How Georgia Could've Won

Georgia could have beaten LSU, had they played a just a little more error-free football. Had just a few of the following few plays gone the other way, the outcome could’ve been quite different.

The Dawgs dropped at least six passes. Had they caught the two first-quarter touchdown passes, UGA would’ve led 21-0. Instead they were only up ten.

Heisman Trophy candidate Tyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu scored on a spectacular 67 yard punt return, and another set up a second TD with another long return. The replay official admitted the TD should’ve been overturned, but he didn’t request to replay angle showing Mathieu flip the ball to the official BEFORE he crossed the goal line. Should’ve been a touchback, and Georgia’s ball. Had Georgia done a better job on special teams, they could’ve prevented two LSU touchdowns. So instead of 21-0 Georgia, LSU led 14-10.

In the third quarter Aaron Murray lost a fumble and threw an interception, setting up two short LSU touchdown drives. Take away these two turnovers, and UGA leads 21-0. Instead the Bayou Bengals lead 28-10.

Deflated, things got worse in the fourth quarter. Bulldog back Brandon Boykin missed several tackles, and fell down returning a kickoff (he did, however, make several nice plays). A horse-collar tackle negated a sack. Dawg defenders tried to strip the ball instead of tackle the ballcarrier. After a Drew Butler punt backed LSU up inside the ten, LSU continuously ran the ball up the middle, methodically breaking off runs for huge chunks of yardage. When Alfred Blue ran the final 48 yards practically untouched, Georgia free safety Bacarri Rambo hardly moved. Yet another preventable touchdown.

Many think Murray is Georgia’s savior, but I continue to have doubts: too many of his passes are floaters. His last pass of the day was overthrown, and Tiger DB Morris Claiborne easily covered the 45 yards for LSU’s final score. Another costly Bulldog mistake.

Announcers Vern Lundquist and Gary Danielson went out of their way to commend Georgia for their first half play. Even as LSU continued to build their second-half lead, they continued their praise of the SEC East Champions. As I rooted for the Dawgs, I felt these CBS announcers went out of their way to praise the Georgia. I saw where other UGA fans felt the announcers (and officials) were biased AGAINST Georgia. I don’t know what they were talking about.

Isaiah Crowell disappointed yet again, leading Bulldog coaches and fans to search all the more for high school backs to take his place. Despite hobbling on his injured ankle, Crowell was held in check by LSU’s vaunted defense. Crowell couldn’t bring down a wayward pass from Murray. But he negated a LSU pass interference penalty with an unsportsmanlike penalty, and another promising drive ended with a punt. As the broadcast showed Richt gently admonishing the freshman, Lundquist and Danielson spun the scene in Georgia’s favor: not all freshmen achieve maturity at the same time. They contrasted Crowell with fellow Dream Team recruit Malcolm Mitchell, who says “I’m a freshman. I don’t know anything.” Sunday night Richt was in the North Carolina home of Keith Marshall, the top running back recruit in the country.

The SEC Championship Game could’ve been billed as the battle of the NCAA’s two best punters. Both put on an eight punt show, with UGA’s Drew Butler narrowly besting LSU’s Brad Wing: 51.5 to 50.4. Guess Wing held the edge in net yards.

To their credit, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit and David Pollock predicted that UGA would start strong and show well. But both felt LSU was too powerful for Georgia to hang with for sixty minutes. Lee Corso didn’t curse, though a sign remembering his slip of the tongue was quickly removed from view.

On a side note, the LSU band has joined the “Sweet Caroline” bandwagon. Not that there’s anything wrong with that (on a side-side note, last week Neil Diamond sang on NBC’s Lighting of the Rockefeller Center Tree. He’s moving slower than ever, and Anna quickly changed the channel).

Eight key plays led to the 42-10 final score: five by the offense and two on special teams. Under the conditions, Georgia’s defense played a whale of a game, not allowing a first half first down (a feat no other SEC team had achieved in over a decade). The Dawgs didn’t need all eight to go their way to win. Had the two passes been caught, the turnovers limited, and turn a few touchdowns into field goals, and Georgia could’ve actually won.