Practice report: Georgia rallies to defeat ‘Boise State’ 38-34
ATHENS – Down 31-0 at halftime, Georgia rallied in the second half and scored a touchdown with 11 seconds remaining for a dramatic 38-34 win over Boise State Wednesday in Sanford Stadium.
OK, so it wasn’t the real Boise State. It was the Bulldogs’ scout team posing as the No. 5-ranked Broncos and going against Georgia’s varsity offense and defense in a practice game at Sanford Stadium.
Georgia coach Mark Richt said he spotted “Boise” the 31 points — they only played one half – to “create some drama.” And it did.
The Bulldogs were trailing by three inside the Boise 5-yard line late in the fourth quarter when Quantavious Harrow, playing the role of a Broncos’ defensive back, flew in and forced a turnover. But Boise was unable to run out the clock and had to punt the ball back.
Georgia won when Hutson Mason hooked up with Tavarres King on a fade route on third-and-goal.
“We had a great second half and just rolled right through them,” quarterback Aaron Murray quipped.
Richt was happy with the final result and the overall play of the defense but otherwise wasn’t particular thrilled.
“We would not have been ready today,” Richt said. “Even our pregame warmup left a little to be desired.”
Georgia’s defense was particularly resourceful, creating six turnovers and “at least” four interceptions, Richt said. Two of those picks were returned for touchdowns by cornerback Brandon Boykin.
“It was interception mania there for a minute,” Richt said. “But their offensive line didn’t protect very well and that’s the main reason why.”
UGA kept “unofficial official” stats for the scrimmage. Tailback Isaiah Crowell had six carries for 54 yards and a touchdown, Ken Malcome added 11 for 61 and a TD and Brandon Harton had five for 26 and a score for the Georgia offense.
Murray was 5-of-9 passing for 79 yards and Mason 7-of-9 for 98 and a TD. Tight end Orson Charles had three catches for 31 yards, King added three for 21, tight end Aron White had two for 46 and Harton ripped off 49 yards on one reception.
“I actually think it was the best we’ve done in one of these kinds of games” Murray said. “The offense was pretty sharp.”
Defensive end Abry Jones was the defensive star with three tackles and two sacks, cornerback Jordan Love had three stops, a sack and forced a fumble and safety Shawn Williams had an interception and pass break-up.
“As a defense, we took it as our first chance to attack what Boise does,” Abry Jones said. “I think we did a good job. Now we’ve got to go back and look at the film and see what we can do better.”
Also, place-kicker Blair Walsh nailed a 56-yard field goal in his only attempt.
Captains named
Georgia coaches appointed captains for the Boise State game before Wednesday’s scrimmage. They are center Ben Jones, defensive end DeAngelo Tyson, punter Drew Butler and Boykin.
Boykin said he was particularly proud of the honor.
“It means a lot,” he said. “Playing in the Dome in my hometown in the first game of my last year, I really appreciate it.”
Missing in action
Most of the players who have been out the last few days remained sidelined with injuries. Among them was TB Richard Samuel (quadriceps), FB Bruce Figgins (hamstring), TB Carlton Thomas (ankle) WR Malcolm Mitchell (leg muscle) and WR Marlon Brown (ankle).
Etc. . . .
Afterward, Richt said the tailback’s depth chart going into the final week is Samuel first, then Crowell, Harton and Malcome. . . . Georgia will hold a special teams practice today, then a closed situational scrimmage on Friday.
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411 comments Add your comment
Thomas Brown
August 25th, 2011
7:30 am
How does it beat a losing record ?
(1) Will we have finally beat a team who finishes this season in the AP Poll Top 10 ?
(2) Will we have finally not Lost to a team who finishes season not in the AP Poll Top 25 ?
