Dogs are fumbling away the season (and other lessons from Saturday’s debacle)
BOULDER, Colo. – Three things gleaned from Saturday’s 29-27 loss to Colorado:
1. Georgia is fumbling away the season. Washaun Ealey barely played Saturday -– he got just one carry -– as a consequence of his critical fumbles inside the opponent’s 5-yard line in losses at South Carolina and Mississippi State. Ealey’s benching created more playing time for Caleb King, who gave Georgia its first 100-yard rusher of the season. But in the final two minutes, with Georgia well within range to kick a potentially game-winning field goal, King fumbled the ball and the game away. (Also, of course, someone should have blocked the linebacker who forced the fumble by striking King a split-second after he took the handoff on what coach Mark Richt called “as basic of a play as we’ve got.”)
2. Georgia desperately needs a full game from A.J. Green. The star wide receiver caught seven passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another 40 yards on an end-around, but he still hasn’t played a full game in any of Georgia’s past nine regular-season games. He missed 3 ½ of the final four games last season with injuries, missed the first four games this season because of the NCAA suspension and missed much of the third quarter Saturday night with cramping. Just before he left the game, Green caught a 50-yard pass that put the Bulldogs in position to score the touchdown that gave them a 24-14 lead with 10:40 left in the third quarter. By the time he returned to the game in the fourth quarter, after getting intravenous fluids in the locker room, Georgia trailed 29-24. In the two first-quarter series that Georgia didn’t get Green the ball and the two third-quarter series he did not play, the Bulldogs combined for one first down and minus-1 yard of net offense. In the rest of the game, the Dogs had 19 first downs and 410 yards offense.
3. The defense continues to be burned by big plays. Georgia took a 24-14 lead early in the third quarter, but Colorado scored touchdowns on its next two possessions to go ahead for good. Explosive plays set up both of those TDs. A 65-yard run down the left sideline by tailback Rodney Stewart on an option pitch fueled the first of the two drives. A 46-yard pass to wide receiver Will Jefferson, who got open down the middle behind Vance Cuff, sparked the second. Making matters worse for Georgia on the latter series, Colorado tried to settle for a field goal, but a roughing-the-kicker penalty against Cuff gave the Buffaloes a first down and kept the TD drive alive. Colorado opted to take the three points off the scoreboard and quickly put on seven instead, and that proved to be the difference in a game ultimately decided by two.
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223 comments Add your comment
jaxdawg
October 3rd, 2010
2:03 pm
there is no reason for a rebuilding year in college football. Look at Alabama, they dont rebuild, they reload.
Randy McPherson
October 3rd, 2010
2:04 pm
Everyone, I am proud to announce that Lowndes will be scheduling Georgia as a non conference game next year
680 buck says
October 3rd, 2010
2:05 pm
Even Flordia got beat up badley last night. Are they asking that Urban be fired?
680 buck says
October 3rd, 2010
2:05 pm
Enter your comments here
Bad Dawg, Bad Dawg
October 3rd, 2010
2:06 pm
At best a 6-6 year, probably worse! Maybe Georgia fans will be humbled for a change.
Randy McPherson
October 3rd, 2010
2:07 pm
680 Buck says, Of course not, because they were beat up by BAMA not Colorado
bigdsel
October 3rd, 2010
2:07 pm
This season has been a nail-biter for me. in the past UGA has gotten lucky in winning games in the last minute. this year we havent been as lucky. UGA is a good team, just has terrible luck. But if I have to blame it on someone I will blame it on lady luck. The players and the coaches are trying their hearts out. As long as My Dawgs Try, I will keep rooting for them. They are MY TEAM. CMR is MY COACH. rain or shine the DAWGS are MINE. You cant win them all just ask BOWDIN, JOPA, and BEAR BRYANT. OUR DAY WILL COME.
jaxdawg
October 3rd, 2010
2:07 pm
He lost to Alabama, we lost to Colorado. Are u kidding me?
