Read all about it: the aftermath of Georgia’s loss to Arkansas (updated)
(Updated 10 p.m. Sunday)
A roundup of the AJC’s coverage of Georgia’s loss to Arkansas:
My game story, which notes the calendar seemed turned back:
ATHENS — It felt a lot like 1993 in Sanford Stadium on Saturday.
For the first time in 17 years, Georgia lost to Arkansas. For the first time in 17 years, the Bulldogs dropped to 0-2 in the SEC.
Georgia tried to avoid this daunting hole by rallying from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to tie the game 24-24 with about four minutes to play, but the Dogs’ defense, which twice earlier had allowed easy touchdowns on blown coverages, committed another gaffe at the end as Arkansas clinched a 31-24 victory.
Jeff Schultz’s column, which notes Georgia’s 2-6 record in its past eight SEC games:
ATHENS – It’s not about one player not being here. It’s not about playing a freshman quarterback or having a certain soft spot on the depth chart or the big, bad NCAA being out to get Georgia.
When a program sinks to lows not seen since the Ray Goff administration, it’s not an aberration.
Andy Johnston’s sidebar on what the heck happened on those three Arkansas TD passes:
ATHENS — Ryan Mallett’s three touchdown passes were remarkably similar in Arkansas’ 31-24 victory over Georgia on Saturday. On all three, his receivers were wide open, leaving Bulldogs defenders and coaches searching for answers to the breakdowns.
Andy Johnston’s sidebar on what the heck happened on those six sacks of Aaron Murray:
ATHENS — Mike Bobo didn’t place all the blame for Georgia’s offensive problems on the offensive line.
He said the six sacks in Arkansas’ 31-24 victory Saturday were a combination of poor play from an offensive line that missed injured starting guard Chris Davis and of redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Murray taking too much time in the pocket.
My notebook from the game, including Michael Adams’ comments on the A.J. Green case and football arrests, plus other items:
ATHENS — University of Georgia president Michael Adams said Saturday the school did everything it could to get star wide receiver A.J. Green’s suspension reduced, but Adams did not quarrel with the NCAA’s rejection of the appeal.
. . . On another topic, Adams said he spoke to “every employee” of the Athletic Association in a recent staff meeting, delivering the message that he wants a stop put to the off-field problems on the football team. Nine players have been arrested this year.
Andy Johnston’s report on Mark Richt’s Sunday conference call:
. . . Arkansas’ six sacks were a combination of the offensive line breaking down, poor protection from the running backs and Aaron Murray hanging onto the ball too long.
“I don’t want to throw out anything that would sound like dirty laundry or anything on these kids,” Richt said. “[The blame] was spread out across the board. It wasn’t just one culprit.”
The AJC’s weekly feature looking back at the past game and peeking ahead to the next, which is Saturday at Mississippi State:
Mississippi State, like Georgia, is on a two-game SEC losing streak after opening the season with an easy victory. Coach Dan Mullen’s quarterbacks –- starter Chris Relf and backup Tyler Russell -– combined to throw five interceptions in Saturday’s 29-7 loss to LSU. Mississippi State trailed just 12-7 in the third quarter, but the Tigers scored the final 17 points. Mullen said LSU’s average starting field position was Mississippi State’s 48, thanks to the five interceptions. He added that Relf will start against Georgia.
And here’s Brant Sanderlin’s 23-photo gallery from the Georgia-Arkansas game.
This is how the game ended, Arkansas' Tramain Thomas breaking up a last-gasp 70-yard Aaron Murray heave in the end zone in front of Aron White.
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372 comments Add your comment
Slutpuppy Cowhorner
September 19th, 2010
9:44 pm
Offer Saban 5 million to come to UGA and he’ll pack his suitcase and bring us a winner.
Mobile Dawg
September 19th, 2010
9:44 pm
I’ve never believed in Richt’s offensive philosophy, however once a Dawg, always a Dawg. Regardless of what happens in Starkville most people whether they would admit it or not have lost confidence/faith in the coaching staff and their ability to give us a premium product and performance.
Have to be proud of the players for stepping up and getting us back in the game Saturday, that showed we have heart. To then see that opportunity wasted by the strategy after the performance by our defense was disheartening. How many beside me saw it coming though. This is sadly what we are used to now. CMR put the program on autopilot a while back. Has he gotten lazy, forgotten how to coach; I don’t know what’s driving him inside as far as being a football coach.
