Read all about it: UCF 10, UGA 6

A roundup of the AJC’s coverage of Georgia’s loss to Central Florida in the Liberty Bowl:

My game story on another sobering loss in a lost season:

MEMPHIS — Georgia’s football season ended as it began. Badly. Very badly.

The Bulldogs, who started the season by losing four of their first five games, lost their finale here Friday, falling to Central Florida 10-6 in the Liberty Bowl.

The loss — to a Conference USA team that had never before won a bowl game — dropped Georgia’s record to 6-7, giving the Bulldogs their first losing season in 14 years and punctuating a dismal year on and off the field for the UGA program.

“It’s embarrassing to be part of a losing season. It absolutely is,” said kicker Blair Walsh, whose two field goals accounted for all the points the Bulldogs could muster against Central Florida.

Jeff Schultz’s column, which asks if Georgia’s coach can fix his broken program:

MEMPHIS – Mark Richt says he is disappointed. He says he has to make changes. He says the Georgia football program is not where it needs to be, and when a once-respectable SEC program ends its season by failing to score a touchdown against a team from Conference USA, nobody is going to dispute that.

Here’s the only matter up for debate: Does anybody believe Mark Richt can still get it done?

My notebook, including items on Aaron Murray’s gloves, Richt’s decision to settle for a field goal on 4th-and-1 from the UCF 3-yard line and this:

Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green, widely expected to enter the 2011 NFL draft, wasn’t ready to declare his intentions after the Liberty Bowl.

“Not right now because I’m not clear-minded,” he said. “I’m just going to give it a couple of days, let it pass through, and go from there.”

And a photo gallery from the game, including this shot of the post-game handshake between Richt and UCF coach (and former Georgia Tech coach) George O’Leary:

SPORTS FBC-LIBERTYBOWL 12 OS

490 comments Add your comment

JDO

January 2nd, 2011
7:59 pm

BWAHAHAHAH 10-6… AGAINST CONFRENCE USA POWERHOUSE…. BWAHAHAH 5 STAR RECRUITS FAIL!!! DELUSIONAL DOGS.

JDO

January 2nd, 2011
8:01 pm

THE BIGGEST FAIL IS THAT UGA FANS LIVE THROUGH THEIR FOOTBALL TEAM… THEIR LIVES ARE SO MISERABLE THEY MUST LEAN ON UGA FOR A POSITIVE LIFE… WHAT WILL THEY DO NOW?

james revell

January 2nd, 2011
8:26 pm

wow i dont no what to type how did it get this bad ,i mean 4 million doesnt but much these days .people to me i think this ship as sailed and hit the rocks i say fire them all but who is out there that will take a program that is at the bottom and in dissaray,wheather we keep him or go get someone else it will be a long time before we are relevent in the sec ,if it was up to me i would have fired his ass after the bowl game ,but im not in power ,if you want change stop spending ur money on anything tide to ga bulldogs in the end its about money and always will be it sad to say but in its present form GO DAWGS……..GO TO HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

gator man

January 2nd, 2011
8:32 pm

Now another Florida team owens UGA, this state sucks, All the Florida teams except Miami won their bowl games. This state football program suck, Uf showed heart by beating PSU.
Thanks Urban for the championships and for making Florida great, Thank goodness we not have Mark Richt

Charlie

January 2nd, 2011
8:51 pm

The bowl game was the worst coached UGA game I have ever seen. UGA was clearly playing not to lose instead of playing to win. CMR’s failure to go for a first down on fourth and a foot after driving the ball 90 yards on the opening series was unbelievable. It set the tone for the entire game and dispirited the entire team and fan base. The other question that needs answering is why did QB AM wear a glove on both hands in 65 degree temperature? He had by far his worse game of the season and he was the only bright spot on the team this year. It was clear that the team was not prepared to play the game. At a minimum, UGA should fire its offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. Coach Richt needs to get some fire in his belly instead of trying to look pretty for his tv commercials. Derrick Dooley showed more spunk and determination with a bad Tennessee team than Richt did with a more talented bulldog team. If Richt does not have the guts to fire several of his coaches, he should be replaced.

Burdell90

January 2nd, 2011
9:40 pm

Dawgfan…Jan 2…10:36am

“We don’t give a flying crap what you have to say. You come on here lecturing us about our football program like you are some authority on college football.”