Fair and Balanced
October 3rd, 2010
2:08 pm
In football nowadays, you essentially have 2 head coaches (1 on offense and 1 on defense) and a manager. We have to give Grantham a chance to develop this defense and recruit for it. On the offense – Bobo gotta gogo! And some others with him. As for management – it is just not getting done. Winning and losing are entirely on the shoulders of the manager. We are losing. We will probably continue to lose. This is the result of what we began to see several years ago when we couldn’t blow out anybody and struggled to beat teams like Vandy + KY in conference and GA Southern etc. Now, we are below mediocrity – we are poor. Fire Richt. Clean house now so the rebuild can begin before the program is too far gone.
jaxdawg
October 3rd, 2010
2:11 pm
Ive stuck with the dawgs through some bad years and I will continue to, but this is just pathetic. We’ve got to have a change.
SoGaDawg
October 3rd, 2010
2:12 pm
Let us not forget how bad the almighty Tide was just 4 years ago, I will give Bama credit and Saban for the past two seasons. But they hadn’t exactly done a lot for about 10 years before the 08 season. Which I suppose just reinforces just how important the right Head Coach and positions coaches are to a team. I think Richt’s a great man and yes, he’s won a lot of games, but he hasn’t won the games that have mattered. In my job, it’s great that I do 8 or 9 things perfect every year, but if I continued to not meet expectations on 1 or 2 goals every year, I would have been fired already. I’m sure all of you know the 1 or 2 goals I’m talking about. Beating Florida at least 50% of the time and winning that one other game we should every year to give us a chance. It’s coaching, coaching, coaching. The fact that UGA is UGA and we’re in the SEC means we’re going to above average athletes that should be able to be coached.
Disgusted
October 3rd, 2010
2:13 pm
Losing to Alabama is a little different than losing to Colorado…moron. Oh, and he’s won 2 National Championships in recent memory.
Tired of hearing about the fumble yesterday. Should never have been that close to begin with. Fumble should have been a non-issue.
Coach Randy McPherson
October 3rd, 2010
2:13 pm
Georgia needs a coach that KNOWS what its like to win a championship
Dogs are fumbling away the season (and other lessons from Saturday’s debacle) – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | Best Dogs Deals
October 3rd, 2010
2:17 pm
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kingtiki
October 3rd, 2010
2:17 pm
Just because we go to “a” bowl game every year doesn’t mean that’s where our sights should end. UGA is regarded as a top rank school and they fans (obviously) expect nothing but championships every year. It’s a serious dilemma but that’s the way it is ever year, just like at Bama if next year (or even this year) they don’t bring home a NC it will be looked at as a dissappointing year because of the talent they have on the field which is the same talent you will find at any SEC school (including vandy ha). Therefore it comes down to coaching. It always comes down to coaching the players and keeping them focused clearly Mark Richt hasn’t accomplished that. Mark Richt is gone folks….
kerry465
October 3rd, 2010
2:25 pm
Van Gorder as head coach would be a mistake. He messed up at Ga Southern. Georgia may win 3 games this year. It is killing me because I love the DAWGS. I saw this coming 5 years ago folks. Dropping games in the future with Oregon will not help. Look at Bama playing tough teams and they still win. They have a coaching staff and players.
Coach Randy McPherson
October 3rd, 2010
2:27 pm
Would have loved to see the Oregon series, but oh well. At this point Georgia needs all the guaranteed wins they can get
DAWG with bag over his head
October 3rd, 2010
2:28 pm
680 buck says,
You and your namesake act like this is the first season that things have gone wrong. This is at least the 4th season of our decline. Calls to change the coaching regime are based on poor performances on and off the field beginning with the WVU debacle in the Sugar Bowl. What have you seen in any of this seasons’s games that would make you believe that anything will change next season without a change in coaching staffs?
