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
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
549 comments Add your comment
This just sucks
October 7th, 2012
11:18 pm
Nothing Will Change…………………..
Your comments are SPOT ON! Georgia fans complain and cry about being a 2nd-tier SEC team, but if you pin most of them down, they’ll say, “Oh, but wait. CMR is the BEST thing to happen to Georgia Football since Hershel Walker.” I actually heard this from an older former player who sat at a bar with his friends and proclaimed that we should be down on our knees every night thanking God for this man.
I don’t disagree for one second that CMR has elevated the reputation of our great university to a higher class and one few can claim, but that’s really not his primary job. I don’t disagree that he has made it his mission to make our boys better men by his spiritual example. That is admirable, but, once again, not why he was hired to be the Head Coach at the University of Georgia.
If he could do all of those things, while at the same time, creating a culture of excellence on and off the playing field, then it would mean our players would not settle for second place. They would not tolerate third place, and fourth place in the league would be something we rarely had to worry about, because the atmosphere would breed perfection. This would be a Mark Richt-coached team that I could live with for the next umpteen years.
If the coaches coached the players to believe and perform with perfection, like a coach does an olympic athlete, then there would be few to no penalties. They would demand excellence from themselves, because that is what is expected of you when you wear the Red and Black. Each athlete would know his assignment for every play, every time.
They would be drilled on the same play over and over again ad nauseum until it was done right, every time, by everyone. And if one person screwed up, they would practice it again. But in order to coach this way, you have to be committed to perfection, to excellence. And I don’t believe our coaches are committed to excellence in the way that an Olympic gold medalist is committed. This is why I think they will continue to lose to the Steve Spurriers and the Nick Sabans. Those coaches believe in perfection. They coach it. They preach it. And they demand it. That is why they are winners, and why we just laid a big one in front of a national audience.
Thanks, Nothin Will Change, for saying what is so true.
truedawg
October 7th, 2012
11:21 pm
We did the best we could. Stop being negative!!!!!!!
kingdaddy
October 7th, 2012
11:24 pm
Rambo was called for a personal foul when he made a late hit out of bounds costing us 15. Dumb move. That is where a good coach would have pulled him or at least chewed him out, but there he was a couple of plays later pushing a WR after another play was over, right in front of a ref. Ref didn’t call it but he could have called another 15. CTG either didn’t see it or just doesn’t care about undisiplined play. I was mad as h*ll. How many times was Shaw in his count and our defense wasn’t even set?
Most of the cupcakes we play are more prepared for us than we were for SC. I thought we would at least give them a game. If we weren’t flat, then excatly would flat look like? Its like our team never got off the bus. I don’t know who that team was that got hammered out there, but it wasn’t the same Bulldawgs I watched all year. It was a shame for all the Bulldawgs fans that wasted their time and money to be subjected to that humiliation. I will support the Dawgs through thick and thin, but it will now be under protest. What makes a Tech fan feel better about their pitiful team? Watching UGA fans implode. I am supprised Richt said we weren’t flat. I expect the truth from such a man. Dissapointed again…
where is the tech article
October 7th, 2012
11:26 pm
Where is the tech article about the failures of paul johnson? What about their 4 losses already this year? Mark, where are they? Mark? You only bash UGA don’t ya boy?
Clarkston Dawg
October 7th, 2012
11:26 pm
I am so sick of that man (Spurrier) that I could spit. He wins and the universe shrinks and light is extinguished.
In Search of Excellence
October 7th, 2012
11:33 pm
A Committment to Excellence. The Search for Perfection. Nothing matters until you get it right. A Distaste for Mediocrity. Doing right when no ones looking. Paying attention to the details. Perfecting the details. Practicing it right. Accountability. No Excuses and no one to blame but myself.
These are all thoughts that come to my mind when I think of our football team right now, starting with the head coach. And they are all things that I see as missing from the overall complexion of the team.
I see some in a few, but none in a lot.
It all starts with the leader.
kingdaddy
October 7th, 2012
11:34 pm
Why would the filters eat another one of my post. No cursing. No ALL CAPS. Didn’t call for anyone to be fired. Didn’t criticize Bradly. Just told the truth. Guess this blog can’t handle that very well…
fan
October 7th, 2012
11:43 pm
The bottom line is Georgia just flat out got outcoached. It appeared South Carolina knew exactly what Georgiia was doing every snap…no imagination.
