Murray matches a Shockley record; Richt vs. O’Leary in Liberty Bowl?
Cleaning out the notebook before departing the blog for a brief vacation:
- I mentioned a couple of days ago that Aaron Murray needs just one touchdown pass in Georgia’s bowl game to match Matthew Stafford’s single-season school record of 25. What’s more, as Will Brown of Athens pointed out to me and UGA confirmed, Murray already has matched D.J. Shockley’s UGA single-season record of 28 touchdowns accounted for. Murray, like Shockley in 2005, has thrown for 24 and run for four. Pretty impressive rookie season, to say the least. (Click here for more on Murray’s season for the record books.)
- Mark Richt, speaking on his radio show Monday night about Marlon Brown’s recovery of a Brandon Boykin fumble on the kickoff return following the Georgia Tech touchdown/missed PAT that cut Georgia’s lead to 35-34: “That might have been the biggest play of the game for Marlon Brown to recover that fumble.”
- As I mentioned Sunday, Georgia’s expected Liberty Bowl appearance would bring an interesting storyline — the opposing coach. Either Central Florida’s George O’Leary, the former Georgia Tech coach, or SMU’s June Jones, the former Atlanta Falcons coach. O’Leary was 3-4 vs. Georgia as Tech’s head coach from 1995 through 2001. Jones’ Hawaii team lost to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl following the 2007 season. Central Florida and SMU meet Saturday for the Conference USA championship and Liberty Bowl berth.
- Georgia ended the regular season ranked No. 18 in the nation in turnover margin – a 100-spot improvement from last year’s No. 118. The Bulldogs are plus 10 in turnovers this season, compared to minus 16 last season.
- Todd Grantham on Justin Houston’s stay-or-go choice: “He can be one of the most dominant players in college football next year if he chooses to do that. If he doesn’t, then he’s obviously going to be a guy who’s going to play at the next level and he’ll just continue to get better.” Grantham said he doesn’t know if Houston will return for his senior season or enter the 2011 NFL draft. “We’ll just see as we move forward what’s best for him,” Grantham said, “and we’ll kind of go from there.”
- Players will lift weights and run this week, but Richt said bowl practices won’t begin before next week. The bulk of Georgia’s bowl practices will come after fall-semester final exams are completed on Dec. 15.
Today’s other posts:
UGA adds Florida Atlantic to 2012 football schedule — at cost of $1 million.
Richt tells callers he’s staying and wants ‘Dream Team’ recruits to join him.
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291 comments Add your comment
NoF.Dog
November 30th, 2010
3:55 pm
The dogs can beat the Jackets until the world ends, they can win the sec and the national championship as well until that time: But the absolute greatest thing about the dogs and all of the dog fans is that you will all continue to suck until the world ends. God Bless America!!!
Bo
November 30th, 2010
3:55 pm
Where’s Marcus to tell us that Murray sucks?…Fool.
At the beginning of the year everyone expected Aaron Murray to be the weak link. Turns out he was the biggest plus for the offense aside from AJ. I could even make the argument that he was bigger for this team than AJ. Although, AJ Green is one of the best to ever wear the Red and Black.
LMAO
November 30th, 2010
3:57 pm
Can’t wait for Marcus to come on here and continue to try and convince people that Murray is a terrible QB. It isn’t like anybody actually believes him but his post are funny.
Sanford Drive
November 30th, 2010
3:58 pm
Chew on this…….
If Cam Newton goes pro (and i don’t see why he wouldn’t, as he has NOTHING more to prove and his apparent love of money), who will be 1st Team SEC QB at Media Days next July??
Mallet is leaving, which leaves absolutely NO standout QB in the SEC.
So we may be hearing a LOT of hype about Murray this coming Spring/Summer. And that will be good for the program!!
Damn. Good. Dawg.