bart
October 3rd, 2010
2:29 pm
We’ve been going backwards the last 3 or 4 years. It’s time to clean house.
kerry465
October 3rd, 2010
2:32 pm
Florida lost last night. Yea they were playing Bama not Colorado who is going to fire their coach at end of season if he doesnt win some big games.
dawgerbrown
October 3rd, 2010
2:35 pm
This team has been unfocused and undisciplined all year. The players exhibit an attitude of disrespect. They don’t respect rules, others, or the game. They are self-centered and all of this shows in the results thus far. If you recorded last nights game watch what happens when UGA runs on the field for the second half. As the cheerleaders run out next to the team, #81 reaches down and grabs a big handful of butt from one of the UGA cheerleaders! Funny? Innocent? I don’t know, but, I know that if I were running on the field on national TV in a game my team had to win, I would have more discipline than that. But, this type of behavior is typical of today’s Georgia team.
Joe Cox
October 3rd, 2010
2:40 pm
Rebuilding is an excuse for losing in college football. Every team loses somewhere around 25% of their players evcery year. Also there is never an excuse for 2 of those years in a row. 680 is delusional Richt hasn’t acheived since Van Gorder left, still plenty of talent headed to the NFL from UGA yet Richt can’t get them to perform while they are here. Richt won in down years in the SEC and that was before Meyer was at UF and Saban was at AL. He is no where near their levels as a coach.
KJ
October 3rd, 2010
2:41 pm
strength and conditioning program needs to be overhauled, stat. the slew of injuries over the last few years cant be a coincidence.
no coach richt, that is not the most basic play you run. basic would be giving the ball to chapas, who NEVER fumbles, 3 times, and kick a 35 yarder. you simply dont have a goto halfback this year.
dougdawg
October 3rd, 2010
2:44 pm
forget the angst. it is over for this season. we may go 2-10, but i don’t know who ‘2′ will be. this is starting over and house cleaning time. it may be 5 years before we have a good season; i hope i’m not dead by that time. things are in disaster mode, and it is a long way out.
Steve
October 3rd, 2010
2:45 pm
Is it just me or do our guys look like they need to lift some serious weights or something. They look smaller and weak compared to every team they have played so far. They look and play soft!
Luke
October 3rd, 2010
2:47 pm
Bama was never 1-4. Just stop.
David
October 3rd, 2010
2:48 pm
Ah Tim, if it were only so simple for writers, who never take action, to critisize those on the field, taking the risks.
Not as simple as blaming Ealey or King. This game was lost because of a combination of factors: defense, missed field goal, poor red zone execution, fumble, etc.
It’s funny to me to watch the writers/theorists/critics philosophize about ways to fix things, and never get in the arena.
Macclenny_man
October 3rd, 2010
2:49 pm
Time to play alot of freshmen!!! This team needs to prove we will play freshmen so we can recruit this year!!! But that want really matter because we recruit well then don’t play them for about 2 years!! By that time they have lost 2 much confidence. Bobo U R outta here!!!Guaranteed!!! RIcht only chance u have is beat Florida!!! Is Green the only player we can throw a quick pass? King can make some of the same plays if we throw it quick to him!!! Marlon Brown highly recruited but he can’t seem to play but a couple of plays!! It is obvious our play makers are wide receivers!! So that tells me we go 5 wide and run short, medium, and go routes!!! If they get pressure we throw it short. If we have time we throw to whoever is open!!! If nobody is open then Murray take off!!! I thought we run a 3-4 defense? There is 4 down linemen on every play just different guys!!! We still are not moving around before the snap to confuse the offense!!! The linebackers play sucks!!! Where is Ogeltree? Give him a chance!!! Rambo hasn’t been the same since the Auburn game last year when he got hurt!!! We need to run a 3-5-3 defense that way we can protect the middle of the field!!!
Dawg in SC
October 3rd, 2010
2:51 pm
Keep your heads up Dawgs! Some of us True Dawg fans will support you in the good times & bad! Things will get better! Don’t give up! Richt, you are still our coach.
