Georgia’s offensive line seeks to keep Aaron Murray upright against Auburn
With the exception of the first half against Ole Miss this past Saturday, protection provided by Kenariouos Gates and Georgia's offensive line has been mostly good for quarterback Aaron Murray. (UGA photo by John Kelley)
ATHENS — Georgia’s Aaron Murray has had a well-documented arrangement with his offensive line this fall. If the line manages to keep Murray upright, the Bulldogs’ quarterback will buy them all the ice cream they want on Sunday. They call it “Sundaes on Sundays.”
And at an average of 308 pounds apiece, the Bulldogs’ linemen can eat a lot of sundaes.
But there were no frozen desserts for Georgia’s grunts this past Sunday — not after Murray ended up getting sacked five times against Ole Miss.
“Nope,” Murray said, laughing. “A deal’s a deal.”
The Bulldogs’ linemen lodged no complaints.
“Shoot, the way he got hit, we do not deserve ice cream or a pat on the back or anything,” sophomore center David Andrews said. “A deal’s a deal and he’s hung in there with that deal. No hard feelings between us and him. The deal is zero sacks.”
In fact, after the beating Murray took, at least one lineman offered amends. “(Guard) Dallas (Lee) said he’s going to take me out to eat on Thursday,” Murray said.
The good news for the Bulldogs is they were able to get it turned around against the Rebels. After getting dropped five times in the first half, he wasn’t sacked once in the second. Not coincidentally, he began to carve up the Ole Miss defense like a Thanksgiving Day turkey.
Murray ended up with 384 yards passing and four touchdowns. He was 13-of-15 throwing the ball in the second half.
“There really wasn’t an assignment adjustment or anything like that,” Andrews said. “It really was just us waking up and deciding to play. That was the biggest thing we were able to do. We finally started to play like we can towards the end of the first half and the start of the second.”
No, most of the adjustments came through the headset of Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.
After coming into the game with a plan of wanting to smash-mouth Ole Miss with their run game and throw the ball off play-action, the Rebels proved an unwilling participant. Later in the first half and for most of the third quarter, the Bulldogs opted instead to spread the field. They often lined up in four-receiver sets and had Murray get rid of the ball quickly. When Ole Miss blitzed, Murray simply hit the hot route. Repeatedly.
“We went more five guys out and changed up our protections a little bit,” Bobo said. “The main thing we talked about at halftime was just doing our job.”
The most amazing part of Georgia’s midstream adjustment is it came while it offensive line was in disarray. Starting right guard Chris Burnette went down with a shoulder injury in the first half and did not return to the game. So the Bulldogs brought in sophomore Mark Beard to play left tackle and moved starting left tackle Kenarious Gates to right guard.
Burnette still had not practiced as of Wednesday and remains questionable for Saturday’s game. So that’s likely the lineup the Bulldogs will go with against Auburn. It remains a work in progress.
“I don’t know for sure how we’re going to do it,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said after Wednesday night’s practice. “We’ve been rolling some guys in there. Austin (Long) has been getting some reps with the ones. He’s not going to start but he may get some work. Watts (Danntzler) is trying to get there.”
It would behoove the Bulldogs to get it worked out because, while Auburn has been infamously bad on defense this season, its still pretty good about getting after the quarterback.
The Tigers feature one of the SEC’s best edge rushers in Corey Lemonier. The 6-foot-4, 246-pound junior defensive end from Hialeah, Fla., finished second in the league to Georgia’s Jarvis Jones in sacks and tackles for loss a year ago and has five sacks this season. And Auburn’s defense this season is under the director of former Georgia and Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder, who has been known to dial up tricky blitz or two.
“They’ve got a great team, a great front four and some great linebackers,” Georgia freshman right tackle John Theus said. “We know we’re going to have to bring our A-game.”
The Bulldogs have actually been pretty good when it comes to pass protection. They’re fourth among SEC in sacks allowed (1.89 per game) and twice have kept Murray unsacked. The last time came against Florida on Oct. 27.
“They are very good up front,” Andrews said of Auburn. “They’ve got good pass rushers and we’ve just got to be on our toes and ready to go and not start out in a daze like it looked like we did last Saturday.”
