Michael Moore
With the Atlanta Braves ousted from the playoffs, the Atlanta Falcons starting off on the wrong foot, and the Hawks gaining no enthusiast. There is still one team that captures the heart and attention of many sports fans in Georgia, which would arguably be none other be the Georgia Bulldogs of Athens. Before Saturday October 12th, formerly ranked #7 Georgia was lined up to make a plausible run for the SEC championship and maybe even the national BCS championship. However, the hopes of many Georgia fans were shattered when the Missouri Tigers won 41-26.
Although Georgia had high expectations, the challenge for Georgia against the Tigers were anything but easy. UGA running back Keith Marshall is out for the season, and one of college football’s best running backs, Todd Gurley, had to sit out the entire game due to his sprained left ankle. True Freshmen’s, such as J.J.Green and Brendan Douglas, had to fill in the role for the running game. More importantly, the Bulldog’s defense had to find their identity and make a solid stand against Missouri’s explosive offense, which is ranked 8th in points scored, when the Dog’s defense has already been struggling as a whole with their young and vulnerable secondary. Things did not seem as bad when the score was tied 7-7 at the end of the first quarter, but the game looked gloom as the Tigers pulled in front of the Bulldogs 28-10 at the half after many touchdown drives by Missouri. The Dawgs attempted to make a valiant comeback led by Aaron Murray as they cut the lead to 28-20 by the end of the 3rd quarter.They even cut the lead to 28-26 in the 4th quarter, but turnovers ended up hurting the Bulldogs. The two key turnovers were Brendan Douglas’s fumble in the redzone, and Aaron Murray’s interception that was thrown with under 3 minutes left in the game when the score was 34-26 Missouri. The Georgia Bulldogs ae now ranked 15th in the BCS standings following the loss.
It’s a shame that Aaron Murray may not even have a chance to prove himself for the last time in an SEC championship this year, but we all know he is not at fault for this team’s problems.He already has 1824 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions at the halfway point of the season. It seems every Atlanta team has been set back by injuries, yet there are also some things within their control that escape from them. It’s a constant curse that all Atlanta fans must deal with, but the confidence in this team will not fade with a crushing loss.