NoF.Dog
November 30th, 2010
3:59 pm
GO TECH!!!!!!!!!
schmeckdawg
November 30th, 2010
4:00 pm
It’s time to turn this ship around! Go DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BufordKing
November 30th, 2010
4:02 pm
JDAWG – I hear what you are saying about AJ staying at UGA – but he does not owe us anything.
College players have 3 years and can go pro – he has given us 3 years.
Yes – he missed games due to injury last year – but that is football.
Yes – he was suspended for 4 games this year – but he broke the rules.
But not having AJ in those first 4 games is not why we started 1-4.
Heck, we had AJ in the Colorado game – and still could not beat a crappy COLORADO team.
Having AJ would have helped – but the issues at UGA are many.
If AJ can go in the first and second round – then he needs to go.
Leaving for the NFL is the best thing for him and his family. It also gives an opportunity for another receiver at UGA to step up.
While I hate it when good talent leaves our team after 3 years – the plus side of that is that we had that player for 3 years!!!
Hear what I am saying?
Sanford Drive
November 30th, 2010
4:03 pm
I actually feel like Mike Bobo and Mark Richt were OVERLY cautious about breaking in the Freshman QB at the beginning of the season.
Then when AJ has his punishment handed to him, that made them even more cautious.
This coming offseason, the playbook will get a MAJOR makeover, to accomodate the QB we know we have. All we read about this past Summer was how Murray will in NO-WAY be ready to face the SEC. Any that got in the heads of our coaches.
Look for an ALL AROUND record breaking season for the Sophomore QB next year.
The Blair Miss Project
November 30th, 2010
4:06 pm
<—————————— WIDE LEFT <———————————
(((((42-34))))) hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!
9-1
61-39-5
We STILL Run This State
NoF.Dog
November 30th, 2010
4:08 pm
Yeah buddy, the what iffing starts after the Tech game. Good luck with that you big dummies. To Hell With Georgia!!! God Bless America!!!
I Could Have Put Some Lame Name Here
November 30th, 2010
4:08 pm
@ Jdawg
I disagree that that AJ owes us fans anything. I mean look how many people turned their back on him about the Jersey. All the calls on this blog to have him kicked off the team as an “example.” And the Fans only support these kids as long as they are the flavor of the month. Look at the roller coaster support for Washaun and Caleb. They only love you when you are doing something that benefits them. So these Kids need to get what they can while they can. Because the majority of the Fans could give a rat’s @ss about them.
WIth that being said I hope he stays but I don’t think he owes us anything.
75-76-DAWG
November 30th, 2010
4:09 pm
That proves my point. If Stafford had Murray’s receivers UGA would have won two national championships. All I can remember of the Stafford years is the announcers and press after each game making it a point to say how many passes that hit our receivers in the hands and were dropped. UGA had the worst receivers that have ever been at UGA back when Stafford played. With Murray’s receivers Stafford could have had 500 yards passing a game, plus a great running game.
Greg
November 30th, 2010
4:09 pm
Enter your comments here
PSJDawg
November 30th, 2010
4:11 pm
I think its interesting to note that in what will be a school record breaking year for Murray considering the bowl TDs, that our W/L record in no way reflects this remarkable achievement. Think what the numbers could possibly have risen to minus the stupid turnovers by the backs – who knows the TDs could have gone to the backs. The turnover differential rose, also not reflected in the W/L column. And by most accounts the defense is statistically better. Its hard to conclude much from that other than costly mistakes at critical junctures in the game(s) will be reflected in the W/L column. And, it was. Wish Murray, Green, and possibly Crowell could play on the same field once.
GT is a 4th rate high school team
November 30th, 2010
4:13 pm
As usual, the Nerds are self stimulating with their fantasies and denials.
I Could Have Put Some Lame Name Here
November 30th, 2010
4:13 pm
If “IF” was a fifth we would all be F’d up.
sturn
November 30th, 2010
4:14 pm
BufordQueen, with your Bear Bryant stats you just proved a point that all good coaches have bad years. See Vince!!! Richt is a good coach and any fan whishing he be fired is not a true fan. They are band-wagon fans and do not know what the seasons were like under the two prior UGA coaches.
