Dogs’ key to beating Gators: QB, defense or something else?
Urban Meyer was more relaxed before last year's Georgia game than he will be Saturday.
ATHENS — Just arrived in Happy Town, where the football team has won three straight, the basketball team is considered a conference dark horse and the outside of Stegeman Coliseum is almost completely encircled by glass panels. (OK. Still looks like an old barn with a new shine. But not bad.)
It’s Mark Richt news conference day and I’m planning on writing something about Georgia-Florida later. The focus will be on what I believe is the key to not only this game but the key to affirming that the Bulldogs really are headed in the right direction this season and beyond.
Loading ...The answer is . . . well, you’ll just have to wait. I know. I’m such a tease.
If you haven’t heard, the Dogs actually are favored in this game for the first time since 2004, according to Todd Fuhrman of the Caesars Place Race and Sportsbook in Las Vegas. That year, they were 6½ point favorites and won (and covered) 31-24.
This year Georgia is favored by three. Sounds strange, doesn’t it, given that the Dogs have lost 17 of the last 20 meetings and the last two by a combined score of 90-27? But a winning streak (even over the soft competition of Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Kentucky) has altered some perceptions in Athens and, maybe more importantly, the Gators are a train wreck. They’ve lost three straight regular season games for the first time since 1988 and coach Urban Meyer’s vaunted offense is ranked 89th in the nation.
So here’s the question of the day, until I post the column later: What is the biggest key to beating Florida? I’ve put up a poll, but here are the choices. You can only pick one.
♦ QUARTERBACK: Aaron Murray (12 touchdowns, three interceptions, 1,766 yards) has been great for Georgia. John Brantley (six touchdowns, five interceptions, 1,266 yards) has been mediocre for the Florida. Is it as simple as Murray outplaying Brantley?
♦ RUNNING GAME: The formerly suspended Washaun Ealey, starting the last two games for the suspended Caleb King, rushed for 280 yards and six touchdowns against Vanderbilt and Kentucky. Florida has struggled to run the ball. Is it as simple as the Dogs controlling the ball with the running game and winning?
♦ DEFENSE: What to think? Florida is struggling (they scored seven points in a loss to Mississippi State and six in a loss at Alabama) and there’s no question Georgia has made some progress. But how worrisome is it that Kentucky rolled up 31 points and 423 yards (353 passing) last week? Clearly there are still some holes.
♦ SPECIAL TEAMS: Rivalry games often turn on freakish plays like a long return or a blocked punt.
♦ TURNOVERS: See special teams.
So those are your choices. I know which way I’m going. Until then, what do you think? I’ll check back shortly.
♦
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351 comments Add your comment
jtdawg
October 26th, 2010
1:00 pm
Long Gator, we’re ready for the beatdown…
Beat down that gator a$$, that is!!! Looks like we’re having fried gayturd tail Saturday night and the likes of you and your jort wearing, bleach tipped idiots are a bit uneasy…. as you should be… so just keep thumping that chest.
What has Georgia won? No more than the Gayturds have. WHich signature win are you pinning up your ego with??? Oh thats righ, you don’t have one…..
Oh, boy, could it be that I am...
October 26th, 2010
1:01 pm
99th…
Oh, boy, could it be that I am...
October 26th, 2010
1:01 pm
…FIRST on the second page…
Oh, boy, could it be that I am...
October 26th, 2010
1:01 pm
…yeah, baby…
Dawglasville
October 26th, 2010
1:03 pm
Didn’t it appear that Clemson played with a huge chip on their shoulder last week? Well, we should have one the size of Stone Mountain on our shoulder. That hasn’t meant anything in the past. Hopefully it will this time. Oh, and defense is the key.
Dawg Gonnit
October 26th, 2010
1:11 pm
Clemson will come out and punch you in the mouth, that’s for sure. Did anyone watch the Clemson vs Auburn game this year. That was a slobberknocker!
LakeDawg
October 26th, 2010
1:15 pm
The difference will be where it usually is…the line of scrimmage. If UGA gets a push in the run game and penetration on the D line, then they will more than likely win.
404
October 26th, 2010
1:19 pm
There appears to be only 1 key to the game:
#2: Dont get arrested.
Something UGAG has struggled with all season.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
October 26th, 2010
1:20 pm
Turnovers- UF is struggling offensively so we cannot give them a short field to generate offense. Defensively, we need to create them to rattle JB’s confidence and get moment heading in our direction. Control the turnover department, control the game.
1, tree, five ... Gater Jive
October 26th, 2010
1:21 pm
This game will come down to execution and Irvin Myers chest pains.
