3 points about Georgia’s 28-point loss at South Carolina

Connor Shaw ran. He also passed. His team won. (AP photo by Brett Flashnick)

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

549 comments Add your comment

Birdhair

October 7th, 2012
1:47 pm

Ramsey Pool high dives
Buildings huts in central america
Ford Truck Commercials
Tanning Bed
Adjusting the headset and mic
ESPN commercials
Worrying about summer haircuts
1 Hour conversations with Montravious’ mom before the game

Too much focus on extracurricular activities has to be apart of the problem. We’ve changed defensive coaches more than once. Richt has called the plays, Bobo has called the plays. But the results have been the same under the same head coach. There’s something really missing in this program. Obviously wins against ranked team has been missing for years. If we don’t win the East this season then it may be time for change. But who are we going to get that assures us that we aren’t set back for years and we have to suffer a rebuild? Look at Tenn as an example of what can happen.

Under The Bleachers

October 7th, 2012
1:47 pm

How many regular posters are posting under alias handles today?

Tampa Gator

October 7th, 2012
1:47 pm

Joey….

You said they would last week. I believed they could….and they did. Florida still has to get a passing game going if they are to be seriously considered as a NC challenging team this year. I still think that being ranked #4 is too high for the Gators right now. But the defense is one of the best right now….if not the best….in the country…..along with SC and Bama and LSU. But you can safely say now that Georgia’s defensive team has been highly overrated.

Still proud to be a Georgia Bulldog!

October 7th, 2012
1:48 pm

@alpha23 – I won’t be seeing you at the pearly gates. Get your life together and find your higher power my friend. Football is on Saturdays but God is forever. Think before you spout your crap on this blog. I’m proud to be a Georgia Bulldog!

Tampa Gator

October 7th, 2012
1:49 pm

……and I still think Georgia is far from done…..in the SEC title picture…..but they need to get their act together next week vs. Kentucky with a blow out win….with a lot of dominance. Florida made Kentucky look like a high school team.

Still proud to be a Georgia Bulldog!

October 7th, 2012
1:50 pm

@birdhair- I agree 100%

Tampa Gator

October 7th, 2012
1:51 pm

Boy……Matty Ice has melted down today. Threw the ball right into a DL’s hands and he ran for a TD.

He Hate Gator

October 7th, 2012
1:53 pm

CMR is:
1. a good man
2. a good recruiter
3. a good offensive coordinator
4. a mediocre head coach
Agree with comment he would go 8-4 at Alabama

He Hate Gator

October 7th, 2012
1:53 pm

CMR is:
1. a good man
2. a good recruiter
3. a good offensive coordinator
4. a mediocre head coach
Agree with comment he would go 8-4 at Alabama

Tampa Gator

October 7th, 2012
1:53 pm

Looks like the Braves, the Yellow Jackets, the Bulldogs….and the Falcons…..decided this was “lay an egg” weekend. Well…..there is still time for the Falcons to wake up and play like a champion they say they are.

Tampa Gator

October 7th, 2012
1:53 pm

Looks like the Braves, the Yellow Jackets, the Bulldogs….and the Falcons…..decided this was “lay an egg” weekend. Well…..there is still time for the Falcons to wake up and play like a champion they say they are.

Glenn

October 7th, 2012
1:53 pm

Year in and year out when UGA goes against upper level teams in the SEC they always get out coached. We upset them at times better never out coach them. Please tell me if I am wrong. Can you imagine what the ole ball coach could do at UGA. There are other coaches out there that could take us to the promise land for sure.

CMR,CMB.CTG

October 7th, 2012
1:54 pm

We will be back next year. You fans make sure the checks don’t bounce. Thats the Georgia way.

billydawg

October 7th, 2012
1:55 pm

Saban does have the talent UGA has. So does USC.
We still got outcoached.

Joey

October 7th, 2012
1:57 pm

Strange Murphy, I don’t think “clueless” is the right word. I think his ego gets in his way – like he, himself, can “fix things.”

