Georgia’s tackles feel they gained valuable experience against South Carolina’s ends
ATHENS – The performance of Georgia’s offensive line – and its tackles in particular — against South Carolina this past weekend was one the Bulldogs would just as soon forget. In fact, that seems to be one of their primary goals this week.
“That game’s over,” freshman tackle John Theus said. “We looked at the film and we learned from it and we’re ready to go on to the next game. We’ve all moved on. We’re preparing for Kentucky now.”
On paper, it doesn’t look as bad as it was. Officially the Gamecocks were credited with two quarterback sacks and two quarterback hurries. But anybody who watched this past Saturday’s 35-7 domination of Georgia knows defensive ends Jadeveon Clowney and Devin Taylor had a much more profound effect on quarterback Aaron Murray and the Bulldogs’ offense.
Murray had career lows with 35 percent completion rate on 11-of-31 passing for 109 yards. The Gamecocks were credited with 10 pass break-ups, several of them occurring nanoseconds after the ball left Murray’s hands.
The end result was the Bulldogs were held to 41 points below their scoring average and 312 yards below their yards per game.
“It’s just one of those games you have to throw it in a bag and move on and focus on our next opponent, which is Kentucky,” junior left tackle Kenarious Gates said. “That’s what we’re doing. We’re working on Kentucky now. We’re not worried about South Carolina. It’s in the past. We can’t do anything about it.”
Gates had the toughest assignment of anybody on the team as he played the entire night head up against the 6-foot-6, 256-pound Clowney. Occasionally Gates would get some help from a chipping running back or fullback. But essentially it was the first-year starting tackle against one of the best pass-rushers in college football all night.
“It was a great experience,” Gates insisted. “He’s a great player. You’re going against one of the best D-ends in the SEC. You’ve to got to give him credit. He’s strong, quick off the line. He opened my eyes to what I need to do to get better and the things I need to work on. We gave each other good competition out there.”
The question now is whether Georgia’s overall confidence on offense has been shaken to the core.
“No,” Gates said. “We still have high confidence in our team. We still have our goals moving forward. We’re still trying to do what we’ve been doing all season, which is to win and be one of the best offenses in the nation”
As bad as Saturday was, the Bulldogs remain second in the SEC in points scored (41.3 per game), third in total yardage (484 ypg) and their nine quarterback sacks allowed are fourth-fewest in the league.
“I think we’ll be fine,” Murray said. “I think we’re still confident with who we have, with the play-calloing, with everything that’s going on. We just didn’t execute when the time came. When plays were there to be made we just didn’t hit on them. . . . But I don’t think we’re shaken up at all. We’re going to come out very confident in our next game and be ready to go.”
Murray feeling better
Murray said he was being sincere when he said Saturday night and Sunday morning were “the worst 12 hours of his life.” Between the Bulldogs’ dismal performance against South Carolina, Murray’s house getting vandalized and finding out Sunday morning that his father had cancer and needed surgery immediately, “My head was about to explode at that point,” Murray said Wednesday.
But he was feeling much better after returning to practice this week. “Things are on the rise,” Murray said.
First and foremost, the prognosis for Denny Murray, who has thyroid cancer, is very good. “It’s a very treatable cancer,” Murray said. “They removed the thyroid completely and now he has to wait a few weeks and get a scan to make sure it didn’t spread. So hopefully we got it early enough and it didn’t spread and it’s gone.”
In some ways, Murray said having to deal with his father’s illness helped him deal with Saturday’s loss and all that has happened since, including getting a speeding ticket in Gainesville, Fla., on his drive back Monday.
“I was being a little baby, then my parents came in and told me about what was going on,” Murray said. “I didn’t even think of football after that. I didn’t think about the game. Nothing. It really does put everything in perspective about what’s most important in your life, who’s most important in your life and putting those things first.”
Said Georgia coach Mark Richt: “There’s never a good time to find out about your father having something like that. But it does help get everything else that happened in perspective. Those things don’t seem as bad.”
