Bobo: Aaron Murray to blame for some sacks

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By Andy Johnston

For the AJC

ATHENS -- Mike Bobo didn’t place all the blame for Georgia’s offensive problems on the offensive line.

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Brant Sanderlin, bsanderlin@ajc.com UGA redshirt freshman QB Aaron Murray (11, left) was sacked six times in the Sept. 18, 2010, loss to Arkansas.

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He said the six sacks in Arkansas’ 31-24 victory Saturday were a combination of poor play from an offensive line that missed injured starting guard Chris Davis and of redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Murray taking too much time in the pocket.

“Sometimes he likes to hold onto the ball a little bit. That’s being young,” said Bobo, Georgia’s offensive coordinator. “You got to drop back there. You got to look at it. You got to cut it loose. He’s going to learn.

"I have to look at the tape. I don’t think all of the sacks were on him, but he’s got to get rid of the football.”

Thanks to a fourth-quarter surge, Georgia’s offense appeared to make an improvement from its showing in last weekend’s 17-6 loss to South Carolina.

The Bulldogs put together fourth-quarter scoring drives of 62 and 52 yards to finish with a season-high 392 yards, but Murray was on the run most of the game.

In addition to being sacked six times, he was hit hard on other attempts and had to scramble out of trouble numerous times behind a line missing Davis (knee and hip), who had made 12 consecutive starts. Tanner Strickland made his first career start.

When asked if there was a problem with the offensive line, Georgia offensive tackle Clint Boling responded: “I don’t know what’s going on.”

The Bulldogs had only 222 yards at the end of the third quarter and appeared to be offensively challenged for the second consecutive week. The Razorbacks, who held Tennessee Tech and Louisiana-Monroe to a combined 10 points entering the game, sliced through the Bulldogs’ line with a combination of blitzes.

They held Georgia’s running attack in check for the most part, although running back Washaun Ealey finished with 87 yards and tied the game at 24-24 with his 3-yard run in the fourth quarter.

“They were throwing a couple of different looks at us that we didn’t see in the first two games, but we ended up picking them up well toward the end of the game,” Boling said. “We just weren’t quick enough.”

Murray has been sacked nine times -- all in the past two games -- playing behind the same line that allowed Joe Cox to be sacked only 12 times in 13 games in 2009.

“[Murray is] a freshman, so he might hold onto the ball a little bit longer, but it’s our job to protect as long as he has the ball,” Boling said. “We gave up too many sacks [Saturday], and we just didn’t do a good-enough job.”

Bobo said Murray was to blame for the final sack, an 8-yard loss on third-and-four that forced the Bulldogs to punt with 54 seconds left in the game. Arkansas scored the game-winning touchdown three plays later.

"On the last one, he’s got to get the ball out," Bobo said.