Hence, no ST’s coach, no new blood in his staff – EVER. Make the video-director the strength-director, give the former strength-director a created job, give un-productive assistants $100,000 raises!

And here we are, O-line getting man-handled, RBs missing blocks, SC’s QB talking about our weaknesses BEFORE THE GAME, and Richt saying our special teams are SOLID!

I am fully aware Richt is a “Big-time Christian” and a “good man” and all, but I would get tickled to death to get a UGA head coach is DRIVEN to win, and routinely beats his opponents’s head coach on the sideline, even if he throws his visor, kicks over a water cooler, and says the F-WORD right in front of the cameras!

Forgive me but I don’t want my Sunday School teacher coaching one of the top-3 in net income, football programs in the country. I want my SS teacher teaching my Sunday School class!

And leave the coaching of the UGA Bulldogs to a football coach, you know, one who likes studying “cutting edge football” ALL THE TIME. Not just when he thinks his job is at stake.

UGA deserves better than this.

The Real Hairy Dawg

October 7th, 2012
1:57 pm

How many key 1st downs did Shaw get by scrambling? Spurrier: Shaw, I have coached a few QBs and I can tell you that pro QBs trust their line. They don’t leave the pocket.

Birdhair

October 7th, 2012
1:57 pm

I wouldnt be as upset if we’d lost a close one. But still, let’s see how this season plays-out.

If there’s anything that is a must-do in atlanta, it’s fire frank wren

ROCKMEN1

October 7th, 2012
1:57 pm

How may times on the spread option did Clowney crash and take the ball carrier and how many times did Murray keep the ball and run it. Shaw was a weapon on the field scrambling. Murray was a joke with his reads on the option. Are we more worried about developing NFL drop back style QB’S or are we trying to win. Spurrier did not let the fact that Shaw is nursing two bad shoulders to run it. We saving Murray from hits and for what? So he can can throw another batted interception.

billydawg

October 7th, 2012
1:58 pm

You now I am worn out with this blog stuff. Nothing is going to be done. We all know it.
SOS, peach bowl, maybe they will get excited. Probably not.
Tired of it all.

moo-face

October 7th, 2012
2:00 pm

The only way for us to get where we wanna go is to get rid of every coach up there. We need a cleaning out of the folks running this football program so thorough that even the waterboy starts to wonder if he is responsible in some way for this crap we got running around out there resembling a football team. The whole thing is ate up and stinks to the heavens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JDawg

October 7th, 2012
2:01 pm

We nneed to fire Richt and hire Saban or Belicheck. We need a reel coach that can yell at peeple and call the same smart plays that we all can. Why cant other peeple see what is so cleer to all of us mentle giants? We deserv more than this after all the work we put in showng our brilliants on this blog. Idiots..

3.5 million

October 7th, 2012
2:01 pm

I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be back next year too.

USMC

October 7th, 2012
2:03 pm

Georgia was OUT-COACHED! Imagine that…

Get Bobby Petrino to Athens before he gets hired at Tennessee, Auburn, or Kentucky.

Earl

October 7th, 2012
2:04 pm

if gurley-marshal getting stopped why not put in malcome or samuel . murray good runner .I remember all praise he got early on about how tough he was and not afraid to take one for team. when you get knocked down right out of box try different things.

moo-face

October 7th, 2012
2:05 pm

@ billydawg. I sense a difference this time dude. This was such naked and in-your-face incompetence at the coaching and preparation levels that few could deny or look away from the train wreck. I sense a season about to take a nasty nose dive and a fan base that is fed up with this. It’s just about as completely undeniable as it gets

USMC

October 7th, 2012
2:05 pm

Georgia fans have seen this same show… over and over and over…

We know what the problem is. COACHING.

Look what Urban Meyer is doing at Ohio State in his FIRST YEAR…

Get Petrino now!

