Five yards short: In bitter defeat, a winning Georgia effort
The final moments of a fabulous game: Chris Conley catches the ball. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
There are people who say that only championships matter, that finishing second is the same as finishing last. To those people, we say this: Go away now. Go away while we honor — and yes, that’s the proper word — as gallant a runner-up as we’ll ever see. Go away and let us speak of the Georgia Bulldogs.
They’d waited 30 years for a game this big, and they came as close as you could come to winning it without actually winning. Three times they took a lead over the mighty Alabama, and even after what should have been a crushing Tide touchdown with 3:15 remaining, even after what seemed a clinching Bama interception inside the final minute … even then, these Bulldogs found themselves with first-and-goal and time flying.
That they fell five yards short, that a tipped Aaron Murray pass for Malcolm Mitchell was caught by a falling Chris Conley and the final five seconds ticked away, cannot take away from the effort spent and the excellence displayed. The Bulldogs arrived as a underdog, but they carried the fight to the reigning national champion and they left five yards shy of the most thrilling victory — apologies to Lindsay Scott — Georgia football has ever known.
This was easily the best of the 21 SEC Championship Games, and it was one of the finest displays of collegiate football ever witnessed. “Alabama’s a great football team,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said, “and we were pretty good, too.”
Has a losing team ever had more championship-caliber men and moments? From Sanders Commings intercepting an AJ McCarron pass in the end zone to the same Commings catching a pass from tight end Arthur Lynch to convert a galvanizing fake punt; from Cornelius Washington blocking a field goal and Alec Ogletree taking the carom the distance; from the freshman back Todd Gurley pounding the midsection of the nation’s best defense to Murray taking his team downfield in the final minute … has there ever, in the long and distinguished history of Georgia football, been a prouder loss?
Alas, the Bulldogs needed 85 yards, and they could manage only 80. Are five yards sufficient reason to characterize them as losers, to suggest that this four-point loss is living proof that Richt and/or Murray can’t win the Big One? No and no, and if you’re of such a mind didn’t you hear me when I said, “Go away”?
Contrary to popular belief, not every winning effort translates to winning. Alabama was just a bit better (and much stronger up front), but the Bulldogs spurned every opportunity — and there were many — to throw up their collective hands and say, “We’ve given it a go, but this isn’t our day.” And that fighting spirit nearly turned this into the Dogs’ day after all.
“They played well, we played well, the clock ran out,” Richt said. “What are you going to say?”
It was the game for which Georgia had waited since Herschel Walker left Athens in the spring of 1983, the game Richt had waited 12 seasons to coach. It was a game to win one championship and go play for another, and there can be no dishonor in the way the day played out. Quibble with the ending if you will — should Georgia have spiked the ball before Murray’s last throw? Probably not, for Bama was clearly rattled — but you cannot fault the Bulldogs’ skill or heart or pride.
If you claim to be a Georgia fan, you cannot be disappointed with the performance — only the result. How many teams could have stood in against Alabama after the Tide ground out 350 rushing yards? Alabama is the nation’s best program and has the nation’s best coach, and with 10 seconds left there was no assurance that regal Bama would leave the Georgia Dome as the winner.
“I shook every man’s hand,” Richt said, speaking of his crestfallen Bulldogs, “and if someone had his head in his hands I rubbed his head and told him I loved him.”
If you love anything about competitive sports, anything at all, you had to love this game. “That was a great football game by both teams, and they could have won today the same as us,” said Nick Saban, the hard-driving Alabama coach. “It came down to the last play.”
That the final play on this frenzied day was made by Georgia’s opponent in no way diminishes Georgia. If anything, the Bulldogs stand ennobled after falling to Alabama in a way that they hadn’t after any victory of the past half-dozen years. They didn’t win, but they didn’t really lose. “The clock just ran out,” Richt said, and there was no better recap of these stirring events than that.
Alabama played great. Georgia played great. And then the clock ran out.
Further reading: Bama’s backs, Saban’s gaffe and a classic SEC title game.
