.”
CMR, How about you and Tebow getting some of those prayers answered? While you pray, the real Georgians among us continue to be being embarrased by your teams. Nothing against the Lord or God, but you’re not a preacher, you’re a football coach. Go somewhere else soon!!!
Hairy Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
6:25 pm
Despite all the ways in which the Dawgs should have won this game, the most unforgivable actions taken by Bobo and Richt occurred in OT. They really believed in Blair Walsh and, by association, our special teams. The special teams has been an Achilles’ heel all season. Walsh had missed twelve kicks during the season. You’d think Bobo and Richt would have wanted to get as much yardage as possible to make the kicks as easy as possible. Instead, they came up with nothing.
Fire everybody, I guess.
Well..I'll be "just kickin".....
January 2nd, 2012
6:25 pm
with Blair Walsh. LOL!
LKM
January 2nd, 2012
6:25 pm
CMR will never fire MB for one reason, he has 5 kids and CMR knows he cant support those kids without this job. Call me crazy but its the truth.
SouthGadawg
January 2nd, 2012
6:25 pm
Let’s hope today was the last game for Crowell and BoBo
Dr. Lucas Gagless
January 2nd, 2012
6:25 pm
My services are avaiable now in Athens. Am offering to remove gag reflexes for all UGA staff and players at a reduced rate.
16-0
January 2nd, 2012
6:25 pm
Ga won the first half!!! YES!!! will they print a t-shirt and make a video??? YES!!!! First half champions!
Buckeye
January 2nd, 2012
6:25 pm
Enjoy basketball season dogs
JB
January 2nd, 2012
6:25 pm
NYC Dawg………..you hit it on the head.
dawgs01
January 2nd, 2012
6:26 pm
All you trolls saying UGA is a average team are idiots. This team has as much talent as anyone. In five years you will see that this team will have as many NFL players on it as just about anyone. This team will probably be in the top 5 with NFL players. I am talking about once they all play their three or four yrs. It is the coaching that is average and it might it is probably below average. This team is loaded with future NFL players like UGA always is. If we ever got a great coach we would be a top five team every yr. We are located in the most fertile recruiting ground there is.
dawgfan
January 2nd, 2012
6:26 pm
01Hawk, Really? DARQUEZE? Is that even a name?
WestOfAthens
January 2nd, 2012
6:26 pm
Can’t wait for September
HBTD
Mike
January 2nd, 2012
6:26 pm
The comments on here are laughable. You have the best coach you will ever convince to come to Athens already signed and you want to run him off. Get over yourselves. You’re not Ohio St, Notre Dame, Florida, Alabama, LSU, Texas or USC. You’re Georgia and you should be damn happy that you’re competitive in a pretty tough league. You lost today. To a pretty good team. Get a grip.
Take two pills and call me
January 2nd, 2012
6:26 pm
What a mess Richt kicks a field goal on 3rd down why is he afraid His Prize QB will throw away game he did when he threw pass in 3rd overtime to Michigan state players I guess Bobo forget remind Murray u in overtime try throw to fellow in red….and next Hometome man got sack we try kick a 47 yarder that was block no matter he would still been wide right andas Fast u can say ….We goin play this as are season now for 2012 and show this is Murray words….That we have the better talent n players to win a Natl.championship this 2012 season….Famous last words what a crap we had and place was half empty the fans must fought The NFL team was home playin…lol…amazin S.C. Gamecocks won fla beat Ohio state and we smell!
Jacket99
January 2nd, 2012
6:26 pm
OkieDawg
December 31st, 2011
5:43 pm
Playing for OT?
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