3.5 million

October 7th, 2012
2:05 pm

Get off this board and go spend time with your families. I’m spending all day with mine. There is more important things than football. CMR

Joey

October 7th, 2012
2:06 pm

Tampa Gator I actually said it after the UT game, but that’s okay.

And yes, our entire team has been exposed – and thankfully, of the teams remaining on our schedule, only UF has the horses to actually exploit our weaknesses – UF.

It will be a relatively easy game for the Gators, as you can defense us at least as easily as SC did. And we both know what your OC can bring to the table – we saw it first hand at the Dome last year, with probably half the talent.

Y’all have a QB who doesn’t choke when on the big stage, and I believe you will squeak past SC in the Swamp, and get in the SECCG.

Meanwhile, we will continue our love affair with the tanned one, and hope he reaches that goal of 10-WINS!

At UGA, you see, we shoot for the stars . . .

Matt

October 7th, 2012
2:07 pm

For everyone complaining about “the same ole UGA,” you don’t have to be a fan.

You could always cheer for Tech. At least they won’t get your hopes up.

gamecockfan

October 7th, 2012
2:08 pm

I love reading you Georgia fans comments! Your ready to sack a coach that has brought you success. A little history, I believe yall beat us for like 20 years in a row. You have won a national championship, dont know how many SEC championships, dont know how many 10 win seasons, dont know how many bowl games you have been in and won. I do know Carolina has won a total of 4 bowl games, the 1st one in 1996, carquest bowl. Weve had a total of 2 seasons where we won 10 games or more, the 1st one in 1984, the second, last year. It is the Gamecocks time, dont make it seem like you are nothings because you lost to the Gamecocks, cause you are not. That was the best 1st quarter I have ever seen a team play. You are good, but for one game, we were better. See yall next year…GO COCKS!

Buzz2011

October 7th, 2012
2:08 pm

Sorry Bradley as normal your Dawgs and your predictions are overrated. I picked the Cocks by 20 and they were even better than I thought! The Dawgs can’t beat ranked teams and will not for years to come. The Dawgs coaching is nowhere near Spurriers coaching, not even close.Gurley ball won’t cut it!!

moo-face

October 7th, 2012
2:09 pm

@ Earl. Who was running the ball was not the problem. Nobody can run the ball when the O-line is getting their tails whipped every play. That’s the #1 problem these past 4-6 years. We get beat in the trenches against every quality opponent we play because we’re not tough enough in there, we’re not properly trained in techniques or disciplined in assignments. Pile overall coaching ineptitude on top of that and you get 0-10 against quality opponents or whatever the stat is.

dawgs01

October 7th, 2012
2:09 pm

I did not see any nfl players on uga yesterday. Big john jenkins played good but a man weighing 380 is a space eater and does his job so thelinebackers can rack up tackles. I saw our linebackers gettting pushed all over the field yesterday.

The Truth

October 7th, 2012
2:10 pm

@birdhair – Derek Dooley is a bad example. He was a proven losing coach with freakin Louisiana Tech! Look at Muschamp and how he’s got the Gators coming back strong. Sure, it’s a crapshoot either way, but right now we’re in Frank Beamer territory of having a few good years back in ‘99, now look at them. Who wants to go to Va Tech now that the Vick glory years have faded?? THAT’S where we are headed with Richt.

pat dye

October 7th, 2012
2:10 pm

Georgia is not man enough….

ROCKMEN1

October 7th, 2012
2:11 pm

Anybody notice how undisciplined all the starters who were suspended at the start of the season? Shouts out to Jenkins and Geathers they battled last night.

Joey

October 7th, 2012
2:11 pm

Come on Earl, our backs were getting hit as soon as they got handed the ball.

Herschel, Bo, Emmitt – they all woulda got 10 yards on 10 carries.

Our O-line was exposed, but not to worry. Only UF can do it again.