If not, there will be no sundaes on Sunday.
MORE GEORGIA FOOTBALL
- Notebook: WR Chris Conley ready to step up again for fallen comrade
- Schultz: Richt finishing drill despite hip pain
- Voter turnout not great in Bulldogs’ locker room
- Familiar faces of VanGorder, Martinez will greet UGA at Auburn
- No. 5 Georgia talks overcoming injuries, not overlooking Auburn
- Justin Scott-Wesley, other WRs aim to step up in Marlon Brown’s honor
- Bulldogs’ QB Aaron Murray named SEC offensive player of week
- Georgia moves up to No. 5 in BCS standings
- Knee injury ends Marlon Brown’s UGA career
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135 comments Add your comment
GTBob
November 8th, 2012
1:08 pm
Obviously somebody does besides UGA fans Bobby. We are ranked #5 in the country.
West Virginia was ranked #5 in the country also until they started playing real teams.
Discount DoubleDawg
November 8th, 2012
1:08 pm
We will see how much everyone is cheering about the election when: their paychecks are smaller, their company cuts or eliminates positions or doesn’t grow, and healthcare as most of us know it is a thing of the past. It WILL happen… It will take 2-3 years to really see it but Obamacare will be the single biggest failure in American political history. Not to mention, it will make it impossible to make a dent in our deficit. Sure Go DAWGS! But not go Obama… You will see…
jerry
November 8th, 2012
1:33 pm
“They are very good up front,” Andrews said of Auburn. “They’ve got good pass rushers and we’ve just got to be on our toes and ready to go and not start out in a daze like it looked like we did last Saturday.”
Well bud, if they start out in a daze, start kicking ass and taking names and stop acting like you are in Sunday school.
NCDawg
November 8th, 2012
1:34 pm
Ok.. now Chip I’m just asking- please tell me you don’t think up the titles of your articles… please?!
“Georgia’s offensive line seeks to keep Aaron Murray upright against Auburn” ??? Gosh I sure hope so! That has to be the DUH! statement of the century. Maybe a Title like “Georgia Offensive line looks to correct mistakes” or “Offensive line moves forward from 5 sack first half against Ole Miss”. That is embarrassing dude!
That said… the O-line needs attitude like they had against UF. We WILL run the football. You WILL NOT get to the QB. Attitude is where it is at. Both lines need attitude. Come out with something to prove. In this case… no we CAN crush an inferior opponent.
dawgfacedboy
November 8th, 2012
1:40 pm
GT bob- what’s your point?
GTBob
November 8th, 2012
1:43 pm
It WILL happen… It will take 2-3 years to really see it but Obamacare will be the single biggest failure in American political history.
Thank you Nostradamus for giving us the weekly Fox News talking points. Are you moving out of the country like most of the people on my Facebook feed?
NCDawg
November 8th, 2012
1:43 pm
GT Bob – sure they were#5 until they faced a real opponent. The Dawgs stumbled once against #6 and then whipped #2. WV would be climbing in the polls if they were able to improve enough to beat the tougher opponents…just like UGA did.
dawgfacedboy
November 8th, 2012
1:48 pm
Is it that the ranking system is flawed? I don’t think too many people would disagree with you. Rankings are all relative aren’t they? I mean, Oregon is the #3 team in the country right? THey are 1st in points scored and 2nd in rushing. However they are 40th in points against and 76th in passing yards. Does that spell the #3 “team” in the country? Not to mention they’ve played considerably less competitive teams than UGA. USC is the biggest disappointment in all of college football this year and Standford and OregonSt (also on Oregon’s schedule) being ranked that high is debateable to.
It’s Alabama and everyone else in the SEC??? Ummmmmm it’s Oregon and everyone else in the Pac-12, KSU and everyon else in the Big-12, noone in the Big 10 and I can’t even tell you who is on top in the ACC (Almost a College Conference).
So exactly what is your point???
Matt
November 8th, 2012
1:51 pm
“Thank you Nostradamus for giving us the weekly Fox News talking points. Are you moving out of the country like most of the people on my Facebook feed?”
