And…game. The time has thankfully elapsed. I’m glad to not have needed to go out to a bar to watch the game. Looking forward teh the beginning of the MAC season next week with Ohio. They clearly gave Ohio State fits, but they really didn’t impress me much today, but we’ll just have to see how it all shakes out on the field. Go Chips!
3:13 – Thank you Joe Cox. In what looked like a gift, the younger QB just pulled away from center without the ball and the Chips recovered. Barring a disaster, the Dawgs will not go over 60 points today. Thank heavens for small victories and leaving Athens as healthy as when they arrived.
5:26 – I can’t help but sit here and really hope and hope with all that I have that the defense does not yield yet another touchdown. 56 points is really enough for one weekend.
6:40 – A graphic tells me LeFevour finishes the day 23-43 for 250 yards, 2 TDs and a pick, adding another 19 yards on four runs. That’s a pretty productive day, especially against an SEC defense, but the team was clearly over-matched for the most part.
7:10 – Brian Brunner is relieving LeFevour. I guess that’s the thing to do. Still, I can’t turn it off! Help!
7:20 – I have to appreciate that the game commentators just pointed out that the Chips are “not a cupcake” and mentioned the consecutive conference championships after Georgia’s back-ups add to the pile, even if their motivation is probably more to puff up the Bulldogs’ day than it is to pay tribute to the team taking the beating. UGA 56, CMU 17
8:19 – Backup QB for Georgia Joe Cox just delivered a dart for 24 yards and to set up first-and-goal at the Chippewa six-yard line. It would appear they aren’t done scoring quite yet. They clearly want the clock to run, but aren’t afraid to put on a little show for the voters.
11:24 – Where is the white flag? Georgia still looks lively for their part and are just finishing the job. The Chips took a chance (and, yes, a paycheck) to visit Sanford against the pre-season number one and got handled pretty fairly. I guess this is where the relief of being a MAC school comes in. This game really meant little to nothing to the season, other than the attention that would have followed if they’d been able to pull off the huge upset. Now, the team has to really focus on next week at Ohio, as that is a game that actually counts. It puts in in perspective where a team like Georgia cannot afford to lose any games out of conference as their stakes are simply higher. Still, would have been nice for it to have been more competitive.
Q4 14:18 – And…that might do it for the UGA first team offense. Have I mentioned this Moreno kid. He caps the 99-yard drive with a gorgeous run and dive into the end zone. I’m a believer. Sign me up! Could he be good enough to keep the Dawgs from their perennial early-season disappointment where they drop a game you didn’t really think they could? UGA 49, CMU 17
0:44 – Moreno decides to hurdle a defender on his 29-yard run on third and long-ish, just in case Sportscenter didn’t have enough of his clips from which to choose. I remember at some point last season some sportscaster saying he didn’t think Tim Tebow would win the Heisman again this season because Moreno was going to be a star. He definitely looks at least good enough to challenge for the headlines this season. Again, Central isn’t really known to have a studly run defense, but you can see the kid is good. I’m now mostly glad I didn’t realize I could have gone to Georgia for Central on Saturday and the Lions on Sunday…though not really. I could go for some Fat Matt’s and Flying Biscuit while in the ATL.
4:11 – Are you effing serious?! Third and ten from your own one and Stafford just scrambles for 22 yards. Effortlessly scrambles, that is.
4:23 – Oh Nick Bellore! I can’t call you out for not catching that ball. You’re no receiver, but that was almost a sure TD going the other way. Good tip, though.
5:06 – At this point, it’s all about taking away some positives. The offense stalls at midfield and Central has to punt. The rugby-style punt is touched inside the one-yard line and Eric Fraser manages to fall on it to kill it there without touching the goal line. So, the Bulldogs are pinned deep and I hope it doesn’t turn into a set-up for some ridiculous highlight for Moreno.
7:41 – 52-yard TD pass from Stafford to Massequoi could not have looked any easier. Again, it just seems like Georgia is trying to tell the Chips, “Don’t get your hopes up.” Central may keep scoring, but it wouldn’t appear that the Bulldogs are willing to stop scoring. Two consecutive easy touchdowns. Georgia 42, CMU 17
8:28 – Well, I guess you have to kick the field goal there. I thought it funny how the broadcast came back from commercial break to focus on a kid in the stands yelling “Number one!” surrounded by a bunch of other people yelling the same. Did they not read the paper this week? Number two 35, CMU 17
9:33 – The pocket collapses and FINALLY the Bulldogs get to see why the Chips are two-time defending champs. LeFevoure escapes and slides down at the 11 for a first down. Some dumbass tried to hit him as he was coming to a stop, but missed. Dan knew he did it though, so he gave him a Favre-like ass slap on the way back to the huddle.
