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
ugab
October 7th, 2012
12:29 pm
I said it before the season started. There is no one to replace the OL that left. Our OL is our weakness. Along with Bobo’s obvious play calling. Our over rated,suspended pot head defense is not doing anything this season. It starts in the trenches. The dawgs are not bringing in players to replace the players leaving. Its cool to have 2 great RBs. It is not cool to have no OL to block for them. CMR will lose atleast 4 games this season. Auburn, Kentucky, Ga tech and especially Florida all have a great chance to beat Uga. This could be CMR’s last season. I love him as a person. His soft coaching is not getting it done in the SEC. I love the way CMR is committed to his family and god. MR in not a hard nosed, beat me in the trenches, disciplinary coach. How many yrs do Ga fans have to put up with this crap? Alabama and other teams get the players they need to fill the gaps in at every position. Uga always has OL needed. DL needed. Out of CB’s. etc. How long does it take to put together a Program that can compete in the SEC every year. Vandy hung with SC. Kentucky hung with SC for a few qurters. This game was over before it started.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
Long time first time
October 7th, 2012
12:30 pm
I’m confused was that the dream team or the ring team?
As an 84 grad, shame on me for buying into this sham-you’d think I’d know better by now.
The Bama game was the beginning of the end for the Richt regime but strangely the end never seems to comes and 4 years later we are having the same results.
I used to fear that firing Richt would mean hiring another Goff but I believe now that it is worth the risk
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
October 7th, 2012
12:31 pm
One thing we can all agree on and that is there will be NO DRUG TESTING at UGA this week!!!
AND…there will be no articles about the beatwriter at the SC rag doubting the Old Ball Coach!
1980…..yes it’s documented and the trophy is very dusty
Tim Dawg
October 7th, 2012
12:31 pm
Clowney said they knew our snap count by Murray tapping his feet. This is so little league football. Boo Boo needs to revamp our offense everyone will take notice of this WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Joel Osteen
October 7th, 2012
12:31 pm
I’m only kidding guys… time to fire his sorry butt!! Go Dawgs!
Walterego
October 7th, 2012
12:31 pm
1 thing was clear: Georgia was out-coached in every phase of the game!
When a DL is moving up-field on you and jamming your receivers, roll the QB out, run draws and set-up screens. Frankly, Aaron Murray should have been benched! This should have been the game plan all along! When the “old man offense” didn’t work, why keep running the same shit and expect a different outcome?
W
Out by the Pond
October 7th, 2012
12:33 pm
Schedule Georgia State, they need a chance to win and the Dawgs can give it to them.
Maxwell the free-range chihuahua
October 7th, 2012
12:34 pm
Must not need a funeral director’s license in South Carolina, because Herbie and Brent buried the dawgs on national television. Think their comments won’t be replayed by recruiters in the SEC?
3rd in the East
October 7th, 2012
12:34 pm
Outback bowl looks good.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 7th, 2012
12:35 pm
Think about something
When our program is constantly in the news for player arrests and discipline issues along with being in the running for the Fulmer Cup every year…..
Does anyone truly think we are going to field a team that shows discipline on the field that constantly lacks discipline off the field
I really dont think so
collegeballfan
October 7th, 2012
12:35 pm
I would think that the UGA staff should spend more time recruiting linemen, both sides, and less time recruiting WR and RB prospects. The SC lines won the game.
HerbieDawg
October 7th, 2012
12:35 pm
Has CTG ever coached up the defense against a ranked opponent? Maybe he should pick a fight with Spurrier after he beat us so bad?
ugab
October 7th, 2012
12:36 pm
Mediocracy is all you can expect from CMR. Promote MR to AD assistant or Demote MR to QB coach.
boots
October 7th, 2012
12:37 pm
I am starting to have doubts about the current coaches. I will always respect our coaches and appreciate them, but the results are hard to dismiss. If I am having doubts, that says something…
bo
October 7th, 2012
12:38 pm
Mark Bradley: You call out the coordinators and the players, but not a single word about Richt. It will be interesting to see when, if ever, the media finally turns on him and calls Richt (not the players or the fans which seem to be easier targets) out for his mediocrity.
