What they said after SEC Championship game
“Thought it was a great football game. Unfortunately, we ended up on the wrong end of the scoreboard. I think Alabama is a great football team, obviously. I think we’re pretty good, too.”
– Georgia coach Mark Richt
“To be (so close) to making probably one of the greatest comebacks in Georgia history, it stinks (to fall short).”
– Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray
“That’s something you dream of as a little kid, to win the game like that. And it’s just (awful) the way it ended, that’s for sure.”
– Murray
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make a smart play. Instinctively, I grabbed the ball when I probably should have let it go.”
– Georgia wide receiver Chris Conley on his catch that ended the game, five yards short of the end zone
“We kind of had that I-would-not-be-denied attitude out there today. I’m not saying we played our best football game of the year in terms of execution, but the way we were able to run the ball, especially in the second half, was probably the difference in the game.”
– Alabama coach Nick Saban
“This conference will test your mettle. There are a lot of good teams in this conference. We beat a really good team out there today. We really couldn’t handle their pass rush, and it was difficult for us to throw the ball. But you have to give our offensive line a lot of credit for … doing a great job of blocking so that we could run the football … for 350 yards and come back in the game a couple of times.”
– Saban
“He just told me congratulations and that I did a great job running and that it was the best he’s ever seen me run.”
– Alabama running back Eddie Lacy on what former Crimson Tide star Mark Ingram said to him after the game, in which Lacy ran for 181 yards
“I’m going to tell you that I think it’s a crying shame if Georgia doesn’t get to go to a BCS bowl game. …. They played a tremendous game out there today. That was a great football game by both teams. … So, I mean I think it’s ridiculous (if Georgia doesn’t go to a BCS bowl such as the Sugar, Fiesta or Orange) . I watch teams playing that are 7-5 that are talking about they might go to a BCS game because they won their (conference) championship? Something’s not right here. … I don’t think it’s fair to the Georgia players, coaches and their institution if they don’t go to a BCS game.”
– Saban
“When I saw that No. 9 running down the field with a blocked field goal, I said, ‘Yeah, that’s a problem.’”
– Saban on Alec Ogletree’s run that gave Georgia a 21-10 lead in the third quarter
“I told them I was disappointed (in the outcome), but I wasn’t disappointed in them. That was the main thing. I told them they were warriors in there, and I was proud of them.”
– Richt on what he told his team after the game
“That was impressive by their people up front. We were just not able to stop it.”
– Richt on Alabama’s running game
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:
Game story: Alabama delivers BCS knockout of Georgia, 32-28
Bradley column: Five yards short in bitter defeat a winning UGA effort
Schultz column: Georgia earns respect in defeat, but loss not easy to take
The final drive and play: An agonizing ending for Georgia
What they said: post-game comments from players, coaches on both teams
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124 comments Add your comment
BobDawg
December 2nd, 2012
6:45 am
Congrats to Bama Nation… As I’ve posted on other blogs, I am proud of the Dawgs and this game was worthy of the National Title game… ND won’t give you a better fight nor will they win… I am DONE with listening to Chuck and Chernoff while Oliver is still there. Bogus news conference question and not man enough to own it to CMR… Coach Richt handled it well and I’m out….
Yellow Fuzz
December 2nd, 2012
7:08 am
To the entire dog nation (AH’s too):
The fact is you controlled your own destiny. If you won last night, you play for the BCS Championship Game against Notre Dame and have a chance to win your first National Championship in 32 years. If you lost, you knew that you would fall behind Florida in the BCS rankings and not be eligible for a BCS bowl (no conference gets to send more than two teams). You knew this for over a week.
Everyone in college football knows that the BCS system is a crap shoot and that’s why it is being shelved in 2 more years. It sucks now, but it is what it is-an “everybody wins a trophy” type of system. While wanna bees like Louisville etc., get rewarded for underachievement, georgia needs to go to the Cotton Bowl, beat Texas by 30 and finish up a legitimate top 5 team! Think of where you came from just a few short years ago!
I could not be more proud of your players and coaches. They are top notch, though I think Grantham should have made adjustments and lined up Jarvis Jones in the middle instead of outside in the 2nd half. Same run defense, just more inside stunts and different looks for Alabama’s massive offensive line to contend with.
Nevertheless, Grantham is a great coach and georgia prepared for and played a tremendous game in the national spotlight. They won the hearts of many outside of the dog Nation (use Google and see for yourself). Coach Richt, Bobo, Grantham and company have brought you all the way back to national prominence. You can now compete NATIONALLY on the field and in the living room of the best recruits in America!
