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
Maxwell the free-range chihuahua
October 6th, 2012
10:38 pm
The deserved verbal assault handed out by Brent and Herbie probably did more damage to the UGA program going forward than USC did…
Harry Reid
October 6th, 2012
10:38 pm
All of you are the losers! You sit on your sofas and think you know it all…you knoe nothing! You are the losers…get a life!!
The Ville
October 6th, 2012
10:39 pm
The Dawgs performance was an embarrassment. Where is that highly acclaimed defense? Richt and Grantham need to go back to teaching the basics, like coverage.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 6th, 2012
10:39 pm
Mark Bradley
How about asking this $5 million coaching staff when are they going start earning their pay.
By the way
Ask Mcgarity when is he going to stop making UGA fans have to donate money to be allowed to get season tickets to watch a team lose to every ranked opponent they play
Denver Dawg
October 6th, 2012
10:39 pm
Not interested in the opinions of any Tech fans or other juvenile trolls – past their bedtime anyway… But as an ‘88 grad and season ticket holder, I’ve seen enough of this…. If beating the dregs is all we accomplish every year, then let’s get someone else in there at the top…. When it’s time to put up or shut up, we just look clueless. And playing dirty after the outcome’s decided only adds insult to injury.
Ginger
October 6th, 2012
10:39 pm
Mark—agree with you….as folks have said…game is won on lines…..Our O-line and D-line was outclassed. Just don’t know…hard to know where to start to get better….Are we that far off…or did things just get out of hand.
collegeballfan
October 6th, 2012
10:39 pm
UGA will win against Missouri, Vandy, Tennessee, Kentucky, the two Mississippi teams and Georgia Tech. That will give them 8 to 9 wins annually. But that is about it.
The major question is why Georgia persist in trying to be a passing team when the SEC has proven that the running game wins championships?
Maybe next year.
G
October 6th, 2012
10:39 pm
Mark don’t you feel its time to revisit a change at the top? This record against ranked teams is horrible!!
sheepdawg
October 6th, 2012
10:39 pm
their coach is really good, maybe we can get him when cmr is gone
playmeortrademe
October 6th, 2012
10:39 pm
Part 2 of Atlanta’s lost weekend in the books. Falcons, you’re up. Watcha got in store for us?
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 6th, 2012
10:39 pm
Chip Towers
How about asking this $5 million coaching staff when are they going start earning their pay.
By the way
Ask Mcgarity when is he going to stop making UGA fans have to donate money to be allowed to get season tickets to watch a team lose to every ranked opponent they play…..
WhoCares?
October 6th, 2012
10:39 pm
A total drubbing. In every way. MB got it right, no excuses. SC was so much better. Really don’t know where the Dawgs go from this, but it surely can’t get any worse, can it?
sbolen
October 6th, 2012
10:39 pm
Unfortunately this is who we have become. It was so much like Bama in 08. We were beaten in every way. Our talent level should not yield such lopsided results. I think this is what we will be until Coach Richt’s tenure is over. It just seems that nothing changes. Players arrested in the off season. Playing down to lesser opponents, and “wetting the bed” on the big stages like tonight… Thats UGA football.
Scoop
October 6th, 2012
10:39 pm
I’ve defended this coach for five years. No more
*{jj}*
October 6th, 2012
10:40 pm
Mark Richt has a new Millions contract..he’s not going anywhere..sorry
SmyrnaGuy
October 6th, 2012
10:40 pm
INSANITY….. repeating the same and expecting different results. Sounds a lot like a fan during the Richt era
MenVsBoys
October 6th, 2012
10:40 pm
Listening to Richt post-game. Almost sounds like he won this game. This guy should have steam whistling out of his ears. No coach should accept a performance like this! But hey, it’s just 1 loss right? If it looks like a loser, sounds like loser…it’s a loser!