Practice update
The Bulldogs practiced for more than two hours in what coaches and players described as a “competition day.” There was a lot of contact and fundamental work and the day ended with the offense and defense scrimmaging.
“We had a good day; we had a fun day; we competed,” Richt said. “We treated it like a spring practice. We had a lot of things to work on and, since we weren’t going to compete Saturday, we decided to go out and compete with a scrimmage today. And we had some great competition.”
They said it
“First of all, I say we have the best fans in America. They do foolish things sometimes, usually in the first few hours after a ballgame. That’s just normal emotions. . . . Every once in a while a fan will do something foolish. But that doesn’t mean all fans are foolish.”
– Richt on fan behavior
Etc. . .
All-America outside linebacker Jarvis Jones was held out of practice for the second day in a row with a sprained ankle. Thursday is the last day of practice and it will be in shorts and helmets. . . . Richt said junior defensive end Garrison Smith has played exceptionally well in a backup role and will see his repetitions increase in the second half of the season.
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
508 comments Add your comment
metrokdog
October 11th, 2012
12:32 pm
if richt goes, break the bank and hire saban from alabama, not k. smart. Smart is just a gofer–it’s saban’s D that makes that team. It will take huge money (at least $6 million / year plus a boatload of benefits) but saban is worth it.
mtpwolverine
October 11th, 2012
12:33 pm
Gates on Clowney: “We gave each other good competition out there.” Uh…..no. You got completely schooled all night long by a 19 year old.
JB
October 11th, 2012
12:39 pm
Saban would not come to Georgia for 8 mil per. He has settled in, nothing left to prove per say, and enjoying a roster of 25- 5 star and the rest 4 star and enjoying life. With 30 mil in the bank and 5 a year coming in at his age, he’s doing fine. No need to “prove” anything else.
WDE
October 11th, 2012
12:41 pm
JB couldn’t agree more Saban is not leaving Bama…period.
BMOC
October 11th, 2012
12:41 pm
I wonder if this TIDE idiot was spewing at the mouth like this jsut a few years ago when ALABAMA was getting beat by AUBURN 7 YEARS IN A ROW, getting beat by LA Monroe & just about every other team they played (including GEORGIA).
JB
October 11th, 2012
12:42 pm
Richt has no commitment to building a deep,talented OL, thus the easy wins and blow outs by great teams. Like Tech, you can push around non football schools, but when you crawl in the ring with an animal, your finesse team gets beat to a pulp. You can list the beat downs the last 3-4 years. End of story.
Mobile Dawg
October 11th, 2012
12:42 pm
I stopped commenting on the blogs for quite a while during the off season. Primary reason was I really didn’t feel good about Richt and company and what was in store for us. I still don’t feel good about our coaches. I guess I should now begin practicing what I preach, at home, to employees, colleagues, etc., If you don’t have anything good to say just don’t say anything at all.
There are a lot of positives about our program, it’s stable, well funded, and filled with great kids and good atheletes. The cancerous recruits are gone for the most part. The only down side, granted it’s a huge one, is we should be better than we are. We should be “competing” for championships.
I hold Adams, McGarity, and Mark Richt accountable for our inability to compete at the highest level. I’m over and out with my complaints, so until I see something that changes my mind about our ability to compete I’m through bashing a group of coaches mired in incompetence. I may respond to a post or two in the future but not going to waste my time on Richt issues any longer. You’all have a good day, gotta get out of the office a while.
JB
October 11th, 2012
12:48 pm
Mobile….good point…I’ll add that I think we can all live with a tough 31-28 loss…….What happen Saturday is just plain bad Management.
Newnandawg
October 11th, 2012
12:55 pm
The only way Mark Richt has ever won anything is when other teams in the SEC are down. FL and SC are not down anymore, so we’ll lose to them both. Hello Peach Bowl.
