Struggles continue in marquee games; team whipped but not flat, Richt says
COLUMBIA, S.C. – A dismal loss to South Carolina extended and exacerbated the Georgia football team’s multi-year trend of struggling — a lot — against top opponents.
Saturday night’s 35-7 loss — Georgia’s first game of the season against a ranked opponent and its first defeat of the season — dropped the Bulldogs’ record against Top 25 teams to 2-8 since the start of the 2010 season, including 0-4 against Top 10 teams.
And going back a bit further, the loss dropped the Bulldogs to 6-14 against Top 25 teams since the start of the 2008 season, including 1-9 against Top 10 opponents.
The impact of the loss on Georgia’s national reputation was quickly registered. Ranked No. 5 before the game, the Bulldogs tumbled Sunday to No. 14 in the Associated Press media poll and No. 12 in the USA Today coaches’ poll. South Carolina rose from No. 6 to No. 3 in both.
Asked late Saturday night how he responds to the perception that Georgia doesn’t rise to the occasion in high-profile games, UGA offensive lineman Chris Burnette said: “I can’t really dispute it because we haven’t.”
The Bulldogs’ only wins over ranked opponents in the past 2 1/2 seasons came last season against Auburn and Georgia Tech, Nos. 24 and 25, respectively, in the AP poll at the time of those games.
You have to go back to a 2009 victory over Tech, No. 7 at the time, to find Georgia’s most recent victory against a Top 10 opponent. Aside from that, the Bulldogs have lost to every such team they’ve faced in the past 4 ½ seasons: Alabama and Florida in 2008; Oklahoma State, LSU and Florida in 2009; Auburn in 2010; Boise State and LSU (SEC title game) in 2011; and South Carolina in 2012.
“We definitely want to make sure that in the future we can rise up to that occasion,” Burnette said. “We know what we’re capable of, but we’ve just got to go back and look at film and figure out what happened, what we did wrong.”
Saturday’s loss left Georgia (5-1, 3-1 SEC) a game behind South Carolina (6-0, 4-0) and Florida (5-0, 4-0) in the SEC East. Georgia doesn’t play this week, while South Carolina is at LSU and Florida at Vanderbilt.
Georgia won the East last season despite losing to South Carolina. To repeat that feat, the Bulldogs likely would need to win out — including Oct. 27 vs. Florida, currently No. 4 in the AP poll — and would need South Carolina to lose twice (say, at LSU and at Florida).
“I’m definitely not losing confidence in this team at all or in our coaching staff or anything like that,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said Sunday. “That’s the worst thing you can do. Teams panic and they tend to fall apart. But Georgia is not going to fall apart.
“A year ago, we’re 0-2 and everybody wants to decide the sky has fallen and it’s over for Georgia. But what did we do? We stayed firm; we believed in each other; we kept banging away; we started to win; and before you know it, we won the Eastern Division. … It’s unfortunate [Saturday’s game] came out the way it did with so much at stake, but there’s still a lot at stake. The sun did come up, and we’re going to get back to work.”
Richt rejected the suggestion the Bulldogs were flat against the Gamecocks.
“I wouldn’t say it was a flat performance,” he said. “I would just say that South Carolina physically whipped us.”
He continued: “If we’d had more success early in the ballgame, it wouldn’t have seemed like a flat performance. Even the initial drive, if [Bacarri] Rambo hangs on to the pick and we turned it into points, all of a sudden things look a little bit different. So there’s a lot of things that could have happened along the way if we could have [pass-]protected better or run- blocked better and been more accurate or tackled better — all of those things. I’m still going to say South Carolina did a heck of a job, and we didn’t get it done.”
Georgia averaged 48.2 points in winning its first five games, but the Gamecocks jumped to a 21-0 lead in the first 10 minutes and held the Dogs scoreless until the final two minutes.
As South Carolina built the early lead, Georgia had breakdowns on offense (a tipped interception), defense (a missed interception, open receivers) and special teams (a 70-yard punt return for a Carolina touchdown). So it went, the Gamecocks’ domination starting on the line of scrimmage and permeating all phases of the game.
“It’s definitely humbling,” Bulldogs linebacker Jarvis Jones said.
“They were shell-shocked,” South Carolina tailback Marcus Lattimore told reporters. “We hit them in the mouth, and they weren’t ready for it.”