He Hate Gator
October 6th, 2012
10:40 pm
Perfectly stated….embarassing display to a national audience…..being unzipped and exposed for all the nation to see how inadequate you really are….
aj
October 6th, 2012
10:40 pm
how did this happen again? 2-14 vs. teams that finish top 25 since 2008?
1. joke of a staff– no one is qualified, not one coach, anywhere
2. wrong guy starting at qb, murray isn’t a big game qb
3. doesn’t fix mistakes in offseason: special teams, qb turnovers in big games, no depth at offen line, no rush game in big games, def gets blown out in big games, etc.
Raiderbeater
October 6th, 2012
10:40 pm
Richt is in the business of embarrassing the University of Georgia every chance he gets on national tv.
Its OK, we’ll beat Georgia Southern, Buffalo, and Florida Atlantic. I hear we get powerhouse North Texas and Idaho State next year……that should keep his job safe another 5yrs.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 6th, 2012
10:40 pm
Mark Bradley
Ask Mcgarity when is he going to stop making UGA fans have to donate money to be allowed to get season tickets to watch a team lose to every ranked opponent they play
71 Dawg
October 6th, 2012
10:40 pm
Where are all the Richt supporters now? The evil genius had is team ready to play – Richt didn’t – now we are 0-10 against ranked opponents – doesn’t anyone who matters see the problem? I am now officially embarassed to be a dawg fan – saw this coming after the Tenn game. . .
LakeDawg
October 6th, 2012
10:41 pm
This game removed the last smidgeon of doubt. To lose like that with THIS team?! CMR needs to resign now, so we can start a coaching search.
Outer Banks Dawg
October 6th, 2012
10:41 pm
When we lined up in a power formation, we ran well… When we had a fullback and tight end in the game, we controlled the line of scrimmage enough… But 75% of our running plays were from the shotgun with no full back and no tight end… How are u gonna succeed like that?… We ran 4 plays from the 2 yard line out of the shotgun… That’s frikin weak… Merritt hall and Lynch blocking and you think Gurley could get in every time from the 2…. You can’t run outta the shotgun against top defenses..you must try to outman them and exert your will… You must power the football… Exert your will… Bama powers it and plays a lot of 7 on the line of scrimmage inside and gets 1 on 1 on the outside… The bang it in in the red zone… Control the clock… Shorten the game… Our athletes are there but the formations don’t give them a chance… So frustrating… 4 plays from the 2 when we have Gurley… Block 2 TE, full back and power that thing in and break them… Every time we lined up shotgun spread, the SC defensive coordinator smiled… We could have run power… We did when we tried it but we didn’t stay with it… Florida ran 25 plays in a row on the ground with power formations today… How can you only put 5 on the line against them? Unbelievable
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Outer Banks Dawg
October 6th, 2012
10:36 pm
5 on the line of scrimmage… ? Seriously? Double both ends with 2 tight ends… Use the full back… Power running… Hershel would suck if he had to run against the pass rush out of the shotgun… Jesus…. I remember when Georgia ran the power I… our backs run 5 blockers on 7 defenders and they’re 5 yards deep on a slow developing bs read/draw lucky to get the line of scrimmage… Bs… I’ve never been more pissed at the coaches
aj
October 6th, 2012
10:41 pm
If Hutson Mason isn’t named the new starter at QB monday, he needs to
TRANSFER!
Ed
October 6th, 2012
10:42 pm
Gotta love ol ball coach! but most importantly how does a team who hasn’t beaten a ranked opponent in years get ranked so high themselves, what are the bulldogs 0-9 against top ten teams. And to think a lot of Georgia fans and sports writers believe the hype every year. UGA is living proof that the BCS rankings are a joke.
www.firemarkricht.net
October 6th, 2012
10:42 pm
http://www.firemarkricht.net
Remember us? We were here 4 years ago.
Welcome to the club.
ObjectiveObserver
October 6th, 2012
10:42 pm
Georgia pulled a Clemson. As Mark stated, Georgia will be seen as “undeserving of their hype”…just like Clemson is year in and year out.