Abnerish
October 26th, 2010
1:22 pm
Turnovers have made the difference in the last three games. Turnovers (in our favor) will make our offense look better than it is and will hide our defensive issues. They will also provide us momentum and CONFIDENCE, which in this series is no small thing. Winning the turnover battle allows us to only have 123 yds passing and score 44 points. It allows us to give up over 400 yds of total offense and still win the game.
Jeff
October 26th, 2010
1:25 pm
Hey Long Gaytor….explain how a coach no matter who he is or where he is from could justify reinstating someone like Rainey???????????????????? all rivalry crap aside- doing what he did is pretty serious….no matter where he plays. Urban has daughters- he should be ashamed of himself for leting him back on the team
TONE
October 26th, 2010
1:30 pm
Rainey is going to play ? when was that announced
i dont doubt it i just hadn’t heard it yet ?
AP
October 26th, 2010
1:34 pm
Florida gets healthy this weekend just like Crompton did last year against us. Hope I’m wrong but UF 30 UGA 21
robodawg
October 26th, 2010
1:35 pm
I think the biggest key is expecting to win. The way this game has been going, sometimes you’d think the only logical explanation is that there’s a curse on us. Things that never happen, happen. Will Aaron Murray throw 5 picks? Will AJ drop TD passes? Will Brantley have a career day? Will Butler shank every punt?
The biggest key is mental. If we play our game, play physical, and don’t turn the ball over, we shouldn’t have trouble getting the win.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
October 26th, 2010
1:35 pm
Thursday is the announcement concerning Rainey.
Honolulu Dawg
October 26th, 2010
1:35 pm
Win the turnover battle and slow down Demps and we win.
GATA DAWGS!!!
Mobile Dawg
October 26th, 2010
1:36 pm
There has to be more information on the Rainey case than meets the media. Otherwise no way someone who really did what he supposedly did could even be enrolled in school. If it were my Daughter, I would like to think, well gotta be careful here. Look what it did for that NY Governor candidate.
But then the eye gouging incident ? ? ? As bad as UGA’s problems have been they don’t hold a candle to Florida’s program.
Abnerish
October 26th, 2010
1:41 pm
Urban essentially announced that Rainey would play for the Georgia game the day that he let him back on the team. Like most football coaches, Meyer would rather win than do the right thing. What Rainey did trumps ALL of the arrests by Georgia players over the last two years. Even the Mettenberger thing was just unwanted advances toward a woman (i.e., no Big Ben situation there). I think the University is as much to blame as Urban Meyer, though. The University should have stepped in and kicked him out of school and taken the responsibility away from Meyer. If Rainey does make good on his threat, the University of Florida will be sued faster the Jeff Demps can run the 40.
Hunker Down
October 26th, 2010
1:43 pm
My son plays his final football game of the season this Saturday. Why couldn’t the Georgia/UF game be next week so I could go to Jacksonville?
Murray > Brantley
October 26th, 2010
1:44 pm
Murray throws 3 TD passes, Ealey and King get one more each and the Dawgs get a late field goal. This game will get ugly early. GA 38 Fla 14
MURPHY
October 26th, 2010
1:47 pm
Word down here in Gatorland is Rainey will not play 1st half but will play in second half. Just heard that from a Gator booster. Usually he is pretty good with Gator info but we will wait and see.
SECWasteManagement
October 26th, 2010
1:48 pm
Secondary playing lock down coverage and hitting somebody in the mouth is my has to be my key for the Dawgs. Only facet of the team that has not shined in a game yet. Remember folks…Florida girls do the chomp, but give the clap!
DawginLex
October 26th, 2010
1:49 pm
Jeff,
There is another factor to consider that will determine the outcome of the game.
The officiating crew.
If Penn Wagers and his band show up in Jacksonville, we might as well turn off the TV. There will be a big call early in the game that will hurt UGA and will swing the momentum toward the gators.
2008-Tebow throws pick and Wagers calls a penalty on our defensive lineman for blocking and getting his hand caught up inside the facemask of the florida offensive lineman while they were engaged in hand to hand combat. Any good honest official would have made that a no call.
2008-He ignores Brandon Spikes pushing Moreno into the dirt well after the play ended and the tackle had been made. This set the tone for dirty play all afternoon that he let florida get away with. Continued the momentum swing.
Penn Wagers is a crook. He hates UGA. He hates Mark Richt.
I’m calling you out Mr. Wagers.
If you are in Jacksonville Saturday, you owe UGA an honest game.
SECWasteManagement
October 26th, 2010
1:56 pm
I will risk the time in the grey bar motel to run on the field and give him a hay-maker before getting wrestled to the ground by security.