Thomas Brown
August 25th, 2011
7:31 am
Aron White cannot catch the football; all he does is drop it
Thomas Brown
August 25th, 2011
7:41 am
How is Boise State such a great team, William, when they win 1 of every 4 games against all 6 BCS Conferences all-time ever, have only 15 in the NFL – so whatever is in their air and water out there that makes 2-star players look like giant-killers daily – it seems to not impress the NFL either, and play every game this season, except against TCU and UGA, teams who average the # 81 team according to Rivals ? How can a football team avg Scout.com rankings in recruiting the last 5 years of # 69 all 5 years, and be any bloody good at all ? Answer : They are not. Bulldogs by 2 TD
Kevin
August 25th, 2011
7:46 am
Hello this is great idea give Boise state some great ways now win now at the Georgia dome Ritcht team is stinkin up in practice now..Maybe due to the stupid uniforms he goin wear in the 41-7 rout by broncos at dome before 73,414 Booin Ga Fans at end of 3rd quarter be louder at half time too….way go Richt give them a edge now for real game…
Thomas Brown
August 25th, 2011
7:48 am
Richard Samuel (quadriceps), fullback Bruce Figgins (hamstring), wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell (leg muscle), nose guard John Jenkins (hamstring).
Sure the Strength and Conditioning of Joe Tereshinski II is doing a great job, when we all know that the 1st thing you do in any practice or any weight-lifting or other conditioning work-out, is to stretch.
Let’s see now. All the most important positions, guys who have NEVER PLAYED are supposed to step right in, learning this Fall Camp for the 1st time, and NONE of them have been able to go – at all – not 1 practice.
Nice job – S & C. How are they supposed to learn their positions, again, I must have missed that.
bitter dawgs fan
August 25th, 2011
7:54 am
thanks chip for all the up-dates this year————–top of the line my friend
————–carvell is secretly “ROLL TIDE”——————-WE GOT YOUR number CRAVELL!!!!!
——————————TREE KILLER’S AND pay for play are low class trailer trash
———————————————-dawgs rule—375/6′9″ quam–may—-noise tackle——yaaaaw
bitter dawgs fan
August 25th, 2011
8:07 am
8 days to go and i’m loosing sleep——————–ill just read bill king’s collum and fall right to sleep
—————————–hahahah—nice——–falcons who???its all about collage ball folks
—————-when will those talk jocks at 790 the zone realize its all about SEC football—-loosers
RedandBlackDAWG
August 25th, 2011
8:11 am
Xman,
The jackets have been gone for quite a few years, you folks over at North Ave. just haven’t figured it out yet. Try not to proclaim yourselfs number one in the nation after you get by your two tough OC games OK? It doesn’t matter though. UGA will just give you another early Christmas present and send you off the field with another “L”, to feast on for the holidays.
Somebody get the Raid. There is another pesky bug in the room again.
GO DAWGS and GATA
Z MAN
August 25th, 2011
8:13 am
It was the SCOUT TEAM !!!!! Crowell with his greatness should have gotten at least 100 yds.
Dogs Smell
August 25th, 2011
8:16 am
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
– Here is why, This ga team is the same one that lost to UCF, KY, Colorado. This team is not only any better just a little more experianced. In fact you lost talent from last year. You play one of the easiest schedules in the SEC this season and you may win 5 games. 0-2 opens this season.
Dogs Smell
August 25th, 2011
8:19 am
I think Ga will need turnovers to even be in a place to score 2 td’s
dkg
August 25th, 2011
8:24 am
Abry Jones is ready this year and will have a fantastic year. He seems to go unnoticed. Everybody is talking about Jentkins and Deangelo Tyson. The two to watch on the line this year is Abbry and Kwame.
Mama says
August 25th, 2011
8:25 am
Wasn’t the scout team…….2’s and 3’s against 1’s.
Leopold
August 25th, 2011
8:25 am
Boise State 222, UGA 0 >>>> The beatdown of the year.
After the game, a UGA player who reads, writes, and speaks at a 5th grade level will be interviewed on TV, and millions of viewers will wonder why Mark Richt recruits these dummies and why UGA admits them.
It makes you long for the days when ethical UGA coaches like Wallace Butts and Harry Mehre recruited literate athletes who actually earned serious college degrees.