However, though I have gained a lot of respect for the Georgia program, I would not hesitate rolling one of you if you bark in my face in public.
david
December 2nd, 2012
7:47 am
This was an NFL type game, BRUTAL!!!!!
Lambert Dawg
December 2nd, 2012
8:14 am
There were three THUGS I witnessed in that dome Saturday,
1. The alabama player who took the Cheap Shot on Murry after the interception. He should be banned from playing in the Notre Dame game. (He would be fined for doing that in the NFL).
2. The official who watched the play and made the no call. He should suspended indefinatly. Murry could have been seriously injured on that play. No excuse that official is either incompetant or an alabama fan.
3. Chuck Oliver of 680 the fan for after the game questioning Coach Richt and Aaron Murrys ability to win the big game. What a “low life, cheap shot, scum bag”. Oliver only wishes Auburn had a coach and quarter back like Richt and Murry.
I am sick. Georgia deserved to win the game. Bama was climbing up hill the entire night.Every time bama took the lead UGA answered.
Saban said before the game that it was going to be a heavy weight fight. This morning he knows he won the fight because he was “Saved By The Bell” at the end with his knees buckling.
Lambert Dawg
December 2nd, 2012
8:25 am
Yellow Fuzz.
You are a class act and I want to thank you for you kind words. People like you represent all that is good in sport and life.
Rudyard Kipling said.. ” If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two imposters just the same.” Those are tough words to live by after a game like yesterday.
JB
December 2nd, 2012
8:36 am
It was in their hands. The Dawgs had the opportunity and it slipped away to a good Alabama team that will represent the SEC well against Notre Dame….
dawggirl
December 2nd, 2012
8:39 am
So proud of this team…I can’t remember the last time I saw a GA team fight like that to the final second. I know visions of lucrative NFL contracts are bouncing in some heads, but I’d like to think that visions of finishing the drill next season will have a stronger pull. Congrats to the coaches and the team and thanks for an amazing season.
Slim
December 2nd, 2012
8:45 am
Proud of Bama for not giving up and showing what championship teams look like. UGA has every chance to win this game (including a lot help from the officials) and couldn’t get it done. Roll Tide!!!
Bug Zapper
December 2nd, 2012
9:01 am
No haters on this board!! I am proud of the Dawgs! They all played their butts off! Swann gets beat on one go route and they controlled the line of scrimmage in the 4th quarter with their running game — and we STILL had chance to win! Four point loss to the best team in the nation. I do not believe in moral victories, but the national championship was last night. Notre Dame kiss my butt (and I’m Irish).
Goodbye Jarvis, Jenkins, Rambo, Williams, ‘Tree….enjoy the bowl game and make some serious scratch next year!
AND GO DAWGS!!
DrC
December 2nd, 2012
9:11 am
To the UGA Coaches and Players – I salute you for an outstanding season and for putting everything you had into the SEC championship game. It was an incredible display of the SEC at its very best. I felt you did a great job of coaching – the fake punt was executed to perfection and the mix of run and pass put points on the board against the best defense in the country. Our defense played their hearts out against a bruising line and two future NFL running backs and we were in the game until the very last moment. Everyone knows it could have gone either way including Coach Saban and his players who had the class to say so which shows more class than a lot of people critizing our coaches today. People who KNOW they are perfect will criticize not spiking the ball at the end, but this is only because it did not work out…THEY KNOW FOR CERTAIN that it would have worked out if we had spiked the ball. Had the play worked and UGA won these SAME people would be claiming how smart it was to strike while the iron was hot. They would LOVE the coaches and players and be bragging about UGA like THEY are part of the team. As for me, I don’t think there is a better person in the country to be the headcoach of our football team than Mark Richt. I’ll take his level of “mediocrity” during his tenure over 95% of the football programs in this country. He has dominated our long standing arch rival and come very close to winning it all on several occasions. He is one of the best recruiters – bloggers who criticize him for having such talented players seem to forget that HE is why we have such talented players – and has a higher winning percentage than ANY coach in UGA history. If he had continued with a downward spiraling program after the 6-7 season, then perhaps a change would become needed. HOWEVER, he turned it around and has posted two excellent seasons since then and Grantham and Bobo have likewise vastly improved. This is one Bulldog who feels a lot to be proud of in spite of a very tough loss last night. Go Dawgs!
butch
December 2nd, 2012
9:22 am
GREAT GAME FROM BOTH TEAMS but ROLL TIDE
Joey
December 2nd, 2012
9:27 am
Coulda, shoulda, woulda.