Bad Dog
October 7th, 2012
12:39 pm
I believe that CMR lost his last shrewd of credibility last night.
BTW out of 27 commits, how many O-lineman? 2? 3? After 12 years you’d think they’d know where games are won and lot.
That game last night was a program-wrecker exposing every aspect of UGA football as over-rated and inferior.
Pretty funny the Murray thinks he has a career in the NFL, where every game is a big game.
ROCKMEN1
October 7th, 2012
12:40 pm
UGA constantly gets the best H.S players out the State Of GA. U.S.C gets the rest and beats our brains in. We ran the ball well outta our two backs and 1 T.E set. We never even put 2 T.E set on the field, not even on the goal line. Horrible coaching move.
GT
October 7th, 2012
12:40 pm
As overhyped as Georgia was, South Carolina is under hyped. The announcers yesterday were treating the South Carolina team as if they were unranked beating a top five team, “hope they can handle it, everybody is now looking at them”. They should have been looking at them before, Latimore should be the lead guy for the Heisman, Clowney should be the number one defensive player in the draft over Jones of Georgia.
When Bradley is giving Spurrier hell about kicking a hack out of the press conference, I think this shows the problem, the hack was too busy chasing Spurrier and not writing about the substance of this team. Writing bad ink about Spurrier is a cheap way to get an audience, everybody outside South Carolina hates the guy, mainly because of hack reporting. The AJC is the Fox Network on this subject, so bias they become nasty, especially Tony B. You got a special team in South Carolina, word of this team has been kept secret, yet people watching closely knew this team was this good. Georgia really showed up reading their own press clipping that were fiction and seeing very little on USC because the writers were concentrating on how much they hate Spurrrier.
wreckmaniac
October 7th, 2012
12:41 pm
The two key requirements will be and always have been:
1. beat Tech
2. get gobs of 5 stars
Richt has done that every year and will keep this job for life. Meaning as long as JoePA.
Meanwhile the media is dumb enough to vote UGA a preseason top 10 every year and the natives always believe it.
How could anyone in their right mind actually believe this team would go undefeated over the
regular season ? I seriously doubt that South Carolina is a top 10 team but UGA made them look
like national champions.
ugab
October 7th, 2012
12:42 pm
Ga will lose 3 or 4 more games. SC exploited ga’s weak OL. Every team knows the defense sucks. J Jones can be blocked and contained. I guess that CTG is not trusting our CB’s. So he is playing zone. IDK..J Jones should of went pro. That way we would not rely on just JJ to win the game. Clowney is the man. That is what recruiting and strength and conditioning get you. Ga players are lazy. No motor running.
savannadawg
October 7th, 2012
12:43 pm
Damn Mark, where are you when we actually need you? You are being WAY too nice after thjat fiasco last night. But, that was just another typical downfall of poor coaching for a Mark Richt led team. To lose is one thing. But too get our arses handed too us on a silver platter like that is not the way it supposed to be. And it seems now, that we can expext it at least once or twice a year. SAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Real Hairy Dawg
October 7th, 2012
12:44 pm
One Stark Contrast: UGA, no Aaron don’t leave the pocket. Good QBs trust their lines no matter what. SC: UGA has a great rush, and you will have to leave the pocket Connor. Don’t get hurt. That was the biggest difference in the QBs. Just turn Murray loose and the guy can win it with his legs. Why do you think we modified our defense opening the runs and passes? Because we had to honor Shaw’s legs. We are playing one of the top rushing Ds, we have to be ready. Pitiful.
Z Dawg
October 7th, 2012
12:44 pm
Coach Richt is a great person and a good coach, but let us face it he and BoBo has taken Dawgs as far as they can. To get to nxt level we need coaches who are hungry for perfection and execution of talent Dawgs have.
wreckmaniac
October 7th, 2012
12:44 pm
” I am starting to have doubts about our current coaches “. Hello ? I am seriously beginning to doubt that the world is flat.