12 years and we’ve never even sniffed a national championship game. Do we really expect that to change under Richt?
bigcalidawg
October 11th, 2012
1:01 pm
I have to agree that we have had a dearth of OL for the past several years. So what if you have a highly rated recruiting class. Most really good O-Linemen are only 2, or 3 stars anyway. Why have 6, 4 star WR’s, if you only sign 3 OL? I do wish we could have gotten Chester Brown, though.
Going forward, focus should be on OL, NT, and DE.
Kirby Smart
October 11th, 2012
1:06 pm
I have heard for years that Kirby is just a “gopher” for Saban. What does KS bring home a year? a zillion dollars? You really think with Saban’s expectations he would keep ANYBODY around who wasnt top shelf? and do you really think Bama would pay him what they do if he was just there to hold a clip board? Of course it’s Sabans defnse but dont you want a guy who learned from the best? Also what about the fact that this guy has remarkable recruiting ties in Ga? He bleeds red and black and I would argue that his overall football knowledge is through the roof (compared to what we have now). He has coached in the NFL and has coached in the SEC for years now. He knows the ins and outs of championship football. Thats something we dont have right now.
Joey
October 11th, 2012
1:08 pm
I don’t Newnandawg.
This was the year that the schedule set up nicely for Richt, 3rd year QB, talented RBs, WRs, weapons galore. Supposed stout defense.
I know McGarity’s rationale for extending the contract was to assist him in recruiting. What it also did was validate Richt and his staff, and assured there would be no changes. No fresh ideas.
The SEC’s better DCs can stop Richt’s offense – they have proved it for years. Now it seems the better OCs have figured out Grantham’s D.
The schedule only gets harder the next couple seasons.
Joey
October 11th, 2012
1:11 pm
Very good post, Kirby.
ARdawg
October 11th, 2012
1:11 pm
Kirby Smart
Muschamp was a go’fer for Mack Brown too. For any of these yahoo’s that believe Kirby Smart is just defensive window dressing at Bama need to think again. They are not paying him 1.5 mil to sit around and look pretty. He is a defensive coordinator on arguably the best defense in the country.
tony
October 11th, 2012
1:15 pm
There is one thing I can take from this lost is that we now have another team from the sec east that can bring down Alabama and win a national championship for the sec east besides the Gators. That team is SC. SEC SEC SEC SEC EAST!
Chris Snow
October 11th, 2012
1:16 pm
Dawgs need to be more focused on Fla than KY. Do you think that SCAR prepared at all for KY before our game??
dawgfacedboy
October 11th, 2012
1:17 pm
DOnnan averaged 8 wins a year. Richt averages 9.6.
Just saying
dawgfacedboy
October 11th, 2012
1:18 pm
Not sure what Donnan’s recruitng classes looked like but I doubt they were anything close to Richt’s
Chris Snow
October 11th, 2012
1:23 pm
You hit the nail on the head with your 2nd comment DFB. With the talent Richt has every year, there is no excuse for wetting the bed against ranked opponents.
hotdawg
October 11th, 2012
1:31 pm
“We looked at the film and we learned from it and we’re ready to go on to the next game. We’ve all moved on. We’re preparing for Kentucky now.”
Didn’t they have similar problems with the Gaymecocks D’line last year? They know Clowney and Taylor were coming back and were bigger and faster so why weren’t they prepared?
7576DAWG
October 11th, 2012
1:34 pm
One of the main reasons why we hired Grantham and brought in the 3-4 defense is so we could blitz a lot more , putting constant pressure on the Quarterback. For some reason we are not putting very much pressure on the QB at all. Every week Georgia give up three to four hundred yards and we are averaging giving up over 20 points a game. Our defense is ranked nearly 60TH with a senior defense. WHAT HAS HAPPENED? The suspensions and the few defensive linemen that we lost to graduation couldn’t have meant that much. I am becoming less and less a fan of the 3-4 if we do not have the talent and depth to run it properly and I hope things improve a lot the last 6 games or I will be all for going back to the 4-3. I hope Grantham can turn things around . All the position coaches need to be closely evaluated. When South Carolina can dominate us like they did Georgia has a weakness somewhere and something needs to be done . Ignoring our coaching problems will not get the job
done.