Greg
November 30th, 2010
4:15 pm
AJ needs money bad enough to sell a jersey and you guys think he’s going to pass up millions. He is a certain top 10 pick, probably top 5. Why come back and risk injury for another year(when he’s already been injury prone) and why come back after the team has endured two straight very mediocre seasons? Who’s to say next year would be any different, even with AJ in the lineup starting in game 1? The first two games of the season will tell the tale.
I’m a UGA grad, but that’s the reality of the situation. Sadly, with AJ and Durham gone, Boise and SC are going to load the box to stop the run and Murray likely isn’t going to have enough talent at the receiver position to make them pay.
South Ga Dawg
November 30th, 2010
4:15 pm
42-34!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NoF.Dog
November 30th, 2010
4:19 pm
TECH RULES #1 BABY!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Dawgs!
November 30th, 2010
4:19 pm
some have mentioned the NFL lockout, it won’t factor in their deciscion because they will have to declare for the draft before we will even know if there will be a lockout or not.
sandman053
November 30th, 2010
4:24 pm
Can a player declare for the draft and then withdraw? is there a time limit?
sogadog
November 30th, 2010
4:24 pm
We get to play the Conference USA champion in Memphis? How embarrassing. If this doesnt motivate the Dawgs and the coaches to improve next year nothing will.
TechRedNeck
November 30th, 2010
4:26 pm
Lets leave the dogs with a happy comment so they will have a merry christmas. A. Murrey is the best QB in the land. CMR is the best coach in the land. Every high school athlete in the country would die to be a JAWJA DAWG. Next season UGA will win the National Championship. Athens is not in the state of Ga. Its in HEAVEN. They wipped the daylights out of the trade school. CPJ has no knowledge of coaching. The only reason Auburn beat UGA is because that Cam guy cheated. He was not supposed to be in the game. And those dirty GATORS they play so dirty our guys did not know how to play that way. The only reason Colorado beat UGA is because CMR was off somewhere praying. Those other games they lost was because the refs were ACC refs. Any recruit that decides against UGA next season has been brainwashed. AMEN and MERRY CHRISTMAS
Go Dawgs!
November 30th, 2010
4:26 pm
I Could Have Put Some Lame Name Here
November 30th, 2010
4:08 pm
@ Jdawg
I disagree that that AJ owes us fans anything. I mean look how many people turned their back on him about the Jersey. All the calls on this blog to have him kicked off the team as an “example.” And the Fans only support these kids as long as they are the flavor of the month.
Well said. It’s also a reason why we miss on some recruits as well. Recruits read these blogs and what do you think they think about a program that has bi-polar fans who love you one minute but run you down the second you make a mistake. The funny part about all the so called “critics” is that at NO POINT in their lives could they even remotely come close to displaying the athletic ability of the average D-III player let alone SEC caliber players. But keep up all the b*tchin and moaning you’re defintely helping the cause!
schmeckdawg
November 30th, 2010
4:30 pm
((((42-34))))
I AM SO “GIDDY” THAT THE JOKE BY COKE IS HAPPY THAT THEY LOST!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dirty Dawg
November 30th, 2010
4:31 pm
Just wondering, but just because we’re ‘bowl eligible’ does that guarantee us a game? I mean didn’t pretty much every SEC team, other than Vandy and maybe Ole Miss (but I’m not sure about them) also qualify? Will we all go, regardless? Again, just wondering.
Also, if we do go to the Liberty Bowl, will that be the first time we’ve been there since Jim Donnan quarterbacked NC State over us in 66 or something?
Diners Drive Ins and Dives
November 30th, 2010
4:32 pm
Memphis has the BBQ!
Go Dawgs!