By Mark Bradley
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1,506 comments Add your comment
ShowMeYurTD's
December 2nd, 2012
5:28 pm
LSU will draw more fans in Cotton bowl….cash is king
Coward of Bulldawg County
December 2nd, 2012
5:34 pm
Showme…that would mean three visits to Dallas since the beginning of the 2011 season…remember, they opened with Oregon in Dallas last season (since Georgia thought they had a better chance of beating Boise in Atlanta..that worked out well), Cotton Bowl, then back again in September?
Richard
December 2nd, 2012
5:35 pm
I wouldn’t be surprised if Saban left Alabama either. But I would not be surprised if he stayed. Saban never has done well against pass control offenses. His record at Miami was bad because his defensive schemes kept giving up 3rd down conversions. He put too much lard on the DL. The dolphins were good against the run but it did not matter because they had the worst 3rd down defense in the league. He still uses the same basic philosophy at Alabama.
He is well suited for the run-happy SEC but ill suited for a pass-happy conference like Pac12 or Big12. His offensive schemes can’t do shoot outs and his DL typically has Mount Lard in the middle and if the oppoing QB can read a blitz then he is sunk. How this matters is that SEC west has a pair of freshman gunslingers who appear to have outstanding accuracy. Saban might leave before they carve a big chunk out of his legacy. On the other hand, where else can he go and find run-happy offenses? At any rate, I think this year will be Bama’s last title for a while.
ShowMeYurTD's
December 2nd, 2012
5:40 pm
BAMA keeps reloading, picks GA’s pocket in recruiting. Saban stays and is a contender; u heard it here first.
Pale Rider
December 2nd, 2012
5:43 pm
Chuck Oliver asked the right question- Richt just didn’t have an answer- although if he himself was truthful- would have responded- well, I guess you’re right- I can’t win the big one.
John Henderson
December 2nd, 2012
5:45 pm
Tucker yours is the most stupid comment in History. I guess you’re a coach or could play better yourself.
Richard
December 2nd, 2012
5:48 pm
I’m not so sure about the picking of pockets. From yesterday’s game we will see more UGA players on Sunday than from Alabama. Saban is better at winning football games but I think Richt is better at building men.
bullwinkle
December 2nd, 2012
5:49 pm
Still absolutely mystified at the decision not to spike the ball at the 8.
I’ve read several misinformed things about that. First, there were 15 seconds when the guy was downed at the 8. Every team should know how to run a spike drill — hustle into basic formation and as soon as the ref starts the clock, hike it and spike it. You should only lose 1 tick, 2 max.
Instead UGA lined up and then Aaron called out signals for what seemed like an eternity. It was only because of that that the clock was down to 8 secs when the play started.
The theory is advanced that the non-spike was good strategy b/c Bama was tired and maybe UGA could catch them in a bad formation or with wrong personnel. Two problems with that: 1) UGA was tired too and also was playing hurryup (which magnifies risks of execution errors) and could not sub anyone and 2) in any case it didn’t work b/c Bama covered the play well.
Mostly what bothers me is that it shows a lack of confidence by Coach Richt in his team. The O had just shredded Bama for 80 yards — granted, against a prevent, but still, shredded them. But instead of ordering a quick spike and reorganizing for what could have been 2 or even 3 plays from the 8, he decided to try what amounted to a trick play — hey, run down there real quick and throw a corner route and maybe we’ll get lucky and they won’t be ready.
Too bad he didn’t give his offense a chance to give it their very best shot. Even had they failed, that would have been better than losing on a clown car play.
Alex
December 2nd, 2012
5:50 pm
still cannot wrap my head around how you do NOT spike the ball with 15 seconds and no time outs. That’s three shots into the end zone. After a gutsy drive to give themselves a chance, the Dawgs went for the foot shot rather the kill shot.
Richt can say a play was called all he wants; that play could have been just as called after a spike. Incomplete and he has two more chances.
ShowMeYurTD's
December 2nd, 2012
5:56 pm
Richard…….building Men??? Really?? This isn’t friggin’ summer bible camp…..Saban will stay at Bama and will have his pick of GA’s elite highschoolers….everybody wants to play for a winner and richt cannot, is not capable of winning the big one.
