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
Cycles
October 11th, 2012
2:26 pm
Don’t be so quick to dismiss Petrino. It’s true that he’s a douchebag, but so is Richt, and I doubt if many people would dispute that. On the other hand, Petrino is a winner, which Richt is not.
McGarity should think about it.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 11th, 2012
2:28 pm
I think Grantham is a joke I have seen no improvement since he has been here
Like Bobo his stats are padded when we play the Vandy’s and Buffalo’s
His deffense almost always allows a score when teams reach the 15 yd line and they look out of posistion and cannot get any penetration on the line
I also think hanging around the current coaching staff has caused him to developed bad cant coach in big games traits
bubba4dawgs
October 11th, 2012
2:29 pm
If Theus saw some things on film that can be fixed, it begs the question why didn’t Grantham and Friend see that while the game was going on and fix it after they got the ball shoved up their a**es the first quarter? It is hard to believe that the cocks are 28 points better than the DAWGS! I refuse to believe that and we’ll know a lot more come this Saturday when they meet the Tigers in the Bayou. It’s hard to beat them there as it will be for the cocks to beat the gators in gatorland. The DAWGS may well have a lot to fight for yet!! GO DAWGS!!
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 11th, 2012
2:29 pm
Why Petrino
Why not throw 6 million at Peterson and if he still doesnt bite go after Gary Patterson
Chris Snow
October 11th, 2012
2:30 pm
I think a lot of UGA fans are hoping we can land Kirby Smart in a year or 2. I know Petrino is a winner, but no way he ever comes to coach any team in Georgia again.
aldogg2121
October 11th, 2012
2:30 pm
What is wrong with our defense? Obviously it is not talent. It is scheme. We constantly have players out of position, which ultimately falls on the coaches.
Joey
October 11th, 2012
2:31 pm
WDE, close only counts in horseshoes and well you know the rest. I tend to dwell more on what happened in the 2nd half of that game, when Richt looked helpless and clueless, just like Saturday night. It’s been happening since ‘06, and it’s STILL happening.
Again I can take losses, when we are respectable, but we are hardly ever respectable anymore against good teams.
Sickening is what it is.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 11th, 2012
2:35 pm
If not Gary Patterson then maybe Smart
Chris Snow
October 11th, 2012
2:36 pm
“What is wrong with our defense? Obviously it is not talent. It is scheme. We constantly have players out of position, which ultimately falls on the coaches.”
I think the suspensions played a much bigger role than any of us wanted it to. We all hoped that the players could just come back and everything would be fine. It’s very obvious it’s not the same D as last year, even with as many players that returned.
aldogg2121
October 11th, 2012
2:40 pm
@Flat Tire
I am not the least bit interested in bringing Kirby Smart in to be our HC. The guy is clearly benefiting from living in Saban’s shadow. In no way, shape, or form does he have the qualifications to lead a major program in a head coaching capacity. That is the problem with football nowadays…everyone is trying to find that needle in a haystack head coach diamond in the rough. Hiring assistants with no experience is such a crap shoot. Not all coordinators are meant to be head coaches. Smart should have to earn his bones the old fashioned way, by coming up from the lower ranks and coaching at a lesser school in a lesser conference first.
Joey
October 11th, 2012
2:42 pm
Chris, what is crazy is our Defense looked better with 4 or 5 starters missing, than they have the last 2 games when at full strength.
Unless it is just that UT and SC have really good OCs that found weaknesses in Grantham’s D.
ARdawg
October 11th, 2012
2:43 pm
Crazy UGA
Yes, you are a Tech nerd. Go back to your woods. You said you were not a UGA fan. Here you are on a UGA blog attempting to tell UGA fans what is wrong and how crazy we are and not a fan, that is clearly Nerd behavior. On top of that, you don’t know what you are talking about. You are exposed.
Joey
October 11th, 2012
2:44 pm
“Hiring assistants with no experience is such a crap shoot.”