November 30th, 2010
4:32 pm
sandman053
November 30th, 2010
4:24 pm
Yes IF the player doesn’t sign with an agent. Not sure what the timeline is but I think they have up until two weeks prior to the draft to withdraw their name.
75-76-DAWG
November 30th, 2010
4:36 pm
I Could Have Put Some Lame Name Here
That is one of the reasons that CMR and UGA should always be considered highly by any recruit over schools like Fla. and Ala. CMR encourages the players to turn pro if it is in their best interest where Myers and Saban does everything they can to talk the player into staying their senior year. Last year was the first time that Myers couldn’t talk his underclassmen into staying.
Green should have been dismissed to let $1000 stand in his way of helping his team as much as he could in his last year at UGA. All he was thinking about was himself and to hell with the team. He cost UGA at least three games if not four. Murray was new and needed all the help he could get in the first four games and if we had Green playing his leadership would have helped . We would have won three of the four we lost plus Green would have been in full stride for the Colorado game and we would have won it. UGA’s season would have been totally different.
Auburn would have lost to Miss. State , Clemson and South Carolina if Cam Newton had missed the first four games. We counted on Green to be the go to guy this year and couldn’t because of the most selfish act that a player could have done, putting themselves ahead of the team .
Green should go pro instead of staying for his senior year, he doesn’t owe UGA anything and the only reason he should stay is because he loves UGA and wants to graduate. For any other reason Green would show how dumb he still is and didn’t learn a thing.
Go Dawgs!
November 30th, 2010
4:36 pm
Dirty Dawg
November 30th, 2010
4:31 pm
Just wondering, but just because we’re ‘bowl eligible’ does that guarantee us a game? I mean didn’t pretty much every SEC team, other than Vandy and maybe Ole Miss (but I’m not sure about them) also qualify? Will we all go, regardless? Again, just wondering.
UGA would be unlikely to be left out because our fans have a proven track record of traveling well and spending money. That’s what the bowl committees look at first and foremost. It’s also why it’s important to support the team every year regardless of the bowl game because it does make a difference.
Knowall Moreno
November 30th, 2010
4:40 pm
Hope we play UCF & of course hunker down, AD Greg Mc., will you please stop with the scheduling of the high school opponents, playing Florida Atlantic??? Cmon, no one wants to see that, its a joke, just like Idaho State & La.-Lafayette this year, even when we suck we still blow them out, but thats the idea right? Why waste the time, gas, ticket, & fight the traffic for that bs? Would you McGarity, I say NOT!!!!! Go Dawgs
CHDawg
November 30th, 2010
4:51 pm
If we lose AJ as expected, let’s take 15 pounds off of Orson Charles and kick him out to WR. Lynch is very impressive, and Charles could fit the mold of some of the big WRs that are making game changing catches around the SEC–Jefferies comes to mind.
OkefenokeeDawg
November 30th, 2010
4:53 pm
Murray breaking records? But “Marcus” said he was the reason we didn’t win more games.
Aaron Murray will own the record book when he leaves UGA!
75-76-DAWG
November 30th, 2010
5:03 pm
Some of you keep saying a lot of fans turned their back on AJ. I heard him say that in a new conference and the fans that are backing him up are showing just how immature and entitled his generation has become.
When we called for him to be dismissed from the team we are saying the mistake he made was unforgivable. I will never patronize someone that puts themselves ahead of their team and think they are entitled to have us act like nothing happened just because he sat out the first four games. We lost four of the first five games because of A,J, and don’t think he wasn’t that good or important to our program.
Nobody turned their back on AJ. I wish him the best in the pro’s and in life., I just don’t think he has the ethics and integrity that I expect at UGA.
Destin Dawg
November 30th, 2010
5:05 pm
Grantham’s D will keep getting better… Belin and Lakatos are good coaches… Junk yard Dawgs are back next year… with JJ and RS @ LB… Ogletree .. need a monster NT.. maybe from JC. ?? Ken Malcomb could be a sleeper at RB or FB… with Murray, Mason, and Le May… Marshall to.. we covered at QB…. now lets get S & C help and O line .. 2011. will be SUPER.. Go Dawgs !!!
