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.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
411 comments Add your comment
Dogs Smell
August 25th, 2011
12:26 pm
papa, you might be right. It maybe closer to 65.
The most interesting Man Alive
August 25th, 2011
12:37 pm
Crowell getting only 54yds against a scout team D is not going to cut it Humpers. Remember he did not break 100 yards in a playoff against mostly white Calhoon last season. And this is what the hump nation pins their hopes on?
Boise Dawg
August 25th, 2011
12:39 pm
I also don’t expect Boise State to score 31 pts. I think it will be a low scoring hard fought game and will come down to who makes the least mistakes. I think their defense is going to suprise a lot of Georgia fans, but their offense is not unstoppable. Kellen Moore won’t make big mistakes though, so we won’t have the benefit of a bunch of interceptions like last time.
DawginLex
August 25th, 2011
12:41 pm
Dog smell
How can you call boise a powerful team when they lost to Nevada?
Boise has never rolled anyone except the no name teams they feast on every year in 9 or 10 out of 12 games.
This game will be close and hard fought.
Only an idiot(that must describe you) is predicting a blowout either way.
DawginLex
August 25th, 2011
12:43 pm
2:07 left in the game
Virginia Tech 30
Boise State 26
Game ended
Boise state 33
Virignia Tech 30
Yet according to dogs smell, Boise “rolled” them.
TampaDawg
August 25th, 2011
12:44 pm
@Dogs Smell — So what was the score of that UGA / Kentucky game last year again?
WDE
August 25th, 2011
12:45 pm
@Dogs Smell I bet we would beat your bunch by 50…that’s right 50.
DawginLex
August 25th, 2011
12:45 pm
Here is a fun one for you to ponder dogs smell:
Kentucky 31
Florida 30
Kentucky breaks the streak in 2011.
TampaDawg
August 25th, 2011
12:45 pm
@The most interesting Man Alive — Great nonsense comment buddy .. Crowell got only 54 yards .. IN 1HALF. The same half that another RB got over 60 yards. At least make your arguments on here make sense please?
DawginLex
August 25th, 2011
12:47 pm
more like The Least Interesting Tard Alive
ga gator
August 25th, 2011
12:48 pm
Lexie, it won’t happen this year. Sorry brother.
Dogs Smell
August 25th, 2011
12:49 pm
Dawginlex,
Can you read ? I never said BSU was a power. It is Homernation that uses powerhouse when talking about Ga. Now In uga’s last game who did Ga play? Did uga score a TD? Did that team not have more talent than this one? How many TO in the scrimm game against a practice squad? Your 2nd coming of Hershal Walker had how many yards against a practice squad ? You Homers are delusional!
WDE
August 25th, 2011
12:49 pm
@Boise Dawg I agree with most of what you said..their D will surprise a lot of UGA fans…I’ve said it before this will be a close game. I think if it was game 4-5 and we are healthy we win, as the first game with no time for our OL to really get game experience it gets a LOT harder to get a win. Go Dogs !
Fun City
August 25th, 2011
12:50 pm
Boise State 55, Dawgtards 3
It’ll be a fun game to watch!
ga gator
August 25th, 2011
12:50 pm
Dawgs win a close one over Boise; say 27-23.
Dogs Smell
August 25th, 2011
12:50 pm
DawginLex , That was the same UF team that continued its streak against homerpups!
WDE
August 25th, 2011
12:51 pm
@Dogs Smell we will still beat your bunch by 50….
Boise Dawg
August 25th, 2011
12:52 pm
WDE… that first game swings both ways too though. In some ways it is riskier playing Boise State 4 – 5 games into the season. Their offense may not be clicking on all cylinders yet and they aren’t going to get too beat up playing in the Mountain West. 1st games are risky for both teams…. Boise State didn’t light up their scrimmage last Saturday either.
The Most Interesting Man Alive
August 25th, 2011
12:52 pm
DunginLex your Humpers will get blown out to the Blue Boys and shame the SEC.
Texas baller
August 25th, 2011
12:52 pm
#45 MIA again…..when will Mike Gillard get PT?
DawginLex
August 25th, 2011
12:53 pm
Dogs smell
you come on to a UGA blog predicting a blowout by Boise over Georgia.
You have a right to your opinion, no matter how wrong it will be.