Yellow Fuzz is right – we knew where a loss in the SECCG would put us this season, so enough whining about it.
We beat UF, but they had a better season, same as our season was better than SC’s despite our loss to them.
Anyway, win the bowl game, finish near or in the Top 5, and it is a really good season.
4 more yards on the last play woulda made it a great season . . .
BIG GAME
December 2nd, 2012
9:34 am
Alabama mauled Georgia with their O-line & running game. No contest in this area.
Murray did what he’s done his whole career,play really well against all the soft opponents then come up short in the big games. He’s had a heavily soft game statistically padded career.
Georgia maybe you should get a real schedule during the year,so that you’ve seen a real team before you have to play in a title game.
JFKDawg
December 2nd, 2012
9:43 am
The difference here was coaching. Why we were trying a 50 yard field goal with a kicker who struggles on PAT’s was a head scratcher. Lining up on our 5 yard line and throwing three straight times accomplished nothing. Bobo, while a great QB in his day, doesn’t seem to understand the flow of the game or playing to his strengths. Trying to manhandle AL between the guards wasn’t one of them. Stuffed on a critical 3rd down play. Bobo is very predictable with the first down bomb all of the time. The success rate for those may have worked against FAU and Buffalo but not in the SEC.
BVGA
December 2nd, 2012
9:49 am
FIRE RICHT… CANT WIN BIG GAMES… NO DIFFERENT THAN LAST FOUR YEARS… MEANINGLESS JANUARY BOWL AGAN.
Alan
December 2nd, 2012
9:57 am
IS Richt georgia’s Mike Shula
Dawg_Central
December 2nd, 2012
10:00 am
I hated to lose last night…..BUT….The Dawgs are back….we were in the mix…played a hell of a game that could have went either way…….no excuses, no blame game…….Im proud to be a Dawg today…..the entire nation saw UGA and said “wow”……….Go Dawgs…….
Lambert Dawg
December 2nd, 2012
10:01 am
Chuck Oliver of 680 the fan is a JOKE!!! What an idiot.. To ask that question of Richt at the post game press conference once again proved your bias, lack of class and professionalism.
I admire coach Richt for showing the amount of restraint he did at that press conference.
Oliver you represent all that is wrong with the media in this country.
Dawg_Central
December 2nd, 2012
10:03 am
@Slim…….u are a retard, gonna say UGA had help from refs…….I guess you missed the helment to helment on Murray and the candy ass call from a clean hit by Ogletree……..smh…..Bama played well…….dont say the refs kept UGA in the game…..what a dumbass u are.
Dawg_Central
December 2nd, 2012
10:07 am
Murray played very good last night and done his job……Mark Richt is best coach UGA has ever had……..all the haters need to pull for Tech or a fake Notre dame team…….Im PROUD to be a Dawg……..
Dawg_Central
December 2nd, 2012
10:13 am
Murray was 18 of 33 for 265yds and a TD…………against one of the best defenses in country…….so BIG Game…….you need to stop listening to talk radio and look at the facts……..Murray has had very very few games where he hasnt played well………..he does his job….if everyone did their jobs as well as Murray UGA would be undefeated.
DAWG MOM
December 2nd, 2012
10:14 am
Alabama lost a lot more than games this season whether they want to admit it or not. They’ve come down from their powerful pedestal after the loss to Texas A & M, other close games, and now the game with GEORGIA where they were losing a large portion of the game. I saw a lot of worried faces out of the Tide. You may have pulled it off as I’m sure you’ll keep reminding us but the rest of the country doesn’t think as highly of you as last year. Yes, you’ll beat ND but we would’ve also.
STFU
December 2nd, 2012
10:15 am
I don’t feel sorry for any football team that gets a top 5 recruiting class year after year and still hasn’t made it to the National Title game in 32 years. The one reason you get a top 5 class is that your instate competitor is an engineering school. You can sign who you want and you still cannot get there.
WTF?
Dear Saban, you running your mouth is coming to an end real soon. If you think Auburn is the only school that is going to be investigated for false documents and transcript fraud. Thing again.
If the crybabies and losers cannot play in an BCS Bowl while other teams with more losses do, too bad losers. The other schools in other conferences didn’t make that rule. I am surprised as anyone that the NCAA and bowl selection committee doesn’t consult with you about who should play where. After all, you are the coach with the highest standards and integrity in college football today, NOT!
KnoxvilleDawg
December 2nd, 2012
10:17 am
Great year for the Bulldog Nation. Any real football fan would agree that this was a game for the ages. All genuine Dawg fans should not read or respond to these negative “posers”. UGA fans appreciate the comments from other knowledgable fans from other SEC schools. A&M and Missouri fans, welcome to SEC.
