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
Athens Bekins Movers
January 3rd, 2012
2:09 pm
hurry up… I have 3 trucks and 8 guys sitting around. We specialize in coach moving.
Mark (I want to be their friend) Richt
January 3rd, 2012
2:10 pm
fire mark richt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is going be the same every year. I hope Jesus return and take him to whatever he is going.
I Have No Blog Handle
January 3rd, 2012
2:10 pm
2009 8-5
2010 6-7
2011 10-4
the only way to improve again is to make changes at OC and QB.Bring in an NFL OC and platoon the qb’s. Let them all 3 play but make sure Murray is holding a clipboard in the 4th quarter,fire McClendon and give Grantham a raise
DP
January 3rd, 2012
2:12 pm
Here’s a good column on yesterday’s bowl games from the Sporting News that doesn’t pull any punches on where the blame for Georgia’s loss lies:
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/01/oklahoma_state_great_but_not_w.html
tiredofexcusesdawg
January 3rd, 2012
2:12 pm
Tired of Excuses! Murray sounds like a QB not ready to take responsibility for blowing it once again. Once he gets sacked or throws an interception it all goes down hill. He looks and plays like he’s scared and Bobo definitely is. MI State sure sensed it. Was Bobo passing the plays across the glass to the MI State DC? Stop the excuses and get some killer instinct. Total eval necessary and positive changes needed for me to get excited about next year and beyond. Please GO DAWGS!
Yeah Right
January 3rd, 2012
2:13 pm
You guys are all ridiculous. Murray had a bad game, but jesus, he is a kid. PHeretty sure Luck got beat yesterday too. Its not the end of the world.
RTR22
January 3rd, 2012
2:13 pm
Coulda, shoulda and woulda…. Uga tradition in 3 words or less.
Just Saying
January 3rd, 2012
2:14 pm
UGA, GT and Stanford all learned how important a good kicker can be.
JB
January 3rd, 2012
2:14 pm
Tenn and Fla and AU all being down is a blessing for Richt. What if we would of lost to Tenn and Fla this year? What would McGarity do?
Duckafawg
January 3rd, 2012
2:14 pm
I do find it interesting no where in the article does Murray take any responsibility for the turnovers….stand-up team leaders normally do that….just an observation
I Have No Blog Handle
January 3rd, 2012
2:14 pm
alabama totally irrelevant and cheated numerous times and fired coaches from 1993 to 2007. bama tradition of cheating
Old Boy
January 3rd, 2012
2:15 pm
I am definitely worried about next season. We have to rebuild our line, replacing two tackles and a center (the three hardest positions to fill). We also have to rebuild our secondary, losing our two best players there. I think that we can land ourselves in the SEC championship game, but it will be a couple years before we are ‘poised for great things.’ Despite all that, I hope they prove me wrong and have a great season. Go Dawgs!
DawgGone
January 3rd, 2012
2:16 pm
on the college football GA had the 20th hardest schedule
Pi$$ed-off Dawg
January 3rd, 2012
2:16 pm
Did you notice how this season went. Early season ,defense -bad
, Offense, bad , Special teams, pathetic. End of season, Special teams, much improved , defense, greatly improved, offense sucked! No running game all year except lower level teams.
David
January 3rd, 2012
2:16 pm
Richt is too timid and afraid to be a champion. He tries to “avoid losing” which should prevent any championships during his tenure.
I Have No Blog Handle
January 3rd, 2012
2:16 pm
bean anderson was a joke. just big, couldn’t move. give me more athletic OL. wonder why we never ran a toss sweep? yeah, he’s why
DawgGone
January 3rd, 2012
2:16 pm
that should be collegefootballpoll.com
JB
January 3rd, 2012
2:18 pm
Read any national football writer who covered the UGA/MSU and they pretty much hang Richt out to dry. Not the AJC, but National.
GT Fan
January 3rd, 2012
2:18 pm
AM is a very good QB folks. I see no lack of confidence in him whatsoever.
Football is a TEAM sport. The guy had 30+ TD passes this season, and what 24 in 2010. QB is not UGA’s problem. GA just simply wasn’t as good as the local media lead you to believe. Really folks, go and do some honest analization of the 10 teams GA beat, and you’ll see the win streak, while they were Ws, wasn’t really that impressive. I fell for it after GT’s 6-0 start. Only UNC & NCST were quality opponents, and they were inconsistent at best! Better than avg to good teams (UVA, Clemson, VT, UGA, Utah), how’d GT fair against those 5?
Too many GA fans get delusional believing everything they read. Stuff written by many writers (Bradley & Shultz most likely) who weren’t good enough to play, just good enough to formulate OPINIONS that are then put in print.
If ATL had a competing newspaper, I believe you’d have much better (honest) coverage of local sports, and not just articles written to generate blog hits.