**************************************
Yeah, UF’s crapshoot failed miserably . . .
aldogg2121
October 11th, 2012
2:45 pm
@Joey
Don’t you think that has something to do with the fact that we have faced our toughest competition in the past two weeks?
And if you think our D looked “good” by giving up 20+ to Buffalo and FAU, then I am not sure what to say.
aldogg2121
October 11th, 2012
2:46 pm
“Yeah, UF’s crapshoot failed miserably . . .”
OK, let’s anoint Muschamp the next Saban because he is off to a good start this season. There is still a lot of football left to be played.
And just because Muschamp MAY end up being a very good coach does not mean that Smart will be.
A.B.
October 11th, 2012
2:48 pm
There is a good man right on campus at UGA= MR. ROBINSON(LEADER OF THE UGA REDCOAT BAND). He is a loyal DAWG and can beat the Buffalos on the schedule like CMR, 1/10th of CMR salary..And he works the whole redcoat band and they do a great job each saturday! selah
A.B.
October 11th, 2012
2:50 pm
CMR never inteviewed but 1 person for the OL Coach position=Will Friend…And that is so stupid !! Friend has been outcoached by all div 2 schools we have played..He is HORRIBLE!
LowcountryDawg
October 11th, 2012
2:53 pm
Richt was probably filming a truck commercial last week
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 11th, 2012
2:57 pm
aldogg2121
Any coach is a crap shoot my friend
Dooley was an Asst when he took over UGA
How about Dan Mullen
Muschamp is looking good at least he can beat ranked teams ours cant
Mike Leach was an Asst before he took Texas Tech
Im willing to bring him to UGA; he was something else at KY as their OC
Like one of the posters stated; if Smart wasnt worth it Saban wouldnt have him on his staff period
chase
October 11th, 2012
2:57 pm
I’m telling everyone
Georgia only fell to #12 – YES #12 – forget the AP Poll – IT DOES NOT FACTOR INTO ANYTHING
Georgia will move up 1 or 2 spots this week without playing because of top 10 matchups ahead of them and possibly more if there is an upset or 2
Next week UGA routes UK and moves back to around #6 or #7 because of process of elmination of teams ahead of them
FLORIDA vs GEORGIA will be a top 10 match -up and if UGA wins out and is in the Top 3-5 and wins the SEC title game, they will be right there for consideration for the NC
laugh if you want, ….these are the facts !!
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 11th, 2012
2:59 pm
Hey here’s a laugh
Richt said they had fun in practice yesterday
LOL
Im glad our team is having some fun even though they are a joke to the nation
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 11th, 2012
3:01 pm
chase
lay off the bong
oh and be man enough to come on this blog after this seasons debacle is over
Alphare
October 11th, 2012
3:02 pm
I am not buying Muschamp, yet anyway, until he shows he can beat UGA. I guess our gator friends can agree there too. So far his defense looks formidable.
If he can beat either USC or UGA this year, he will be a headache for UGA for years to come.
Joey
October 11th, 2012
3:04 pm
Don’t put words in my mouth. Didn’t say “good.” Said “better.”
And I’m not anointing Muschamp as the next anything, though it didn’t take him long to win a big game, something our guy hasn’t done in years.
Also, Saban must think a lot of Kirby Smart, and you can bet your ass Kirby won’t have to coach at a “lesser school.”
aldogg2121
October 11th, 2012
3:06 pm
Dan Mullen? HA
Did you watch MSU’s game at home versus LSU last season? Down 2 scores with 4 minutes left and all 3 timeouts left he did not even attempt to get back into the game…he was content to lose and keep the score “close.” Took all of his timeouts home with him. Same way that Kiffin tried to keep it close and not try to win against Florida. That is weak, and it is not what I would want out of a head coach.