Wanye and Garth
December 2nd, 2012
10:51 am
“After all, you are the coach with the highest standards and integrity in college football today, NOT!”
What year are you in buddy? It’s 2012 Wake up. The 90s were a long time ago.
Uncle Tom
December 2nd, 2012
11:07 am
Look at the Dawgs’ recruiting list. It’s mostly (as usual) DBs and WRs. If we have learned anything from this is that we need LINEMEN, LINEMEN, and more LINEMEN!!!!!!!11
what of it?
December 2nd, 2012
11:17 am
Dawgs had the better team. It was great game to watch, but Georgia just got out-coached which is what everyone expected. It was very winnable game had Richt not squandered his time outs and had Murray not bottled it in the end.
Tyrone dawg
December 2nd, 2012
11:36 am
Why isn’t there more outrage about the cheap shot on Murray!!!!
Bubba
December 2nd, 2012
12:03 pm
Tell you what, Dawg Nation, you are great, your team is great, your coach is great. (I’ve been to a Bama game in Athens.) I kept running out of fresh batteries for my home defibrilator early in the game because the shocks from your team kept coming! My cardiologist says I’ll be fine by the time bowl games come around but he advised to stock up on new batteries. They’ll be ready for nex year. I hope we don’t have to play y’all again. Well, I take it back. What a tremendous game. Solid punches for 59 minutes and 56 seconds. It’s a shame games like this can’t end in ties so there can be co-champions. Absent a timely tipped pass you’d be going to Miami. We lost to A&M like this so I know what it’s like. This was the best SEC championship I’ve ever seen. It was a privilege to have played you guys. Had you won I’d be the biggest Dawg fan.
takedowndawg
December 2nd, 2012
12:14 pm
I really hate when head coaches will not, will not, take a time out for a defense that is faltering during a critical drive late in a game…….What good have you done for the TEAM if you continue with a drive that you team is being dominated by the other team and your apparent attitude, “we will just get those points back”. You are NOT guaranteed that view point at all as we all found out this weekend. It was also apparent that the defensive linemen were gassed. Not going for the Fourth and One with time running out against a running team that will burn up the clock was a critical error, Coach Richt.
Notebook: Nick Saban believes Georgia deserves to be in BCS Bowl | UGA sports blog
December 2nd, 2012
12:18 pm
[...] What they said: post-game comments from players, coaches on both teams [...]
SC Dawg
December 2nd, 2012
12:22 pm
That was one heck of a game. Murray should have spiked it or Conley should have batted the ball down. However, Would you have batted the ball down when you could have made the game winning TD catch? Next year our O-Line will be better and we will get to see how well the dream team really is.
Fair n Balanced
December 2nd, 2012
12:43 pm
If GA is mediocre ( some on here think so) then I’m for it. This team is probably the 2nd best teamin the country. That means we are pretty darn good. Good season Dogs! Thanks Coach Richt! Bless you n the team!
Tom in Atl
December 2nd, 2012
12:45 pm
Those same coaches and players you are railing against engineered an 80 yard drive in 40 seconds with no timeouts against Alabama. If the Dawgs spike the ball – line up for 2 plays and don’t score – then you would be complaining that they let Nick Saban set his defense. Armchair quarterbacks have the benefit of hindsight. As for why UGA didn’t rotate more players to keep the defense fresh – its becuase they have about 15 less scholarship players than they are allowed – due to attrition and injury (Arby Jones, Mike Thornton, Michael Bennett, Marlon Brown, Chase Vassar anyone??).
When UGA scored on the last play of the half against Ole Miss – did they call timeout or spike the ball? When David Green completed the 4th and 15 pass at AU in 2002 – or the Hobnail boot at TN – did they spike the ball? Nope – they caught the defense flatfooted. The call was fine. The result – not what you or I wanted. Grow up and learn to deal with playing your hardest, and accepting the outcome. That’s not “settling” for losses – that’s being a man.
azdawg
December 2nd, 2012
12:46 pm
“That was impressive by their people up front. We were just not able to stop it. CMR.”
Well, you sure as ^%$^%$ should have!!! CTG makes 900K a year and you’d think he could come up w/something different to stop just one of those AL drives for TD’s. One less TD CMR and this is a totally different outcome. It was painful to watch, the missed tackles, over and over again. Not once did the dawgs go low on either of the AL backs. They will go down if you tackle low instead of their upper body. They were too good for that. CMR, you should have gotten in Granthems face and told him “do something!!!!”. Geez. Same thing year after year. Always a bridesmaid never the bride.