I pointed out that Boise doesn’t roll anyone in games against actual college football teams like Virginia Tech.
That’s why I predict a close game on 9/3
ga gator
August 25th, 2011
12:54 pm
Having Michael Tamburo (former Boise 3 team qb) running the Boise offense for the scout team for UGA is bound to be an advantage for the Dawgs.
Hercule Poirot
August 25th, 2011
12:55 pm
Will the UGA players be wearing their lucky red panties under the Nike clown costumes?
Boise State will be soooooooooo jealous!
ga gator
August 25th, 2011
12:56 pm
DawginLex I agree that Boise only rolls weak teams. One thing you have to say about them though is they do not beat themselves. Petersen is a great coach.
astrouga
August 25th, 2011
12:57 pm
New Boise St. Combat jerseys:
http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2011/08/25/ccripe/check_out_boise_states_allwhite_uniforms_season_opener_against_g
At least one team will look good in the dome.
Dogs Smell
August 25th, 2011
12:58 pm
11 more days until the excuses roooollllll ! same routine year after year from the Homers, if it was our poor coaching then it is the refs fault. Dogs go 0-2 AGAIN !
DawginLex
August 25th, 2011
12:58 pm
and the dumbest dude alive chimes in more einstein like comments……………………….
Boise Dawg
August 25th, 2011
12:59 pm
I think a key for Georgia will be not to get down early. Boise State has a habit of being ready to go and jumping out to an early lead. Virginia Tech didn’t know what hit them in that 1st quarter last year… they did a great job of coming back, but not the way you want to do it.
WDE
August 25th, 2011
1:00 pm
@Boise Dawg what is the Boise injury situation , I haven’t heard anything on that?
DawginLex
August 25th, 2011
1:00 pm
Virginia Tech fumbled the snap from center on the 1st offensive play.
TampaDawg
August 25th, 2011
1:00 pm
Hey Boise Dawg .. out of curiosity, are there a lot of Dawg fans on Boise blogs also? To be honest, MOST of the BSU fans that come on here are cordial and fun to deal with. It’s the trolls from other schools that come on here with a lack of class and ignorance running crap about trailors, teeth, cuzinluvin, and wal mart. People like WDE, ga gator, and Tampa Gator not withstanding (they’re cool too). It’s usually the techies that turn this into an insult fest.
The Most Interesting Man Alive
August 25th, 2011
1:01 pm
Thanks for the complement Dung in Lex.
ga gator
August 25th, 2011
1:03 pm
TampaDawg, I used to live in Temple Terrace. What part of Tampa do you live? Thanks by the way for the kind words. I like discussion about football and try to avoid all of the juvenile comments. Unfortunately all teams have fans that are idiots.
Boise Dawg
August 25th, 2011
1:04 pm
Tampa… I am amazed at how many Dawg fans live in Boise. I live in the N. End near downtown and I have met 3 other UGA grads within a 5 block radius… and last weekend at the Tour de Fat (FatTire beer festival) there was a guy decked out in Georgia gear. The BSU fans I know are great. Well-educated about football and have a lot of respect for Georgia and the SEC. They are super fired up though… they have been foaming at the mouth to replay this since 2005.
WDE
August 25th, 2011
1:09 pm
@astrouga thanks for the link the ones I saw on a different site early this week were a lot different and well these are actually a upgrade for Boise…
Boise Dawg
August 25th, 2011
1:10 pm
WDE… I think they are pretty healthy, no injury concerns I can think of. DJ Harper is back. He used to be ahead of Doug Martin on the depth chart at running back, but has blown out his ACL twice in the past 3 seasons. Harper is also a very dangerous runner. They also got Blount back at LB from injury last year. He was a big reason they lost the Nevada game… great run stopper up the middle.
Grousefeather
August 25th, 2011
1:11 pm
Talk about a “dream team!”
Boise Dawg
August 25th, 2011
1:11 pm
Sorry Byron Hout, not Blount…
WDE
August 25th, 2011
1:13 pm
@TampaDawg thanks I prefer to talk football, however there are times when the Trolls must be punished…
WDE
August 25th, 2011
1:15 pm
@Boise Dawg thanks for the update I’d like to see both teams come into and leave the Dome injury free. I would also like us to leave winners, but that is why we play the games and this one should be a good one!