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF GEORGIA-SOUTH CAROLINA GAME
- Game story: South Carolina 35, Georgia 7
- Bradley: A sobering night for overwhelmed Bulldogs
- Spurrier: ‘They can’t say they own us anymore’
- Georgia’s defense no match for South Carolina’s offense
- Notebook: Gamecocks’ Shaw shows off against state school
- Photo gallery from No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 6 South Carolina
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654 comments Add your comment
Me too
October 7th, 2012
8:32 pm
Hey Collar, thanks for your support.
olddawg
October 7th, 2012
8:32 pm
I loss although a bad one and the trolls are out from under a rock.Has been nice not hearing your venom!So go back and hide!
dawg collar
October 7th, 2012
8:33 pm
note to all you dawg dummies: the rest of the english speaking world spells the word lose with one “o”; loose is the opposite of tight…write it on a rock if you have to…
LowcountryDawg
October 7th, 2012
8:35 pm
I see Car losing two SEC games. Shoot, Vandy and KY put up more fight and points than UGA and these Carolina fans would have thought they just beat the national champion last night, when really they beat a way over-hyped and overrated Georgia team. Question becomes if UGA steps up and beats UF. Honestly, I hope they don’t so something MIGHT change.
dawg collar
October 7th, 2012
8:35 pm
take your medicine olddawg, cause you’ve got 2 weeks of all troll, all the time…its what happens when you over promise and under deliver…probably heard that one from your boss…
Gman 84
October 7th, 2012
8:36 pm
Uhhh earth to CMR, they already fell apart. Florida will destroy this soft team. If it’s a big game. Expect the dawgs to suck.
Summit Dawg
October 7th, 2012
8:37 pm
Mark Richt is brain dead when it comes to coaching and making post game comments…..He was outcoached, outcoached, outcoached, outcoached…..He has no fire, especially during the game….appears to be too busy adjusting his headseat and microphone….I laughed last week during the Tennessee game when he turned to try and get the crowd into the game, I thougt, who is going to get him into the game????? Go Dawgs!!! Fire Bobo & Richt!!!!
dawg collar
October 7th, 2012
8:37 pm
keep dreaming Lowcountry…where would you prefer the dawgs to go bowling…Memphis or Nashville?
Huh?
October 7th, 2012
8:38 pm
Actually, it’s not just CMR’s fault…a lot of the blame goes to the AJC…
Vance Duly
October 7th, 2012
8:38 pm
Yes, we were hit in the mouth, and yes, we weren’t ready for it —- AGAIN…….
We didn’t help ourselves with Coach Bobo’s play-calling, either —– 2nd quarter, 3rd and 10 after 2 failed plays, with a desperate need for a first down, so what do we do? Throw 30 yards downfield to Malcolm Mitchell, incomplete, followed by a punt. We only needed 10 yards, not 30.
Then, later in the game, 4th and 2, so what do we do?? Throw a poor fade about 15 yards downfield, giving SC the ball again. How many times did we get Murray out of the pocket to slow down their pass rush? I don’t remember one time….maybe once or twice, maybe not at all.
Is the wide receiver screen the ONLY short-yardage pass that we could think of!?!?!?!?! But, we’ll score 45 against Kentucky and the Bobo-ites will again point out our per-game scoring average, while we can’t score in these big games against Top 20 teams………… Still, in spite of yet ANOTHER failed effort against a Top 20 team, GO DAWGS!
Me too
October 7th, 2012
8:39 pm
hey collar, learn some blog etiquette. You don’t spell or grammar check, unless you want to play the part of idiot. Stand up and take a bow.
No faith......
October 7th, 2012
8:40 pm
I have been a believer in Richt for many years, even when many wanted him gone. Saturday night finally did it for me. What we saw on the field was unacceptable. The inability of Mark Richt’s teams to win big meaningful games has been a consistent trend over the last four seasons. This has to stop and I believe the only way to do this is to make a change at the top. UGA has far too much talent, money, and resources to end up middle of the pack at best. I hope McGarrity (sp) has the sense to see this and is prepared to make the decision to part ways with Richt and staff. I will never stop supporting the Dawgs. I’m just over this coaching staff.
Cseay
October 7th, 2012
8:42 pm
A S. GA boy comes home from school and says Mommy, Mommy I heard a new term at school today and I don’t know what it means. What is the term his Mom asked? The little boy responded that the term was “doggie style.” What does it mean Mom? The boys Father responded we’ll watch the replay of the SC/GA game and I suspect you’ll get it.