Please let me know when UGA gets a decent running back.
ugab
October 7th, 2012
12:44 pm
How does FSU run off Bobby Bowden,but Uga can not get rid of CMR. I think CMR is a wonderful man. We need a wonderful, committed coach who wants to win at all cost. lol
The Real Hairy Dawg
October 7th, 2012
12:46 pm
Give somebody new a chance on the O line. That was the worst offensive line performance I have ever seen from a Georgia team.
ugab
October 7th, 2012
12:47 pm
I agree with the perfection and execution. It takes to many games for CMR team to even get warmed up. I would love to see a coach that is hungry to win.
savannadawg
October 7th, 2012
12:47 pm
I must admit that I was not on the Kirby Smart band waggon, but you can bet I’m on it now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VaDawg
October 7th, 2012
12:47 pm
Mark,I have been doing a lot of thinking about just this question since last night. We are a mediocre program and have been for several years. Just look at Richt’s record against ranked teams over the last several years. They put that graphic up last night on the telecast and it shocked me at how futile our efforts have been. Further I believe we will continue to be a mediocre team and program until Mark Richt is gone. I have not been a Richt basher like some of our brethern but I think that he has brought us as far as he is capable of taking us. In order for us to go to the next level and become an elite team and program we need to hire a new young coach with fire in his belly and a vision as to how we can win a championship. And don’t even get me started on Bobo. Just another no decision that Richt hasn’t been able to make like not firing Martinez until it was almost too late. I like Mark Richt as a peron and I admire his Christian principles but he is not the man to win us a national Championship. If it was not to be this year then when? Are we going to be satisfied forever with 10 win seasons and an annual trip to the Capital One Bowl to play the Big 10? I hope not.
smartie
October 7th, 2012
12:48 pm
if Georgia falls backwards into the sec champ game again, they need to change the system. that butt whipping last night, alone, should disqualify them from any such game. they could play it
ten more times, and it’d only get worse. whatever conditioning methods the coaches are using, they’re inferior. did someone forget to bring the playbook last night? how about some misdirection? how about some qb draws? Carolina is a much better team than Georgia, from the head coach to the bus drivers. im sick and tired of hearing garner, van halenger, tereshinski, friend, bobo, mcclendon! these guys are LOSERS!! how much longer are we going to let these guys collect nice paychecks for lackluster preparation and getting thrashed, pushed around, by Carolina, Boise State, LSU, or any other team with a number in front of it’s name.
Reservoir Dawg
October 7th, 2012
12:48 pm
I’ve never seen UGA dominated on both sides of the line like they were last night. Dawgs play soft and have for some time now. We simply play like pups and can’t run with the big dogs.
The Real Hairy Dawg
October 7th, 2012
12:50 pm
If you will remember our first success with Murray was off of his long runs. He has to scramble, or we don’t stand a chance against UF.
Jcatl
October 7th, 2012
12:50 pm
As an Auburn fan I’d just like to say that you Dawgs don’t known the meaning of the word suck. Richt will survive because he’ll probably win 10+ games this year. He reminds me of Tuberville. Wins a ton of games but lays an egg out of the blue at the most inopportune times.
savannadawg
October 7th, 2012
12:50 pm
@ugab, Look, we don’t need someone who wil win at “all cost”. We need someone that is dedicated to winning, that is all. If he is dedicated to winning with sound methods of his own accord UGA will win!
whatfor
October 7th, 2012
12:51 pm
All I can say is that CMR STILL can’t beat a top 25 (much less at top 10) team. UGA is NOW 0-10 over the last 2 years against ranked teams and the dawgs and CMR are now 2-17 over ranked teams over the last 5 years. Sounds like coaching to me – when the players can’t seem to get it up against top teams – after all SC wasn’t Buffalo, FAU, or EVEN Tenn (which is awful).
wreckmaniac
October 7th, 2012
12:51 pm
More than changing coaches is needed. This team needs to move to a conference in which it can win such as the Big East. Until this becomes a serious topic change will not be a serious subject.
All I know is that at the next home game, 100,000 fans will be there telling everyone that ” them dawgs is no 1 “.
WV 'eer Fan
October 7th, 2012
12:51 pm
This game is and was about coaching. Every game is about coaching.