If I could afford it I would. How is paying for the less fortunate and illegals a good idea? I honestly don’t know how anyone can argue FOR this policy?I’d be surprised if the Republicans ever won another election. When a leader has the following of the stupid, the minorities, and the illegals the sensible people who believe that hard work should be rewarded are outnumbered.
Mobile Dawg
November 8th, 2012
2:03 pm
That’s the strategy Matt. Government has us right where they want us. Why do you think we had an American Revolution and a Civil War?
Discount DoubleDawg
November 8th, 2012
2:04 pm
GTbob- I notice you skimmed right by my previous post to you…
Anyway- no I am not moving and the nostradamus comment made me laugh. It takes less than moderate intelligence and investigation to understand what Obamacare will do to our country. I will prepare and work harder and deal with the short-sighted system just like the rest of us.
GTBob
November 8th, 2012
2:06 pm
If I could afford it I would.
If I buy you a plane ticket will you agree to get out and stay out forever?
GTBob
November 8th, 2012
2:10 pm
It takes less than moderate intelligence and investigation to understand what Obamacare will do to our country.
We are all ears. Give us a nice detailed explanation. Not talking points, I mean actual detailed analysis of how the new health care law will completely destroy the country. I have yet to read it anywhere else so I am eager for this new bit of wisdom.
ARdawg
November 8th, 2012
2:14 pm
“West Virginia was ranked #5 in the country also until they started playing real teams.”
Did I expect you to ignore and deflect? Yes. Who Bobby are the “real” teams that West “by gawd” Virginia has played? Why Bobby do you insist on this schedule mantra and continue to project yourself an idiot?
#5 in the country Bobby. Your seething jealously is evident
GTBob
November 8th, 2012
2:22 pm
Did I expect you to ignore and deflect? Yes. Who Bobby are the “real” teams that West “by gawd” Virginia has played?
They were coasting and even beat a fairly good Texas team. Got them to number 5 in the country. Then they ran into Texas Tech and Kansas St. The dream ended pretty fast. UGA doesn’t really run into anybody so they can keep their top 5 ranking as long as they want.
ARdawg
November 8th, 2012
2:49 pm
“They were coasting and even beat a fairly good Texas team. Got them to number 5 in the country. Then they ran into Texas Tech and Kansas St. The dream ended pretty fast. UGA doesn’t really run into anybody so they can keep their top 5 ranking as long as they want.”
Texas is an awful team Bobby, so is WV. They have a decent QB and little else. Tex-Tech is slightly above mediocre.
Your pannies are showing again Bobby. Find a different team to compare. WV was as high as 5 early. UGA is #5 late. Big difference there Bobby
Discount DoubleDawg
November 8th, 2012
2:57 pm
GTbob- Gov’t 101
The bill outlaws what are called ‘carve out’ programs, so a company that could provide insurance to one group of employees but not another will no longer be able to do that so they will have to send all of their employees to the govt exchange. The penalty will be $2000 per year per employee, most small businesses will not be able to afford this new tax. Therefore, they will have to cut expenses to cover this, which means less employees. Since, 75% of Americans work for small businesses, this won’t be good. If a company falls on hard times and does provide health insurance and need to cut expenses they will have a choice….provide health insurance at an average costs of $8000 per employee per year or pay the $2000 fine. They will choose the fine, so more and more people end up on the govt plan. Clearly this will become a complete govt system and they will dictate what doctors and hospitals can charge. Good…except if you are a bright young student who can pick any field they want and the govt just lowered how much you can make as a doctor you will choose something else. You will also lower what companies make that supply goods and services to hospitals, lowering the amount of money available for R&D. Plus, when healthcare is free, everyone will run to the doctor every time they have the sniffles, so more people with less doctors…not a good formula.
Now, the country is already bankrupt so how do you pay for this. The notion that you will cover half the costs from cutting wasteful spending in Medicaid/medicare is crazy. Find one govt agency that has successfully done that, none. So the short fall will fall on the federal budget. It will drive us further in debt at a time when we must be getting out of debt.
So, here are facts that prove it will help bankrupt the country, decrease the amount of people hired and lower the quality of care given. How many more facts do you need?