TampaDawg
August 25th, 2011
1:16 pm
@ga gator .. I used to live in Temple Terrace too in the 90s up til about 1994. Right now I live right on the edge of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel (grew waaaay too much waaaay too fast). And I agree .. debate is awesome. I love to debate with facts in hand but when it turns into a 3rd grade insult match (thanks again GT fans), I am not up for that.
@Boise Dawg .. I am SHOCKED that there are that many UGA fans up there. I know we travel well but apparently some found a nice place to stay after a game. I respect what BSU has done over the years. I just don’t think enough people will ever give credit to having a tough SEC team 8 games a year. Then other conference fans complain about your team not scheduling OOC games and when you do, they want to jump on you about that too. Like when a PAC10 fan shouts about the 2 OOC games his school is playing and talking about how great their OOC schedule is. I am like I hope you have a great OOC schedule (still just a couple of games) because your in conference schedule blows.
UGA 27, BSU 13
Nothing Could Be Finer
August 25th, 2011
1:22 pm
I think a key for Georgia will be not to get down early. Boise State has a habit of being ready to go and jumping out to an early lead.
————————————————
Is that why Richt spotted them 31 points in the scrimmage?
Don’t you think that the real Boise team is better than Ga’s scout Boise team?
Are you scared yet?
Boise Dawg
August 25th, 2011
1:24 pm
Tampa BSU’s conference schedule is much improved this year. The difference between the WAC and Mountain West is bigger than most outside the west realize. Heck Wyoming beat Tennessee in Knoxville a few years back. Its too bad Utah and BYU left and now TCU.. that will hurt Boise State in the long run I fear.
ga gator
August 25th, 2011
1:25 pm
Tampa I lived on Woodbine just off the 10th fairway, moved up in 2005 and have been going to UGA home games and in Jax since 2008 with my girlfriend and finally tied the knot this Feb. Funny story; last year in Jax right before the kickoff she turns to me with a straight face and said, “I hate them!”, we recovered and still got married.
TampaDawg
August 25th, 2011
1:34 pm
lol ga gator .. that is good stuff .. I love SEC football as a whole and pull for the SEC team whenever OOC games are played (case in point; I was prepping in Fort Dix for deployment in early 2009 with a BUNCH of Gator fans. Found myself in a freezing cold “gym”/tent watching the UF/OK game and cheering like crazy for Timmy T and boys.) Have to look you up next time I am up that way.
CEO of WalMart
August 25th, 2011
1:35 pm
Get back to work you mutts! If had any brains, you would have gone to Tech like me!
CEO of WalMart
August 25th, 2011
1:37 pm
Yes, a lot of dawg fans in Boise. We have walmarts there too, duh.
TampaDawg
August 25th, 2011
1:37 pm
Boise Dawg, I know someday a mid-major team is going to win it all. Won’t be this year, but some day. As the Big 10 has found out many times, it is a different animal playing lack luster teams then having to step in the ring with an SEC team. They think when we talk about team speed we are speaking of skill position players. Not at all. Everyone is fast there. But in the DL/OL, SEC is fast. In the LB corp, SEC is fast. Heck, even some of our QBs will run a sub 4.5 40 .. Again respect is there for BSU, especially, being a big fan of great QBs, Kellen Moore, but I just think we are going to see a repeat of the same thing. Big hype, but not quite ready. 2005s UGA team wasn’t expected to do much going into the BSU game either.
GT Joe
August 25th, 2011
1:38 pm
Hate to say it, but the Boise jerseys BLOW AWAY the mutt jerseys for this game. Nike must hate UGA for some reason.
Billy Peeler
August 25th, 2011
1:38 pm
Boise State has a good coach, and some good athletes, as well. They don’t attract the 4 and 5-star recruits like the SEC programs do, but they have a lot of 3-star players who come in and work hard. (And who sometimes have a chip on their shoulder from not being ranked as highly as they thought they should have been…so they hit the weight room hard, and play with that “aggressive resentment”.)
BSU is starting 14 seniors, and their senior class record is 38-2, including a BCS Bowl win. They remind me of a school like Butler in college basketball, in that they find a way to compete. In both cases, good execution seems to be at the foundation of their success. This is going to be a good game, and I damn sure hope Coach Richt has the team ready to play hard from the opening kickoff.