People say Clemson is Auburn with a lake, but maybe Georgia is Clemson with hedges.
The Real Hairy Dawg
October 6th, 2012
10:42 pm
I don’t think it was Murray’s fault. We should have just put 7 receivers out there and put Murray out there without a line. He would have had less monsters breathing down his neck.
MTDawg
October 6th, 2012
10:42 pm
I see three major issues. Rich can’t beat Spurrier. Murray is not a real leader. The defense plays with talent but no heart.
Raiderbeater
October 6th, 2012
10:42 pm
We should act like Braves fans the next time this happens…..I hope it’s in Athens so we can show the nation we hate this type of performance.
Lets hope the Falcons can salvage a weekend.
aj
October 6th, 2012
10:43 pm
Murray was
11 for 31.
completed under 40% again, just like LSU game.
b rogers
October 6th, 2012
10:43 pm
Georgia looked Saturday like Obama did Wednesday…
pete
October 6th, 2012
10:43 pm
Richt should have been fired when alabama came to athens and blew us out
playmeortrademe
October 6th, 2012
10:43 pm
If Richt had any integrity, he resigns tomorrow. He is utterly failing, both on and off the field, at a job he is getting paid millions of dollars
Mad Stork...
October 6th, 2012
10:43 pm
Enter your comments here
78dawg
October 6th, 2012
10:44 pm
I’m numb…..
aj
October 6th, 2012
10:44 pm
How do you go into that game, without doubling or triple teaming Clowney?
James K Polk
October 6th, 2012
10:44 pm
Never, in the history of sports, has one coach done so little with so much talent. It’s an even bigger wonder as to how he can do this and be loved by so many…while making millions of dollars.
Dog Island Gator
October 6th, 2012
10:44 pm
Really sad the state of football at UGA. And how about all that talk about Will Muschamp. The Gators are getting better and have turned it around. Go Gators Go!
Archibald Hole Broke
October 6th, 2012
10:44 pm
BWA BWA BWA BAW ……. once again…..early season overated mutts.
VolsDeep
October 6th, 2012
10:45 pm
You can have Dooley
Floyd
October 6th, 2012
10:45 pm
Mark Richt should have been fired in the locker room in Boulder, Colorado.
We were surprised by what, exactly, tonight? That a Richt team would not be prepared? That it would underachieve? That it would fold under pressure? That it would be out-coached, out-worked and completely without an answer when an opponent comes ready to play?
Please.
If you’re serious about winning championships, Georgia football under Mark Richt is a joke. Either show him the road or stop acting so surprised when this happens.
jr1967
October 6th, 2012
10:45 pm
TN Dawg: your above comment reminded me of the joke in the 1990s which asked who was the only person in college that could stop Terrell Davis? The answer was Ray Goff because he kept him on the sidelines too much while at UGA, yet finally was allowed to show more of who he really was while in Denver with the Broncos.
LakeDawg
October 6th, 2012
10:45 pm
I can’t believe I’m going through this again. Listening to post game shows knowing the coach has to go and also knowing we won’t get rid of him for 2 to 3 more years. The nightmare never ends. We sure are having a tough time finding a coach to replace Dooley. Its been 24 years now.
Scoop
October 6th, 2012
10:45 pm
If he’s staying, we might as well join MEAC
flat mutt
October 6th, 2012
10:45 pm
I guess that old NFL defensive stuff really doesn’t work in the SEC…how bout that Todd?
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 6th, 2012
10:46 pm
Where is the kool-aid crowd tonight that loves to slam me for living in Reality
Mad Stork...
October 6th, 2012
10:46 pm
worst beat down since ‘77 when prince charles was here for kentucky game. tragic
jr1967
October 6th, 2012
10:47 pm
Will Muschamp will soon be 1-1 vs. UGA and I would not consider the Ga Southern game much of a given now the way things are now