Dynamic debut by Todd Gurley overshadows lackluster day for Dogs
ATHENS — The Todd Gurley era at Georgia got off to a bad start Saturday. His first carry as a Bulldog, a toss sweep to the left side, went for all of one yard.
Of course, it went a little better thereafter.
After his 55-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter, the freshman tailback from Tarboro, N.C., had 227 yards and three touchdowns on 10 touches as Georgia slept-walked to a 45-23 victory over Buffalo in its season opener at Sanford Stadium.
“I felt like I did pretty good,” said Gurley, not realizing the understatement. “Not having ever come in here and played, I think did all right. But I’ve still got to take it one game at a time. I still have to come back next week and improve.”
Fans didn’t have to wait long to see what all the preseason fuss was regarding Gurley. On his second carry from scrimmage, Gurley broke two tackles at the line of scrimmage and scored on a 10-yard run off left tackle. Five minutes later, he returned a kickoff 100 yards for another score. It was a breath-taking jaunt that highlight Gurley’s power, agility and exceptional speed.
“That’s exactly what we’ve been seeing all preseason, all summer,” junior offensive guard Chris Burnett said. “I didn’t want to pump him up too much because he’s a freshman and I didn’t want him to feel like he’d arrived already. But just watching him in practice, you knew he was very, very impressive. He just showcased in the game today what he does in practice.”
Georgia fans wondered if the show was over after the kickoff return. Gurley was quietly ushered to the locker room by trainers shortly afterward. Turns out the electrifying run took a little out of him. He cramped up and had to go to the locker room to be administered fluids.
“I was a little tired,” Gurley said. “I was still running after I scored until my teammates caught me and knocked me down.”
In the end, Gurley finished with 100 yards on 8 carries as a tailback and 127 on two returns as a kick returner. He scored 33 percent of the time he touched the ball.
“He averaged about what he did in every scrimmage, about 12.5 yards a carry,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “I hope that’s a trend. I wouldn’t he betting on that for the rest of his career. But everybody got a chance to see what we had seen.”
There’s a good chance Gurley will get the ball a more against Missouri next Saturday in Columbia. Starting tailback Ken Malcome, a sophomore from Decatur, injured his left hand in the second half and did not return. He left Sanford Stadium in a cast but said he was holding out hope that it’s just a sprain.
Richt said it would have be determined later. But Georgia’s young backs are ready when called on.
“If he can’t go, me and Keith will have to step I up,” said Gurley of Keith Marshall, a fellow freshman from North Carolina who was Georgia’s second-leading rusher Saturday ( 46 yards, 10 carries). “That’s what we signed up for. Players want to come in and play for a top football program. We’re just going to have to get used to it and take it and handle it right away.”
Gurley’s performance and a few other big offense plays glossed over what was otherwise a lackluster if not downright disconcerting performance by Georgia.
The Bulldogs got a 63-yard pass from Aaron Murray to Tavarres King to give them what looked like a cushy and comfortable 24-6 lead with 9:26 left in the first half. But then they appeared to take the rest of the half off.
Buffalo, 5-19 the last two seasons in the Mid-American Conference, put a bit of a scare into the sedate crowd, which failed to fill up Sanford Stadium for a home opener for the first time since 1998. They trailed just 24-16 at the half and, if not for some special teams breakdowns, could have had a first-half lead.
Of particular concern was Georgia’s ballyhooed defense. The Bulls rolled up 347 yards while executing scoring drives of 94, 75 and 75 yards. They reached the Georgia 1 and had to settle for an 18-yard field goal two seconds before the half. If not for Gurley’s TD return and a blocked a punt by Chris Conley that set up a field goal, Buffalo could’ve grabbed the lead.
“Their defense was really hyped up, but we had a lot of confidence coming in,” said Buffalo running back Brandon Oliver, who had 111 yards rushing. “We thought we had a chance to win, and for a while we did.”