You’re pretty funny. You see, this is where you are wrong. You do care what we have to say, if you did not, then why are you always on our blog putting your two cents in? Probably because that is your net worth! We are on here “running our mouths” because…payback is a b^tch you dumba^^ redneck!!! Stay off of ours and we will stay off of yours…dumba^^

Thank God the season is over

January 2nd, 2011
10:03 pm

We are a horrible team with very little hope for a different outcome next season.

David Granger

January 2nd, 2011
10:43 pm

Congratulations to UCF…they played hard the whole game.
And no, Coach Richt does NOT deserve another year.

Sautee Dawg

January 2nd, 2011
11:10 pm

With 18 starters returning next season will it be the same, can Joe T, build up our team that seems to weaken in the 4th quarter rather than excell. Do we have recruits coming in that will play right away to make a difference?
Coach MR is a fine person and a good coach but whatever it is that’s missing needs to be found and fixed.
To go scoreless for 4 quaters of football to a team who beat nobody. As we beat nobody.
We beat nobody in the top 25 this season and neither did UCF.
Can’t even remember a Goff team doing as badly.
We have tons of talent, but it reminds me of the season That Joe t the 3rd started over Matt Stafford. Same thing as playing seniors that are not as capable as the redshirts sitting on the bench now. Example last season {Evans}.
Whoever makes these decisions needs to do some soul searching and take some chances.
If we don’t have a play or playcaller who can produce a 80 yard drive to open a game and then not pick up 1 yard on 4th and 1 at the 3 yard line then we need to drop down to the ACC or Division 11/
Lots of playcallers out there that would love to be OC at UGA.
Went to the Falcons vs Saints on Monday night and Van Gorder gets his D fired up and we haven’t seen a D like that since he left Athens. We haven’t had a Decent offensive drive against a top 25 team since CMR stopped calling plays.
Why did BOBO sit up in the Box the 1st half against UCF? His coming to the sidelines in the 2nd didn’t change anything. Should tell you there that his prescence either place doesn’t make a difference. Love our coach but his Loyalty to his assistants has got to go.
Mcgarity says the work starts now, and if we don’t come up with a running back to make a difference our opener against Boise St will be a wash. Thats another letter for the mailbag.
With King and Ealey in trouble and fumbling all season does redshirting the Ken Malcome kid seem like a good idea.
His shirt should have come off after Ealey fumbled away the SC game.
Ealey missed the block that got Murray killed to end the Arkansas game which we had an excellent shot at winning with another 1st down at the ARK 45 yd line.
So many coaching mistakes this season you go back and look and we win several more games.
Mostly though is the lack of a productive running back, If we don’t come up with one in the off season then we can all sing the same Menphis Blues that we did on Friday in the Liberty Bowl.
Saw an advertisement in a local bank the week before christmas where CMR is giving an Inspirational speech at some church up in Blairsville, which is his time and his business, and i have nothing aqgainst his speaking and preaching, Thats his business.
But our team is lacking some inspiration in the fundamentsls of FOOTBALL. Like Tackling Blocking and Scoring.
As a coach does he see this?
After the Liberty Bowl he put alot of the blame on the radio show on Murray for holding on to the ball to long and taking sacks and throwing int’s.
When you don’t have a back who can run or pass block the D loads up on you. Not Murray’s fault.
Every play don’t have to start with a play fake. we are a very predictable team and until something changes we’ll stay the same.
Coach MR will be our coach next season and I’ll support h im and our team and i’l still sit in the same seat in section 120 that i’ve sat in for years but it gets harder watching knowing that we can and should be doing better.
Happ New Year To All.
C ya next year in the Dome against Boise St.
Go Dawgs and THWGT

Jcezzz456

January 2nd, 2011
11:24 pm

A sorry state of affairs.

still@the bar

January 2nd, 2011
11:39 pm

Dabo at Clemson already cut his OC and Running Back coach loose. What is Richt waiting on? I guess Richt will not fire anybody because he knows he is the one getting fired.

Dawgsbark

January 3rd, 2011
12:10 am

Put the blame on Bobo…he calls the plays and they suck…oh, the whole team sucked..They all stayed home with King .
Can you say Richt and Paul Hewitt in the same sentence..choke!

S GA AU FAN

January 3rd, 2011
12:12 am

So far I have pulled for every SEC team, except UGA . I tried but just couldn’t do it….I laughed for four hours!!

