The Junkyard Blawg has moved!
Along with the other ajc.com blogs, the Junkyard Blawg has moved over to WordPress, where the blogging and commenting experience promises to be better. Join us over at the new WordPress version of the Junkyard Blawg by clicking on the link below.
AJC > Sports > UGA > Blog > Archives > 2008 > November > 02
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Not ready for prime time
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A couple of weeks back when I was talking to various UGA fans about the murderer’s row the Dawgs were entering on the schedule, the consensus seemed to be that Georgia would be lucky to win one of the games against LSU and Florida. So, yes, Saturday’s loss to the Gators in Jacksonville was hardly a bolt out of the blue (and orange).
What was shocking and disturbing was the manner in which the Bulldogs lost, with Florida getting 21 points from turnovers on top of the 21 that the Penn Wagers officiating crew predictably gave the Gators with blown calls, and the Dawgs continuing to act like they’re scared to death of the goal line once they get inside the Red Zone. Once again, Georgia failed to show up mentally ready for an important game against a top opponent, something that’s now happened four or five times in the Richt era.
Granted, Florida has a superb offense and an opportunistic defense and deserved the win. But the Dawgs easily could have made it a close game had they not repeatedly shot themselves in the foot.
The chain of dispiriting events that marked Georgia’s self-destruction started on the opening drive with what the CBS crew charitably called “unusual playcalling” by Mike Bobo, who seemed determined to pretend like Matthew Stafford the passing QB was actually Tim Tebow the running QB. Stafford already had taken some hits courtesy of the Gators’ pass rush and was looking a little dazed and gimpy when Bobo decided to get cute with his calls in the Red Zone. In what universe do you approach a crucial third-down play by calling for Stafford, not the speediest of runners, to fake the handoff and try and go around the corner himself? Say what you will about armchair quarterbacks second-guessing the guys who get paid big bucks, but that was just a boneheaded call and unfortunately not the only one Bobo or Richt made Saturday. (“Here’s a great idea, guys. We know how explosive the Florida offense is. So let’s gamble with an onside kick and possibly give the Gators a really short field to work with!”)
From there, everything that could misfire for Georgia did just that, with our skill players making mistakes and Willie Martinez’s porous defense looking more and more like something out of the Big 12 or Mountain West. They did a pretty good job of keeping the Gators in check for much of the first half, though you have to wonder just what defense they were in on that first Florida touchdown as Percy Harvin STROLLED into the end zone. At times in the second half, though, the Florida receivers must have felt lonely out there as they sometimes made catches without a Bulldog in sight. And let’s face it, while they may have been let down by the continually misfiring offense, the Dawgs defense appeared to QUIT in the fourth quarter.
Some more observations:
Blair Walsh apparently flinches when the snap is less than perfect, resulting in two missed field goals, one of which saw him hit the upright for the third time this season. Somebody please hire Kevin Butler to tutor this kid! And maybe next time Georgia decides to try an onside kick they’ll remember the bowl game against Virginia Tech and ask Brian Mimbs to handle it. …
Knowshon Moreno kept taking himself out of the lineup whenever he did get off a good run, which makes it pretty much impossible to establish a rhythm. Is there some problem with his conditioning? Note to Knowshon: Heisman votes are attracted on the field running and catching the ball, not on the sideline playing cheerleader. …
Stafford, who played his worst game since his freshman year, alternated beautiful throws (with MoMass and A.J. Green making some terrific catches) with terrible ones, including at least one incomplete throw into triple coverage when he ignored at least two other open receivers. However, the missed TD to a wide-open Tripp Chandler in the end zone was Chandler’s fault, not Stafford’s. In that situation, the receiver is supposed to stop and give the passer a stable target. And there were a couple of dropped passes, too. …
Apparently the Georgia offense has never conducted an interception drill, judging by the way they let Gators race down the field after making picks. …
When will Bobo give up on that bubble screen that hasn’t worked all season?
Apparently the Urban Crier felt he had to make a statement with those last two timeouts. He made one alright, though I’m not sure it’s the one he thought he was making. …
Here comes the part the folks in jorts will call sour grapes, but anyone who watched Saturday’s game on TV knows it’s true: The officiating sucked big-time. Again. Richt correctly challenged the spot on that supposed first-down run by Tebow, and the replays clearly showed Tebow’s knee down well short of the marker. And yet after a lengthy review, the bad spot was upheld as SEC officials continued to refuse to grant a coach’s challenge, even when the evidence is there. But there was more, clearly seen by the CBS cameras and noted by their announcing crew: The uncalled defensive holding by the Gator defender on the first interception. And the uncalled offensive interference on the 44-yard Gator touchdown pass. This from the same Penn Wagers crew that proved in the Tennessee game they don’t understand the NCAA rule book. Either they still don’t, or they were determined to keep punishing the Dawgs for last year’s excessive celebration. If this is the SEC’s top officiating crew, then the conference needs to fire the lot of them and start over.
POSTSCRIPT: My neighbor the Gator didn’t do anything to mark Saturday’s win, so it was peacefully quiet and dark on the cul-de-sac, matching the mood of the Bulldog Nation.
Services »
