UGA’s Murray: ‘We could have pulled out a couple more wins’
A Murray moment: Tavarres King snags a touchdown. (AP photo)
A note: This ran in today’s print AJC. I present it to you, our digital patrons, in the interest of full disclosure.
Tampa — Aaron Murray tried to put on a happy face, but it was a struggle. Georgia’s quarterback returned home for the Outback Bowl and will leave not as a conquering hero but as one of the causes of his team’s demise.
“I think the whole Dog Nation is very excited about this team,” Murray said afterward. “I know we’re very excited.”
The blare of a turnaround season was muted by the doings here Monday. Georgia led 16-0 but lost 33-30 in three overtimes, and the crazy game turned in the third quarter on two Murray interceptions. The first led to Michigan State’s first touchdown. The second became the Spartans’ second touchdown, and it marked the fourth time this season a Murray interception had been returned for a score.
On the first interception, Murray scrambled right and spotted Tavarres King open over the middle. He expected King to backtrack. Instead King turned and went deeper. Murray’s pass was intercepted by a diving Darqueze Dennard.
“There was a little miscommunication in the scramble drill,” Murray said.
The second interception, also taken by Dennard, was a product of a quick Murray read and a tipped throw to his left. “It got nicked,” Murray said, “and got a little off-course.”
Dennard’s 38-yard return cut Georgia’s lead to two points. Asked if he felt he’d let the grasping Spartans back in the game, Murray said: “I don’t think so. We were still up 16-14. We still kept playing. Our guys have shown all year they’re not going to fold.”
Michigan State took a 20-19 lead with 8:22 to play, whereupon Murray led Georgia’s best drive of a halting day. He threw four passes, completing three, for 83 yards and ultimately a go-back-ahead touchdown to redeployed defender Brandon Boykin. Then Murray found Malcolm Mitchell for a two-point conversion. Georgia led 27-20 with 6:44 to play.
But it wouldn’t hold. The Bulldogs couldn’t run out the clock, choosing to run up the middle to force the Spartans to use their timeouts, and were undone when Michigan State tied it with 14 seconds remaining in regulation. In overtime, three Georgia possessions lost a total of four yards. Murray threw four passes in the OTs, all incomplete.
Murray’s final numbers: Twenty completions in 32 attempts, 288 yards passing, two touchdowns, two interceptions, one lost fumble, four sacks. Not the worst day ever, but not good enough.
Asked about Murray, coach Mark Richt said: “Aaron’s future is very bright. He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the country in my mind and he’ll be one of the better quarterbacks who’ll be returning. He’s a guy we’ve got an awful lot of faith in. He’s human; he’s going to make mistakes.”
Speaking of 2012, Murray said: “As a team, we’re definitely excited about the future. But we definitely could have pulled out a couple of more wins.”
Someone wondered if this loss, coming as it did 4.6 miles from Plant High, Murray’s alma mater, hurt worse than the others. “It’s the same,” Murray said. “A loss is a loss.”
By Mark Bradley
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990 comments Add your comment
Lowcountry Bulldawg
January 3rd, 2012
1:48 pm
If AM INT’s didnt let them back in the game then who did? AM should have took some responsibility on that question he is QB-1.
Jamie
January 3rd, 2012
1:48 pm
I believe that Bobo has “goat or sheep” pictures on someone in the UGA administration! How can he continue to be OC??
TigerinGA
January 3rd, 2012
1:49 pm
No UGA did NOT play the 7th toughest schedule in the nation! Someone is misguided.
ARdawg
January 3rd, 2012
1:49 pm
Lowcountry
He’s learning the art of spin and misdirect from the masters
Rodney King
January 3rd, 2012
1:50 pm
Why cant we all just get along?
I Have No Blog Handle
January 3rd, 2012
1:50 pm
chicken idiot
Murray put 42 points on your vaunted defense. If we get an OC with a brain and play our other QB, we might score 70 next year.
