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
AltamahaDawg
January 3rd, 2012
3:50 pm
I have yet to understand any logic behind the “demote Bobo to QB coach” statement. Either get rid of the guy, or stick with him. Don’t neuter him, then keep him around. Why? Plenty of guys can recruit .
But whoever you hire is going to be no better if we don’t fix the problems.
jvillebil
January 3rd, 2012
3:51 pm
So if I’m Hutson Mason, I walk into coach Richt’s office and say, ” Give me an honest shot to win the starting QB position, if I don’t do it in the spring, thanks but I’m outta here.”
AltamahaDawg
January 3rd, 2012
3:54 pm
Lowcountry , you see absolutely NO way this same team can continue to improve in areas and be even better next year? Did you think they were going from 6-7 last year to being a top 2 team this year?
IlliniDawg
January 3rd, 2012
3:56 pm
A few years ago, we had another very young, highly talented, often mistake-prone QB, who seemed just as often to orchestrate a 90-yd TD drive in under 2 minutes as to throw a pick-6. He ended up a #1 pick and has led an historically woeful Detroit Lions team to a 10-6 record and its first appearance in the playoffs in almost three decades.
Don’t be surprised if Aaron Murray winds up being a franchise NFL QB.
Goober Dawg
January 3rd, 2012
3:59 pm
CMR did it. Just when we were about to rid ourselves of him and begin a new chapter of UGA football, he rallies to save his job, and after his job is safe, he finishes the season the way he started it, 0-2. Now we’re stuck with him for a couple more years (until UF and Tenn get back off the mat and the East becomes competitive again). They should’ve filmed the movie Groundhog Day in Athens…
SawThat1nce
January 3rd, 2012
3:59 pm
I wouldn’t be surprised.
TheTruthHurts
January 3rd, 2012
4:00 pm
What will it take to make McGarity admit that Mark Richt is out of his element as a head coach in the SEC? The SEC is a different league since the time Richt won two SEC championships, and Richt is no longer competent to compete with the best the SEC has to offer. The outlook for UGA football is dismal as long as Richt is allowed to hang around and nothing is going to change that. Beat the nobodies and lose to the somebodies. The only thing that will change the dismal prospects that UGA fans now face is to fire Richt and to find a competent replacement. Who might that be one may ask? Well, the Boise State coach Peterson might be worth a look. He certainly proved to UGA fans what a well coached team with inferior talent can do. But he won’t come here some may opine. Try waving $5 million a year in front of his face as an inducement and see what happens. There is surely somebody out there who can turn UGA into a formidible program and who would like nothing better then to be given a chance. All the necessary pieces are in place but a good head coach. Find one and the long suffering UGA fans will finally have a football team that they can be proud of and one that a great university like the University of Georgia and the state of Georgia deserve. The alternitive: Keep Richt and continue the status quo with absolutely no chance of a brighter football future in sight. How depressing.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
January 3rd, 2012
4:00 pm
Altamaha-
I like your insight, but after watch the debacle for the 4th time against a team that is a high calibur opponent you gotta say enough is enough. Sure improvement was made but 10 wins against who? What is the signature win of the year? What was this 10 win teams defining moment of the year? Yeah of course improvement was made but even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes.
Waiting for Hudson Mason to start
January 3rd, 2012
4:02 pm
lowcountry,
lemay hasn’t shown much in practices. mason is not just “the flavor of the day,” he’s actually the answer to change from a 10-4 season to possibly a 13-1 season next year.
AltamahaDawg
January 3rd, 2012
4:02 pm
I read an interesting comment on a different blog:
even if you think he glass is half empty today, that would still be half a glass more than it was this time last year.
Geez..
January 3rd, 2012
4:02 pm
“Don’t be surprised if Aaron Murray winds up being a franchise NFL QB.”
Stafford was tall and has a rocket for an arm. Yuo can’t coach arm strength. Murray will not be a starter in the NFL. He might waiver around for a couple of years as a back up, but he won’t make a name for himself.
He’s a supper nice guy by giving the opponents plenty of opportunities to stick around in the game though.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
January 3rd, 2012
4:02 pm
Altamaha Dawg
Great coaching performance yesterday once again wasnt it
Tell the bloggers why Richt needs a contract extension
Waiting for Hudson Mason to start
January 3rd, 2012
4:03 pm
illinidawg,
you’re the only one foolish enough to compare murray to stafford!
please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CMR
January 3rd, 2012
4:04 pm
Has anyone seen my tanning oil?
SEC Headlines – 1/3/12 Part Two | My Blog
January 3rd, 2012
4:04 pm
[...] Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray says his group “could have pulled out a integrate some-more wins,” including yesterday’s Outback [...]
Lowcountry Bulldawg
January 3rd, 2012
4:06 pm
The most popular player on any football team is the backup QB. I didn’t make this old football proverb up. Mason is the flavor of the day. Lemay was a True Freshman last year. He did not get the number of reps in practice to even remotely show what he is capable of. Give him reps with the 1st team in the Spring open it up and let the chips fall where they may.
jvillebil
January 3rd, 2012
4:06 pm
Was it me or did anyone else feel like instead of playing late in the game to win, we were play not to lose?