Meanwhile, Georgia’s offense wasn’t sharp. Murray finished with 258 yards and 3 touchdowns, but he threw 11 incompletions and missed open receivers deep several times. Murray was also sacked three times and the Bulldogs’ young offensive line came out of the game beat up.
Freshman John Theus, the starting right tackle, had to leave the game early in the fourth quarter with a sprained ankle. Right guard Burnette was sidelined with a bruised sternum
“It wasn’t pretty,” Richt said. “I wasn’t thrilled with the way we played… . We better play better than that next week or we’ll be riding home sad.”
Georgia plays its SEC opener next Saturday in Columbia, Mo., at 7:45 p.m. (ESPN2)
THE AJC’S COMPLETE COVERAGE OF SATURDAY’S GAME
Game story: Gurley’s dynamic debut overshadows lackluster game
Jeff Schultz column: Has Georgia duped us again, or was this performance just a hiccup?
Sidebar: Shaky start for Georgia’s vaunted defense
Video: Chip Towers recaps the game
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81 comments Add your comment
dap01
September 2nd, 2012
7:47 am
I wish that we could lock CMR and flag football Bobo in a room and made them watch video of Alabama. Perhaps it would help them learn to utilize a running game and also learn how a running game helps the defense.
We have a running back that runs only 8 times but still has over 100 yards we still have to resort to double passes and other flag football plays.
Bobo is like Obama, he simply tries something, perhaps it will work. He has no game plan, he don’t have a clue.
Old Hippy Tea Partier
September 2nd, 2012
7:50 am
Spurrier looked old, tired and releived to win a close one on a bad call, Shaw is beat up in just the 1st game, with no back up and Lattimore will be worn out by the time the Dawgs play ‘em. whole team was tired and out of shape, hands on hips etc.
Destin Dawg
September 2nd, 2012
7:56 am
Missouri sure looked good Sat.. Look Out !!!
Destin Dawg
September 2nd, 2012
7:59 am
Ogletree is just a thug.. last of the energy vampires from the past.. I hope he proves me wrong, but habitual offender, theft and drugs ???
Destin Dawg
September 2nd, 2012
8:26 am
LSU Vs. No. Texas = UGA vs. Buffalo.. same scores, similiar performance as huge favorites vs. small schools… only team that stands out was Bamer !!!!!
Whatmeworry
September 2nd, 2012
8:56 am
Look at how other top 10 teams performed (outside of ‘bama) and stop the gnashing of teeth. There were many similar matchups that had similar results:
#3 LSU beat lowly North Texas by the same score Alabama beat Michigan 41-14
#4 Oklahoma looked sluggish in a 24-7 win against perianal CUSA cellar dweller UTEP. They were tied 7-7 at the half.
#5 Oregon only beat the Sun Belt’s Arkansas State 57-34. True, Oregon State did not play starters the whole second half, but the point differential the same as the UGA game.
#10 Arkansas beat Jax St by 25 points.
#12 Wisconsin beat Northern Iowa by only 5 points!
And so on. This type of thing happen frequently, the game was a tune-up and an opportunity to fix things before next week. Stop with the panic already.
Chipper
September 2nd, 2012
9:04 am
Doesn’t matter what other teams did. Georgia will lose to Mizzo, Tenn., SC, FL, Tech, at least, and probably Vandy. Blame it on whatever you like. A Saban team would be run from Tusc. to New Orleans and back for a sorry game like this. MR looked like he was on another planet and might as well have been. I’m surprised Grantham didn’t choke himself. In-game coaching. Hah. Non existent.
Whatmeworry
September 2nd, 2012
9:34 am
Dream on Chipper. Good luck with that attitude. Most people follow sports to root for teams. But I guess it will absolutely devastate you when UGA wins those games. I hope you don’t hurt yourself.
SimpleDawg
September 2nd, 2012
9:42 am
Underwhelming performance, especially by the defense…….and Murray.
Better get better quickly…..