Joey
October 11th, 2012
3:06 pm
I wonder if Saban and Bama had fun last year after the first LSU game?
dawgfan
October 11th, 2012
3:07 pm
No worries guys. The players had fun at practice this week according to Richt. I guess they’ll be having their team banquet at the local Chucky Cheese to celebrate the season. All the players will get those cheap plastic trophies for participating like we all did in little league. Their parents will be so proud. Its not about winning and losing when you’re making $3 million a year. Its about having fun.
Mark Richt needs to retire and hand over the reigns to a serious football coach that is serious about winning.
Thanks.
aldogg2121
October 11th, 2012
3:09 pm
Oh, I have no doubt that Kirby Smart will get a shot at a major college. I just pray that it is not UGA. Let him be a bust somewhere else.
Not all assistants make good head coaches. For every assistant hired as a HC that is successful, you can reel off 10-20 who failed miserably. Why not go get a guy who has proven to be successful at the actual job for which he is being hired?
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 11th, 2012
3:12 pm
Yea
Its not about winning and losing when you’re making $3million
Its about making sure practice is fun and making sure that fans donate more money to be able to watch UGA get blown out by ranked teams
P4Persepective
October 11th, 2012
3:13 pm
Must win out from here Let’s see where at this time next month. Go Dawgs!
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 11th, 2012
3:14 pm
aldogg2121
Thats why I said Chris Peterson first Gary Patterson 2nd if Peterson wouldnt take a huge payday.
Mike Leach would be another of my picks
aldogg2121
October 11th, 2012
3:17 pm
Hell, at this point I would be happy with a coach who is more interested in coaching during games than fixing his hair.
Mobile Dawg
October 11th, 2012
3:20 pm
Kingdaddy, thanks for the kind remarks. I’m not leaving the blog, just refraining from the same old tired criticism of Richt. When I give my heart or support to something I go in 100%. Take golf, I haven’t been able to shoot a round under 90, yet. I keep looking for new ways, mentally and physically to get there. Tweaking, changing, etc. That sometimes frustrates me as much as UGA football, but I don’t give up. I take failure personally, I like the opportunity to try and fix things. If you can understand that you can probably understand my frustration with UGA and Coach Richt. The problems are so obvious to me.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 11th, 2012
3:22 pm
I really hope during the “FUN” practice this week; that the coaching staff were able to copy some plays off the X-box NCAA Football 13 they played all during the “FUN” practice
This might help them add some more plays to there weak playbook
aldogg2121
October 11th, 2012
3:24 pm
@Mobile Dawg
I would suggest working harder on your putting. That is where you will shave the most strokes off of your game. And off the tee do not be afraid to sacrifice distance for accuracy. Keep the ball in play in the short grass and you will find the game much easier…breaking 90 will be quite easy, you will find. That’s just bogey golf. Good luck!
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 11th, 2012
3:27 pm
Mobile Dawg
The problems are being fixed
FUN practices are now taking place
I look forward to another motivational gimick now
Dream Team I and II, Finish the Drill, and Energy Vampires, worked really well
I cant wait to hear what the new one will be
Joey
October 11th, 2012
3:29 pm
It would probably be easier to name successful head coaches who got their start as assistants, than to name the unsuccessful ones. Spurrier, Saban, Myer, Miles, Stoops, Brown, Richt, Peterson, Bowden, Dooley.
Now, you name 100 or 200 who failed miserably.
chase
October 11th, 2012
3:33 pm
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
who is left on UGA’s schedule that can beat them?
Florida is the only team with a legit chance and do not forget this – UF must play SCAR the week before they play UGA
THAT WILL FACTOR IN! No “off week” and no Vandy the week before – that SCAR will effect Florida’s performance in Jacksonville vs Georgia (no matter who wins it)
so if UGA goes 10-2 and wins a bowl and finishes 11-2 it is is a debacle?
or if UGA beats Florida and finishes 11-1 it is a debacle?