If you doubt this, go back and read Caleb King’s farewell tweet. The guy couldn’t even write a coherent sentence. This simpleton should have been sweeping floors somewhere, not enrolled in college.
Mark Richt and the University of Georgia are a disgrace to this state.
Riata Verlaine
August 25th, 2011
8:29 am
It’s common knowledge and an unquestioned fact that UGA head football coach Mark Richt has brought shame on the state of Georgia and made an embarrassing laughingstock of the state’s largest university. Even the most avid UGA fans understand this even when they won’t acknowledge it, bless their hearts.
The most embarrassing thing is the win-at-any-price mentality of Richt, which has effectively made UGA a football factory, with cheating, recruiting of low-intelligence jerks who barely graduated from high school, and tolerating immoral and unethical activities by both players and coaches. Even with all this, he still can’t win.
Richt is a product of the lawless environments of the University of Miami and Florida State University, where he learned well how to conduct himself in the most tawdry way, while pretending to the world to be a saint. Make no mistake – Richt is in coaching purely for the millions of dollars that have been wasted on him, and the millions more he will add until someone in Athens has the integrity and intestinal fortitude to run him out of town.
A truly shameful situation, especially since all Georgians, including UGA alumni and fans, have to live under this shadow of infamy.
LHarding Dawg
August 25th, 2011
8:32 am
Leopold – And you are a disgrace to your Mother.
Z Man – It was a 2 quarter game. If it would have been a 4 quarter game and he was the only back getting the ball, he would have gotten more than a hundred yards.
Now off to work I go.
LHarding Dawg
August 25th, 2011
8:33 am
Riata – And I’m not even going to get started with how stupid and childish your post is. Grow up and get out of your parents basement.
powderdawgdenver
August 25th, 2011
8:34 am
Does anybody know just how bad Samuel is hurt? seems like a long time for a ‘tweaked’ hamstring? tide roll….why do you stay on this blog? Dawg fans are tired of you…bama has no blog worthy of your thoughtful insights? bugger off dude….
JAWJeRDAWG
August 25th, 2011
8:38 am
@ Riata Verlaine
You’re entitled to your opinion.
But as a UGA fan, I’m certainly disappointed with our record these past several years, but ashamed and disgraced to be a Georgia fan – never.
Go Dawgs!
Boise State -3 in Vegas
August 25th, 2011
8:38 am
sure are a lot of dismissive comments about the #5 team in the country. People who make their living crunching the numbers, the computer models, and have scouts around the country have set the line at BSU -3.
So, you’d expect rational people to approach this game as if they were an underdog. As if they’d just finished a miserable year and lost their best player to boot. But no, the delusional Bulldog fans ( I refuse to call this bunch of underachievers “Dawgs” until they win something) rant about how bad BSU is.
Playing on turf in a dome is a decided advantage for BSU. my prediction BSU 38 UGA 34
Let the "BIG" Dawg eat!!
August 25th, 2011
8:57 am
OMG!! Richt’s favorite quote”We weren’t ready today”or better yet, “we weren’t ready to play today’s game. My question to all UGA fans and to this pathetic coaching staff, when was the last big game UGA’s players were ready to play? I guess it would be the Sugar bowl against Hawaii. This statement by Richt is getting as old and stagnant as Bobo’s and Richt’s game plans on saturdays. The only positive thing this year brings all UGA fans is that we will only have to read this same statement by Richt a couple more times this year and he and this staff will be gone. It will be fun to watch some of the young talent develop on the field this year. That is if this brilliant coaching staff allows them to play, and if any of them are healthy enough after they all have pulled hamstrings or some other muscle pull in their legs. This is a joke, that these players don’t the appropriate stretching for select muscle group to insure they don’t get these pulled muscles. I read the S.C, Bama, and Florida blogs everyday, and none of them have all the backs out with pulled hamstrings, or groins, like UGA does. This is no coincidence, this is common sense and lack of stretching supervised by knowledgeable coaches.
wiseoldawg
August 25th, 2011
9:02 am
Horses make good Dawg food !!!
