3 points about Georgia’s 28-point loss at South Carolina
Connor Shaw ran. He also passed. Not coincidentally, his team won. (AP photo by Brett Flashnick)
1. 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 against a team of substance. (Florida 2011 doesn’t count.) Murray had maybe his worst night as a Bulldog, completing 11 of 31 passes for 109 yards. In his defense, his line couldn’t block South Carolina’s defensive front. As offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said: “When a guy’s getting hit, he has a tendency not to trust his protection.”
2. The “Gurshall” groundswell got, er, grounded. Freshmen tailbacks Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall combined for 76 yards on 15 carries — this after each had 100-yard games against Tennessee. Again, the Gamecocks’ defensive line overpowered Georgia up front, often pushing blockers backwards into the guys for whom they were supposed to be blocking. “We couldn’t handle their ends,” Bobo said, and then this: “I thought we would be able to run the ball a little bit better.”
3. The Georgia defense didn’t trip the light fantastic, either. South Carolina gained 392 yards while throwing only 10 passes. (Six were completed, for a staggering 162 yards.) That’s what happens, said Bulldogs defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, when the running game works and you can throw off play-action at your leisure. The Gamecocks rushed for 230 yards — 109 by Marcus Lattimore, who had his third consecutive big game against Georgia, and 78 more by Shaw. “For us to get where we want to go, we’ve got to improve,” said Grantham, telling no lies.
By Mark Bradley
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549 comments Add your comment
Jeff in Calhoun
October 7th, 2012
9:07 pm
There is a sliver of hope for the rest of the season. If UGA can rebound like they did back in 2007 when Tennessee whipped them 35-14 and UGA went on to finish #2 after stomping Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl.
Pitbull
October 7th, 2012
9:09 pm
LakeDawg,
I remember after Ray Goff was run off that UGA couldn’t find a coach willing to take the job. Finally a Coach Mason from Minnesota took it, came down introduced himself to the players and then called AD Dooley and said he had changed his mind and didn’t want it.
Dooley had to offer the job to a Div II coach (Donnan) to get an experienced head coach in there and I am sure you remember how that turned out.
LakeDawg, were you happy for those 12 long years that Ray Goff and Jim Donnan were our head coaches in Athens? Are you proud of those years?
Mark Richt is head and shoulders above both of them and has won 111 games in 11 & 1/2 years in Athens. He has a winning record against every team in the SEC other than Florida and his 2 wins against Florida are twice as many as Goff and Donnan had together.
Oh yea, he is 10-1 against Tech, as opposed to Donnan who I believe was 3-3.
I will take CMR any day of the week as UGA’s coach.
DawgFanForLife
October 7th, 2012
9:11 pm
To me it’s not the fact that we lost to a very good team, it’s the fact that we didn’t show up at all. We lost the game in the first 10 minutes and showed no heart to come back. I was there and it was a great atmosphere and exciting up until the first TD. I hoped that we would answer but Murray threw another tipped pick. We just gave up – no emotion, no fire, nothing. I don’t know what’s wrong but it sure isn’t working.
Jeff in Calhoun
October 7th, 2012
9:16 pm
I agree with what Harold said!
Jeff in Calhoun
October 7th, 2012
9:18 pm
I was shaking my head when UGA was down 28-0 and Bobo was still running the ball and the clock.
Pitbull
October 7th, 2012
9:18 pm
DawgFanForLife’
Do you realize that the AP numbers 3, 4, and 5 teams lost yesterday?
Do you realize that over 10 undefeated teams lost yesterday?
Even good football teams lose games. We got beat by a better team. Its that simple.
We have a good team and will win a lot of games this year. Don’t drink the Hater kool aid.
Things happen in college football. Players come and go and get hurt, etc. We may have a much better team than SC next year and beat the crap out of them.
Every school’s team is different every year although the jerseys look the same.
Pitbull
October 7th, 2012
9:24 pm
Tech is 2-4 right now.
