A sobering night: Georgia is outclassed and overwhelmed
This forlorn shot is somewhat indicative of the night itself, wouldn't you say? (AP photo by Brett Flashnick)
Columbia, S.C. – Billed as a prove-it game, Georgia can only hope this was instead a case of false advertising. If the nation’s No. 5 team proved anything Saturday night, it’s that it shouldn’t be ranked that high, or perhaps at all.
South Carolina was primed to make a point. It took Georgia, which had averaged 48 points in its first five games, 58 minutes just to score a point here. To say the Bulldogs looked a step slow from the get-go is to suggest that “Ishtar” slightly underperformed at the box office. In the first 10 minutes, Georgia managed to get outclassed across the board — on offense, on defense, even on special teams. Not coincidentally, South Carolina had mustered three touchdowns before the visitors managed their second first down.
In a way, this recalled the infamous first half against Alabama in September 2008, the night the Bulldogs wore their black jerseys and trailed 31-0 at the half. But Alabama hit Georgia with a series of body blows. South Carolina was firing haymakers to the jaw: A 42-yard completion that should have been a Bacarri Rambo interception on the game’s second snap; an interception off a tipped Aaron Murray pass on Georgia’s third snap; two Connor Shaw touchdown passes to unencumbered receivers, and finally an outrageous punt return by Ace Sanders.
All the improvements Georgia has made over the past 13 months — or seemed to have made — were called into question in this wretched first quarter. South Carolina was bigger, faster, stronger, tougher and yes, better-coached. The Gamecocks knew what they wanted to do and did it with gusto. Georgia had no good ideas. South Carolina showed it could run the ball, pass the ball, stop the run and rush the passer. (And, lest we forget, return punts.) The Bulldogs could do none of the above.
Example: On Georgia’s only real threat of the first three quarters, Mark Richt chose to go for the touchdown on fourth-and-goal at the 2. Murray somehow completed a pass for one yard to Rantavious Wooten. “The ball probably should have gone to the [other] side,” said Mike Bobo, the offensive coordinator.
The talent Georgia had displayed against Missouri and Vanderbilt and Tennessee looked rather less impressive this night. Surely some of that had to do with playing on the road, but venue is no excuse for losing 35-7. South Carolina was ready, and that’s a function of coaching. Georgia wasn’t, and that’s a malfunction of same.
Even more distressing was that the big-name Bulldogs — Murray and Jarvis Jones and Rambo and the freshman backs — were rendered pedestrian by comparison. South Carolina’s offensive and defensive fronts exerted their will. The great Marcus Lattimore got all the tough yards. Shaw, who’s from Flowery Branch, made all the tough plays. The Bulldogs acted content to stand back and admire such excellence, and by appearing so passive in such a setting they left themselves open to all the old doubts.
Even in their division-winning season of 2011, the Bulldogs lost to the four best teams they played. This year they’d won five games without meeting anyone of real consequence, and this effort, if that’s the word for it, was so desultory as to make you wonder when, or if, Georgia will ever again beat anybody any good.
Surely they will. They’re too gifted not to break through against somebody. But a game like this made everyone who has attempted to paint these Bulldogs as smarter, tougher, better — and that’s my hand you see raised — feel a fool. When you’re beaten like this, there can be no disclaimers, no qualifiers: This was simply a horrid showing.
Said Richt: “I told the guys, ‘The bad news is that we took a whipping. The good news is that we all took it together … They whipped us pretty good.”
This was worse than the 42-10 loss to LSU in the SEC title game. Georgia wasn’t quite ready for such a game, and the Tigers were too good. But these Bulldogs were older and presumably wiser, and none of that wisdom was brought to bear here. And if Georgia, after all its staff changes and glitzy recruiting, remains incapable of competing on the big stage, whose fault is that?
Todd Grantham’s defense was superb much of last season but seems misdirected now. Bobo’s offense had run up boxcar numbers against lesser lights, but against South Carolina it had but 149 yards through three quarters. And Richt, who’s in charge of this whole operation, used to be able to take teams anywhere and beat anybody. Where did that mojo go?
No, the season isn’t over, and yes, it’s still possible for this team to win the SEC East and play for the conference title. But the season changed Saturday night. Georgia was exposed on national TV as undeserving of its hype, and it can take a program a long time to recover from such an indignity. The Bulldogs’ ceiling got lowered here. When they arrived, we wondered how good they really were. We have a clearer idea now.
By Mark Bradley
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1,090 comments Add your comment
hit a single
October 7th, 2012
10:05 am
Loran – You have been too bad a boy this year! No way!