Coach BoBo
August 25th, 2011
9:03 am
The real Boise State will be A LOT better than the scout team (better than the 1st team too).
Smurfs: 38
Power Rangers: 7
GaTruth
August 25th, 2011
9:06 am
Here is the Boise St. media guide – great info on 1st opponent
http://media.idahostatesman.com/smedia/2011/08/08/16/35/4iGQj.So.36.pdf
how2fish
August 25th, 2011
9:06 am
Well it is just about time for the talking to stop and the hitting to begin. Boise is a very well coached team and they have the winning habit, UGA is coming off a couple of down years and luckily last years meltdown doesn’t seem to be negatively effecting this years squad. The absence of all the off the field problems and arrests the departure of some questionable players seems to have helped motivate this squad . The new S.C training, seems to my mind to be working so far, we do have a number of players out with “pulls” of one sort or another but we have so far only one season ending injury…compare that with 2008. We start the season ranked which I have to admit has me scratching my head…6-7 and we are in the top 25 ? But we will take it best news is that we are not under a NCAA cloud only one player will miss the opener due to a “transgression” and it is the start of the college football season ! I am hoping for a win, it will not be a blow out either way, in the end I am a SEC homer and I think we have too much size and speed for Boise to overcome..if we play smart, limit penalties and turnovers and GATA…we win . Here’s hoping for a great game and both teams get out injury free.
JAWJeRDAWG
August 25th, 2011
9:09 am
@ how2fish
I think that pretty much sums it up for all UGA fans! .. Go Dawgs!
1eyedJack
August 25th, 2011
9:09 am
Let the “BIG” Dawg eat!!
Re: Richt’s favorite quote, it sounds rather Dooleyesque, don’t you think?
GTJeff
August 25th, 2011
9:10 am
As a Tech alum & Georgia native, this is one game I will be pulling for the Dawgs. I am sick of the Boise Hype. Go Dawgs!
Gomer
August 25th, 2011
9:10 am
Yaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy! Georgia won! Yaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy!
What? Georgia won a scrimmage? That’s a scoop. Why it’s worthy of a Pull it Sir!
TampaDawg
August 25th, 2011
9:13 am
@Paul in NH (formerly RDU) –If you’re playing in the SEC West, that schedule is a real possibility. Auburn has a similar schedule every year. When the East isn’t down, every team in that division has a horrendous schedule.
TampaDawg
August 25th, 2011
9:14 am
@TampaGator — Dude, your stuff is cracking me up today
Polynikes
August 25th, 2011
9:15 am
Yeah, no way a team like boise can handle that talent level.. Cause it was SO unmanageable for the talent stacked UCF and the vicious Colorado! Not saying GA will lose, but to say there’s no way based on that analysis? Ignorant.
Bazooka Joe
August 25th, 2011
9:21 am
We need to come out in mid season form for this game. Yes I understand the “Boise plays the sisters of the poor” schools for most of their schedule, but I will also tell you this – their head coach is really good, and while their players may not be 4-5 star – they do a darned good job dont they …. and if Boise is given time to plan, they can line up with just about anyone (hence the big season opening wins and bowl games – lots of time to prepare). To me a bigger measuring stick is how you do when you have these big games in the middle of the season with only 1 week to propare.
I am concerned because Boise usually plays very well in these types of games (see comment above) and we usually dont start off very well. 2005 means nothing to this game – Boise is a lot better than they were in 2005, we are not as good as we were in 2005. Add to that the fact that we are not playing in Athens where 90+ temp and high humidity would take its toll on Boise.
swampdawg
August 25th, 2011
9:23 am
The DAWGS will win going away. Does anyone have the time for South Carolina game?