LoganvilleDAWG
October 7th, 2012
8:42 pm
Dawg Heaven; you sound like a freaking liberal with that trash you have on the board @ 8:20pm. I’m sure you like Obama too!! You take the last 4 coaches we have had, take the 1st 10 years, 11 years; none of them compare to CMR in winning %%. He wasn’t out there playing, he wasn’t the one getting beat on the line. That team was more ready then we were. They have more experiance on the defensive line then we have on our offensive line. YES, he is the CEO, and just like CEO’s you do have some bad qtrs in your company. We were not ready, they were. Next year we get them in Athens. Also, we have 6 more games to win and we should be have a darn good chance to win all of them. If they lose 2-3 of the 6 then we have a problem.When you know something about the football program and not the band, then you can comment about the program. I am over at the Butts-Mehere 3-4 times a week and know all of the coaches. So lay off them.I promise you the coaches and players are beating themselves up more then you can imagine.So if you don’t want to support them, start rooting for Tech.
cleveland dawg
October 7th, 2012
8:43 pm
I am very passionate about the dogs and was a richt fan but lets face it every year we lose a game because were not ready to play and that is coaching. With the talent we have had in the past five years alone, saban or miles would have won three national championships with. Im not going to be blind anymore the fans get let down every year,and frankly Im sick of it. The coaches we have now are a joke, we go no further than we are now, and if we keep the coaches we have now we never will. Its time for change and it needs to be quick. NEED NEW COACHES.
LowcountryDawg
October 7th, 2012
8:44 pm
Dawg Collar, you just proved my point exactly. You beat an overrated UGA team and you think your headed to the national championship. You have yet to put an entire season together and win a SEC championship for your program in history.
Wow
October 7th, 2012
8:44 pm
There are actually people on here calling out the fans for being pissed about another UGA pratfall. The team absolutely quit in Q4. I guess the proper response is to give CMR a raise and another extension? WTFE
LakeDawg
October 7th, 2012
8:46 pm
Can we stop with all of the Christian talk. Just give me someone who can coach a lick. Geez
Ward
October 7th, 2012
8:47 pm
I’m an alumni and it hurts so bad to see this program fall like it has over the past few years… It is a program of cowards, which starts at the stop with Greg McGarity not having the strength to make a decision that should have been made 2 years ago. Instead, we have the most over paid coaches in history. The entire staff needs to be dismissed and we need fresh blood no matter the cost. Aaron Murray needs to go… I don’t care if he breaks ever record in UGA history; he will never be someone the fan base cares about. He is not a winner or someone that can lead any team to the promise land. I am quitting on this team like they quit on the field in Carolina last night. I am over it and the University will not get one more dollar from me until they make a change at the top of the program. I am going to encourage all of my fellow alumni to do the same…We cannot vote Richt out, but we can vote with our dollars and I implore you all not to use any of your dollars to support a program that will not give us what we ask for and deserve: HOPE! As long as Mark Richt and his band of dwarfs are here we will have no HOPE. I cannot keep the faith expecting good things to come down the road; I have been fooled too much over the past few years. UGA has become a C-USA program. We look good playing against teams less than us (the Tulane or Duke), but when it comes to teams like Bama, LSU, and I guess now South Carolina we see how mediocre we truly are now days…It is an embarrassment to this state, much the same as Tech is to the state… at least they don’t have talent. I know some will say that we will still we 10 games this year (and we may well do that), but we will lose to USC & UF in the only two games versus real teams all year… Most likely we will lose our bowl game too and I am afraid that people will feel like that is good enough to keep the coaches… Well, I am here to say it is not. I do not care that Mark Richt is a good Christian man. So am I, and if I don’t do my job well I would still get fired. Being a good man doesn’t make you a good coach…Just look at all the arrest and suspensions! Being a Christian means that you have salvation; it doesn’t mean that you become good at all you do, nor does it qualify you to do things that you really cannot do well. The results should speak for themselves and as far as I am concerned they do not meet where we should be as a program.
JDawg
October 7th, 2012
8:47 pm
I think we shood fire Richt and hire Saban or Belicheck. We need a coach that will yell at peeple and git in there face. I cant understnd whi the presedint of Georgia cant see what all us us geanasses on this blogs can see. We will never win like this. We desurve moor as fans. We work hard at hour jobs only to see the same lak of comitmnet from hour coches. I now they git up early and go to bed late and wok all the time to git better. But I desurve to drink myy beer and second gess on furums like this and demand action. If only they culd be as smart ass all of us are. Idiots……….
JFKDawg
October 7th, 2012
8:48 pm
Just another poor game plan or no plan at all. Knowing SC tenacious DE’s, we should be running 2 or 3 step drops and get rid of the ball, not running around in the backfield like a Candy Pants. Absolutely horrendous play calling keeps any flow from developing. I just wish Richt would use the Obama out and say “it could have been worse” we could have been Auburn or GA Tech.