Alpharetta Dave
December 2nd, 2012
5:59 pm
Hats off the the Dawgs. All the criticism comes from the idiots who either never attended UGA, never played football or they are just miserable human beings. It was a tremendous game and like Coach Richt said we just ran out of time. I honestly believe if we had 10 more seconds or another time out left we would have won the game. But regardless, the team left it all on the field. We had the heart but just not the physical strength to put them away. Alabama’s running game was brutal in the the second half. They just pounded our defense and pounded us. It was like a heavyweight fighter taking body body blows round after round. So close…..but the only way we can ever beat a team like Alabama is to either develop more depth in the defensive or improve our in our strength conditioning. Absolutely no complaints here. Just that one little observation for improvement.
bamaguy
December 2nd, 2012
6:00 pm
The Birmingham News just reported that Saban voted Georgia number three on his Coaches Poll ballot. I guess his compliments of Georgia were sincere.
DAWG GONE
December 2nd, 2012
6:05 pm
Richt is a great coach and a great builder of men. I will take that over a national championship everytime.
go dawgs
Rick
December 2nd, 2012
6:05 pm
Once again “NO KILLER INSTINCT”!! All of my Georgia teams have never ever had this. This is why we only have 2 freaking championships. (Braves, Dawgs) in the last 32 &^^%%$^& years. This is hard to explain , but I have plenty experience at losing!!_
ShowMeYurTD's
December 2nd, 2012
6:08 pm
Alpha Dave….you’re absolutely correct…if we had one more time out…we didn’t because CMR had to burn it as a result of confusion on the field….were u watching the same game? This is nothing personal towards CMR…..he just cannot get it done. We’ve had great players yr in and yr out with no crystal. Get it?
Pale Rider
December 2nd, 2012
6:09 pm
UGA vs Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl- now we can get fleeced by Richt and the credit card company
Coward of Bulldawg County
December 2nd, 2012
6:13 pm
Nebraska is a freakin train wreck…
Pale Rider
December 2nd, 2012
6:14 pm
DAWG GONE represents the mentality of mediocrity- if Richt was such a great leader, why is the rap sheet of Georgia recruits longer than every other SEC school? Doesn’t character start with recruiting?
DAWG GONE
December 2nd, 2012
6:15 pm
I am ready to see how the DAWGS do against the Cornhuskers in the CC BOWL. DAWG FANS lets get hyped !!!!
Viking Dawg
December 2nd, 2012
6:16 pm
I am very proud of the heart of this team. They came in well prepared and focused. I don’t feel, however, that we were the most talented team or that we always have the best recruits like a lot of posters say over and over. Bama’s lines are better. There backs in tandem are better. There qb is just as good as Murray. Gilliard and Shawn Williams played terrible. Gilliard missed every opportunity for a tackle. Williams gave up yard after yard because he tackles too high. Ogletree is out of position -doesnt read the play quick enough. Our defensive talent when Martinez was here was average at best. The good news is that if we close out this year’s class strongly we will have the deepest young talent we have had in ten years. With good qb play we will win games like last night. Richt has proven that schematically, we can someday get to where Alabama is. You fans that cannot see that some of our players on the field last night were outclassed dont know anything about football. Better middle linebackers and a better tackling safety we would have won
ShowMeYurTD's
December 2nd, 2012
6:17 pm
Wisconsin scored 70 against them, I say we score 71…. GO DAWGS!
delane
December 2nd, 2012
6:17 pm
I must say that I did not have much faith in UGA winning. I predicted 40-10 Alabama. Bradley is 100% UGA is great and this is a speacial team. Go SEC.
Oh, I am a BIG fan of Gurshal, Lattamore, and classey atheletes. I am glad to see the SEC kick out problem players. The team improves nearly always.