Cecil34
January 3rd, 2012
1:50 pm
Looks to me like Richt hitched his wagon to the wrong QB…..one that
folds under the pressure and plays small when it counts……
Anyone can light up New Mexico State, but in this conference, one needs to be able to light up Bama or LSU….and it sure isn’t Murray.
One sees very quickly why Mr. Self-Preservation dropped Bama off the schedule. But he may have under-estimated Mizzou…..
Dogs Smell
January 3rd, 2012
1:51 pm
Could have pulled out a couple more had the other teams not shown up.
I Have No Blog Handle
January 3rd, 2012
1:52 pm
cecil, the SEC office changed the schedule
bitter QB
January 3rd, 2012
1:53 pm
enter your comments——————where to start—————moving van to richt’s house
—————bring back donnan
Lowcountry Bulldawg
January 3rd, 2012
1:53 pm
AR-
I mentioned earlier in the year on a blog about Ok State OC. Go get him and pay whatever it takes. Open up competition since a new OC is in charge and see if Lemay can’t channel a inner RGIII.
Stan
January 3rd, 2012
1:54 pm
Brucemac
You’re wrong. Ga played the 30th toughest and it’s only that high because you played teh number one team. Take that out and it’s a 40th toughest. Idiot
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbt11.htm
Dogs Smell
January 3rd, 2012
1:54 pm
Uga should improve next year ! The schedule is even easier some how!
Rob
January 3rd, 2012
1:54 pm
@Lowcountry Bulldawg
You have to think that AM probably doesn’t perform as well as he could because our offensive game plan and play calling is so bad. I get so pissed at him during the games as well, but then I think that the OC is so bad, that I shouldn’t be blaming him. The second INT was tipped, if you look at in slow motion you can see the rotation change to a flutter.
bill arp
January 3rd, 2012
1:54 pm
Murray is the latest Greg Talley. Anybody remember him, highly touted coming in, and consistently threw the ball at guys feet and was very sporadic.
That throw in the 3rd OT was a perfect example of why the coaches don’t trust him.
Abe Lincoln
January 3rd, 2012
1:54 pm
Bad moves for 2011. Signing IC after Calhoun H.S. made him submit, moving Bruce Figgins to Fullback was a disaster. Can anyone remember seeing our fullbacks block the way we did in Coach Richt’s first 7 years. Not changing fieldgoal kickers when things went south. Covering Punts with off. and def. lineman. Not getting Hudson Mason more reps at QB. Kicking the ball to LSU
1eyedJack
January 3rd, 2012
1:55 pm
“But we definitely could have pulled out a couple of more wins.”
Four more to be exact.
God Outdid Himself When He Creaetd the Mighty SEC
January 3rd, 2012
1:55 pm
why is it that SEC homers never seem to realize that there is another team on the other side of the ball?
In their mind, an SEC team can never lose, they can only beat themselves. When GA turns the ball over, they are giving the game away. When MSU does it, it is becuase of the great SEC defense, and all that speed, which of course, no other player in any other conference has.
When GA’s running attack is stuffed all day, it is becuase of coaching. When MSU’s running attack is stuffed, it is becuase of that superior SEC defense. Pathetic.
o-my dawgs
January 3rd, 2012
1:55 pm
Woulda~~ coulda~~ bud didn’t..lol what a joke of a qb and team.
SAL
January 3rd, 2012
1:55 pm
To CMR: the dreads have to go!!!
Stan
January 3rd, 2012
1:56 pm
And this poll is much more accurate than any by voters.
Uga is 0-3 against top 30. Yep keep believing dumbass
Aaron Murray
January 3rd, 2012
1:56 pm
Please leave me alone I am studying.
bitter QB
January 3rd, 2012
1:56 pm
@i have n o handle——you have no thought fool—————–murray is horrible in the clutch
—————————-fire richt just because he did not remove turnover murray
—————————————–fans demand a change
DreamTeam
January 3rd, 2012
1:56 pm
It takes talent AND COACHING to win. I’ll let you guess what was missing on Monday when UGA blew it for the SEC sweep.