Geez..
January 3rd, 2012
4:08 pm
@jvillebil
Try the entire BullDawg nation!
What happened to Orson (previous post)
January 3rd, 2012
4:08 pm
He had to stay home and block. MSU was in backfield 20+times for loss.
DawgFan1987
January 3rd, 2012
4:08 pm
they definitely played “no-to-lose” and that strategy cost us the game!!!
IlliniDawg
January 3rd, 2012
4:09 pm
“Stafford was tall” – actually only one inch taller than Murray
“and has a rocket for an arm” – they both averaged just over 13 yds per completion in their second year starting
I think they are highly comparable
Lowcountry Bulldawg
January 3rd, 2012
4:09 pm
Sure the program is better off than this time last year, but is no where near capable of competing with the elite programs in the Nation. As long as Richt is at UGA he will not get win a SEC Title against Saban or Miles.
AltamahaDawg
January 3rd, 2012
4:09 pm
Had no “signature wins”. We beat who we were supposed tobeat and lost to the 4 best teams (all top 10 teams). And in 3 of those we can easily identify where the improvement needs to be to have won those. That makes significant improvement, with plenty of room for improvement. Which is pretty much what we were asking? Nobody ever said we had LSU/Alabama type teams right now. So where is the “enough is enough” coming from?
Lowcountry Bulldawg
January 3rd, 2012
4:10 pm
Murray will never be the #1 Pick in the Draft. Please stop deluding yourself.
KZGuy
January 3rd, 2012
4:10 pm
Why didn’t the QB just man up and say “my poorly thrown pass let MSU back in the game” and ” of course it hurts when you lose a bowl game in your own back yard. But no he just said ” tomorrow is a better day” he has become the new Scarlet O’hara.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
January 3rd, 2012
4:10 pm
Altamaha Dawg
Tell us why Richt needs a contract extension
We all look to you for answers on here
IlliniDawg
January 3rd, 2012
4:11 pm
@Waiting for Hudson – yo’;re going to be waiting for one hell of a long time, because there is no one on the roster named Hudson Mason.
juice sourcer
January 3rd, 2012
4:11 pm
Win, lose, or draw I thought it was a very entertaining and well played game..both teams left nothing on the field…it’s why we love college football…and after this game…the unreal Rose Bowl and then to top it off the Fiesta Bowl…it was a great New Years Day of football…ugh…the day after. Please Dog fans get over yourself with all this blabber about horrible loss this and inexcusable that. You just saw a bunch of 18-22 year old kids play there guts out while you sat back with cocktail in hand.
Waiting for Hudson Mason to start
January 3rd, 2012
4:12 pm
understand the utilized proverb.
when players showcase talent, word gets out. none has come after watching lemay w/ an entire spring ‘11, fall camp and fall practice worth of snaps.
we’ve (fans) have seen mason in games. unfortunately, his snaps have come late in games and primarily either against back-ups or against players likely disinterested in still playing. however, i’ve seen a ZIP on his passes, that i’ve never seen from murrary.
stafford had a zip. schockley had a zip. i have no idea if mason is as good or ever will be as good as either, but i see GOOD REASON to at least give the kid a chance.
Geez..
January 3rd, 2012
4:12 pm
@IlliniDawg
Did not realize only an inch difference. However, you have to admit that the arm strength is not comparable. Stafford’s arm is much stronger.
Tough for me to give Murray kudo’s right now after the year long of bad decisions. Need time to get over it I guess.
No doubt a world of talent but sometimes he has that “Two Cent” head.
Chan Gailey's Revenge
January 3rd, 2012
4:12 pm
Yeah, maybe Murray can come play in the secondary for me like Josh Nesbitt. GO DAWGS!!! HA HA HA — hope you all enjoy Shreveport next year.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
January 3rd, 2012
4:13 pm
So we had good loses in 3 of the 4 games? Up at the half against LSU…Up 16-0 against MSU….never even showed up against BSU….SC? Well they had a 280lb DL run a fake Punt for a TD. So blowing leads and giving games away is a improvement?
Time for changes to be made in Athens. If Richt gets an extension he must let Bobo go.
DawgFan1987
January 3rd, 2012
4:14 pm
why does Richt and Bobo insist upon running the ball when the throwing game moves the chains? 1st quarter of the SEC championship it worked….got away from it. King had over 200yds receiving and Mitchell was plucking the ball out of the air……got away from it in Outback bowl!!!
Trojan
January 3rd, 2012
4:14 pm
Mark: Could you write up an article comparing other running games to the one employed by UGA? Why does the UGA qb have to point the ball toward the running back as the qb runs back toward the running back? Why is every running play a draw? Why does UGA run 160 lb running back up the middle?