ShowMeYurTD's-2013-14 schedule
December 2nd, 2012
6:22 pm
2013 Georgia Bulldogs Football Schedule
Date Opponent Location Time/TV Tickets
Saturday
04/06/13 G-Day Spring Game Athens, GA TBA —
Saturday
08/31/13 at Clemson Clemson, SC TBA —
Saturday
09/07/13 South Carolina Athens, GA TBA —
Saturday
09/14/13 — Open Date — — —
Saturday
09/21/13 North Texas Athens, GA TBA —
Saturday
09/28/13 LSU Athens, GA TBA —
Saturday
10/05/13 at Tennessee Knoxville, TN TBA —
Saturday
10/12/13 Missouri Athens, GA TBA —
Saturday
10/19/13 at Vanderbilt Nashville, TN TBA —
Saturday
10/26/13 — Open Date — — —
Saturday
11/02/13 Florida Jacksonville, FL 3:30 p.m. ET
CBS —
Saturday
11/09/13 Appalachian State Athens, GA TBA —
Saturday
11/16/13 at Auburn Auburn, AL TBA —
Saturday
11/23/13 Kentucky Athens, GA TBA —
Saturday
11/30/13 at Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA TBA —
Saturday
12/07/13 SEC Championship Atlanta, GA TBA —
ShowMeYurTD's-2013-14 schedule
December 2nd, 2012
6:23 pm
Clemson game may be in jeopardy because of additions to the ACC
Pale Rider
December 2nd, 2012
6:28 pm
This looks like a 7-5 season- and they will not make it to the SEC Championship
DAWG GONE
December 2nd, 2012
6:28 pm
Pale Rider we got rid of Crowell. Should we have gotten rid of TREE and RAMBO for the entire season?
Sowega Girl
December 2nd, 2012
6:29 pm
I am so proud of our Dawgs. Mark Richt is a gentleman and great coach. I loved the way he stood up to that reporter after the game and called him out. I will always support him and his staff. All of you idiots who want to fire him need to get a life. UGA could end up on a coaching carousel like Tennesee or Auburn–and a ruined program!
Some People
December 2nd, 2012
6:32 pm
Tucker, Alum, & Jan~
Come on down to the Butts-Mehre building on Monday and show us how it’s done. Since you three jack@55E5 believe it is so d@mn easy! Actually, why don’t you come on down and tell all of the coaches and players to our faces that we are not good enough for y’all. To that we would all say go Fork yourself and if you make it out alive then you can just go on back underneath that rock you live under.
Go Dawgs
Pale Rider
December 2nd, 2012
6:35 pm
Richt- try recruiting guys who can tackle, block, catch and stay out of jail
DAWG GONE
December 2nd, 2012
6:40 pm
Sowega Girl: I am with you; we have a great coach in Richt. I hope he can make it to 20 years as the Head Coach of the DAWGS
BiggDawgK
December 2nd, 2012
6:55 pm
pale loser
Your despair & lack of self worth is obvious even in your brief hate filled comments dripping with jealousy. I can’t begin to know the abuse and ridicule a person like you has to live with every day and it’s possible you don’t deserve all the humiliation your sad life has handed you. However, is there no way to channel all that bitterness and failure into something slightly constructive?
phil
December 2nd, 2012
6:58 pm
JPE28
December 2nd, 2012
4:00 pm
This was a very well written piece. Georgia fought hard, we came up 5 yards from the national championship. So shame on all of you who bash Georgia, especially you who call yourselves fans. Mark Richt, and the Dawgs came to play yesterday. It was the right call, we drove 60 yards in a matter of three plays. Alabama was on their heels, we didn’t want them to sub in a new package. Richt had the play called, and coming in for the kill. The ball was going for Malcolm Mitchell, but an unfournate tip and a reciever who was doing his job caught it, and came up short. It was the right move. That was the best college football game I have ever witnessed in my life. I am as heartbroken as anyone about the result, but I stand behind my team, my coach, and my University. Go Dawgs.
*********
Another loser…..
ShowMeYurTD's-2013-14 schedule
December 2nd, 2012
7:01 pm
Dog gone I would say Crowell “got rid” of himself, and thank goodness. I think richt would have had him at # 1 and he only had 4 games >100 yrs rushing this yr playing in much inferior league. Gurley/Marshall much better.
harold
December 2nd, 2012
7:14 pm
HOW STUPID NOT TO SPIKE THE BALL OR THROW IT TO THE END ZONE. COACHING COST UGA AND RICHT AGAIN WHO IS NOW 1-12 AGAINST RANKED TEAMS!