Richt says Georgia won't fall apart
October 7th, 2012
11:47 pm
Too late. They already did.
Hairy Dawg
October 8th, 2012
12:01 am
Why this keep happening? It time someone look at Adams and his pointy headed rules. Adams keeps us stuck with restrictoins about signing players with low scores andnot allowing us to medicals the players that turns out stinkys. Then we could free up schollies to bring in new talents with no recruiting problems. No body understands that what Saban, Visor Boy and even Dooley Boy doing. But no! Adams handicaps Coach Richt to cause choking of recruiting and schollie players less than 85. A schollie is just an offer to try out for team. And then if they ends up sorry you cut them loose. That what Saban and Visor Boy doing. And Adams pointy heads rules keeping Dawgs from it. But Adams is hit the road and we need new Pres that supports football and Coach Richt by getting rid of Adams recruiting rules.
Richt says Georgia won't fall apart
October 8th, 2012
12:06 am
Hairy Dawg,
I feel ur pain, but I disagree with your solution. Two wrongs don’t make one right.
Sautee Dawg
October 8th, 2012
12:09 am
UGA had no gameplan. Even Clowney said he knew what the snap count was on every play because of how the o-line telegraphed it.
The only offensive play that was called that worked was the 1st rushing play of the game, a toss sweep to Gurley for 14 yards. It worked so we didn’t run it again.
Why do we continually try to get Malcome Mitchell the ball on that reverse? It’s too slow developing,
If SC can double Jarvis Jones with good results? Couldn’t UGA have doubled Clowney?
Coach Mark Richt was right. Flat wasn’t the word he would use.
SC saved us the embarrassment of playing Bama in Atlanta.
Hope SC represents the East well but they more than likely played their best game of the season last night. Spurrier puts so much of his off season and his entire season into this game, that he’ll lose a couple games like usual.
Coach Bowden said it first
October 8th, 2012
12:18 am
He was worried he’s be too nice.
York
October 8th, 2012
1:33 am
I have been saying this for a few years now: Mark Richt is not the answer and has to go if the Dawgs are gonna compete for a national championship. The Dawgs need an UPGRADE in the coaching department. I am tired of this crap!!!
Newnandawg
October 8th, 2012
5:41 am
UGA is the most profitable football program in the SEC. So why is our coach the 6th highest paid in the SEC? And why does nobody ever try to hire him away. The athletic department is scamming us.
Stop buying season tickets until the athletic department hires a top notch coach for our top notch program. I did.
FIRE MARK RICHT.
Notso Fast
October 8th, 2012
6:04 am
If we are getting the best recruits every year, what happens that they never seem to be as good as lesser recruits they play against in big games? Coaching comes to mind. Until we have a “dream” coaching staff we need to quit talking about our “dream” team.
JB Wengie
October 8th, 2012
6:08 am
Georgia Stinks!
Frank
October 8th, 2012
6:09 am
Richt’s job is saved because he sits in the middle of one of the nations top recruiting pools in the likes of Georgia. You put a coach like Miles, Saban or Spurrier in the middle of this hot-bed and you’re talking dynasty.
Clubber Lang
October 8th, 2012
6:51 am
I beat you before and I’ll beat you again—fool. Wait till next year
Col Nathan Jessep
October 8th, 2012
6:54 am
You want the truth–you can’t handle the truth. Son–UGA is a bunch of whine bags!
steve spurrier
October 8th, 2012
7:10 am
“On signing day the dawgs have all the talent,………..when they get on the feild I got them”
Jim Davis
October 8th, 2012
7:15 am
I loves me some Coach Todd, his defense is so underwhelming!
globeflyer
October 8th, 2012
7:19 am
If it makes you Dawg fans feel any better, there is no one looking forward to facing the ‘Cock defense (Clowney? Are you kidding me?) The UGA O-Line just wasn’t up to the task. Watching the run game get man-handled wasn’t pretty, and Murray had an off-night passing, so it wasn’t going to happen. I fault his receivers for dropping some easy passes and when did Bobo get so addicted to passes in “the flat”? He was lucky that one of them wasn’t a Pick Six. Well, with the recruiting class that CMR has lined up, I’m sure you’ll be back in the BCS talk in the next two years……again.