Then to allow his coordinators to even share the blame with the players is totally unacceptable. Their reply should have been, “we as coaches are responsible for preparing them for what they will face, we have to do a better job”.
To directly answer your question Mark, the fans attendance will begin to erode, looked like it has already started as there were numerous unoccupied seats at Saturday’s game. Donations will go down, the most influential alumni will have the ear of Adams and McGarity. Sadly the CMR era will come to a close by the end of the year. If on the other hand we have a miracle like you predict and finish @ 9-3, CMR gets one more year to show he can get the job done and we continue to wonder what’s next. It’s hard to get excited and really up for a football game anymore.
Al Ain't Sure
September 19th, 2010
9:47 pm
Tech will beat UGA bad this year. Marl it down Dog Lovers.
Swampdawg
September 19th, 2010
9:48 pm
Coach Grantham doesn’t have much to work with. Too many boys running around with no upper strength to make blocks and tackles. Bad crop of recruits. I belive Donnan recruited better. Dawgs won SEC in 2002 and 2005. Nothing since. Some of those were Donnan recruits.
Behemoth Mary
September 19th, 2010
9:50 pm
I am of Tech and I sayeth UGA sucks dewberries. I ate 12 eggs for breakfast.
17 of 20
September 19th, 2010
9:51 pm
You guys are nuts thinking it was the offence that lost the game, the defense gave up all the points.
I don’t think Todd Grantham had seen the forward pass until yesterday. No wonder he was fired by Cleveland.
Jimbo Donnan
September 19th, 2010
9:52 pm
I’m Jim’s son. Hello Dawg losers. Ready for daddy to come back ?
ugafanatic
September 19th, 2010
9:54 pm
HAWGTIDE, YOU AND BOZO ARE EQUAL IN STUPIDITY. YOU BARELY BEAT A BAD GEORGIA TEAM THANKS TO SOME HORRENDOUS PLAY CALLING BY BOZO. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU BEAT US? GOOD LUCK GETTING TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ARKANSAS WILL NEVER EVEN BE IN A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT AND NO CHANCE VS BAMA NEXT WEEK. BAMA BY 17
Hellbilly Deluxe
September 19th, 2010
9:55 pm
Why do 90,000 fans go watch the Dawgs get beat every week ?
GT Mike
September 19th, 2010
9:56 pm
Dawg Fans….Tech fan here. I know it hurts, but ya’ll are not as bad as many of your posts make you out to be. You have played two tough teams and lost two close games to them. You’ll bounce back and have a nice year, mark my words. I still hope Tech beats ya’ll at the end of the year, but good luck in the other games!
Go Devils
September 19th, 2010
9:56 pm
Yea yea we lost to, but only by a missed extra point. We didn’t let Wisconson march down the field to lose it!! Pathetic.
Behemoth Mary
September 19th, 2010
9:57 pm
I only ate 12 eggs because I’m on a diet. I normally eat 15 eggs. I’m wide with pride.
GT Mike's Wife
September 19th, 2010
9:59 pm
Mike, you liar. You know we both hate UGA with a passion. Why are you on the UGA blog anyway ? I’ll deal with you later tonite. Sorry UGA fans.
ugafanatic
September 19th, 2010
10:02 pm
I LOVE TECH FANS. CANT BEAT UGA ON ANY CONSISTANT BASIS BUT STILL TALK S*&T. CANT WAIT FOR ANOTHER BAD UGA TEAM TO RUN ALL OVER YOU AGAIN THIS YEAR. YOU CANT EVEN BEAT KANSAS. HOW FUN IS THAT OPTION LEFT, OPTION RIGHT, ETC. YOU LOOK LIKE MIKE BOZO. TECH WILL NEVER HAVE A PROGRAM LIKE UGA, YOU NERDS KNOW IT THATS WHY YOUR ALWAYS ON SOME SORT OF DAWG POST.
Foot On Your Balls
September 19th, 2010
10:03 pm
Can we get a defense ? UGA should check the JUCO schools for db’s.