UGA RECRUITS-You will be sold on Dreams – Ask yourselves if you want to play for COACHES WHO DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING ON GAME DAY!
o-my dawgs
January 3rd, 2012
1:57 pm
Give all the coaches new contracts..we great!
gem
January 3rd, 2012
1:57 pm
Run wide and stay in bounds takes more time than up the gut. Anyone but Bobo. He’s terrrrrrible. CMR is too loyal. It cost us several yrs on defense. Maybe a couple more and he’ll replace Bobo.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
January 3rd, 2012
1:59 pm
Rob-
3RD and 11 he takes off scrambling from what our 45? He should have gotten down and let Butler try and pin them down, but now he trys to make nothing out of nothing.
The pick throwing to King? That was terrible. tuck it and gain your 5 yards and get down or chuck it out of bounds. Live to fight another day.
The last one was tipped, but at this juncture does he even get the benefit of the doubt?
Playing calling is one thing, but none of these plays mentioned above where pourly called, simply pourly executed by AM.
george
January 3rd, 2012
1:59 pm
Please anyone give me ONE reason (besides the easiest schedule in sec history) to be optimistic about this program going into next year. 19 losses in the last 4 years and not a single victory over a top 20 team in 3 years. Am I missing something????
Rob
January 3rd, 2012
2:00 pm
Hell! I thought Bobo would have some of the creativity that Donnan had since he was his coach, but- UH..NO Maybe he should go ask for his play book since he isn’t using it.
Time for a qb competition
January 3rd, 2012
2:01 pm
Murray lost this game, plain & simple! It’s time to allow the other qbs to compete for the starting job. Murray is too slow with decisions & consistently makes poor decisions when he finally pulls the trigger. Get off Murray’s jock CMR!
DocDawg
January 3rd, 2012
2:01 pm
At some point in the near future, skill kids are not going to want to come here to play in this quagmire of an offense. I look at Stafford now that he’s getting some coaching and think what might have been.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
January 3rd, 2012
2:02 pm
POURLY? Wow my brain had a mental block…poorly….lol!
dawg tired
January 3rd, 2012
2:02 pm
Richt had more confidence in a 63% kicker than Murray to put the game away.
That says it all.
gmandog
January 3rd, 2012
2:02 pm
How can Murray say the Bull dog nation is excited about next year? After that debacle of a game yesterday, we can only be filled with dread and foreboding about next year. Even the Florida quarterback played better than he did. If changes are not made in the coaching staff, we are doomed for another mediocre year.
gtguy
January 3rd, 2012
2:03 pm
WHAT !!!!! is he saying,……..that they all layed down when they could have won….whats wrong with him…he needs a vet….lol
Zero bcs titles for UGA
January 3rd, 2012
2:03 pm
“I think the whole Dog Nation is very excited about this team,” Murray said afterward. “I know we’re very excited.”
Looks like the players are clearly as delusional as the most delusional fan base in college football- the UGA fan base.
Georgia simply wilted. MSU was less talented but was tougher, meaner, and got stronger as the game went on. They just flat out wore Georgia out. When the game went into OT the spartans were dancing and jumping all around while the exhausted dawg players just sulked. It was as if Sparty knew they owned the dawgs. And the dawgs knew it too.
Richt? Playing not to lose will always get you a loss. This man has no guts and certainly no faith in his offense to get the additional 5 yards that would have kept that kick inside the uprights. It faded right at the very end of the kick. The man is WEAK.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
January 3rd, 2012
2:03 pm
Im not going to throw Murray under the bus simply because,,,,,,
I witnessed the same thing I have seen for years under Richt; conservatism/play to hang on garbage
I remember Stafford not looking great either but I think we all see what he has done because he has people that know how to teach.
UGA has no one to teach the O-line how to block, WR how to block down field or run good routes, RB’s how to make plays and block, kickers how to kick when they are struggling, and the list goes on
I would like to see Murray under someone that knows what they are doing before I bench the kid.