10 WINS is in the cards!
(sarcasm)

Dawg-tired

October 7th, 2012
2:12 pm

Spurrier considers not winning national championship a FAILURE , while Richt considers not losing his job a SUCCESS!

moo-face

October 7th, 2012
2:13 pm

Get Kirby Smart now folks. This is a no-brainer. He should bring some toughness and discipline back after learning from the master.
And it will be a huge shame to be sitting here 5 years from now and looking at 2 former Georgia players out there as good, if not great, head coaches

The Real Hairy Dawg

October 7th, 2012
2:13 pm

Jdawg and 3.5 million are right. Let’s get off the blog, stop buying UGA stuff, and stop sending money. There are more important things than football, and the only reason it is so big is the money that nuts and “mentle” giants like us send to the team. Great Idea…asking fans to butt out when the staff fails, but butt in when you send your check.

Confused

October 7th, 2012
2:13 pm

How does CMR continually do so little with so much?

dawgs01

October 7th, 2012
2:14 pm

Jarvis jones will not be the first pick he is one dimensional. South carolina dn tennessee ran right at him and he did nothing but ride roller skates. He got pushed all over the field. On his qb pressures he ran himself out of the play every time opening up running lanes for shaw. Jones just ran six yards up field every pass I don’t know who taught him that but at three yards u got to gest around that tackle or else you just block yourself. Jarvis killed a missouri takcles that probably won’t be be starting on his own team next yr let alone the nfl. He racked upsacks last yr against sorry teams. He does not shoe up in big games and I am sorry but mizzou is not a big game vandy beat them yesterday it looks like kentucky will be their only win. Stop reading your press clippings jarvis you are not that great. The kids neeeds better coaching.

dawgs01

October 7th, 2012
2:18 pm

All u idiots still want grantham to be the head coach. He sucks at coaching defense please do yourself a favor and look at his numbers against ranked teams but I am gonna warn u willie martinez had better numbers against the top 25. Y’all don’t want to believe that though do you. He has doena terrific job at making his defensive scheme so complicated that our secondary has no clue what it is doing. Another nfl coach wanna be he thinks the playbook has to be rocket science. Our players are thinking to much and not playing football and why can we never get lined up.

Burgess

October 7th, 2012
2:18 pm

2-15 against ranked opponents since 2008. Just the facts

Burgess

October 7th, 2012
2:19 pm

Kirby, call home !

Gamecocky

October 7th, 2012
2:20 pm

Hee,hee,heeeeeee!!! # 5 rank nationally ? can you say,vastly overated ? a lot of these disgruntled UGA fans are spot on on their observations……….35-7…..oh’ my Mark,blew another one…..face it Spurrier is superior !!!!!

The rev al

October 7th, 2012
2:22 pm

The dawgs were thoroughly out coached in every phase of the game. UGA has the talent except for the OL. Bobo was again exposed as an ineffective OC who is looks good against teams like coastal Carolina and bottom dweller SEC teams but his play calling is simply awful against ranked teams. The defense has no answer against a highly mobile quarterback. Shaws scrambling and elusiveness totally befuddled Granthams defensive sets. At a minimum Richt needs to dump bobo and should have done that after the michigan State game but that isn’t going to happen. All the great recruiting isn’t going to win without effective coaching on both sides of the ball.

Really?

October 7th, 2012
2:24 pm

The sports gods are cruel and after several perfect sports weekends this year demanded a sacrifice that would be costly and painful. The Braves and Bulldogs have been offered up already and we as lowly mortals can only pray that those painful unjust losses are enough to satiate those vicious gods and they won’t demand the Falcons as well.

Carolina Girl

October 7th, 2012
2:25 pm

HaHaHaHaHa! Your coach sucks so bad!! Keep Mark and keep losing I don’t care I think it’s funny!! HaHaHa NC & SC are so much better than GA because of that loser!!!!!

Gamecocky

October 7th, 2012
2:26 pm

is there a reason other than bein’ a USC alumini that happens to be a Georia native my posts aren’t gettin’ posted ? they aren’t nasty,nor disrespectful………6 times and I know connection is good and know how to submit comments…..