Joe Cox
October 3rd, 2010
2:55 pm
Colorado fans are angry, they thought their coach was worse than ours. Nope looks like Hawkins bought some time.
edumacated
October 3rd, 2010
2:55 pm
680 Buck,
These seasons do not, in fact, happen ever so often. Georgia has not lost 4 straight since 1990, before most of the student body was born. Now you want to compare Florida’s situation with Meyer? That guy has won two national titles!
You need to quit sniffing glue.
Dogs are fumbling away the season (and other lessons from Saturday’s debacle) – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | Dogs Deals Online
October 3rd, 2010
2:57 pm
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BDAWG
October 3rd, 2010
3:01 pm
At this point in the season, the defense should be playing better. If the starters can’t get it done, put them on the bench. The personal fouls hurt and he should have been pulled. We have other players on the sideline waiting to play and they should be given the chance. The players being out of position is getting old. If they can’t get it right, bench them and play someone else. Also, we need a rover on the defense to spy on the QB and up front we need to get stronger. The OL still is not playing well and we need to try new combinations. We have concluded that we need a new offensive staff, so there’s no need to continue to criticize them, because it doesn’t seem like it’s going to get any better. We’ll see what the off season holds for coaching changes, but I am a Dawg, win or lose, but I do know when it is time for a change.
Party school
October 3rd, 2010
3:07 pm
When was the last time UGA was 1-4? Before Dooley? That’s my guess anyway.
Tide Roll
October 3rd, 2010
3:07 pm
Thanks again Uga for the best blocking tandem in the SEC : OT James Carpenter from Augusta, and OG Chance Warmack out of Atlanta. Searles let these guys go, and dips into Alabama and picks up Ben “Hit and Run” Jones, and Jonathan Owens who has already quit. Great job Coach. I ‘m certain Auburn appreciates Bobo passing on their Heiman Trophy winner, Cam “Bam” Newton from Atlanta Westlake. That’s quite a group of coaches you have there! Moultrie’s big OT Xzavier Ward will be joining us next year, while Columbus, Georgia’s Gabe Wright will be lining up on Auburn’s defensive line with Warner Robin’s Jeff Whitaker. Time for a change dawgs, AND FAST!
Party school
October 3rd, 2010
3:08 pm
Dan
October 3rd, 2010
1:24 pm
This is just further proof of how tough the SEC is!
LOL, by losing to a troubled big 12 team?
Coach Randy McPherson
October 3rd, 2010
3:09 pm
Maybe Georgia should borrow some High School Players and try to pass them as being in college. Ill let you borrow some of my players Richt if you agree to play us in a non region game next season
teewest
October 3rd, 2010
3:10 pm
Earth to Bulldawg Nation!!! Earth to Bulldawg Nation!!! You have 3 count them 3 SEC caliber players AJ Green, Murray and J Houston. Maybe Boykin so that is 4. that is it…that is all. Accept it!! The rest would be 3rd and 4th stringers at Ala or Fla. The recuiting evaluations have failed!!! A Hebron 5 star Woods 5 star Samuel 5 star B smith 5 star get my point. Go ahead and get a new coach but it will take 4 yrs to fix this. Your offenseive line cannot block to save their lives (go back to ala and ark game!! num 54 a bowl of jelly D Tackle whipped our line all game long. On Ingram’s 54 yard td their guard stood him up and turned him like a door knob ingram td) we could not block him. the corners are so weak. It is all they can do to just run with recievers, let alone make a play on the ball. this my brothers happen every single game you will see it next week. Our program is in way worse shape than any of us really know….sigh! Those highly ranked, highly regarded recruiting classes the last 4 yrs were actually between 30 or 40th best. Like my man Forrest Gump says “I’m gonna stop now i really am tired”
Ed
October 3rd, 2010
3:11 pm
Greg, I agree that Vol fans have no business talking trash to anyone, but I’m not sure they are worse than Georgia. Right now I have a hard time seeing Georgia going to Baton Rouge and being one bad and meaningless penalty away from upsetting LSU. Not sure this team has that much heart.
misterwax
October 3rd, 2010
3:13 pm
just be sure to listen to the call in show tomorrow night so you can hear it all first hand…. the solution is just around the corner….NAHHHHH!