Guys- sorry for taking up non-Dawgs talk to educate bob…
Go Dawgs
ARdawg
November 8th, 2012
3:13 pm
GTBobby
K-State the only relatively good team they played lit WV up.
BFowler - Class of 87
November 8th, 2012
3:15 pm
Chip: Take a look at this:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaaf–georgia-s-mark-richt-only-interested-in-national-title-bids-on-terms-that-won-t-compromise-his-faith.html
This is what Coach Richt is all about.
100% on board!
Real Dawg Fan
November 8th, 2012
3:20 pm
What’s over looked is how the DEMS painted themselves in a corner….
They can never run a White Man again, they will try but the turnout will not be the same.
Don’t confuse votes For Obama as Votes for Dems. IT’s not the same.
NCDawg
November 8th, 2012
3:23 pm
GTBob – you are supposed to be good at math aren’t you? I mean, isn’t Tech for engineers?
So do your math. The funding for Obamacare does not exist. Add $1 trillion to the already existing $16+ trillion we can’t ever pay back and that equals DEFAULT. And that is not counting the ACTUAL cost of the program…I am merely using the CBO numbers. Argue with that. Those aren’t talking points. That is common sense.
Anonymous
November 8th, 2012
3:30 pm
GTbob- well relocating to a different country is hardly something that can be done on a whim. If you agree to buy the tickets for me and my family of 4, a house, and help us find jobs in order to live??? You bet you a$$ I’ll leave and I won’t come back till someone other than a Democrat is running this country. You can have this so-called land of “liberty”. My grandfather fought in WWII and did not fight for a land where the lazy, less fortunate, and illegal are helped out and supported by the hardworking. You can call me ignorant, or whatever you like. The fact is I simply believe that you are responsible for taking care of you and your family…and that’s it.
It should not be my responsibility, obligation, or expectation to take care of the poor. Everyone cannot be made equal in this country, it’s not possible. Education in this country is free from K-12th grade. I should know, I provide it to people who can’t speak this language every day. Students whose parents are here illegally but since the law states that they were born here so they are “legal” (which is bs). The less fortunate…let’s just be real here…the minorities who live in the inner cities…not my responsbility. Single family home? 4 kids? Guess what? Every one of those kids was a a choice you made…not me. Everyone of those kids gets a free education and a free breakfast and lunch depending on their household income. What they choose to do with that free education is their responsibilty, not mine. Well… it’s my responsbility now.
How is it a known group of illegals can protest as a group yet nothing is done? Better yet what exactly are illegals protesting?? They have no rights in this country? Or you would think based on the word “illegal”. There is so much wrong with this country it’s ridiculous.
GTBob
November 8th, 2012
3:46 pm
Discount DoubleDawg, a few points
1. According to the U.S. small business administration, small businesses account for 52% of the U.S. workforce. Not 75%.
2. You seem to be completely ignoring that small businesses with less than 50 employees will not be subjected to the $2000 fine.
3. You also seem to be ignoring that small businesses with less than 25 employees actuall get a tax credit if they offer health insurance.
4. You are also ignoring that small businesses can deduct the first 30 employees if they are over the 50 person limit.
5. You seem to think the government exchange is a government run insurance program, which it isn’t.
6. The exchange does not give the government the power to dictate how much hospitals charge or how much doctors make. You completely pulled that one out of no where.
I could go on with more but I will stop there. Try to tell the whole story next time.
Bill"s O'Reilly
November 8th, 2012
3:47 pm
The only reason Obottom won is because there are more reloaders than tax payers,
Shitheadra Jones:Obama voter
November 8th, 2012
3:49 pm
http://www.youtube.com/embed/J2NqqL0CnaU?rel=0
GTBob
November 8th, 2012
4:00 pm
It should not be my responsibility, obligation, or expectation to take care of the poor.
In the current system, hospitals will not turn away poor people who are desperately in need of medical attention. Poor people will rack up huge medical bills that they cannot possibly pay back, leading the hospital to take a huge loss and seek assistance from the federal government. Meanwhile, at the same time, private insurers continue to raise premiums, without any oversight or regulation making the problem even worse going forward. At least in the new program there is some attempt to get more people insured and moderate the crazy increases of the private insurers by creating more competition within the government exchange. I doubt the new plan sounds any better to you though because as a republican you are probably the type that would chuckle if you saw poor kids dying in the streets.