Duke is 5-1 and has a better head coach than Tech.
There is karma in the universe.
The Factor
October 7th, 2012
9:26 pm
@Pitbull
Hard to argue what you say. Bottom line is we need to start building those stats we did during MR’s early years. Second, there are only 2-3 “elite” coaches is all of college football. We have a good one, not and elite one. I would say Saban, Spurrier and Petrino the best pure football guys – “elite”. Then you have a bunch of good coaches like Richt, Stoops, etc that will win pretty consistantly. So, there are not many coaches you can get to better our situation. Richt is the best coach, by fact, UGA has ever had.
gmandog
October 7th, 2012
9:29 pm
Mark – You and the rest of the AJC sports reporters are doing a disservice to the Bulldog nation and all the Georgia tax payers by not calling for CMR to be fired. I know you know Richt is currently not a SEC caliber coach. He won the SEC championship when there were other weak coaches in the SEC. Since Saban, Miles, Meyers and Spurrier have arrived and got their programs going, Richt cannot compete. He gets the 4 & 5 star talent from Georgia based primarily on loyalty of the players to their home state. You and the other AJC reporters have tremendous influence over the debate on CMR and his staff. Please for the sake of the Bulldog nation, call for Richt to be fired and let us have a chance for a national championship. We will never play for a NC as long as Richt is there.
Jeff in Calhoun
October 7th, 2012
9:33 pm
The good news is Coach Spurrier will probably retire in 3 years!
Jeff in Calhoun
October 7th, 2012
9:35 pm
The bad news is Coach Petrino will probably be coaching Auburn or Kentucky next year!
Pitbull
October 7th, 2012
9:35 pm
gmandog is a Tech poser who is tired of having his rear kicked by Mark Richt.
Coach Richt is 10-1 against Tech.
jake from state farm
October 7th, 2012
9:36 pm
Time for a uniform gimmick!
Same as it ever was
October 7th, 2012
9:38 pm
Georgia, the Chevy Chase of college football.
Jeff in Calhoun
October 7th, 2012
9:39 pm
I predict the Kentucky game will go down to the wire with UGA holding on to win 41-38!
Big Daddy
October 7th, 2012
9:41 pm
The defense has not played well since the return of Rambo and Ogaltree. You have most of the d playing well, you have two players still in week 2. It’s gotta be about team, when you screw up and get suspended you hurt your team. Stop being selfish!
Nothing to See Here
October 7th, 2012
9:42 pm
Don’t fret, Dawg Fans. We’ll beat South Carolina in February! We always do…
Pitbull
October 7th, 2012
9:44 pm
Georgia Tech: the bozo the clown of college football.
Jeff in Calhoun
October 7th, 2012
9:45 pm
Hey, I got my black jersey #24 at the ready for the next black out!
Bitter and trying to find a hole to hind in.
October 7th, 2012
9:48 pm
well well well, I can see it now—– trolls who were wear a georgia hat last
– week are now wearing bamma caps and cursing coach richt.—NEWS FLASH
—–The “ole” ball coach is a master at beating UGA—UGA kept him from
—winning a national championship as a player—-so he loves kill-in the dawgs
——-year round, now even in RECRUITING he becomes a PAIN
—–But some TROLLS are just pointing out what is true
—Coach richt wins with a fat pay check and a F-150 TRUCK Rather the dawgs win
—————-or—-LOOSE—-WHICH HAS BEEN the case against every TOP 10
TEAM THE bulldogs have faced since 2008——–and the man recieved an
—extension , a half dozen F-150 TRUCKS———TECH HAS AN EXCUSE FOR
— BAD PLAY—-UGA has too much TALLENT to play with no—-HEART
—-MURRY IS TRULY —-LOST—-CONFUSSED—-BIG GAME —-LOOSER
—————LOVE MY DAWGS————GOD BLESS—–1980
DogsWinEast
October 7th, 2012
9:50 pm
Mark this down—south carolina will lose to fla and lsu and Ga will beat fla to win the east. in the sec title game, the Dogs can upset alabama!