Me too
October 7th, 2012
8:48 pm
Has nobody here ever seen the QUESTION AUTHORITY bump snicker. Question, why the powers to be at UGA allow this clown to remain coach.
Students should line Adams path screaming at the SOB. He is to blame. Not Richt. Richt will be counting his millions and grinning with that stupid, you hate and and can’t do a damn thing about it smile.
Delbert D.
October 7th, 2012
8:49 pm
Not “flat,” but flattened by South Carolina. The 3rd string guys were very spirited on the last drive. Malcome ran the ball well against SC’s backups.
I'm Done.
October 7th, 2012
8:49 pm
All you need to know about Mark Richt is that he wanted to make Cam Newton a Tightend, good grief. I graduated in 1977 and I have spent way too much time and money on this team for McGrarity and the rest of the school to allow this uninspired and unprepared type of football to go without someone feelng the consequence. For crying out loud this UGA not UVA where they obviously don’t care. Maybe Mcgraity or Adams should check to see if it is not to late to join the ACC or the Big East. I will be filing divorce papers with this University on Monday morning I’m done.
TossSweep
October 7th, 2012
8:50 pm
After every loss, the coaches and players keep saying they have to look at the film and evaluated. We’ve got to do this, we’ve got to do that. We hear “We’ve got to” from the coaches and trickled down to the players. At the same time, while they’re evaluating how to get better by “we’ve got to” mentality, every other team which UGA whipped in the past has leap-frogged every year. When will UGA stop adjusting after a loss and actually be a top tier program like Alabama, LSU, and now SC and actually win games they are supposed to win every time. No one is scared of UGA like they are Alabama and LSU. This is sad.
Steamer Lane Bulldog
October 7th, 2012
8:51 pm
The Bulldogs must learn to get physical and consistent, in all three phases, of the game. Be aggressive and GATA. If they don’t they will never win against top ranked opponents. Richts teams with Pollock, Greene, and Company would flat get after it, but in these recent years, not so much, in the BIG games?(Why)
JDawg
October 7th, 2012
8:52 pm
O and by the way I am going to stop bying my levil three seeson tikits and giving money to Georgia. Insted im going to start making my traler paymnet.
Dawgs 73
October 7th, 2012
8:52 pm
I’m really sick of Richt & his lack of accepting his role in his teams demise. Not once in this article did Mark say “I didn’t do my job & I didn’t have my team prepared”. He has deluded himself into believing that he is above accepting responsibility.
I’m sick of this sh!! & want a coach that at least acknowledges his deficiencies.
Pitbull
October 7th, 2012
8:52 pm
The spoiled children posting here need to grow up.
Nobody wins every game. Eventually every team loses.
One of the lessons of football is how to handle defeat and compete another day.
And the Tech posers need to go back to their blog and quit pretending to be UGA fans.
old school
October 7th, 2012
8:53 pm
Donating my “wait till next year” and “dream team” t-shirt to Goodwill…if they’ll take it
TossSweep
October 7th, 2012
8:55 pm
We hear “We’ve got to” from the coaches and trickled down to the players. After every loss, the coaches and players keep saying they have to look at the film and evaluated. We’ve got to do this, we’ve got to do that. At the same time, while they’re evaluating how to get better by “we’ve got to” mentality, every other team which UGA whipped in the past has leap-frogged every year. When will UGA stop adjusting after a loss and actually be a top tier program like Alabama, LSU, and now SC and actually win games they are supposed to win every time. No one is scared of UGA like they are Alabama and LSU. This is sad.
Lonnie
October 7th, 2012
8:55 pm
Hey guys I am a staunch Richt supporter and do believe we can improve! But I was totally embarrassed by the dawgs Saturday! Coach Richt has got to do some soul searching this week and every issue should be addressed in a couple of weeks of intense practices! Aaron needs to understand the importance of the pump fake on passes and be willing to extend the play with his legs. But most importantly there needs to be more passion! Beat down like this somebody should be chewed out and a shakeup in the lineup!!! We can win out but this game and the beat down will mar the season forever!!!! Love my dawgs!!!!!
Me too
October 7th, 2012
8:55 pm
@pitbull. You’re right, but so far since the WVU game 7 years ago (Jan), Richt loses almost every big game. I am sorry Hawaii is not a big game. What a farce.
JDawg
October 7th, 2012
8:55 pm
Im tired of Richt! Hir Saban or I wont donat another pinny to UGA! We need a caoch to yell at peeple or wee will never be good.