Destin Dawg
November 30th, 2010
5:08 pm
CH DAWG.. good idea.. I hope we get Nick Oleary as a monster WR.. who could come in & play as a frosh.
KeepDreaming
November 30th, 2010
5:10 pm
LOL @ Blair Miss Project. Good joke!
Paddy
November 30th, 2010
5:17 pm
JDawg ….AJ does not owe the Dawg Nation anything! Pick up the check AJ and be set for life. Thats what the real Dawg Nations wishes for this great kid!
M. Richt
November 30th, 2010
5:18 pm
The guys put in a good workout this weekend. Hats off to the scout team for doing a good job of preparing us for our bowl game.
There goes....
November 30th, 2010
5:21 pm
What do y’all think about Herschel Walker for strength and conditioning coach?
SoCal Dawg
November 30th, 2010
5:31 pm
EDawg71
November 30th, 2010
3:45 pm
I personally feel the rules need to change though. If you’re given a 4 year scholarship and then leave early, the scholarship money gets paid back.
I could not agree more. I’ve thought that for a while now.
A Different Jim
November 30th, 2010
5:36 pm
Richt does not realistically tell players how tough the NFL is. Yes, they have talent but are usually not really ready for the NFL either in knowledge or physically. He should have told Stafford that he was going to get hurt playing at Detroit. Hines Ward is the best NFL receiver GA ever produced and AJ will not be better. AJ can not last one college season without being hurt. He does not have the body and may not ever to last in the NFL.
CEPH
November 30th, 2010
5:39 pm
Richt wll stay because neither one of those schools are stupid enough to offer him a job. I would like for Richt to offer me one explanation, when is next year going to come? I remember him blowing smoke about this years team at the SEC meetings, so what happened? With him it is always about next year yada, yada, yada!!!!!!
Bo
November 30th, 2010
5:41 pm
@ Go Dawgs! It’s nice to see someone with some sense on these boards.
I really hope that the recruits who read these comments know that at least half of the negative comments from Georgia fans are really trolls who aren’t actual fans. The other half are likely 14 yr olds who don’t know a thing about football (e.g. Marcus).
Bo
November 30th, 2010
5:51 pm
A Different Jim, how would CMR know Stafford was going to get hurt. First, he didn’t know where Stafford would play in the NFL. Secondly, any player can get hurt in the NFL or college at any time. That’s a main reason why college players leave early…they have to do a risk/reward analysis on whether to stay or go regarding their health and money.
However, I do concede your point on AJ’s durability. There is some question there but I don’t think that the NFL will see him as injury prone. He’ll be more protected in the pros than he has been in college because of the rules.
Typically, receivers fair better in the NFL (and get larger contracts) when they wait until they are seniors to go pro. I think AJ is the exception, though. He has the skill to get plenty of YAC and he runs pretty decent routes. I would love to see him stay but he’s going pro. I can’t say that I would do anything different.
ga gator
November 30th, 2010
5:53 pm
Murray played far above expectations.
ugab
November 30th, 2010
5:55 pm
Uga going to a bowl game! We will take any bowl this year! Any bowl is better than no bowl!
ugab
November 30th, 2010
5:56 pm
Murray saved Ga’s season! He is a baller!
Marcus
November 30th, 2010
6:01 pm
Glad Christian Lemay will be on campus in 31 days.
This has been the worst season in 24 years for Coach Richt.
Murray put up some meaningless stats against teams like La Lafayette, but ranked #71 in pass accuracy against teams with winning records.
Didn’t beat 1 single team with a winning record.
Ranked below #75 in passing accuracy in the following “When it Counts” areas:
3rd down
3rd down and 10+
1st quarter
4th quarter
red zone
Murray has started his last regular season game. Fnnally, the torture is over.