ugab
August 25th, 2011
9:28 am
Hmmmmm! Alot of starters are going to be rusty not playing or practicing the last 9 days before Boise game. We need those guys to be on the field. JJ, Samuel, Figgins. and Brown need as many reps as posssible. NO TIME TO BE RUSTY THE 1ST GAME. BOISE WILL NOT BE RUSTY!!!1
TampaDawg
August 25th, 2011
9:33 am
@BCSstinks — So UGA has no proven RB, cool, BSU has no proven record. They beat a VT team last year and heralded themselves as the great mid-major that could. Until James Madison beat that same VT team the very next week. Not as impressive then now is it. And VT has never been all that anyway. So the great BSU goes on to run the table next year .. oh wait, no they didn’t, they lost to NEVADA! Please! Don’t come in here talking about how unproven UGA players are at any position when BSU hasn’t proven anything against the SEC and this current squad beat a mediocre 2009 Oregon team on the first game of the year (that same Oregon team lost to unranked Stanford later in 2009). Let BSU prove something first .. all the pressure is on them to try to get a first SEC win.
GT Joe
August 25th, 2011
9:33 am
Reality check: BSU is starting 14 seniors. Senior class is 38-2, with a BCS Bowl win.
And UGA has who? HEE HAW
how2fish
August 25th, 2011
9:33 am
@ugab I agree we would prefer those guys to be able to practice..but I’m willing to bet Boise has some folks in green jerseys themselves…it the first game of the season EVERYBODY will be somewhat rusty .
1eyedJack
August 25th, 2011
9:37 am
Another Dooleyism I’d like to see is a running game that controls the clock and sound defense. Win it with a long field goal or interception return.
Big Dirty Dawg
August 25th, 2011
9:37 am
Two things will determine the Dawgs fate this year….Bobo’s playcalling…and key injuries!! One is predictable…the other is not. Take your guess! LOL Go Dawgs!
WDE
August 25th, 2011
9:42 am
@GT Joe how’s the prep for your opening game vs the dreaded Western Carolina Catamounts going ? What is their seniors records? Have you sold out that game yet….seems like it would be easier this year as Dragon Con doesn’t start till the next day and the town will be awash with Nerds…best of luck vs those raging Catamounts by the way…
ugab
August 25th, 2011
9:43 am
I am glad MR is back to coaching. Our old AD had MR in a bind. I watched Jimbo Fisher and Stoops coach on ESPN. Both of these coaches were coaching their hearts out. Thats the way it should be at Uga. Gooo Dawgs
GT Joe
August 25th, 2011
9:44 am
Hey WDE, glad to see UGA finally got rid of Louisiana Lafayette. Or was it Louisiana Monroe?
UGA fans crack me up, all they talk about is how hard their schedule is. If you can’t hack it, come to the ACC. You can’t compete in the SEC any more.
Common Sense
August 25th, 2011
9:46 am
Love how TampaGator and SSIgator are the authority since UF is the pinnacle of college football since 1990. Thank you Gator fan for blessing us with your presence under an article about the Georgia Bulldogs football team. We’re SOOOO lucky.
Nothing Could Be Finer
August 25th, 2011
9:47 am
Can’t spot Carolina 31 pts in the Lattimore Show – Part Deux.
ugab
August 25th, 2011
9:48 am
The dawgs have 2 ruff games the start of the season. Not good for a program that is trying to get their swag back. I am supporting the dawgs and MR till the end. Let’s Go Dawgs!!!! Sic’em
Scrimp Daddy-O
August 25th, 2011
9:49 am
I read where Samuels was the starting tailback not Crowell. UGA fans get ready for about 4 fumbles against Boise State by Samuels and a loss. You heard it here first !
4everbleedblue
August 25th, 2011
9:49 am
You have Mike T running your scout team correct? I guess it doesn’t really matter who was running it, there’s no chance of Kellen Moore throwing 6 picks in that one game. He may throw 6 all season, but not in that one game.
ugab
August 25th, 2011
9:52 am
Lattimore is great.. His OL and FB can block also. Dawgs defense better be ready. JJ get healthy. Welcome to the SEC!!! Rambo got ran slap over the last SC game by Lattimore. Among others!! Ga’s offense needs to control a the clock. Hmmm! Time 4 some football.
Scrimp Daddy-O
August 25th, 2011
9:53 am
Its pretty sad when a former runnung back turned linebacker turned running backs again that has a history of fumbling is your top tailback… Only at UGA.