Mark Richt
December 2nd, 2012
7:18 pm
kiss my ass
stendek
December 2nd, 2012
7:18 pm
Hey Sowega Girl. Just go back to the damn kitchen! It is obvious sports is a foreign area to you.
phil
December 2nd, 2012
7:18 pm
BiggDawgK
December 2nd, 2012
4:50 pm
I I couldn’t bear to watch the post game after the emotional slugfest that was the SEC Championship. I didn’t read the comments here because I know it will be packed with comments from the most pathetic hate filled losers who have never and will never do anything significant in ther lonely wretched lifes. If you posted here just to eke out some sad pleasure from a Georgia loss then I seriously question how you manage to get out of bed every day knowing your life is so miserable.
I read the CMR went off on some classless reporter after the game. Out of curiousity, does anyone know who the reporter was or what network he was with?
********
the pathetic one is you…..
phil
December 2nd, 2012
7:21 pm
rangerscdawg
December 2nd, 2012
4:58 pm
Mark, I thought you comments were absolutely right on ! As a long time Dawg fan I hated losing as bad as anyone, but this team played their hearts out all the way to the end. For those critizing this team and the coaches I have this comment ” It is better to remain silent and be thought an IDIOT than to speak and remove all doubts.” GO DAWGS
*******
another happy with losing loser……pathetic
phil
December 2nd, 2012
7:37 pm
Pale Rider
December 2nd, 2012
5:43 pm
Chuck Oliver asked the right question- Richt just didn’t have an answer- although if he himself was truthful- would have responded- well, I guess you’re right- I can’t win the big one.
**********
one of Richt’s big flaws….can’t handle questions that get right down to it.
He blew it, we all know it, though many won’t admit it. He chokes when the situation calls for one’s best.
Hoss Cartwright
December 2nd, 2012
7:40 pm
Lacey 25 carries Yeldon 20 carries Gurley 23 carries Marshall 2 carries. Bobo got away from the success of Gurshell and went to the pass. He was always within striking distance of Bama so not to use Gurshell was a tactical error. Had Gurshell got going maybe their defense gets winded and not his.
phil
December 2nd, 2012
7:41 pm
bullwinkle
December 2nd, 2012
5:49 pm
Still absolutely mystified at the decision not to spike the ball at the 8.
I’ve read several misinformed things about that. First, there were 15 seconds when the guy was downed at the 8. Every team should know how to run a spike drill — hustle into basic formation and as soon as the ref starts the clock, hike it and spike it. You should only lose 1 tick, 2 max.
Instead UGA lined up and then Aaron called out signals for what seemed like an eternity. It was only because of that that the clock was down to 8 secs when the play started.
The theory is advanced that the non-spike was good strategy b/c Bama was tired and maybe UGA could catch them in a bad formation or with wrong personnel. Two problems with that: 1) UGA was tired too and also was playing hurryup (which magnifies risks of execution errors) and could not sub anyone and 2) in any case it didn’t work b/c Bama covered the play well.
Mostly what bothers me is that it shows a lack of confidence by Coach Richt in his team. The O had just shredded Bama for 80 yards — granted, against a prevent, but still, shredded them. But instead of ordering a quick spike and reorganizing for what could have been 2 or even 3 plays from the 8, he decided to try what amounted to a trick play — hey, run down there real quick and throw a corner route and maybe we’ll get lucky and they won’t be ready.
Too bad he didn’t give his offense a chance to give it their very best shot. Even had they failed, that would have been better than losing on a clown car play.
**********
POST OF THE DAY ALONG WITH ONE FROM BEN!
Very well said and right on the mark.