Could you write an article on Mike Bobo’s inability to have any idea on how to manage a game?
UGA’s offensive game plan stinks and it seems it will never change.
Bobo is Not the Problem
January 3rd, 2012
4:14 pm
FIRE MARK RICHT.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
January 3rd, 2012
4:14 pm
Altamaha Dawg
This coaching staff having the ability to identify where changes need to be made is laughable
Richt had to be told to fire Martinez and stop the high short kickoffs
We were almost dead last in the running game last year a we give our RB’s coach a $100,000 raise
THe running game is still abysmal
This staff knows how to identify problems??? LOL
Trojan
January 3rd, 2012
4:15 pm
Aaron choked yesterday.
Waiting for Hudson Mason to start
January 3rd, 2012
4:15 pm
illiniDawg,
got me. you’re right, but i believe you know who i meant.
Geez..
January 3rd, 2012
4:15 pm
Bobo needs to back down and do us a favor. Have CMR earn his job and have him OC next year. If there are not improvements in the offense against GOOD teams them he does not get his extension. If so, give him that extension if he continues to run the offense OR get’s a top notch OC!
Lowcountry Bulldawg
January 3rd, 2012
4:16 pm
IMO the answer will be Lemay. In your opinion Mason. No worrys but we obviosuly agree Murray is not the answer. Paper Champions is what this team was this year.
Eldawg
January 3rd, 2012
4:16 pm
Ok everyone, our coaches blamed the loss on lack of execution, meaning they are blaming the players (again). Where is the freaking accountability from the media and beat writers??!!? When Bobo says he called the right plays but players didn’t execute, how about asking something like this:
“Hey Coach, what do you say to your critics that claim your play calling late in the game lacked imagination and put your team effectively put in a more difficult position to succeed? Can you justify the three straight runs up the middle, what exactly was the strategy behind those calls? Do you feel that those calls gave your team the best change to succeed in getting a first down? ”
Here’s one for Richt:
“Coach Grantham indicated his team was hurt and gassed coming down the stretch, did you talk with CTG and CMB about the defense ability to hold the lead, and did you factor this information into the strategic decision to sit on the lead?”
Richt and Bobo need to man up and take some responsibility. We all like to talk about character around here, but what does it say about character when they repeatedly have used this same excuse. I’m freaking tired of the same cowardly move of blaming failure on “lack of execution” and them repeatedly not accepting any responsibility. And I’m sick of the media letting them off the hook.
AltamahaDawg
January 3rd, 2012
4:16 pm
I read an interesting post about the oversigning that the WEST has been doing for years, eventually leveling out with the rest of the SEC. case in point, how does LSU have 10 DL they can rotate and we don;t even have 10 DL on the roster.
And come on, they werew about ready to biuy Miles a ticket to Ann Arbor a couple of years ago, and Richt HAS had team in his days here that can and did compete with them. I do think they both have exceptionally great teams this year, but it’s depth@talent, pure and simple.
Lack of depth is totally ON Richt’s watch, but that can be fixed, and it lookes like we are getting back to full force . Keep in mind , UGA started the year with 70 scholarship players…..thats why we are playing so many freshmen and walk-ons. Lets not pretend that Miles/Saban just know something that nobody else does.
T-Dawg
January 3rd, 2012
4:17 pm
SawThat1nce — Sorry, I didn’t know you were from Rincon. I think the joke might have been about Pooler, if that’s any consolation.
Now, about Walsh’s female troubles….
Bobo is Not the Problem
January 3rd, 2012
4:17 pm
Lowcountry Dawg, I think the backup QB adage is true on any team except the Falcons. Or the Saints. Or Packers. Or Panthers. Or Stanford. Or USC.
But I get your point. The backup always looks great against the other team’s scrubs in mop-up duty. I swore Kim McQuilken was pretty good until he actually started.
CMR
January 3rd, 2012
4:17 pm
Next time I’ll go ahead and kick on first down.
DawgFan1987
January 3rd, 2012
4:18 pm
Can we all give Todd Grantham a HUGE round of applause. I loved the Dawgs defense this year! i am so proud of the defensive play……especially since the offense is notorious for 3-and-outs and keeps them on the field ALL game
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
January 3rd, 2012
4:19 pm
Altamaha
What happened to the fullback pass to figgens
Passing to the TE’s
Why did we revert back to the old screen to the sideline passes most of the game
and my favorite
Draw run up the middle for no gain
AltamahaDawg
January 3rd, 2012
4:21 pm
3 good losses? Who said anything about that? I’m saying I can TELL you why we lost them?
Waiting for Hudson Mason to start
January 3rd, 2012
4:21 pm
agree!
Geez..
January 3rd, 2012
4:21 pm
“What happened to the fullback pass to figgens
Passing to the TE’s
Why did we revert back to the old screen to the sideline passes most of the game
and my favorite
Draw run up the middle for no gain”
Those are all the million dollar questions today. Strange how the fan base can see this, but the coaches can’t.