A lot of Murray’s problem is his feet work which I have said all year and
When you have 2 coaches that consistantly run up the middle for no gain and put the QB in 3 and long your not going to be successful
Redskin Fan
January 3rd, 2012
2:03 pm
Aaron Murray is a replica of Rex Grossman–a serviceable quarterback who’s a guarantee for three bonehead plays a game.
Wake Me Up Before You Bobo
January 3rd, 2012
2:03 pm
Skinny jeans and a man purse!
JB
January 3rd, 2012
2:04 pm
Here ya go…..Tell him what you think…McGarity
ad@sports.uga.edu
Rob
January 3rd, 2012
2:04 pm
@Lowcountry Bulldawg
I know what your saying. I played under different kinds of OC’s and they make all of the difference as far as the QB’s confidence goes, that goes along way towards good and bad decisions. What about the play-action out of the I-formation in OT when it was 3rd and 10. Crazy!
reality check
January 3rd, 2012
2:04 pm
All I hear announcers say is how great Murray is.
I’m sorry but I all give him good but he makes way too many mistakes to be called great. There was some major miscommunication going on yesterday and where was Mr. Orson “I’m going Pro” Charles?
We GAVE the game away and that’s frustrating. A very good year that had potential to be great. But open with and close with 2 loses and it stings a bit.
Zero bcs titles for UGA
January 3rd, 2012
2:05 pm
The dawgs wilted and MSU just took it to them and whipped em. Plain and simple. They were tougher, meaner, and wanted it more. Dawgs and their fans as evidenced by Murray are just plain delusional.
GT Fan
January 3rd, 2012
2:06 pm
Hey Aaron,
GT could’ve won a few more games this season too!
I was wondering the same thing someone else posted:
Where was Orson Charles yesterday? Injured? It seemed liked all the downfield throws went to 12 or 26?
tdawgg37
January 3rd, 2012
2:06 pm
Really? Who’s really excited about this team? Who have they raelly beat the past three years? How many National Championship games have they been in under Mark Richt. You play to win the game. That crap…run the ball three times to make them use thier time outs? What a load of crap! Kick the field goal on second down with a kid that has missed about as many as he has made this season? What’s exciting about this team?
Charlie Hayes
January 3rd, 2012
2:07 pm
Two changes need to take place. First, Bobo needs to be HC of a smaller college so we can go hire another OC that will use this offense wisely. Bobo has too many play calls that costs us negative yardage. These are known as “drive killer plays”. Second, McGarity needs to insist that CMR hire a special teams coach. As Kevin Butler pointed out, Walsh has not missed from the left hash mark all year. Instead Bobo tells Murray to center the ball in the middle of the field and Walsh misses right. All kicks from the left hash mark were made by Walsh in 2011! A special teams coach would know these details and make the needed calls on the field. CMR nor Bobo knew this and instead centered the ball which contributed to the miss.
As for the second point, we wouldnt need a special teams coach if Bobo could have gotten a first down at the end of the 4th quarter. If he would have called the right plays to run out the clock then UGA would have won by 7. Fix problem # 1 and then we will be fine.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
January 3rd, 2012
2:07 pm
Rob-
I laugh in disgust every time I see a play action call on 3rd and 10. IMO it just slows AM down. Would love to see more Slants.
Flat-
RS 1st down up the middle
RS 2nd down up the middle
AM 3rd and long Sack…..
Embarassing….
bruce mac
January 3rd, 2012
2:07 pm
Glad to see TigerinGA is smarter than the RPI computer system. You sir are the one misinformed. What is your source, your weegee board? UGA absolutely did play the number 7 toughest schedule in the Country. Deal with it DA.
I Have No Blog Handle
January 3rd, 2012
2:07 pm
bitter qb idiot-can you not read? i said if we get an OC and a different qb
Mark (I want to be their friend) Richt
January 3rd, 2012
2:08 pm
he needs to stop running like a girl.