Bozo the clown (ie Mark Richt)
October 7th, 2012
10:05 am
Mark, the situation is dire. Like you said, “And if Georgia, after all its staff changes and glitzy recruiting, remains incapable of competing on the big stage, whose fault is that?”
Fault belongs to the coaching staff. Plain and simple. We were embarassed on the national stage once again. And the lack of discipline, focus, leadership, and maturity raised its head towards the end of the game with stupid penalties due to the player
’s frustration. I’m sick and tired of this roller coaster of a ride we get from CMR and staff EVERY YEAR. We have some of the best talent in the country right now on this team and we should not have been beaten in every facet of the game like we did last night.
Double J
October 7th, 2012
10:05 am
Bad game no doubt but seriously? Chill out…..just because Kirk and Brent started to say the team quit doesn’t make it so….Yes there was a personal foul late but it wasn’t cheap shot and they kept playing hard on defense..
GA O-line was seriously overmatched that was the biggest difference in the game….
Predictor
October 7th, 2012
10:06 am
hit a single
October 7th, 2012
9:43 am
“RNB- Yea let’s get Petrino back in UGA so the Falcon players can finish the drill and beat his ass. You talk about a guy with no character. I would rather go 8 and 4 every year than have Petrino.”
No problem then. Stand pat.
Maxwell the free-range chihuahua
October 7th, 2012
10:06 am
Lost in last night carnage: Spurrier drawing the dawgs offsides inside his own 30. Huge slap in the face. His way of demonstrating he owns UGA.
hit a single
October 7th, 2012
10:08 am
Somes standing pat is better than winning at all costs.
chase
October 7th, 2012
10:08 am
I still think UGA goes 11-1 and SCAR goes 10-2
Last night’s game reminded my of the 2007 game at TENNESSEE ……..GEORGIA had the BETTER more Talented team and went on the road and Laid an EGG and lost 35-14
That team bounced back and finished the season ranked #2 and should have played for the National Championship
We’ll see if THIS VERY TALENTED UGA team can do the same!!!!!!!!!
Richt Sucks
October 7th, 2012
10:08 am
At this rate, we need an atheist coach because this “god” fellow sure isn’t helping Richt one bit.
That or he just plain doesn’t exist. Hmmm.
USC GAMEC0CK
October 7th, 2012
10:08 am
Wow, USC showed that a bunch of hard charging dudes who believe in their coaches will whip a bunch of pampered highly rated (and i mean HIGHLY rated) recruiting classes into submission if they execute their game plan. The georgia team looked lost and so did their coaches. What a night in Columbia, SC
Peter
October 7th, 2012
10:09 am
The team that played Buffalo is the real Bull Dog team…….. Yup…. and yesterday they showed it !
chase
October 7th, 2012
10:10 am
BIG DAVE
Stop posting that Mark Richt is 0-9 vs ranked teams since 2008!
In 2010 Georgia went to TECH and beat the #7 Ranked Jackets……seriously, it is not much better BUT at least get it right!
Maxwell the free-range chihuahua
October 7th, 2012
10:10 am
Lost in the carnage: Spurrier and his boys drawing UGA offsides on 4th down inside his own 30. WOW!
wastedyears
October 7th, 2012
10:11 am
ok ok im off of here ga suxxx always will as long as he is the coach i think i will join alabama some one i can respect and people please stop spending your hard earn money on ga crap nothing gonna change until they are hungry and revenue is down …peace
chase
October 7th, 2012
10:11 am
I still think UGA goes 11-1 and SCAR goes 10-2
Last night’s game reminded me of the 2007 game at TENNESSEE ……..GEORGIA had the BETTER more Talented team and went on the road and Laid an EGG and lost 35-14
That team bounced back and finished the season ranked #2 and should have played for the National Championship
We’ll see if THIS VERY TALENTED UGA team can do the same
Maxwell the free-range chihuahua
October 7th, 2012
10:12 am
Yep chase, you are right. 2-15 sounds alot more impressive.
hit a single
October 7th, 2012
10:12 am
Predictor – I saw you getting your free phone the other day. Enough said!
chase
October 7th, 2012
10:12 am
I still think that UGA goes 11-1 and SCAR goes 10-2
This was just like the 2007 game vs TENN
These boys will bounce back
Predictor
October 7th, 2012
10:14 am
chase
October 7th, 2012
10:10 am
“BIG DAVE
Stop posting that Mark Richt is 0-9 vs ranked teams since 2008!
In 2010 Georgia went to TECH and beat the #7 Ranked Jackets……seriously, it is not much better BUT at least get it right!”