Paul
September 19th, 2010
10:03 pm
Haha. I wrote 3 weeks ago that many on here would be calling for bobo’s head just like last year but with willie m. It’s so easy to predict uga bloggers. I also said this would be a 7-5, maybe 8-4 season. 7-5 looks to be most likely
Furman
September 19th, 2010
10:04 pm
We put up 19 on South Cacalaka.
You could only muster 6!
SO STFU losers until you start winning again.
2-1 Tech
September 19th, 2010
10:05 pm
ugafanatic, we are 2-1 and your little doggies are 1-2. Facts little guy.
Cellar dwellers
September 19th, 2010
10:07 pm
This is so sweet to look at. I must have looked at it 20 times today!
Southeastern Standings
East Conf All
Florida (9) 1-0 3-0
South Carolina (12) 1-0 3-0
Vanderbilt 1-1 1-2
Kentucky 0-0 3-0
Tennessee 0-1 1-2
Georgia 0-2 1-2
Sav Dawg
September 19th, 2010
10:07 pm
Georgia looks terrible in every facet of the game. They were completely out-coached. Mike Bobo has got to be the worst play caller that I have seen. I mean it is 3rd and 5 and he calls a play that has all the receivers running routs 20 yards down the field and all we needed is 5 yards to keep the possible game winning drive alive. He plays not to lose, when he should be calling plays to win the game. Bobo is about as sorry as it gets when it comes to play calling.
David Granger
September 19th, 2010
10:09 pm
Two of Arky’s TD’s, and one third-and-long completion for a key first down came when Georgia was blitzing…and our blitz has been killing us for years now.
I don’t know what’s wrong. Maybe we’re telegraphing it, or maybe the DB’s are slow to react to the dump-off pass, or maybe we need to leave a couple of LB’s back for short coverage instead of sending everybody. But the occasional sack or pass “hurry” that we get out of it has NEVER made up for the amount of critical yardage the other team gains against it. Shades of Willie Martinez!
Trey
September 19th, 2010
10:17 pm
some of you need to quit lying. not all receivers ran “20 yards” down field on the murray sack. you can cleary see at least one stop and turn. the problem was ealey’s pathetic blocking skills.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSHLJeeHvww
Mack
September 19th, 2010
10:18 pm
You’re right Trey. Perhaps Ealey should go to GT and learn how to make those blocks. LOL
the last play
September 19th, 2010
10:21 pm
they say a qb needs to get rid of the ball in the nfl within 3 seconds of the snap. murray was right at 3 seconds when he got drilled. even if he was gonna throw at 3 seconds, the ball would have been a duck and gone into the ground. the blame on that final play is completely on ealey.
Coon Rapper
September 19th, 2010
10:22 pm
Who Dat can’t play football ?
Da dawgs Da dawgs !
Saturday time to play
But UGA got no game
Getting beat by the run & beat by the pass
Every SEC team gonna beat yall’s azz
Need a new coach & scheme
maybe even need a new team
Who dat can’t play football ?
Da Dawgs Da Dawgs !
Behemoth Mary
September 19th, 2010
10:26 pm
Great rap there Coon Rapper. I’m eating pancakes,syrup,butter,bacon,and butter.
Jamie
September 19th, 2010
10:28 pm
Look at ealey on the murray sack. After he falls to the ground with the worst tackling ever, he tried to trip him with his left leg but the defender was past him by then.
SEC Observer
September 19th, 2010
10:31 pm
82Dawg
September 19th, 2010
5:04 pm
“By the way, the Dawgs still beat the bees at the end of the year no matter how many other games we lose.”
And you wonder why other fans come on here and blast you guys when you lose. Many of you were saying the same thing prior to the S Carolina and Arkansas games.
Haha Richt at 5:03
September 19th, 2010
10:32 pm
In the video, he is concerned about how his hair is looking at 5 min 3 seconds. What a girly guy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSHLJeeHvww
Trey
September 19th, 2010
10:33 pm
yes the announcer says they ran 20 yards but one didn’t. he was covered though. that’s all i’m saying. the call was bad but the block was even worse.
Grant
September 19th, 2010
10:38 pm
Who were the announcers doing that game? They were so pro georgia it’s unbelievable. That was enough to make me root for Ark and I am a Pitt fan.
Listen when Ark scores and compare it to the hail mary. Also the excuses when murray is sacked. What a joke they put in people who obviously want a team to lose.