‘
PappyHappy
October 8th, 2012
7:22 am
LEADERSHIP was absent on the field and on the sidelines for UGA Saturday evening. They reminded me a bit of President Obama’s debate performance: They showed up, but NOT TO COMPETE!
Truth
October 8th, 2012
7:38 am
Why can’t UGA fans just concede that they were not the better team and were overrated?
No, you will never hear that. Instead, just insert excuses or call for firings. Typical….
Predictor
October 8th, 2012
7:39 am
@PappyHappy
UGA reminds me more of Romney. All talk and bluster — no accomplishments.
AU Liberal in ATL
October 8th, 2012
7:40 am
It’s one game. I swear, you uga fans are worse than bammers. What a fair weather bunch. If I were Richt, I’d tell you all to suk my dik.
gdawginkalamazoo
October 8th, 2012
7:44 am
We are 4-0-0-1. Still don’t have a game in the loss column IMO. Typically we see W-L-T. A new column was invented Saturday night.
W-L-T-E (E for exposed).
gdawginkalamazoo
October 8th, 2012
7:46 am
Looks like Rambo had some brownies before the game.
Predictor
October 8th, 2012
7:52 am
@This just sucks
“I don’t disagree for one second that CMR has elevated the reputation of our great university to a higher class and one few can claim, but that’s really not his primary job.”
I disagree. Winning the Fulmer Cup every year doesn’t really do that much to enhance the reputation of the university. It’s not as if Les Miles or Nick Saban aren’t good role models for their student athletes — it’s just that Mark Richt isn’t a very good Head Coach. Therefore, he is complemented for being a “nice guy”. Nice guys are a dime a dozen. Winning Head Ball Coaches… Not so much.
Z Dawg
October 8th, 2012
8:08 am
Enter your comments here
richie
October 8th, 2012
8:09 am
big deal, season not over,sc is good but lets see what happens.3,4,5,lose.1,2,3,will lose in the next month.
flagger
October 8th, 2012
8:28 am
Dawgs got cold cocked…The score was more like 50 to nothing.
Sick and Tired
October 8th, 2012
8:36 am
You Richt/Bobo supporters are ridiculous! “It’s just one loss!” No, it’s the pathetic record of 2-14 against ranked teams. I can except loosing when the team shows up and just gets beaten by a better team. But consistently getting blown out and embarrassed every year on a national scale is not acceptable any longer. Did you not hear the guys on ESPN talk about our coaching staff? Even they were saying how embarrassed they would be if they were a UGA fan. Bobo is absolutely clueless what to do when his game plan falls apart. He instantly falls back to his conservative, vanilla plays that everyone can see a mile away. Even my wife who knows nothing about football asked “why does he keep running the ball up the middle? It hasn’t worked one time the entire game. Why is the quarterback holding the ball so long?” Where was the screen pass? Where were the slants? Absolutely clueless. We will never win big games with these coaches. You people seem to be ok beating cupcake teams and being embarrassed year after year. I’ve been a Dawg fan for 40 years and I have never been embarrassed like I was Saturday night. Seeing that stupid grin on Spurrier’s face was bad enough but then to see Richt smiling and acting like the loss was not big deal was nauseating! “Golly gee, we just got whipped.” WHAT A JOKE!!
PMC
October 8th, 2012
8:44 am
Gurley and Marshall are freshmen running behind a freshman line, I get it. Murray has always been hyped over what he’s actually shown, I get it.
The Georgia defense has a lot of talent but falls flat when it matters.
These are the hallmarks of a Mark Richt team unfortunately. I like the guy a lot as a human being, but It’s been 5 years since they won a game that mattered.
The goal is National Championship. Mark Richt is not a good enough coach to get Georgia anywhere. Maybe he was for about 3 years, but the track record is there now.
In a big game, he’s Bob Stoops at this point. You can count on Georgia to fail under Richt.