Tech went 6-7 in 2010. How did they get ranked #7?
hit a single
October 7th, 2012
10:14 am
IF South Carolina stays healthy they can win it all. Shaw is a leader and winner! One tough dude!
DG
October 7th, 2012
10:15 am
As long as Richt, Saban and Spurrier are around Ga will be nothing more than just a good SEC team. It’s interesting how Georgia gets up for the ’small’ games, but doesn’t show up or chokes in the big games. You look at the elite teams when they play the smaller programs and they wont really do much in the fist half, but will blow doors in the second half. Ga will be up by 30 by half time against those schools then go scoreless in 4th.
That’s why ESPN hates them. They fall for it every time just like Ga fans do. They see the Dawgs are loaded with talent and are blowing teams out. They can’t wait for them to play the SEC big boys so they get a huge rating boost. they promote the game, brag on GA, and even bring College Game Day there – only to have the Dogs show up with their choke collars on. It may been a great game for So Car fans, but for nationally televised game you can see why ESPN would be upset. Now we have to sit here listen to them gush all over Spurrier. He’s loving the attention.
Dunwoody Dawg
October 7th, 2012
10:17 am
Well my fellow Dawg fans, I think I can explain how we all feel by borrowing a soccer chant from England
I’ve been blowing bubbles
pretty bubbles in the sky
I set them off
they fly so high
but like all my dreams they fade and die
I see fortunes rising
and I’ve looked everywhere
and I’m still blowing bubbles
pretty bubbles in the air
I knew this weekend was going to be another Atlanta disaster when the Braves choked and last night just put the tin lid on it. Florida, Tech, Bama, USC fans- post all of the insults you want- we are too hurt to care. We were humiliated. Haven’t felt like this since my soph year in ‘95 when the Gators came to Athens and ran us out of our own stadium. Only difference was we knew that was coming. God hates us.
David Granger
October 7th, 2012
10:17 am
Have said it before, and still believe it’s accurate: Coach Richt does two things extraordinarily well: (1.) He’s a great recruiter (which is probably the single most imporant asset a coach can have…especially in a state that produces so much top-level talent every year), and
(2.) He’s a nice-looking, clean-cut gentleman who says the right things and represents the university well in the public eye.
And after that, there are no more positives. He’s a horrible game coach, and the team almost NEVER seems to be prepared to play hard from the very opening kickoff.
During the game last night they showed a listing (from an NFL recruiting service) that listed four UGA defensive players as being among the top 32-rated based on their draft potential: Jarvis Jones, John Jenkins, Alec Ogletree, and Shawn Williams. That’s an OLB/DE, a DT/nose guard type, another LB, and a SS. Add to that a couple of other good players…FS Baccari Rambo, CB Sanders Commings, and a DT Kwame Geathers…and there is no way that our defense should play as poorly as it did last night. (And yes, I’m tipping my hat to the SC offense…they were outstanding.) But still…we give up long passes, and just get blown off the line.
I swear, it looked like the SC offensive line had been hitting the weight room, and our offensive line had been hitting the Old Country Buffet.
We got burned when we blitzed again…as per the last SEVERAL years. Don’t know why we get killed on it so much. Maybe we telegraph it? But for whatever reason, the other team(s) always seem to pick it up, and the QB either hits the “safety valve” receiver on a slant over the middle, or else they opposing team picks up the rushers and gives the QB time to thrown downfield. (And our DBs are either playing deep prevent, or else are “cheating up” a little in case they have to support the run.)
Something just aint’ right…we have too much talent on both sides of the ball to not play any better against good teams than we do.
tiredofexcusesdawg
October 7th, 2012
10:18 am
Thanks Mark for having the guts to publish the UGA-LY truth! I’m tired of everyone trying to point out the silver-britches lining. There isn’t one. I’d like to think change is eminent but the decision makers seem content with pedestrian 10 win but no Glory, Glory to Ol’ GA seasons.
payme
October 7th, 2012
10:19 am
the new uga president may clean house and get rid of mcgarity and richt. Neither know what they are doing.
Maxwell the free-range chihuahua
October 7th, 2012
10:20 am
Good thing recruits don’t watch ESPN. Or other schools have no way of saving the Herbie and Brent comments to the hard drive of their laptops to show recruits an unbiased opinion of the UGA program.
DG
October 7th, 2012
10:20 am
What the spread for the Ga/Fla game? Fla by 20?