LakeDawg
October 7th, 2012
8:56 pm
@Dawg Heaven
I’m with you
@Pitbull
Quit whinning. You sound like a spoiled child. If you support underachievement, then don’rt be suprised when others don’t. Just sayin…
old school
October 7th, 2012
8:56 pm
Maybe McGarity can get TN, SC and FL off next years schedule
flanker
October 7th, 2012
8:58 pm
Glad CMR is not losing faith in himself, his staff, of his team. But quite a few of his fans are.
Fundamentally, it boils down to this: will UGA and its fans be happy with an outstanding, good, decent man giving us 8-4, 9-3, and (occasionally) 10-2 seasons between now and eternity, with no MNC nor more SECC:s in sight, or do we take a risk and hire a new, young, and hungry coach who might or might not win more, might or might not be as good a man as CMR is.
CMR is a wonderful man and I am proud to have him represent our university, but he will no longer bring us any titles. It should be obvious by now.
Super Excited!
October 7th, 2012
8:58 pm
Who cares that we got outclassed by USCjr? We have at least 5 potential first round picks and we’ll play in Tampa and lose to a big 10 team. What could be better than that?
JDawg
October 7th, 2012
8:58 pm
How do yo think bama wins agenst evryebody? Becaise they have a caoch that yealls at peeple. Thats wat we need! Richt is nice but no one respects any one who wont yell at them.
JRW7
October 7th, 2012
8:58 pm
I’m sick and tired of losing the big game, I’m sick and tired of CMR excuses, I’m sick and tired of CMR! We DAWG fans want more than 9 or 10 wins per year. If we want to ever win a NC at UGA, CMR has to go! He doesn’t have what he had when he first came to UGA! He has lost the fire to win! How can you smile and say everything going to be OK after such a embarrassing like last night at SC!!!!!!!
Me too
October 7th, 2012
9:00 pm
@flanker, please tell me how Richt is a wonderful man. What’s the criteria. I can show you 75 others in the div that are as good, if not better good. How many recruit the thugs he recruits.
JDawg
October 7th, 2012
9:01 pm
We desirve beter that this guys. Lets all git togerhtr and blog our way to revelance! Fire Richt hire Saban or Belicheck or we are dun!!!!!!
Same old
October 7th, 2012
9:01 pm
One more Xanax last night and Richt would’ve fallen asleep on the sidelines. Loved how the team responded to his pep talk at the beginning of the fourth quarter!
LoganvilleDAWG
October 7th, 2012
9:02 pm
I tell you what, all of you people saying I will not support them anymore are not TRUE DAWG FANS!!You were not complaining when we won 10 staight last year, and I bet you won’t complain if we beat UF or win the 5 or 6 games we have left. So why don’t you support the team, support the coaches and pull for these guys. With all of your negative crap about the coaching staff and the players you could not get a coach to come here, Also, who do have in the coaching circle that is biting at the bit to come here. All of you will say Kirby Smart, what a joke.We will continiue to support them because we are TRUE DAWG FANS….
LakeDawg
October 7th, 2012
9:02 pm
This is what I hear now when Richt talks…blah, blah blah, blah.
crossdawg
October 7th, 2012
9:03 pm
U G L Y . Maybe our returned defenders should have eaten more brownies. They have NOT made our D any better.
GATA & SHOW the Dawg Nation that the team isn’t dead
Macclenny_dawg
October 7th, 2012
9:04 pm
This team want quit because we don’t play anybody else but UF!!! Another 10 win season with 2 losses!!! Just good enough for Richt to keep his job. With Richt we will occasionaly be the brides maid but never the bride!!! Sick of Richt!!! He has rubbed off on Grantham there is no GATA!!! We don’t dictate any phase of the game. We never did anything 2 try 2 get any momentum going. No all out 2 try to block a punt. Had Usc backed into there own endzone and didn’t even try to block punt??? Oh yea we don’t have a special team coach!!! By the way what does Richt do anyway??? That’s right he is studying the cutting edge of footballl!!! Well he has FAILED THIS CLASS!!!!
Broken record
October 7th, 2012
9:05 pm
“we’ll learn from this and get better”. Blah, blah, blah. We never learn from these embarrassments as they continue no matter the year and the roster.
Huh?
October 7th, 2012
9:05 pm
JDawg…if you think that Saban or Belicheck would come to UGA you are crazy.
LakeDawg
October 7th, 2012
9:06 pm
@LoganvilleDAWG
You’re not a TRUE DAWG FAN you’re a TRUE CMR FAN. There is a difference. If I need a pastor, I will go to my church. UGA needs a coach. BTW Thanks for accepting underachievement. I’m sure that helps UGA/sarcasm