Me
September 2nd, 2012
9:58 am
More bizarre play calling. Instead of working on pounding the ball, Bobo starts throwing it all over the field. He uses the pass to set up the run, instead of setting up the pass by running. No team throwing the ball all over the field has won a NC. This is not the NFL.
Destin Dawg
September 2nd, 2012
10:40 am
Hope we saved it for Missouri ???? we’ll need it they’re good !!!
Ghost
September 2nd, 2012
10:44 am
I didn’t hear about any Bama players having to run from Alabama to New Orleans when they only beat Ga Southern 45-21 in 2011. I will take that bet, Georgia straight up vs Tenn, Vandy, Missouri, Fl and Tech if you have the balls to actually make it.Just a little troll yapping on his keyboard.
Mad Dog One
September 2nd, 2012
11:35 am
Come on you people first you say Murray can’t throw the ball 20 yards then you b—– when he throws it 60 yards and over throws it by a few feet this —– happens. 3 TD’s & 258 yds. isn’t great but it isn’d bad with no picks. If he is going to be that pumped I’m glad it was against Buff. not Missouri. Gurrley is a hoss but needs to learn to block that could get qb. killed. I think that next week after CTG has a loving talk with them we might see a more inspired group of young men take the field. Not saying it was a great game but it WAS A WIN. GO DOGS & GATA
tell me again
September 2nd, 2012
11:45 am
I’m not buying the “first game” don’t worry argument – this team is LOADED with top tier talent and supposedly we had some very good coaches hired that were working on the speed and conditioning of the team – so, if the talent is there, the coaching is supposedly there there – what’s up? The bottom line is this – Alabama plays like a monster from the first snap to the last snap regardless of opponent regardless of the game, regardless if it’s 1st team or 3rd team / they come out and you can SEE by the body language they are ready to hunt bear with a dull knife – that is the mark of a team that is well coached and FEARS their coach. What did Alabama’s QB say in the after game interview? “When coach Saban talks – everybody listens” When Richt talks (as in to Crowell on the sideline) the little thug just turns around and walks away – do you think that ANY player that did that to Saban would ever see the field again – DON’T THINK SO! This team is physically gifted but MENTALLY WEAK! And whose fault is that? I have always been a RIcht supporter and still am but I am afraid he simply does not have the mindset to make players PLAY. IF Saban had our talent you would see a different team with different results -sad to say, but we have seen this for years now. If it was going to change it would have by now – hang on Dawg fans – even with the wussy schedule we have this year we are not going to make it across the finish line this year to the SEC CG UNLESS something drastic changes between the ear holes in our players helmets. Our talent needs to show itself – this week will tell us more. But if we lose to Mizzou you can scratch this program as an elite contender. Mizzou is NOT a powerhouse.
Whatmeworry
September 2nd, 2012
11:57 am
Dear “tell me again” – True – Richt is not Saban. Saban is Saban.
Does he need to be more Saban-like? Not Sure. Richt will not even go against Saban in the first 12 games. Hopefully #13 will match the two, in which case you should be very happy since you are an alleged Dog fan.
Personally, I like the chaos of Les Miles over the Saban dictatorship. Even if it is big business, it is still entertainment.
Whatmeworry
September 2nd, 2012
12:07 pm
I think Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas and LSU all finish in the top 10; Tennessee and SC finish just outside of it.
tomorrow
I think GTech will make some noise in the ACC, and hope they devour the Hogies
docdawg
September 2nd, 2012
1:15 pm
some good some bad 1st game jitters and adrenaline, alot of missed assignments and missed tackles but their running back and QB deserve some credit. Wisconsin almost lost to small school, OU looked timid, 1st game is what it is. backs look good, Marshall hasn`t shown what he can do yet but he will, TK and Wooten look good, Bennett a complete receiver, does everthing well!. Loosen up everybody; Next week it starts.
fishook dawg
September 2nd, 2012
1:31 pm
If Murray’s goal is to complete 70% of his passes this year, he better do it against these weaker teams becaue he’s proved in the last 3 years that he ain’t going to do much better than 50% against good teams. Yesterday’s best news from Murray was that he didn’t turn the ball over which is rare for him since he’s been here. Of the 3 sacks yesterday, one or two was because he held the ball too long. It’s still my belief that if CMR would ever bench Murray after a bad performance, it would be the best thing to happen for the team and probably for Murray. To me Murray comes on like he’s some kind of STAR QB, when in reallity he’s 4th or 5th best in the SEC.