Gamecocky
December 2nd, 2012
1:12 pm
Hee,Hee,Heeeeeeeeeeeeee !!!!!!!!!!!!!
marinecorp sniper
December 2nd, 2012
1:19 pm
get a life all of you.
monty
December 2nd, 2012
1:32 pm
I think if the GA coaches look at the poor tackling on the replays they will not be too happy. Time and time again we’d have 3 defenders around their backs but they would all be trying to arm tackle or knock them down with a hard shoulder hit, but the BAMA backs would have none of that. Like the above poster commented they were unwilling to go down low and wrap up and in the end it cost us the game. Way too many defenders going to make alot of money in the NFL to not be able to stop the run when you knew it was coming. Crying shame. BUt let’s all congratulate ourselves we didn’t get embarrassed like we usually do. Whoopeee!!
lee sawyer
December 2nd, 2012
2:10 pm
I am a dire hard Alabama fan from Huntsville AL. This saturady we saw a great SEC game between two equally balanced football warriors. Both teams slugged it out to the bitter end through 4 quarters. While I am happy with the results, In my estimation both teams are champions who deserve to be in a post season BCS bowl game.
Congratulations to both UAB and UGA
danny
December 2nd, 2012
2:53 pm
Chuck Oliver is the biggest coward in Atlanta sports talk. Mark Richt gave him evry opprtunity to say what was on his mind. And that BIG coward guised it in the cliche “thats what people are saying”. Does Auburn have a radio talk show? or maybe he can move to the conference USA headquarters for his fabulous career.
Old School
December 2nd, 2012
3:08 pm
And after 30 long and agonizing years this famous annual retort still echoes throughout the Dawg nation…”just wait until next year…next year….next year………
doc
December 2nd, 2012
3:23 pm
no qb from out the state of Georgia has ever won the SEC Championship game. You would think that the coaching staff at UGA would look at that point. They showed up in this game but they couldn’t finish. Georgia has 2 good running backs but they will never commit to the run. They want to pass too much. If you control the clock you win football games.
doc
December 2nd, 2012
3:24 pm
Time to let Murray go on his way==ok———-and build your team around the running game.
doc
December 2nd, 2012
3:26 pm
to make things worse Murray cannot run at all————-so they pretty much know he is not going to scramble———-that is a huge minus for a team this day in time. At least Bamas quarterback could move some and even ran for about 50 yards one time.
01HAWK
December 2nd, 2012
3:28 pm
And so it continues for Georgia, a top-caliber program that continues to fall short in a league where there is little room for error. The Bulldogs played three ranked teams this season and lost to two of them. Murray, in particular, has still beaten only one team in his career that finished (or will finish) ranked in the final AP poll; he has not performed up to his potential in many of those games, either. Negatives are easier to recall.
not -a bobo-fan
December 2nd, 2012
3:47 pm
Enter your comments here
not -a bobo-fan
December 2nd, 2012
3:50 pm
pink slip for BoBo monday morning …you have to spike the ball and have two chances to go to the end zone..
Boom Boom
December 2nd, 2012
4:05 pm
Great game! Loss stings but one of the greatest games ever played. To all ya’ll who rant about firing CMR and throwing all the players under the bus after every loss,I can only guess that you never played a single down of organized football past maybe kindergarten and never ran windsprints until you puked and you most certainly know nothing of the sacrifice and plain out hard work tha our team puts in. Also sure you never set foot on any college campus except to buy a scalped ticket(which in your case should be to the Toilet Bowl).
hind tit
December 2nd, 2012
4:20 pm
I get so sick of hearing the words if and should i could scream. This game was better than any BCS they could ever put to gather on paper. It was like a fifteen round heavy weight fight when each fighter took turns being knocked down for fourteen rounds until the last round and one gets knocked down to one knee and the bell rings. And the only thing you can say is the best guy won but what a fight. UGA is back, BAMA is still BAMA but A&M since joining the SEC will start pulling all that talent from Texas, they are on the way down, plus great players from that part of the country that want to be a part of this great conference and games such as last night. All i can say is you ain’t seen nothing yet.
yeller bug
December 2nd, 2012
4:34 pm
Never posted on a UGA blog before–doubt I will again, but wanted to say that was an awesome game played with maximum heart and it was unfortunate that someone had to lose. Nothing to be ashamed of here. You have a strong program and an excellent coach. This was probably the “real” BCS Championship game. Bama-ND will be a big letdown. As a Jacket fan, congrats on a great year and I hope Murray and as many of your juniors go pro as possible!