15-5
October 7th, 2012
9:51 pm
Death, taxes and Spurrier outcoaching Georgia.
uncledaddy
October 7th, 2012
9:52 pm
Hey, at least Coach Richt did a good job in that ESPN commercial with Lee Corso. You know, the one with the diving board in the background.
Pitbull
October 7th, 2012
9:54 pm
I’m canceling my subscription!
DwayneL
October 7th, 2012
9:54 pm
As expected UGA is overrated…like always!
Bitter and trying to find a hole to hind in.
October 7th, 2012
9:55 pm
MESSAGE TO COACH GRANTHAM———–RAMBO AND TREE
—————————SU_X——WHY ARE THEY FIRST STRING
———-THEY BOTH ARE TAKING A GAINT SH_T ON YOU AND RICHT
—WATCH TO REPLAY OF THE SO CALLED INT THAT RANBO HAD, THEN LET THE
————-THE RECIEVER HAVE IT—–CHECK HIS ACCOUNT—HE IS A A$$
HHJJ
October 7th, 2012
9:57 pm
I guess the bull puppies will have to figure out a way remove S. Carolina from their schedule and add an opponent like Georgia State. Isn’t that the way things are done in Athens?
HHJJ
October 7th, 2012
9:57 pm
I guess the bull puppies will have to figure out a way remove S. Carolina from their schedule and add an opponent like Georgia State. Isn’t that the way things are done in Athens?
HHJJ
October 7th, 2012
9:57 pm
I guess the bull puppies will have to figure out a way remove S. Carolina from their schedule and add an opponent like Georgia State. Isn’t that the way things are done in Athens?
This just sucks
October 7th, 2012
9:58 pm
What’s just about the worst thing is that Spurrier gloats out loud but mostly speaks the truth.
cloudodust
October 7th, 2012
10:00 pm
‘team whipped but not flat’ says Richt. Guess he’s refering to that 4th quarter drive?
Pitbull
October 7th, 2012
10:01 pm
And the hate just drips from the Tech cry babies.
Boknowsall
October 7th, 2012
10:02 pm
Let’s hear it about that legendary Georgia defense…that great DC and how he coaches them up……all that talent…well, Georgia set out to prove that its effort against Tennessee was not a fluke and they can say mission accomplished. Let’s look at the Bullpups in the SEC….10th in scoring defense-even worse than Auburn, 9th in total defense-even worse than Missouri, 10th in rush defense, 8th in pass defense, 9th in pass efficiency defense, 9th in sack-even worse than Kentucky, 9th in 1st downs allowed, 10th in 3rd down conversion defense, 8th in turnover margin, and 9th in redzone defense……OVERRATED< OVERRATED…..please sign Grantham to a lifetime contract……you know the guy that wants to fight others head coaches or is giving choke signs to opponents kickers, a real class act…and according to the stats for this year..a really good coach. NOT
Michigan State
October 7th, 2012
10:03 pm
Can’t wait for our turn to make it two in a row over the Poodles this postseason.
This just sucks
October 7th, 2012
10:04 pm
Pitbull, you’re hallucinating again. Nick Saban and Steve Spurrier would step into this job and we would win, win, win. There’s no way a Saban-coached Georgia team would play that badly in Columbia. NO WAY!!!. You and the rest of the Bible Thumpers need to hire CMR for your pulpit because it is my SINCERE prayer that he is no longer our head coach come 2013!!!!
The Bear
October 7th, 2012
10:05 pm
UGA got whipped on both sides of the ball plain and simple. Lost count on the amount of times UGA linemen were getting knocked back into the play on offense and interior lineman getting roach blocked on defense. Somebody needs to tell Richt it’s all right to show emotion. UGA’s schedule just got a little tougher with the emergence of UF.