Oh yeah, nice chop blocking!

Clarke County Sheriff

January 3rd, 2011
1:25 am

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Oh, yeah… red panties…

THWG!

Raise Time

January 3rd, 2011
7:36 am

Give richt and his staff a huge raise and bonus–they tried real hard and had a lot of excuses for losing 7 games.

bitter "OLE" School Dogs-fan

January 3rd, 2011
8:20 am

yes it is richt job to make sure his players dont go to jail!!, how —work them so hard they will be scared to f—-up, no pain no gain—- uh!!!finish the—– forget it, shot me, dawg poo

Jcezzz456

January 3rd, 2011
8:39 am

A sorry state of affairs. We are recruiting raw talent but no character. We used to get quality players, good guys as well as students. Now we go with raw athlete that can not lead nor can he follow. They come to school an lose their minds and their mother’s hand holding. We need players with character as well as physical ability. We are going after the wrong guys.

Charliecole

January 3rd, 2011
9:04 am

Depressed Jacket

January 3rd, 2011
9:04 am

Misery loves company. Face it, both GA AQ schools suck. GT has no talent with a stubborn coach that will not pass and UGAG has no heart.

O'Hilarity

January 3rd, 2011
9:53 am

George O’Leary owns the Leghumppers!!!!!

A 6 – 7 LOSING season, looking pathetic in a 10 – 6 loss to UCF, didn’t beat a single team with a winning record, how can it get any worse than this? Just wait ’til next year? Hahaha, they’ll be worse!!!!!! At least they have Coastal Carolina, New Mexico State & Vanderbilt on the schedule! Including a win over Tech (who they own), they could win 4 or possibly 5 – which would be a great year!!!! Becoming irrelevant on the college football scene? Hard to believe with all those top 5 and top 10 recruiting classes!!!

Is it too soon to look towards 2012?

blazer

January 3rd, 2011
10:50 am

is their turmoil in the promised land?

wow

January 3rd, 2011
12:07 pm

Better go ahead and get kirby smart while you can ——-this picture is getting old. and fast.

AtlantaKnight

January 3rd, 2011
12:23 pm

All you UGA fans, just suck it up and admit that you lost to a more superior team. Our defense stuffed the run game, was in the backfield all night and kept your stud receiver to only 77 yards. UCF won the battle in the trenches. Next time, don’t think that just because you are in the SEC means you are a better team. We have a top 25 football team, a top 20 basketball team and our ice hockey club team shut out UGA a couple of months ago 11-0 here in GA. So like all bad dogs (yes that is how you spell the animal), you should just put your tail between your legs and whimper on home…

GO KNIGHTS!!

steve

January 3rd, 2011
12:48 pm

can someone address Murray’s use of gloves for the first time all year especially in 65 degree weather…then on the last 2 plays of the game [including the HAIL MARY pass], they came off…I think his balls were floating

S GA AU FAN

January 3rd, 2011
1:01 pm

if they do not fit, you must aquit…CMR that is…

dawgfan7

January 3rd, 2011
2:04 pm

until bobo is gone Im done

UGA#45

January 3rd, 2011
2:22 pm

How about giving UCF some credit.

That was a very good team we just lost to. They have some great Florida athletes on that team.

Time For A Change!

January 3rd, 2011
2:45 pm

Greg McGarity, Athletic Director

gmcgarity@sports.uga.edu

AtlantaKnight

January 3rd, 2011
4:27 pm

UGA#45 you are correct about great Florida athletes on the team. But there are quite a number of student athletes from Georgia on the UCF squad. Many of whom grew up idolizing UGA and wanting to play for them but were not recruited by Richt. So in addition to their athleticism and talent, they had drive and ambition to play hard for 60 minutes to beat the team that did not want them. One HUGE standout on the UCF squad was DE Bruce Miller; he is from Canton. However, he is a senior and that was his last college game; sorry to see him go. His level of play has always been great (C-USA Defensive Player of the Year for 2009 & 2010) but he really shined on Friday. He was complimented by other GA natives playing in positions on both sides of the ball. So make sure that it is known that UCF recruits where the talent is, including the State of Georgia.

GO KNIGHTS!!

SICK!

January 3rd, 2011
5:04 pm

Loss To University Of Central Fricking Florida………….This makes me sicker than Hell!