UGA Insider
November 8th, 2012
4:03 pm
Limbaugh said it best yesterday…. You can’t beat Santa Claus and you can’t beat a cult-pop hero. I guess I’m over it but I am sure disappointed in the Florida turnout. There were more who voted for McCain than Romney in that state.
UGA Insider
November 8th, 2012
4:08 pm
GTBob,
Actually democrats are the more racist party. According to Planned Parenthood numbers democrats have helped murder 22,000,000 african american innocent babies since 1973.
Do you see that number azz hole!!! 22,0000,000
GTBob
November 8th, 2012
4:17 pm
Well UGA Insider, that would really depend on your definition of murder, which is the age old abortion argument. I also highly doubt that Planned Parenthood is tracking the political affiliation of the people the perform abortions on.
GTBob
November 8th, 2012
4:24 pm
K-State the only relatively good team they played lit WV up.
You are making my point for me. WV according to these incredibly knowledgeable experts was a top 5 team. In reality they weren’t. Just like the current #5 team.
Discount DoubleDawg
November 8th, 2012
5:12 pm
GTbob- Gov’t 101 take 2
Guys- again sorry for all the non-football talk but helping bob understand things is fun.
1. Okay, if you want to play semantics with stats, I will. You are right that small businesses account for 52% of workers but they are responsible for 65% of all new jobs created over the last 17 years and the last time I checked, we need jobs created. So, I should have used this stat instead.
2. I am not ignoring this fact at all. I didn’t say every small business will be put under duress but if you have 30% of business put under duress you get the same outcome, less jobs created. There are 18.4 million companies between 21 and 99 employees…how many of those decide to stay below the 50 employee threshold? You can’t put lipstick on this, it will deter job creation.
3. I am not ignoring the tax credit but it is insignificant, it isn’t enough to create a job nor is it enough to entice someone that doesn’t have insurance now to go get it…so this is an insignificant fact.
4. Again, I am not ignoring this fact. I know all the ins and outs to the law, yes this does soften the blow and if I needed to list every pro and then offset it with the greater con, then I will. I was trying to be general with the facts. Yes, you can deduct this but it doesn’t change that it will create financial hardship on millions upon millions of businesses…what is the exact number, no one knows…no one that is one of the major problems with it.
5. The exchange will be a govt run program with private insurers having to compete with govt’s exchange which is expected to be the state funded Medicaid portion. (which is what the supreme court ruled is unconstitutional…forcing the states to fund this). No private insurer will be able to compete with the govt and it limits the amount any insurer can profit at 20%. Sounds good in theory but if they can only make 20% this year then next year when they have losses of 50%, they can not recoup that money. You will have less and less private insurers in this market…thus more people on the govt program.
6. As for dictating what they charge, yes it will happen. The govt program will negotiate with hospitals just like private insurers do now for what can be charged for every procedure. Medicaid and Medicare do this now. That is how Obama is claiming to have cut $716 Billion in Medicare/Medicaid….he simply lowered what they would pay hospitals and in return several facilities stopped accepting it. What do you think will happen when Medicare/Medicaid is the behemoth it will become with most Americans on it, it will have compete negotiating power. I didn’t pull that out of the air, it is simply business and the Obama administration did it this year.
The bottom line is this, it will hurt job creation and it will hurt the quality of healthcare, so this is bad for America, your facts may soften the damage, but that is it. You can put lipstick on a pig if you wish. Full Story,thanks for playing.
Go Dawgs!
Christopher
November 8th, 2012
5:59 pm
I must say I am glad to see Tennessee coming back and being more competitive this year. It just isn’t the SEC without them being a viable opponent. That said, I cannot find it anywhere in my soul to feel bad for Auburn or their fans. I would ask the Lord for forgiveness for feeling this way, but I think He feels the same way too.
Discount DoubleDawg
November 9th, 2012
5:39 pm
crickets GTbob… crickets…
funny what facts and logic will do to guy…
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