The biggest problem we have with the players is at Quarterback. Murray just can not stay focused and he lets his emotions get the best of him. Way too much history not being able to come through in the big games.
Chris Snow
October 11th, 2012
1:35 pm
“Didn’t they have similar problems with the Gaymecocks D’line last year? They know Clowney and Taylor were coming back and were bigger and faster so why weren’t they prepared?”
I think that SCAR having KY the week before UGA really benefited them. Any one who watched the SCAR/KY game could tell that SCAR put very little effort into preparing for that game, then they come out and just completely dominate us.
That with our very young O-line, and the fierce D-line that SCAR has, the crowd, Spurrier, it really was a perfect storm.
Having said that, I still expected a more competitive game that what we played, which is why so many UGA fans are upset. If we lost the game 24-20, most of us would be ok with that, and we would probably still be in the top 10.
Crazy UGA
October 11th, 2012
1:36 pm
ARDawg,
Wow, from a “blind homer” to a “Tech fan.” Not sure why you think I am a Tech fan, but I’m not–that is a school in a must worse situation. And I didn’t realize you are required to be a “UGA fan” to post on a blog about UGA football.
Your problem, similar to other “fans,” is that you can’t see anything objectively. If you fire Richt, you are more likely to go back to the true mediocrity of the 90’s with Goff and Donnan than any Saban-like dynasty.
Crazy UGA
October 11th, 2012
1:37 pm
And who do you plan on hiring better than Richt? Who has as much class as Richt?
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 11th, 2012
1:37 pm
dawgfacedboy
Donnans 1999 seasons entire Defense played in the NFL
Not defending Donnan
UGA’s leadership refuses to go out and get top coaching thats our problem
Statick
October 11th, 2012
1:37 pm
“On paper, it doesn’t look as bad as it was. Officially the Gamecocks were credited with two quarterback sacks and two quarterback hurries.”
THAT’S BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS WITH MURRAY!!!
Good Lord. He’s a basket case when it comes to big games. I hope he applies for the NFL draft after this year. Enough is enough.
hahaha
October 11th, 2012
1:40 pm
Once the “Old” ball coach retires in a couple of years and leaves Columbia then SC will be back where they belong with the cellar dwellers again.
Chris Snow
October 11th, 2012
1:41 pm
“And who do you plan on hiring better than Richt? Who has as much class as Richt?”
I do not think UGA fans are interested in “class”. We want a coach that has the burning desire to win.
Crazy UGA
October 11th, 2012
1:42 pm
Chris Snow,
Then go hire Petrino.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 11th, 2012
1:45 pm
Im really tired of hearing Murray is to blame
The same bunch blaming Murray is the same bunch that blamed Stafford
These coaches cannot coach the talent they have
With SC D-line as tall as they were wouldnt it have been a little smart to have Murray roll out and make throws and roll out and run; he is mobile
But no this coaching staff has no clue how to utilize the talent they have on the field
Chris Snow
October 11th, 2012
1:47 pm
“Then go hire Petrino”
After what he did to the Falcons, no thanks.
Joey
October 11th, 2012
1:48 pm
“And who do you plan on hiring better than Richt? Who has as much class as Richt?”
********************************************
Open you eyes. There are dozens of coaches who every single year, win more and bigger games, with half the talent that Richt has in Athens.
Who gives a crap abut “class” in a football coach? Not me. Stay out of trouble with the law, and the NCAA, and work hard. Richt only does the first two. Oh, but he’s classy. What a croc . . .