Yup. Just look at the West Virginia team. Not a single five-star recruit there. Only one four-star. All the rest were three- and two-stars, except for a few walk-ons who were never rated. Something’s wrong when a team like the Dawgs, full of four- and five-stars, can never seem to win the big games.
Frank Lane
October 7th, 2012
12:53 pm
When Richt was hired I had lunch with Jamie Dukes and asked him if Richt would be good head coach, “He will if he remembers that the SEC is a strength league not a finesse league like the ACC. In the SEC, you have to beat people up each week, you can’t fool them.” Richt has moved played calling to overpowering but the players cannot do it. We need strength up front.
Kenarious Gates got eaten alive.
Ralph
October 7th, 2012
12:54 pm
Dwags are, as always, the most penalized team in the SEC. Recruiting the dregs of society and calling them college students is half the problem, and having a head coach who can’t discipline raw talent with a lack of brains is the other half of the problem.
*{jj}*
October 7th, 2012
12:54 pm
Lost for words…….
whatfor
October 7th, 2012
12:54 pm
One other thing – people keep pouncing on the O-line (which you all loved just 24 hours ago) – but what about the defense??? This was supposedly the #1 rated defense in the country preseason. But look how many points bad teams like Buffalo, FAU, Mizzu, and Tenn scored on the so-called “lofty” and “mighty” D. The O-Line wasn’t responsible for all of SC’s 35 points last night.
The Real Hairy Dawg
October 7th, 2012
12:55 pm
How is it that our 5 stars like Drew are on the bench and SCs are heros? What are we doing wrong? Are all of the recruiting services that wrong, or does something happen to them when they hit Athens? Maybe the Prince of the Dark Visor was right about us messing up our recruits.
Flowery Branch Dawg
October 7th, 2012
12:56 pm
Steve Spurrier and his staff completely out classed Richt & Co. While Richt’s recruiting classes always rank higher, Spurrier & Co. coach their players up much better, expect more excellence, demand more, game plan better, and produced a much better team.
Georgia has the same old weaknesses as ever. They are too undisciplined, get too many penalties, give up big plays on special teams and wilt when the pressure is on. As usual Richt’s Dawgs have proven to be just another pretender. That starts at the top!
The Real Hairy Dawg
October 7th, 2012
12:57 pm
How do Boise and WV win big with 2 and 3 star recruits every year? thx wveer.
browndog
October 7th, 2012
12:58 pm
The UGA D was exposed long before the SC game.
Ralph
October 7th, 2012
12:58 pm
I’ll leave the Dwags alone to lick their (wounds) after this post – but why do the coaches and AP consistently, year after year, over rate this team in the polls until the computer programs kick in? Is there no learning curve?
DIT
October 7th, 2012
12:58 pm
Oh my gosh. It’s the end of the world we lost. Fire everyone. For a lot of people UGA football is the center of your life. And that is sad. I would have loved to see us win, but I tip my hat to the better team last night and look forward to the rest of the year.
Instead of being so doom and gloom, go to church and thank the good Lord for the life He has given you. Congrats SC, very well done.
(I know that I’ll get some positive feedback for this post…. ha ha)
savannadawg
October 7th, 2012
12:59 pm
@Jcatl, Sorry to say this, but, I knew that the Auburn faithful that showed up at the Airport that day of Chiziks arrival were in the know more than people thought. He never made more than a scratch at Iowa State, yet just because he was once a defensive coordinator at Auburn he should be the head coach there, wow. I think both our schools deserve more than they are getting from the coaches on the payroll, which brings up another gaff, hell they all just got pay raises too.
AlbanyDawg
October 7th, 2012
12:59 pm
The running game wasn’t anything special for the Gamecocks early on. They scored two TDs on the first two drives because the Dawgs were totally focused on Lattimore and nothing else. So, in reality, the mere threat of Lattimore was enough for the Dawgs to blow assignments and allow the Gamecocks to get those two TDs. It was 21-0 shortly thereafter and the game was over because the Dawgs had no guts. The end.
ga fan
October 7th, 2012
1:00 pm
Ga got beat on both sides of the ball. They arent physically very tough. As bad as i hate to say it, Fla is going to ine up and do the same thing to us.