PMC
October 8th, 2012
8:45 am
and in all seriousness, it is just a game. Prayers to all to lift spirits and for Aaron Murray’s Dad.
THE TRUTH
October 8th, 2012
8:47 am
Simple Solution:
FIRE MARK RICHT!
BRING KIRBY HOME!
PMC
October 8th, 2012
8:55 am
They really need to bench Rambo. Rambo is not a smart football player. He has absolutely hurt the defense since returning.
nbrdrdnk
October 8th, 2012
9:10 am
Bert Mushburger has always been the nozzle on Stever Superior’s enema bag; but dang(!), it’s hard to disagree with his harsh assessment of the Bulldogs’ efforts Saturday night. “…it’s hard to believe that an SEC team could be so unprepared for such a big game…”
RM
October 8th, 2012
9:30 am
The bulldogs were beaten by a team that was very well prepared and outplayed them. The Gamecocks did buy into the annual “Georgia is Great” hype.
Tired fan
October 8th, 2012
9:42 am
Georgia fans easily get carried away with wins over mediocre or 2A schools and start believing they will win SEC and national championship. I am a Georgia fan that has never been impressed with Mark Richt, even in the early years. I know he cannot win big games. It is time to look for a new coach but please don’t limit it to former Georgia players. Look nationwide. Many coaches out there are constantly coming up with new schemes that win games and can react to game situations. ( Look at Oregon State, WVA, Penn State ). I doubt anyone will beat Oregon State this year, although I hope Alabama will.
gamecockOL
October 8th, 2012
9:51 am
What Saturday night proved was the game is still won up front. You got dominated on both sides of the line of scrimmage by more athletic linemen. Your OL & DL are fat & unathletic , you can’t move your DL off the LOS but they had no chance catching Conner running or your OL blocking our athletic DL. It was just a bad matchup for you guys …… your linemen reminded me of playing a Big Ten team.
AJ
October 8th, 2012
10:28 am
I love going back and reading Mr. Bradley’s predictions in August. Not only having UGA winning the east, but potentially beating Alabama too. Giggle.
OnTheMoney
October 8th, 2012
11:30 am
Things R going to get worse. The Gators R going to put a “severe ass whipping” on the Dawgs and then many more alums will be screaming for Richts head along with Bobo’s!
This was the Dawg’s yr or should have been! Favorable schedule with only 2 tough games. Unfotunately the 1st game was a 35-7 embarrassment on national TV and on 10/27 the Gators are apt to do the same damn thing! Will go on record now the Gators overwhelm the Dawgs by roughly
24 – 6. 10-2 will b a good yr but Dawg fans will know it sucked because the only 2 tough games we got whipped soundly by 2 teams we hate more than those Techies!!!!!!!!
gobbldegoop
October 8th, 2012
11:45 am
Marki needs to quit being”one of the boys” and start coaching or either resign and take bobo with him.
Recruiting guru
October 8th, 2012
1:23 pm
There is a big difference in losing and getting an A$$ whopping.
35-7 is a A$$ whopping
we were dominated and afraid, If the game was still going on right now we would still be getting dominated.
Why? We can’t coach our boys up!
until that happens get use to A$$ whopping!
AFDawg
October 9th, 2012
10:48 am
Georgia’s coaches don’t even know Football 101. If the quarterback can hurt you with his legs, you spy on him the entire game and hit him every chance you get. If the running game isn’t working, then you abandon it and spread the field and throw the rest of the way — especially the indefensible passes (sideline routes, hooks, and roll the pocket), at least give yourself a chance and the defense a much needed rest. If the opposing team has an overpowering player on defense, then you put a tight end and a big strong running back hitting him every play. Also, try something new and innovative the other team hasn’t studied on film for the big games — their coach always seems to. Lastly, and UGA should know this better than anyone — kick away from their big play gamebreaker on punts/kick-offs. I’ve been telling everyone our special teams suck and we would get burned again (like we always do). Come on guys — do some blasted coaching! We definitely need a change.
Orlando_Dawg
October 9th, 2012
1:51 pm
At least the coaches got their raises!!
Tman
October 11th, 2012
6:52 am
When are you bloggers going to learn at UGA that it is lose a game not loose and losing not loosing? It’s defense not defence