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Home > Terence Moore > Archives > 2008 > November > 08
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Georgia did just enough to win
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lexington, Ky. — Elite teams win no matter what. So, despite looking ridiculous in a slew of ways on Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium, Georgia alternated between surging and slumping throughout the chilly afternoon before somehow leaving town with a 42-38 victory over Kentucky.
Mark Richt had it about right after his Bulldogs rose to 8-2 overall and 5-2 in the conference after last week’s 49-10 ugliness at the hands of Florida. Said the giddy coach with memories of clutch Georgia plays on offense and defense down the dramatic stretch, “It’s a team game, and everybody did enough [to win]. These kinds of victories aren’t so bad.”
No, they aren’t, especially in the SEC, where survival often is more important than style. It’s just that, here’s something else about elite teams: They generally don’t flash all of these issues along their way to winning no matter what.
For Georgia, you had a blocked punt, a misplayed punt return by Prince Miller and an 18-yard punt by Brian Mimbs. You had Kentucky with a 96-yard kickoff return. You had two fumbles by wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi. You had a defense continuing its three-week run as a clueless bunch until the game’s final moments. You also had the Bulldogs showing a lack of focus, with half of their mind in bluegrass country and the other half on those Gators storming to that blowout.
Most Georgia players denied the latter, but only to a point. “I mean, the Florida loss was discouraging to us. That said, in this league you have to leave the games in the past,” said Demarcus Dobbs, among Georgia’s few slivers of light on defense in the midst of much darkness.
Let’s return to around the final minute, when Kentucky’s offense was stopped for one of the few times all game on fourth-and-two from the Georgia 26. The Wildcats got new life — with help. Georgia’s Jarius Wynn was called for a face-mask penalty that gave Kentucky first-and-10 from the Georgia 13 and hopes of overcoming its conquerable deficit.
Not good for Georgia. Remember: After relinquishing a total of 87 points in the previous two weeks against LSU and Florida, the Bulldogs operated against Kentucky as if they’d never seen an option offense before. That’s because they haven’t, at least not this year. “I really can’t remember when we ever played a quarterback who always thought of running first,” said Georgia sophomore linebacker Rennie Curran, referring to Kentucky’s Randall Cobb. Courtesy of his swift legs and Georgia’s porous defense, he became Randall Cunningham throughout this one, and Cobb was making only his second collegiate start.
Even so, Cobb rushed for 82 yards and three touchdowns. He also completed 12 of 20 passes for 105 yards. And there he was at Georgia’s 13 at the end, and he was dropping back for a screen pass.
Elite teams don’t flinch in such situations, even with mostly an invisible defense up to that point. Said Georgia junior cornerback Asher Allen, “No, it was never panic. The same motto was echoing throughout the entire team. It was like, ‘Let’s go. Come on, because we can do this.’ I was having flashbacks to my freshman year when we weren’t able to envision the defense making a stop in that situation.”
The defense did, with Dobbs ignoring casts on both arms to intercept Cobb’s pass with 46 seconds left.
This came nearly a minute after Matthew Stafford shrugged off an uneven day that featured overthrown receivers to find A.J. Green in the corner of the end zone with an 11-yard pass.
Just like an elite team.
Then again, Georgia is just a pretty good team.
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