10:16 – Gorgeous pass from LeFevour to Bryan Anderson along the sideline, down to the Georgia 23. The QB is shouting encouragement to me through the TV! Okay, it’s to his teammates, but I LOVE what I’m seeing! Go Chips!
11:02 – The offense seems to be ready for the second half. Pitts just made a nice catch over the middle.
11:43 – And then Knowshon Moreno makes sure we don’t get too excited and just blasts his way to a 52-yard touchdown run. Impressive, but DAMNIT! UGA 35, CMU 21
12:45 – Jean Pitts with the TD catch! In case you can’t do the math, that was a two minute, fifteen second drive for a score. Pitts was at least three steps beyond his man and LeFevour hit him nearly perfectly in stride. Pitts did have to slow slightly for it allowing the safety to hit him as he fell forward into the end zone. That’s about 32 yards for the score. UGA 28, CMU 14
13:14 – “Is this the same quarterback…it looks like a different team.” They do look different. They look a lot more like the Chippewa team we are used to seeing.
Q3 14:53 – Antonio Brown with a reasonable kickoff return to the 32. The announcers are correct is talking about how LeFevour should be running the ball more. I don’t know if the game plan was to just stay healthy, but he’s a lot more dangerous when he runs a bit.
Halftime – I’m gonna go plug in the laptop and play with my wife. See you shortly!
0:27 – Hey! Joe Bockheim with the TD catch! He’s had a few balls thrown his way and made the plays. I know he was meant to have a larger role in the offense, but I wonder if it’s not similar to how I play NCAA on the Xbox 360. That is, I am always worried about my top receiver being covered, so I throw to the lower-rated guys, who end up being the offensive stars on my team. Well, I don’t guess that LeFevour, in a real-life game, is nearly as gutless as I am on a video game, so let’s just credit the fellas. Fire up, Chips! – UGA 28, CMU 7
0:52 – My wife just brought me a beer. How sweet is that?
1:02 – A short kickoff and decent return by Pitts has the Chips set up at the Bulldog 40. I’d accept even a field goal attempt at this point. I just want some points.
1:10: That really, really sucked. Second-and-five at the UGA 20. Dan LeFevour steps up into the pocket and rifles a pass into double coverage. Now, there appeared to be some early contact, but we’ve already established how the SEC officials are doing today. The ball bounces off someones chest and ends up in the hands of one of the linemen (did they say DeMarcus Dodge?) who “runs” all 78 yards in the time Usain Bolt would have run 200 yards. UGA 28, CMU 0.
2:35: Thank you Antonio Brown! Holding onto the ball is fun, see?
3:06: We are treated to a graphic that shows that Central is second in the FBS with seven consecutive games scoring at least 30 points, behind only Georgia with eight. The announcers seem impressed, despite the big ol’ goose egg on the scoreboard.
3:43: Another Georgia receiver stretches the ball forward only to have it come loose when it hits the ground, but this time the official actually blows the play dead. As a football official, I’m hating that I’m now hating on the SEC officials as opposed to focusing on the fact my team looks lost out there.
5:09: After yet another drop, we get a false start.
5:29: Nice work on the defensive line’s part for the first two plays down on the goal line, but you just know Moreno isn’t going to be stopped every time. Still, you have to think our defense looks a lot better than last year’s edition. UGA 21, CMU 0
7:04 left in the second: How did the official not call the runner down at the one? I hate to question officials, but he was standing right there.
I’m not so sure on that second touchdown. It’s impossible to really know where the ball when momentum was stopped in a pile like that, but it would be too easy to sneak the ball over the goal line in a pile up. I guess that’s the benefits of being at home and having your crew on the game.
Okay, I didn’t come into today’s game with anything but the feintest of hopes that the Chippewas could pull off a stunner, but can you guys at least make the plays that are there to be made?!
Three consecutive dropped passes to start a new series is not going to help the situation. Granted, the first down pass wasn’t entirely catchable, but the second and third passes were simple drops.
We come back from a commercial to see the Chips are now at 1.5 yards per play.
The defense has made a few stops, but if you can’t allow them to stay on the sidelines any longer than what it takes to drop three passes…well…we’ll have to be thankful that Mark Richt doesn’t feel the need to pour it on the way Clemson did last season.