GaDawg
September 19th, 2010
11:09 pm
GoDawgs – I’m sick of you! You must be a Tech moron in search of the tickle pile!
Buck Belue wears a toupee
September 19th, 2010
11:18 pm
“WAIT ‘TIL NEXT YEAR”
Ricodawg
September 19th, 2010
11:26 pm
With our recruiting we are 2-6 in our last 8 SEC games. Oh my. And now we have assistants being passive aggressive and blaming 19 and 20 year olds in public? We are back in the Coach Goff days again. Like Ray, CMR is also a nice guy and brought us some very good seasons; just not getting it done in a while…and our football program is in the headlines for all the wrong reasons way too often. I hate to say it, but it’s time for a change.
jojatek
September 19th, 2010
11:31 pm
Plenty of blame to go around, but the bottom line is this: The Dawgs will end the season with a loss to Tech between the hedges and finish with 6 wins/5 losses and another trip to the Music City Bowl…
haters are skaters
September 19th, 2010
11:40 pm
Richt might be a little over paid for this product
Pago Pago Dawg
September 19th, 2010
11:41 pm
I think we all pretty much agree, aj should not have been allowed on the sidelines jucking and jiving. He should be kicked-off the team.
Luke
September 19th, 2010
11:43 pm
Someone asked who out there is better than Mark Ricth for head coach?
Proven: John Gruden
Proven: Chris Petersen
Great Assistant: Muschamp
Great Assistant: Smart
just to name a few,
I would have loved to just shakedown the whole staff last year and got Derek Dooley, but crap, he’s in Tennessee.
Someone also commented on CMR “mailing it in”. Yup, sure feels that way. He’s got some weird smirk on his face most of the game. Like he enjoys sucking.
Bobo looks like the kid that tries too hard and is just not really good, but he keeps trying and trying. Not really getting that his actions are his undoing. Being exploited by the opponent. You know that other teams preparing to play Georgia just laugh at the tapes they see. I mean you could just throw out a shell defense against Georgia and everyone would run around like idiots and be confused.
Foster Brooks
September 19th, 2010
11:44 pm
How can we continue to have top 10 recruiting classes almost every year and get beat by teams that are lucky if they have a top 30 recruiting class? It is called coaching, and we are not doing a very good job of it. That and their is no discipline in this program. We are recruiting mostly just on talent and “stars” and mybe not enough character. Then when some of these “star”players do something wrong we suspend them for one game against the “sisters of the poor”. Richt I am sure is a fine man, but his form of discipline is not and has not worked and he is getting beat now by teams that he has way out recruited. I am afraid that when Van Gorder left, so did our chance of being a real player in the SEC. Richt needs to re-evaluate his whole program including himself, as we are definitely a very average SEC team right now at best. This should not be acceptable, as we have just as many resources and probably more than any other SEC school except maybe Florida…I mean just think about it.
JacketNation
September 19th, 2010
11:55 pm
“North Ave Trade School”
Hey, make a deal with you. When you mutts stay off our blogs, we’ll stay off of yours. Until then, deal with reality. Your team is average at best and will never actually be as good as you make them out to be! I do mean NEVER!
hind tit
September 20th, 2010
12:02 am
uga fans or the most negative fans in college football.not only do we have to recruit against the best teams in college football we have to recruit against fans like you. your the reason kirby smart didn’t come to ga. and your the reason we lose the best recruits to other teams. these kids need encouragement instead of discouragement. i hope for your own kids sake you don’t beat them in the ground like this.
MakeItStop
September 20th, 2010
12:04 am
Last week we found out Ga couldn’t tackle. This week we found out they don’t have a safety. Turns out the O line is pretty mediocre by SEC standards. Maybe the vaunted Ga talent we’ve been recruiting just isn’t all that. Everyone’s blaming the coaches. How do you know the current staff isn’t milking every ounce of potential out of these guys? The coaches can’t take the field and make tackles or prevent opponents from getting wide open deep every other series.
You think the guys playing for Bama couldn’t have won this game with Bobo calling their plays? Get serious. It’s time for these vaunted stars we’ve put on the field to man grow a couple too. Why is it so easy for their guys to protect their qb and the UGA line can’t? That’s about being better football players. Period. If there’s a problem with the coaching staff it’s that they’re recruiting too many athletes and not enough football players. It’s time the fans of this team see some damn blocking and tackling.