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 11th, 2012
3:34 pm
Im hoping for and Update on how the “”"FUN”"” practices are doing
Good to hear the guys are having fun
Were brownies and kool-aid served?
chase
October 11th, 2012
3:38 pm
JOEY
99.9% of all head coaches got their start as assistants!
Almost nobody ever jumps into a head coaching position without experience as an assistant
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 11th, 2012
3:39 pm
chase
give up
You have no comebacks on this coaching staffs lousy record against good teams
yes 2 losses with the schedule we had is a debacle plain and simple
DawginLex
October 11th, 2012
3:46 pm
We all drank the kool aid about the OL. Facts are they are young and could not withstand the pounding of a veteran, uber-talented DL at SC.
Losing 3 starters to the NFL and replacing them with 7 young pups looked great until it was time to face NFL caliber D-linemen.
Florida has a D-line that is good but they are LAST in the SEC in sacks, nothing like SC’s D-line.
I had high expectations for Richt in 2012. I say the Florida game is THE MOST IMPORTANT GAME ever in 12 years for Mark Richt.
10-2 and he leaves at year end-my prediction
11-1 and a bowl win and like it or not, he is here for awhile. Then he gets to figure out how to get to the magic 10 wins against 6 ranked teams next year
Clemson
Florida
LSU
Alabama
South Carolina
Tennessee
OL will be better and much more experienced. Massively young on defense. Murray better come back because it will be 42-38 every week
dawgfacedboy
October 11th, 2012
3:47 pm
FLat tire- “Donnans 1999 seasons entire Defense played in the NFL”
THeir are four 1st rounders on Kiper’s board on the ‘12 defense. If you don’t think that D will have 10 players in the League within the next 2 years you are crazy.
THe D hasn’t gotten any better? They’ve gotten exponentially better each year until this year. Their actually are drawbacks to having a high powered offense (so called at least). Between 5 play scoring drives and turnovers I bet the D spends more time on the field than the O. THey aren’t cyborgs.
I’ll say it again. Donnan averaged 8 wins a year. Richt averages 9.6
dawgfacedboy
October 11th, 2012
3:48 pm
“there are” as in “there are actually drawbacks…”
Sunbury Ga dawg
October 11th, 2012
3:49 pm
No more Kool aid for me…no no thank you!
hope we at least beat tech because for 32 years running we will not win the national championship.
Joey
October 11th, 2012
3:49 pm
chase, I was replying to this by aldogg:
“Not all assistants make good head coaches. For every assistant hired as a HC that is successful, you can reel off 10-20 who failed miserably. Why not go get a guy who has proven to be successful at the actual job for which he is being hired?”
And by the way, chase, I can’t believe your enthusiasm, nor your trust that Richt will not lose a couple more games. He always, loses a game he shouldn’t, every year, to go along with a couple of blowout losses . . .
Sunbury Ga dawg
October 11th, 2012
3:55 pm
You know what, i’m going to bed, This season is over. and the next one is too.
wow this sucks!
Taylor Wooten
October 11th, 2012
3:56 pm
Go get Kirby Smart…..now!
End this charade
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 11th, 2012
3:56 pm
dawgfacedboy
Im not denying this years D wont have plenty of players in the NFL
You bring up Donnans avg remember Tenn and FL were much better and I hate to say it but Tech was exponentially better than during Richts years
Also I disagree about Granthams D; he couldnt stop no one last year that were any good and he was outcoached after each halftime against those good teams Mich ST Boise, LSU all made decent adjustments that he had no answer too
Obviously Spurrier has seen his weakness cause he made him look stupid Sat
Joey
October 11th, 2012
4:04 pm
Spurrier’s DC made Richt’s 50-point-per-game offense look stupid too . . .
I can’t believe Richt/Bobo don’t allow Murray to use his legs as he did his first year starting. QBs get hurt in the pocket 3 times more often than when on the run.
Oh, well, Richt wanted Cam Newton to play tight end, so . . .