Too bad our coach freezes and blows it when we can least afford it. Sigh.
junkyarddawg
December 2nd, 2012
7:44 pm
What a game. Proud to be a DAWG. No question the play choice and the not to spike was right call. That was the final play but not necessarily the play that caused the outcome. Down 21-10, Bama scores and Satan decides to go for 2 instead of kick the EP. We were unable to stop the 2 point play, a run up the gut. And that ladies and gentlemen was the play that decided the game. Had Satan kicked or if we had stopped the 2 point play. When we catch the ball with 15 sec remaining we SPIKE the ball and kick a FG to tie or win. Now on to Orlando to BEAT the CornBoys! Then, look out Clemson! GO DAWGS
phil
December 2nd, 2012
7:44 pm
Alpharetta Dave
December 2nd, 2012
5:59 pm
Hats off the the Dawgs. All the criticism comes from the idiots who either never attended UGA, never played football or they are just miserable human beings. It was a tremendous game and like Coach Richt said we just ran out of time. I honestly believe if we had 10 more seconds or another time out left we would have won the game. But regardless, the team left it all on the field. We had the heart but just not the physical strength to put them away. Alabama’s running game was brutal in the the second half. They just pounded our defense and pounded us. It was like a heavyweight fighter taking body body blows round after round. So close…..but the only way we can ever beat a team like Alabama is to either develop more depth in the defensive or improve our in our strength conditioning. Absolutely no complaints here. Just that one little observation for improvement.
********
well, here’s the thing, Doofus Dave….
We DID have 10 more seconds……..if we had clocked the ball like even my shoe knew to do.
junkyarddawg
December 2nd, 2012
7:44 pm
What a game. Proud to be a DAWG. No question the play choice and the not to spike was right call. That was the final play but not necessarily the play that caused the outcome. Down 21-10, Bama scores and Satan decides to go for 2 instead of kick the EP. We were unable to stop the 2 point play, a run up the gut. And that ladies and gentlemen was the play that decided the game. Had Satan kicked or if we had stopped the 2 point play. When we catch the ball with 15 sec remaining we SPIKE the ball and kick a FG to tie or win. Now on to Orlando to BEAT the CornBoys! Then, look out Clemson! GO DAWGS
junkyarddawg
December 2nd, 2012
7:44 pm
What a game. Proud to be a DAWG. No question the play choice and the not to spike was right call. That was the final play but not necessarily the play that caused the outcome. Down 21-10, Bama scores and Satan decides to go for 2 instead of kick the EP. We were unable to stop the 2 point play, a run up the gut. And that ladies and gentlemen was the play that decided the game. Had Satan kicked or if we had stopped the 2 point play. When we catch the ball with 15 sec remaining we SPIKE the ball and kick a FG to tie or win. Now on to Orlando to BEAT the CornBoys! Then, look out Clemson! GO DAWGS
globeflyer
December 2nd, 2012
7:45 pm
My hats off to UGA. I usually give the Dawg fans grief on here, but last night was simply a “who had the ball last” game. Bama ran the ball well, but Georgia played an all-around good game. You can be down on some of the Dawg games in the past, but you cannot fault last night’s effort. In fact, if our big Aussie NT had not been able to come back from his injury, it would have been your game. We didn’t have the personnel to stop the runs up the middle without him. RTR.
phil
December 2nd, 2012
7:45 pm
DAWG GONE
December 2nd, 2012
6:05 pm
Richt is a great coach and a great builder of men. I will take that over a national championship everytime.
go dawgs
**********
spare us your pretentious moralizing!
It’s the doofs like that you that keep us down, wallowing in failure.
Flat Tire On Hwy 441 in Athens
December 2nd, 2012
7:47 pm
Im proud too
Im proud to be labled a program that cant win a big game
Im proud to be known for player arrests instead of championship caliber football
Wow the delusions people are posting; what a joke
phil
December 2nd, 2012
7:48 pm
Some People
December 2nd, 2012
6:32 pm
Tucker, Alum, & Jan~
Come on down to the Butts-Mehre building on Monday and show us how it’s done. Since you three jack@55E5 believe it is so d@mn easy! Actually, why don’t you come on down and tell all of the coaches and players to our faces that we are not good enough for y’all. To that we would all say go Fork yourself and if you make it out alive then you can just go on back underneath that rock you live under.
Go Dawgs
**********
we blame the coaches, not the players….
Clock the ball!
LHarding Dawg
December 2nd, 2012
7:51 pm
Phil – “Wallowing in failure” will be put on your tombstome. Pathetic!!!