7576DAWG
January 3rd, 2012
2:18 pm
UGA Insider
I don’t agree that we need another head coach . Even though Peterson seem’s to be a great coach he wouldn’t have the record he has if he played an SEC schedule. I think he is unproven as just how good he is until he get’s into a big time conference with serious competition every week. What CMR need’s to accept is the same thing he was FORCED to admit about Martinez, that Bobo is not coordinator material. If McGarity will hire a big time offensive coordinator at 1 million a year or what ever it take’s and raise Grantham to at least a million with a three year extension Georgia will win all the close game’s against ranked opponent’s. Then CMR can delegate the offensive coordinator job and feel the play calling is in capable hand’s. Then he can concentrate on recruiting and turning immature kid’s into mature men.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
January 3rd, 2012
2:23 pm
Where is Burry The Bone, Spaceman Spiff, Altamaha Dawg, LHarding Dawg, Chris and Tampa Dawg
I really want to hear what these insightful minds have to say
Gavalis
January 3rd, 2012
2:24 pm
bruce you are wrong. uga played the 30th ranked schedule per sagarin and that was inflated because of the lsu game. deal with facts please.
Charlie Hayes
January 3rd, 2012
2:25 pm
@ 7576DAWG – I completely agree. Go hire Todd Monken (Oklahoma State OC) pr Tom Clements (Green Bay Packers QB Coach anf former OC) to replace Bobo. With Bobo calling the plays this is the best O we will ever get.
bruce mac
January 3rd, 2012
2:26 pm
I have seen number 7 to number 21 SOS. You have to include the Michigan State game to get up to date results. And how do you not include LSU, we did play them didn’t we?
Buckeye
January 3rd, 2012
2:26 pm
I hate the fact we stunk up the joint but LOVE the fact that the dogs lost to the
BIG 10 BIG 10 BIG 10!
P.S. I “could have” won the Big Game Lotto too.
St Simons - we're on Island time
January 3rd, 2012
2:26 pm
‘We could have pulled out a couple more wins’ with Hutson Mason.
fixed that for ya, Errin
James
January 3rd, 2012
2:26 pm
Orson Charles would have been the difference in this game..
BurytheBone
January 3rd, 2012
2:27 pm
Its not a problem unless it can’t be fixed. Whats the problem? FIX IT. From OC, QB , OL,RB,K’s. See the problem?
Buckeye
January 3rd, 2012
2:27 pm
Get you licks in now, dogs. We had our come-up-in’s this season but we will not be down for long. Besides, we’re a basketball school/conference.
Enjoy the Lady gym dogs, dogs.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
January 3rd, 2012
2:28 pm
7576DAWG
I was saying the same thing but after yesterday Mark Richt did nothing about the run plays up the middle, did nothing about the conservative play calling, did not even question why not one pass was thrown to 2 of the best TE’s in the nation.
All year we have been unsuccessful running up the middle against decent teams and yet it continues. All year we have been successful when we have utilized our TE, We drew up the same playbook from the Boise game and we got beat again and again no halftime adjustments
Sorry but in my mind Richt needs to go,
Buckeye
January 3rd, 2012
2:29 pm
I hear shrinks from all over Georiga are offering Wide RIght and Short free counseling!
Augusta Dawg
January 3rd, 2012
2:31 pm
Leave everybody alone on UGA’s coaching staff…… Thinking fond of you, Saban,Miles and Spurrier…….
Todd
January 3rd, 2012
2:31 pm
Mark do you still fell this way? I think they both stink. Richt benefitted from an easy sec schedule. Considering the players he has, 1 less loss seems not so good.
Mark Bradley
January 1st, 2012
1:44 pm
I still think Johnson is a good coach. But do I still think he’s better than Richt?
Richt’s team is 10-3. Johnson’s is 8-5. This year, there’s no question who did the better job.
Pi$$ed-off Dawg
January 3rd, 2012
2:31 pm
BREAKING NEWS!!!!! Crowell is going pro , Passing up 3 Years of eligibility to play in the Lingerie Football League!!!
bruce mac
January 3rd, 2012
2:32 pm
Buckeye, are you really cracking on UGA about football? Really? You can’t even cheat and beat the SEC. You have lost 10 bowls games in a row to the SEC. Please go back and play round ball, you are good at that.
Douglas
January 3rd, 2012
2:32 pm
To get an interception in over time and not win is ridiculous.
The only way you should play to play as conservatively (appear to not be concerned about gaining yards past the 25 yd line) is if you have an automatic kicker which obviously UGA does not this year.
Losersville USA
January 3rd, 2012
2:34 pm
Richt must have had two recruiting busts in LeMay and Mason. They must be pretty bad if Murray is the pick for Richt. Murray must be a great practice and high school quarterback, but that sure hasn’t transitioned to the field. All I saw in the bowl game was a fumble and two intercepts, which is why the midget is OVERRATED. I never saw a good game out of him against a quality relevant opponent.