Courtney
October 7th, 2012
10:21 am
@PreyDawg-I totally agree with you!!! I never get excited about Georgia teams. Just when you think we are going to make it through, they let you down and stink up the place!!!
chase
October 7th, 2012
10:22 am
Predictor
excuse me
2009
Sad Richards
October 7th, 2012
10:22 am
like Ive been saying the past 5 years…. Richt needs to go. The Richt apologists still have their heads in the sand and folks are already into the Kool Aid saying we will win out. Dont hold your breath.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 7th, 2012
10:22 am
Im wanting to hear from fans like
Truth?
GT is a 4th rate High School Team,
DawgRx,
aladawg
jp
DawgNation
Brainiac
rhbDAWG1
I especially want to hear from…..
Lobosolo, Truth? and CHRIS
Come on out
LOBOSOLO
Chris you there
How about Truth?
???
whiskey breath
October 7th, 2012
10:23 am
Arent you the same people that was talking a National Championship?
You list on a daily basis why Ga is superior to the rest of us.
You were in love with Rich on Friday, why the big change.
Has any of you mutts ever back up a damn thing you have ever said?
That is why the rest of us consider a blowhard joke. Your fools.
You like Richt, never has to be accountable.
Have I ever been wrong about the mutts?
RTR from WB
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 7th, 2012
10:24 am
chase
go pull for Albany ST
Honey Boo Boo
October 7th, 2012
10:24 am
Go Dawgs, last night America REDneckCOGnized us!
Bama Boy
October 7th, 2012
10:24 am
Where is Kingdaddy now?Where r u kingdaddy? The king of MOUTH!
chase
October 7th, 2012
10:26 am
One other thing that CONVENIENTLY gets overlooked and “altered by ESPN when talking about UGA is RECORD vs RANKED TEAMS
When ESPN talks about other teams (USC, LSU, BAMA, OHST, NOTRE DAME) they talk about the wins over RANKED TEAMS AT THE TIME
When they talk about GEORGIA it is suddenly forgotten that UGA beat a team that was RANKED – BECAUSE then ESPN changes it to “Wins over teams that finished the season ranked” – very convenient!!!
Not saying that makes the game last night any better BUT WHY THE DOUBLE STANDARD when it comes to the DAWGS? NO CREDIT
Just like 2007 – ESPN went on a campaign to keep UGA out of the NC GAME because they didn’t win the SEC Championship – to the point that Mark Richt called in to ESPN on TV
The very next year they tried to get an Ohio St vs Michigan rematch in the NC Game – even though OHST just beat them the last game of the year!
Then LAST YEAR! They campaign successfully to get BAMA a 2nd chance at get them into the NC game even though they DID NOT PLAY for the NC Game and had already lost to LSU!!! I mean come on! They had SABAN at the SEC TITLE game and talked to him about it!
Why the BIAS? Its not paranoia if they’re out to get you!
wallydawg13
October 7th, 2012
10:26 am
Congrats first to SC. They came to play and played great. Their front defensive line just killed us. I too have been a Richt supporter, but tonight showed how badly we’ve been outcoached. We’ll probably win 10 games this year. Might beat Florida and if LSU and Florida beat SC, we could backdoor our way in to the SECCG again. We can beat some good teams and go on a little run… but we can’t beat the really good teams. We’re a top 20 team (sometimes), but nothing more. For years now, we’ve shown we can’t beat the really good teams.
Congrats also to all you “I told you so” folks. You’ve been saying it and you’ve been right. Let Richt serve out the year, but start interviewing new candidates ASAP.
3 other thoughts…
1. I don’t put this on Murray. He didn’t play great, but he didn’t lose the game. This one was on the coaches. He missed a few passes, but most of his incompletions were from 3rd and longs, and most QB’s struggle with those. The line couldn’t block and Clowney was all over him. Bobo should have been calling more checkdowns and shorter plays.
2. No one has been saying this that I can tell but Jarvis Jones is hurt. He’s got heart, but since that groin pull, he just can’t accelerate. Hats off for trying, but he’s got to be playing hurt.
3. The ONLY thing I enjoyed was watching Malcombe play hard at the end. I know it was second stringers and garbage time, but he runs so hard.
I’ll ALWAYS root for UGA. But this was bad.
MoreSo
October 7th, 2012
10:27 am
Contract extension and huge raise for richt, bobo and grantham! If not, they’ll be looking around at other jobs soon.
chase
October 7th, 2012
10:29 am
Flat Tire
what’s your problem? you don’t like facts?