FIRE MIKE BOBO!!!!!!

January 3rd, 2011
7:08 pm

Uga played terrible and Aaron Murray had a really bad game, but as I continued to watch him throw with the glove on and his throwing never settled in. Did no one on the coaching staff have the idea to tell him to take off the glove?

Also Why in the healk did Bobo call a counter play on a first and 25? you have AJ Green, the number one wide receiver in the nation, and you don’t utilize him to the full extent. What is your thinking? Why has Bobo been kept this whole time. Someone needs to get over the fact that he played for UGA and fire him. Football isn’t personal, it’s all about winning championships and with Bobo calling the play it will not happen.

Still@theBAR

January 3rd, 2011
7:57 pm

Am I hearing a ROBERT HALL from GT wanna be at UGA?

KARMA is a TRASHY BABY MOMA now AIN’t IT DAWG FANS?

Suwanee Sorrow Dawg

January 3rd, 2011
10:32 pm

I really believe that McGarity was going to pull Muschamp in – yet, just like on the field- UF is far, far ahead of UGA. What is so disappointing is that there is no excitement with the fans or the players on the field. It as if they come back out of the locker room at halftime – the players just watched “Ole Yeller” or were visiting a terminal cancer ward in a hospital. My Gosh – there HAS to be a change in the next few days and I really believe there will be. Am not sure whom UGA may be looking at – yet I hope it is someone. How many of you would like to have someone like a Mike Leach? I see so many comments that “Richt is a genius,,,,et, al..”"” Really,,,, Really? How many 3rd and 8’s have I seen over the last three or four years in which UGA lines up in the “I” formation and tries a play-action pass. What a waste of time both in the play calling and the countless blood-pressure moments slef absorbed over these last few years. In the 2008 season in which (Stafford, Moreno,and A.J.) were on the field at the same time and you eliminate the Central Michigan and Georgia Southern games – UGA averaged around three touchdowns a game. I say – let really do try to place genius on a UGA coach and reach out for a Mike Leach. Good Gracious,,,, what a mess this program has become.

darrell starks

January 4th, 2011
9:46 am

If mark richt want 2 be a good coach he have 2 do these things.
1.First get rid of bobo, get a new coordinator.
2.Recruit hard on defense must have at least 18man rotation on defense and play your freshman and sophomore.
3.Defense is the key 2 mark richt success.
4.Strength and condition must be a must must get stronger and condition on defense.
5.You don’t have 2 have the top player’s all the time get football player who love the game so much that there dedication to the game is crazy.
6.OREGEN, STANFORD, TCU, AND OTHERS NEVER HAVE TOP RECRUIT HAVE FOOTBALL GUYS WHO LOVE THE GAME.
GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!

darrell starks

January 4th, 2011
9:48 am

BOBO HAVE 2 GO NOW.
GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!

darrell starks

January 4th, 2011
9:49 am

DEFENSE DEFENSE WIN CHAMPIONSHIP RECRUIT HARD ON DEFEENSE IS A MUST.
GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!

old guy

January 4th, 2011
10:20 am

Yes. Defense. BUT offensive play calling just keeps putting the defense in a mess. Is it just me or is everyone glowing about a QB that brought us our first losing season in over a decade. He had a year to redshirt and the best receiver in the country. Also, I don’t think he can throw the ball over the middle – I don’t think he can see over the o-line.

Progressive Dawg

January 4th, 2011
1:01 pm

This is all Bush’s fault. That’s why UGA is Bush-league.

BornADawg

January 4th, 2011
8:21 pm

BlazerDawg…My sentiments exactly. It’s not the losses driving me crazy but the way we are losing. No fire from the coach on the sideline=no fire from the players. There is absolutely no imagination in the offensive play calling. Is it just me or has anyone ever noticed if we pass on first down and it goes incomplete or for very few yards, we run on second down? We seem to be constantly putting ourselves in 3rd and long situations during critical drives.

BornADawg

January 4th, 2011
8:38 pm

And as for a new head coach, I definitely am tired of CMR and his no fire personality. Everyone keeps throwing Kirby Smart’s name out there. As for me, I want a proven head coach. Perhaps when Boise State comes calling next year, maybe we take a good close look at Gary Petersen and how he approaches the game and gets the most out of players with probably not near as much talent as we supposedly have. By the way, Rodney Garner needs to be shown the door as well.