Pulpwood Smith Needed
September 20th, 2010
12:29 am
Who was the last UGA tailback to break a tackle in a game…..it was Moreno. He was redshirted and left after his sophmore season.
Mountain Dawg
September 20th, 2010
12:59 am
It’s not so “Great to be a Georgia Bulldawg on a Sat. Night” anymore.
dagnabit
September 20th, 2010
1:04 am
I saw Wash-on in downtown Athens today and I asked him what happened on saturday. Wash-on just hung his head and cried real crocodile tears.
Florida Dawg
September 20th, 2010
1:20 am
Will the coaching staff get another raise this year? Don’t think anyone is trying to hire any of them away….just saying.
Florida Dawg
September 20th, 2010
1:22 am
JacketNation…can an average team beat GTech?
Jen
September 20th, 2010
5:34 am
I didn’t think I could be madder at Bobo than i was but after reading this..Bobo is a wasssy
Mark Richt plese strt back calling plays/
BoWeevil
September 20th, 2010
5:53 am
91 wins. But only 3 of the 91 wins, none in any bowl game, are over Top 10 Final AP Poll teams. All of the other games these 10 years against Top 10 Final AP Poll teams, Coach Richt has managed to lose. 11 games in 10 years against Top 10 Final AP Poll teams, and Coach Richt has LOST 8 and won only 3. And, of the only 3 wins in 10 years against Top 10 Final AP Poll teams, Coach Richt managed to lose 12 combined LOSSES those 3 years.
Coach Richt has not had a great year where he beat top teams.
His recruiting is glaring on the field.
It is even more glaring off the field, with now Michael F. Adam$ issuing a proclamation to Coach Richt last night about OFF FIELD ARRESTS. This sets the stage for the only recruit and him from out of state Christian LeMay who had sex in front of his Principal in a classroom with a 14-year old child. Now, he is not even playing his senior year. This is the face of The University of Georgia for the next 4 years before he goes to the NFL ? Can we really afford to allow Coach Richt to FORGIVE Christian LeMay, his job on the line in 2011 obviously.
Can he rebound this season ?
5 of the next 6 games are against complete nobodies.
But, in the 9 previous seasons, Coach Richt has managed to lose to 8 such teams.
8 LOSSES in 9 years to teams NOT RANKED in the Top 25 Final AP Poll.
What does this season really have in store now ?
Let’s look at it from the DISNEYdawgs.com point of view, shall we ? Florida and Auburn don’t look like much, but can we really beat them ? Be honest now.
BoWeevil
September 20th, 2010
5:54 am
DISNEYdawgs.com said that we have a freshman quarterback who was great in high school. Coach Richt said that too. Look at those tapes Coach Richt admonished us to do just 3 weeks ago.
I thought we have 10 of 11 Starters back on Offense. I thought we had the nation’s best OL. I thought we had 2 PROVEN RELIABLE Running Backs Aaron Murray could count on to carry the load until he learned an overly complicated playbook, that largely has been responsible for the fact that in Coach Richt’s 10 seasons at Georgia has averaged the # 52 Total Offense in the nation for all 10 seasons, and now is # 81 Total Offense this season. I thought Aaron Murray was great. I thought AJ Green was going to be in the running for the Heisman Trophy, certainly the Fred Biletnikoff Award. I thought Willie Martinez was the only problem UGA and Coach Richt had ? I thought all these NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ARRESTS and SUSPENSIONS happen everywhere and were not a distraction at all ? I thought South Carolina had a bad quarterback. I thought Ryan Mallett was not going to be great against a defense without Willie Martinez, and that Arkansas had no defense.
Let’s say we win 6 of the next 7. That makes us 7-3. Do we lose to Auburn ? Fairly likely, right –based on the discord and bickering in the press by our coaching staff at odds with the players and each other. I don’t know what Coach Richt means by opening up the offense, Mike Bobo said a day before kickoff. They both said Aaron Murray has to get rid of the football.
Is this season really any different from any of the other seasons ?
Every year, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and now in 2010, we have lost 2 SEC games to take us out of contention totally for ANYTHING.
10-11 over this span after our last SEC Championship Game appearance vs SEC East teams, it is no different this year from any other year.