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 11th, 2012
1:48 pm
Chris Snow
If Richt has so much class then ask him when he is going to sit down with Mcgarity and tell him UGA season ticket holders should not have to done high amounts of money just to be able to buy season tickets for a program that cant beat top 20 teams
Oh and he needs to tell Mcgarity that he is going to take a pay cut until he can earn the $3 million he currently makes
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 11th, 2012
1:49 pm
donate
Chris Snow
October 11th, 2012
1:49 pm
“With SC D-line as tall as they were wouldnt it have been a little smart to have Murray roll out and make throws and roll out and run; he is mobile”
Good point. Even the announcers brought that up in the game. I guess CMR was too afraid that he might get hurt. A lot of the play calling that night had me scratching my head..
Kingdaddy
October 11th, 2012
1:51 pm
Mobile Dawg
I always enjoyed your opinions. I feel your pain and will miss your post. I don’t think leaving the blog is the answer. You are a DGD ….
Crazy UGA
October 11th, 2012
1:57 pm
But Chris Snow, if class doesn’t matter, and you only want a coach with a drive to win, and in paritcular a coach that maximizes the talent on his team, then Petrino is who you are looking for.
7576DAWG
October 11th, 2012
1:58 pm
Flat Tire
I agree that our biggest problem is mediocre coaches, Richt not putting ANY emphasis on special teams and Grantham not running the 3-4 like it should be run. Like a lot of bloggers have said if we got beat 24 to 21 , no complaints but to get dominated like we did takes a team effort on South Carolina’s part and a team effort on our part to look that bad.
Chris Snow
October 11th, 2012
2:03 pm
“But Chris Snow, if class doesn’t matter, and you only want a coach with a drive to win, and in paritcular a coach that maximizes the talent on his team, then Petrino is who you are looking for.”
I agree with what you are saying, but you and I both know that will never happen.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 11th, 2012
2:03 pm
7576DAWG
You would have thought Richt would have taken lessons from Meyer Saban and The Hat with how important special teams are
Nope
Oh and if we were to happen to win out which I know we wont but say we do I still will not change my mind on this coaching due to another game lost looking like we never have played the game of football. It happens every year with this coaching staff and this coaching staff blames the players
I for once would like to hear them say like Saban did after his loss to UTAH that he was to blame for not having the team ready to play
MUGG
October 11th, 2012
2:05 pm
People saying that Mark Richt should be fired must not remember the 90’s with Ray Golf and Jim Donnin. A good year for UGA then was going to the Peach Bowl, They could not beat UF or UT, and they never even came close to winning the Sec. Richt will win 10 games again this year, No Way in hell he gets fired.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 11th, 2012
2:05 pm
what did we hear after last weeks loss
well a loss by 28 pts is the same as a loss by 7
Give me a break
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 11th, 2012
2:06 pm
MUGG
I remember the 90’s well and I remember how Goff and Donnan werent allowed over a decade to see if they could right the ship too
docdawg
October 11th, 2012
2:07 pm
VeeJay, well said
BebeDawg
October 11th, 2012
2:15 pm
If you think the fan reaction was bad after the SC game, wait until after the Florida game, which is certainly going to be a big loss for Georgia.
Chris Snow
October 11th, 2012
2:17 pm
“If you think the fan reaction was bad after the SC game, wait until after the Florida game, which is certainly going to be a big loss for Georgia.”
If we our butts whopped again like we did against SCAR, then it will be warranted.
WDE
October 11th, 2012
2:17 pm
Anyone remember that before CMR got to Athens it had been 20 years since we won a SEC title , we were within a half of doing that for the third time under his watch last year…
Chris Snow
October 11th, 2012
2:18 pm
*get
WDE
October 11th, 2012
2:19 pm
@Chris Snow your right if we get our butts handed to us twice in three games howling will be warranted.
Chris Snow
October 11th, 2012
2:21 pm
“Anyone remember that before CMR got to Athens it had been 20 years since we won a SEC title , we were within a half of doing that for the third time under his watch last year…”
Too bad games are played for 4 quarters instead of 2.
And our defense is not playing with near the intensity that we did last year. Grantham needs to get into another fight or something.