Coach Randy McPherson
October 3rd, 2010
3:14 pm
I cant wait!I can see it now ! Next season, The georgia bulldogs vs the Lowndes Vikings live from the concrete palace. Be there or be Square
Party school
October 3rd, 2010
3:17 pm
The Vols are depleted but are playing with heart. The dawgs are loaded. Vols would have beaten LSU at Baton Rouge if not for a substitution error. Put your money on the Vols next week if you’re smart.
TheTaxJacket
October 3rd, 2010
3:17 pm
*** Nesbitt for Heismen ***
(((( 45 – 42 ))))
Joe Cox
October 3rd, 2010
3:19 pm
It is as simple as this. With the amount of NFL talent in Ga and no real instate recruiting competion UGA should be a much better team. UGA gets 9 out of 10 guys they go head to head against Tech for. The state of Florida does have more NFL talent however they fight for recruits between UF, Miami, and FSU. Alabama(the state) has a lot less NFL talent than UGA and have bigger recruting battle with Auburn than UGA has with Tech, yet U of A achieves much more success. Texas and California also have a lot of football talent however they compete between Texas Tech, A &M, Texas, Oklahoma, OK State, TCU and others for those players. In California you have competition between USC, UCLA, Stanford, Oregon, Oregon State and others for those players. If UGA can keep 90% of there players in state and get a real coach to coach them they should be a top 10 team every year. Talent has hidden Richt’s Coaching inability for years.
Idajan
October 3rd, 2010
3:19 pm
Right now if you are running the team like a business as Richt has frequently professed in the past, the first recovery step is to embrace the failure. You have to acknowledge that your personnel are not performing, your management style/business strategy is failing, and significant and fundamental changes must be made. Failure to acknowledge failure and make changes, continuing to wistfully hope for improvements and issue pugnacious bromides about hard work, will only assure them of continued failure.
David
October 3rd, 2010
3:23 pm
Not sure I agree with Richt on benching Ealey, Ealey fumbled near goal-line, giving 110% effort. Unless you want a scapegoat.
I guess, to be fair, Richt will have to bench King now, sinc ehe had a late fumble that cost Georgia a game, and let Ealey play the whole game now.
Ed
October 3rd, 2010
3:23 pm
SEC teams have lost to Northwestern, UConn, Jacksonville State, and Colorado this year. One of our more storied members was taken into overtime by UAB. Can we put the SEC supremacy crap to rest? I am a Georgia fan, not a Florida or Alabama or Auburn or Tennessee fan. Georgia doesn’t need glory by association, it needs to get better and start kicking some rear ends.
And don’t avoid scheduling Pac 10 and Big XII teams just because they beat us the past two years. Scheduling the Charleston Southerns of the world doesn’t help you get better, it just artificially inflates your W-L record. God, this program has gotten so lame since the Dooley years. 2002 is looking like an aberration.
Coach Randy McPherson
October 3rd, 2010
3:27 pm
Georgia Bulldogs vs Lowndes Vikings at the concrete palace. Its gonna be great. Georgia athletic is putting up a fight though. They said they would rather play atleast a 2AA highschool
Spike
October 3rd, 2010
3:29 pm
Vance Cuff sucks! Bench him.
Bucky
October 3rd, 2010
3:32 pm
What is it about blogging that’s so attractive? After all, it’s just a bunch of anonymous people, taking both points of view, or none, and never wanting any kind of accountability for their thoughts. Yet they critisize others for taking action, and just not spending all their time conceptualizing.