Dawg Tired
September 2nd, 2012
1:40 pm
fishook – About the only thing I’m sure of is that Murray will never be benched by UGA. How he plays is obviously irrelevant to the coaches. He must have pictures and recordings.
Really?
September 2nd, 2012
3:07 pm
fried twinkie aka 5150 aka I’m a deadbeat that can’t support my baby mama
get off the Georgia blogs and build some birdhouses or take a shower or sell some scrap metal and buy your kids some clothes for God’s sake. Do you ever even consider trying to actually do anything worthwhile with your pathetic life?
I would like to know how many of the pathetic hate filled losers that stink up the ajc are actually 5150. He is the poster boy for the north avenue trade school fan base. No life, no class, no job.
Dawg Gawn
September 2nd, 2012
3:35 pm
Never know which team will show up with Richt at the helm. Do we get the world-beater we saw play against Auburn last year, or do we get the egg-beater we saw against Buffalo?. “Inconsistent” is the words that comes to mind. Go Dawgs!
Rewinding the Georgia-Buffalo game | UGA sports blog
September 2nd, 2012
3:47 pm
[...] Game story: Gurley’s dynamic debut overshadows lackluster game [...]
TMann68
September 2nd, 2012
3:51 pm
Gurley dropped the ball before crossing goal line on the 55 yard run. He was doing some celebration signal. I hope the coaches correct this crap. Otherwise, he was a stud. Marshall and Malcome look solid also.
Return to Glory
September 2nd, 2012
6:26 pm
About tired of excuses, put up or shut up. Get off your butts and coach up the players we have and the players need to get off their butts and put some effort into each play. The defense look soft, fat and weak up the middle…lay off the ice cream and cake and get your fat but in shape, sorry but Buffalo running right at our defense is a joke..what happend to Big John and Geathers ? did they even make a tackle ?
‘Old-man football,’ Missouri player says of UGA | UGA sports blog
September 2nd, 2012
7:22 pm
[...] Game story: Gurley’s dynamic debut overshadows lackluster game [...]
joe
September 2nd, 2012
8:02 pm
And is anyone surprised?????? Same lackluster effort that has become the norm #6?HA totally disgusted that buffalo can drive field like they did total BS 8-4maybe if were lucky Murray still look lame
Hottest game I've ever been to in Athens!
September 2nd, 2012
8:50 pm
That was the hottest game I’ve ever been to in 43 years. I don’t know how the players and fans made it through the game. I had to leave start of 4th quarter.
Dawg4life
September 2nd, 2012
9:44 pm
It was hot, but no where near the last time we played at Clemson, 30-0 and they ran out of ice, that was hot. Bama looked like a well oiled machine. D better get much more motivated in the new Columbia next sat.
» Blog Archive » The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Dogs have some ‘tightening up’ to do before Mizzou – Online Athens
September 3rd, 2012
5:15 am
[...] Buffalo, 45-23Yahoo! SportsDogs, save Gurley, unimpressive in win over BuffaloAccess North GeorgiaDynamic debut by Todd Gurley overshadows lackluster day for DogsAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog)all 538 news [...]
harold
September 3rd, 2012
3:36 pm
LOL!
GUYS THIS WAS BUFFALO. A PATSY TEAM. THIS IS A HIGH SCHOOL LIKE TEAM.
THE JURY IS OUT ON A GIRLY!
VA
September 3rd, 2012
10:37 pm
Al Davis said it best “just win baby”.