Todd
January 3rd, 2012
2:34 pm
Bruce Sagarin does include the lsu game. That’s why you see the 10-3 record. It doesn’t include yesterday’s game which probably moves it to around 25-26th. But it also means uga was 0-4 against top 30 teams.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbt11.htm
Pi$$ed-off Dawg
January 3rd, 2012
2:35 pm
That’s funny right there , I don’t care who you are.
Abnerish
January 3rd, 2012
2:36 pm
I’d love to know why Richt and Bobo thought inside draws and counters would succeed, especially after 3 quarters of failing. Why?!? I realize I am not a football coach, but it’s not that complicated a game. Our OL was beat consistently the entire day and it seemed unlikely that it would change. So why have slow developing plays?? I expected more bubble screens, TB screens, and other quick slants, etc. What am I not understanding?
Todd
January 3rd, 2012
2:36 pm
I too was shocked to not see OC involved in much of the offensive plays. Makes no sense. But they sure liked to hand the ball off deep in the backfield only to get sacked for a 4 yard loss or run it up the middle for a loss.
BurytheBone
January 3rd, 2012
2:37 pm
@pissed off….Thats funny
BurytheBone
January 3rd, 2012
2:37 pm
@Flat tire…..Thank you
Top Recruit
January 3rd, 2012
2:38 pm
What is a “full disclosure” article? Interesting? Murray and Richt? What a duo. Special teams [in particular the FG unit], run blocking [thanks Searels, we all know why you left], and a two year starter at QB [how long does it take to get to the future with him]. Murray and Richt, stars of the twi-light zone. Another bowl loss, same result.
There is a saying by the “best coaches”. The saying, “Look stupid, if you keep making the same mistake, guess what? You get the same mistake”. That would be Murray and Richt. I’d like to think there is hope with Richt. None for Murray. Richt lives in the twi-light zone. Unless he cuts Bobo, UGA alums should expect the same results. History does not lie. It foretells the future. And for the past 3 years history has been very bad for us alums.
Murray…we could have won a couple more. Well, mama’s boy some of us look at those 10 wins as just maybe half could have been lost. So what kind of answer is that two year starter QB. How many QBs throw as many pick 6s as you did.
MariettaDawg
January 3rd, 2012
2:41 pm
Has anyone given thought to the fact we are trying to run with sub par backs? Seems we don’t have a RB that can attack a hole or seam and drive 8 – 10 yards.
Ritch needs to play 2 QBs. That is the only way Mason stays.
Seems Murray and Walsh dont live in reality, everything is fine, we are ok and all is well. How about stepping up, being a leader and accepting responsibility?
Carolina is trending up, Georgia sideways, UF and Tennessee down.
BjohnDawg
January 3rd, 2012
2:41 pm
This team is like a tale of two cities, except is a tale of two schemes. On defense you can see the improvement. That roll up in the 4 QTR to force the quick out pass and then have the DB overplay to get the INT was a thing of beauty.
On offense different story. It was more of the same. Hide and hope not to lose. WTF where we running Carlton Thomas and Samuels on slow developing run plays. They have 8 in the BOX! Where was the pass in the short middle of the field. Where was the drag routes? Where was the tight end pass. Where was the screens? All we saw was deep throws and runs for no gain. Why when you are 3rd and long and in obvious 4 down territory do you throw deep/ Why not try to get something more short and something the offense can manage? Kick coverage still a joke.
No improvement in this offense. Especially in the play calling. Like someone said earlier, They crawl into a turtle shell and hope not to lose but running the ball to our midget backs.
Cannot wait for next season. Because this one is a disappointment. We could have been so much more with better play calling and decision making in at least 2 maybe 3 of the 4 losses.
dan
January 3rd, 2012
2:41 pm
Well what the h*** happened then Aaron? Always having pipe dreams.
J Bo
January 3rd, 2012
2:42 pm
Murray can see all he needs about an NFL evaluation by watching game film of the Michigan State game. Making all the trrows in pratice and in camps are a far cry from preforming under the pressure of a game. Richt needs to make some staff changes and the AD should let him finish out his contract while he lines us up a real coach.
BurytheBone
January 3rd, 2012
2:43 pm
Does anyone think that by including the tight-ends in the football game might have changed the outcome…..random thought…. OF COURSE IT WOULD HAVE BOBO!! Good grief somebody grow a pair and get an OC that is Man
JDHGT
January 3rd, 2012
2:48 pm
I honestly think UGA will be a force to be reckoned with next year, but the whole “we could have won more games” argument always bothers me. UGA also could have easily lost any number of the Vandy, Kentucky, Florida, or Tennessee games. I think the final record was about right.