FACT – UGA can and likely will still finish 11-1
FACT- SCAR will likely finish 10-2
FACT- ESPN is BIASED AGAINST UGA (Lets not forget that personal campaign they went on to keep UGA out of the NC Game on the bases that they didn’t win the SEC… THEN they went on a crusade to get BAMA in the game last year despite the fact that they didn’t win the SEC and had already lost to LSU
atllsu
October 7th, 2012
10:29 am
Would Uga fans like Zac Mettenberger back , we would gladly trade him for a case of footballs and a couple of gallons of gatoraid
SC Fanatic
October 7th, 2012
10:30 am
We love Richt!
chase
October 7th, 2012
10:30 am
One other thing that CONVENIENTLY gets overlooked and altered by ESPN when talking about UGA is RECORD vs RANKED TEAMS
When ESPN talks about other teams (USC, LSU, BAMA, OHST, NOTRE DAME) they talk about the wins over RANKED TEAMS AT THE TIME
When they talk about GEORGIA it is suddenly forgotten that UGA beat a team that was RANKED – BECAUSE then ESPN changes it to “Wins over teams that finished the season ranked” – very convenient!!!
Not saying that makes the game last night any better BUT WHY THE DOUBLE STANDARD when it comes to the DAWGS? NO CREDIT
Why the BIAS? Its not paranoia if they’re out to get you!
JB
October 7th, 2012
10:30 am
richt has turned us into the mississippi schools of the east. really. that’s what we have become. we’ll beat kentucky by 24 and think we are something. the announcers trashed our program on national tv….and laid the blame on richt. it’s obvious to the world except adams and mcgarity
dan
October 7th, 2012
10:31 am
CREAMED!!!
3 points about Georgia’s 28-point loss at South Carolina | Mark Bradley
October 7th, 2012
10:31 am
[...] Aaron Murray didn’t exactly grab his star-making moment by the throat. Delivering a tipped interception on Georgia’s third snap was the worst possible start for the quarterback who still hasn’t presided over a victory [...]
chase
October 7th, 2012
10:31 am
SC FANATIC
congrats, I think you are now 4-8 against RIcht
gladnottobealeghumper
October 7th, 2012
10:31 am
I have found the posts to be quite interesting, humorous and some to be thoughtful. Fans are continuously talking about the talent level that has been recruited year in and year out. Maybe the talent level has been overrated by those who report on such things. Maybe a comment by Bobby Bowden might be the most accurate opinion of his then offensive coordinator. Shortly before FSU joined the ACC, he was quoted in a Florida newspaper of not wanting join the SEC because he did not want to have to prepare for Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Auburn and LSU on consecutive weekends. Was Bowden giving the football world his assessment of CMR?
I my opinion, Georgia has not seen its “glory” days since Erk Russell left UGA to take over a start up program at Georgia Southern. UGA went into a downhill slide when he left. Russell was the key to UGA success, not the storied Dooley. UGA fans need to realize they have been reduced to a low second tier team. They couldn’t even beat a third tier team like UCF in a fourth tier bowl in Memphis.
Phil
October 7th, 2012
10:32 am
The trend is clear. When UGA plays a team with equal talent, they almost always lose. They even lose to some with lesser talent. This coaching staff is just not performing. 2-15 against ranked teams since 2008 says it all. Mel Kiper said UGA has 8 or 9 NFL players on defense alone yet they gave up 44 to UT and 35 to USC. Clearly all the talent is not being used properly.
JFKDawg
October 7th, 2012
10:33 am
I would trade Bobo for Bobby Petrino tomorrow. Mike continues to be the worst play caller in SEC. How many more times do you have to run in the 2/3 hole to figure out you can’t do it? Fourth and 2 and we launch the bomb? TE is a forgotten position. With SC DL, he should have taken 2-3 step drop and throw the ball, not run around like a school girl playing tag in the backfield for 10 seconds. I know there is no play ready QB in the cupboard but a 6′ QB trying to throw over an SEC line is doomed. Big game, big loss.
Honey Boo Boo
October 7th, 2012
10:35 am
And they said I was an embarrassment to the state of Georgia???
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
October 7th, 2012
10:35 am
It appears the old ball coach has lost total control of the Gerogieeee football team! What happened to DawgnLex,Kingdaddy,Flo-ri-da,Destin Dawg,cpbride and the others?
Anybody that believes for a minute that Mark Richt could wear The Old Ball Coach’s joke is stupid. I am sure Jeff Schultz will pen another article for the benefit of Morris!!! Oh that is just too dayum funny right there! Get out from underneath your desk Jeff boy!
The next time Mark Richt out coaches a top level coach will be the 1st time! If not for the fact there is so many talented football players that come to UGA you would be Vandy in red and black.