Roll Tide
Dawg Fan stuck in SC
October 7th, 2012
10:07 pm
Remember, Bradley, you’re the one who predicted we’d lose to South Carolina, run the rest of the table, and wind up in the BCS Championship game. That is still possible, though certainly not if Saturday’s imposters show up for another game.
Virginia dog
October 7th, 2012
10:08 pm
Relax everyone …the Richt era ends after 2013.season because in 2013 UGA plays Clemson, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, LSU, Auburn and Georgia Tech. That will be 5 or 6 loses and that will be all she wrote.
Kool Aid Drinkers Galore
October 7th, 2012
10:11 pm
Its comical to even think this team will run the table. We dont even deserved to be ranked!
Kool Aid Drinkers Galore
October 7th, 2012
10:14 pm
These Ricght apologists are comical too. They need to support their local pop warner league where everyone gets a trophy.
Warhorse
October 7th, 2012
10:16 pm
Why does UGA continue to pay their DC the huge bucks. He is a thug who has embarrassed UGA with two rivals, UF and Vandy, in actions that no university should accept. And now his vaunted defense is embarrassed to the hilt by the Ole Ball Coach. Time for the UGA AD to take action and fire the thug.
Nothing will change
October 7th, 2012
10:17 pm
For all the whining on this site, many Georgia fans seem content with mediocrity and are happy enough to be generally competitive. Given that low bar, CMR will win enough to stick around for years. Win 9-10 games a year and he’s set in Athens for life.
Pitbull
October 7th, 2012
10:18 pm
Its after 10:00. Time for you girls to go to bed.
You’ve got school tomorrow. Say your prayers.
Haaaaaaaa
October 7th, 2012
10:19 pm
And you’ll still have Richt tomorrow!!!
Will
October 7th, 2012
10:38 pm
As a USC alum I was pleased with the way the Gamecocks played this week.
hey, at least you guys have something in common with
I’m enjoying the dawgs who are repeating the “UGa lost to an inferior team mantra. ”
That kind of pride means more losses are ahead for Georgia against Carolina.
A congressional districts voters who sit quietly by (Athens hello earth to Athens)while their representative , a member of the House Science and Technology Committee, says that
evolution and science “come straight from the pits of hell”, (M Broun R Ga,)
are unlikely to be able to add 2+2 , let alone field a winning football team.
Way to go dawgs. Give us more of that good old foot stomping, rafter shaking,
hand clapping creationism. Maybe Murray was taking San intelligent dezine
class last week and couldn’t practice.
U Kentucky now! Facts and data and science don’t count there either.
Lakedawg
October 7th, 2012
10:41 pm
Let me get this straight, Dawgs lose one game and it’s fire the coaches??
Probably the only loss of year and it’s fre the coaches???
Lose to the #2 team in country and it;s fire the coaches??
What a dingbat bunch of optomists thinking one loss is reason to fire the coaches??? Some stabdard we now have at Georgia, cannot lose or be fired???
Pitbull’s correct Cocks lose 2 games in conference and Spurrier will be whining again about schedule.
Lakedawg
October 7th, 2012
10:51 pm
Let me get this straight, Dawgs lose one game to the # 3 team in country and it;s fire the coaches??
Is that the new standard , probbaly the only loss of year and it’s fire the coaches???
How many teams in country has lost one game and did their fans start screaming fire the coaches???
What a bunch of dingbats.
funny....
October 7th, 2012
10:59 pm
This is one of those moments where the program has reached a historical low.
It’s freaking South Carolina.
TIme for a change. Should have happened two years ago when we lost to UCF in that god awful bowl game and finished 6-7
Ray Goff
October 7th, 2012
11:04 pm
I’m available.
Dial BR-549.
lovethedawgs
October 7th, 2012
11:13 pm
tired of losing to that arrogant so and so