Gator Mike
October 26th, 2010
1:56 pm
I do not know if Penn Wagers is a crook, but he is a UF Grad who I believe was a backup QB to Steve Spurrier in college. Makes no difference anyway because this year the game will be very competitive only if the GATORS show up with fire in their bellies. I am sure that UGA is ready this year.
Go Gators.
DawginLex
October 26th, 2010
2:00 pm
And yes i do know what the final score was in 2008. My point is that Wagers makes a call here or there and it blasts UGA every time. Games like this are won or lost on one or two plays. Momentum swings are huge.
He needs to go do the Vandy game this week.
» Blog Archive » Can favored Dogs overcome so-called ‘Jacksonville Jinx’? - Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)
October 26th, 2010
2:03 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Mobile Dawg
October 26th, 2010
2:05 pm
If he’s there Lex, line up our number three defensive tackle, and give him Mr. Wagers number….For every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction, right?
WE HIT AND RUN THIS STATE
October 26th, 2010
2:09 pm
subbing in one suspended running back for another…
shane
October 26th, 2010
2:12 pm
Turnovers are the key to this game every year.\
2009 UGA-4 UF-0
2008 UGA-4 UF-0
2007 UGA-1 UF-2
2006 UGA-6 UF-2
The team that has won the turnover battle has won the last 4 meetings.
Dawg_Mike
October 26th, 2010
2:12 pm
Rainey will play the entire game. I have been saying this since Urb let him back with the team several weeks ago.
The situation the gators are in is the reason, otherwise he would have been kicked off the team.
Urb = wins before anything else.
Shultz Was Sacked
October 26th, 2010
2:16 pm
The key for UGA will be the play of UGA’s defensive backs. If they can cover UF recivers then UGA will win the game. Also the entire team needs to play hard for 4 quarters not just a half like the Kentucky game. That falls on the coaching (Richt) to make them play hard the entire game.
Dawg_Mike
October 26th, 2010
2:16 pm
I hear Tebow is giving the FL pre game speech- why dont they just rip “the promise” plaque off the wall and have him read it out loud……
While he’s at it, let him explain how his new team just gave up 59 points to one of the sorriest franchises in the NFL. Maybe he should stay in Denver and talk to his new team first. Just sayin…..
Grandaddy SlimShady
October 26th, 2010
2:18 pm
My name is…
Too bad Richt waited for 4 losses to start taking over the team. They could be undefeated and ranked # 1.
Dan
October 26th, 2010
2:19 pm
Florida has a 63% chance if WINNING this game.
3 Scenarios where Georgia wins:
1- Murray throws 2 td’s and 0 int’s
2- Ealey runs for 70 yards and scores a td
3- Georgia wins the turnover battle
This is according to Accuscore.
Grandaddy SlimShady
October 26th, 2010
2:20 pm
U aint got no bite Dawg Mike…
how2fish
October 26th, 2010
2:21 pm
Just find a legal way to beat the Gators..no tricks , gimmicks etc just line up and beat them…table all other discussions till then.
Grandaddy SlimShady
October 26th, 2010
2:21 pm
Ealey will run for 100 and 2 tds.
tt
October 26th, 2010
2:22 pm
Georgia41
Florida 17
Bradley Caught In Sack With Shultz ?
October 26th, 2010
2:25 pm
Auburn is # 1 and the Doggies are unranked. How lovely…
shankit
October 26th, 2010
2:25 pm
Word out of Gainesville is, Urban is trying a Richt tactic.
Heard the Gators are coming out with some mind bongling
uniforms to try and distract the Dawgs.
MURPHY
October 26th, 2010
2:27 pm
They will be wearing covered( gator skin/scale) looking helments
Dan
October 26th, 2010
2:28 pm
Can Meyer win without Tebow, Harvin, Coach’s Strong & Mullen, or was he just lucky?
gdawginkalamazoo
October 26th, 2010
2:29 pm
Some people compare Derek Dooley’s hiring at UT to Abraham Lincoln getting invited to a play.
Jiggy Smaha
October 26th, 2010
2:29 pm
Dawgs 26-21
Nahila
October 26th, 2010
2:30 pm
Pass rush and pass defense must improve especially the backfield where no one seems to be able to cover anybody. Little Red Riding Hood and Little Bo Peet could complete passes to anybody on the UGA defensive backfield which has sprung a leak after being so highly touted in pre-season. Georgia also needs to throw and complete passes to their heralded tight ends and also to running backs out of the backfield which are normally covered by a slower linebacker. Bobo needs to start mixing up his offensive play calling as Florida will be ready to stop the run and the swing passes to AJ so run his routes long this game, fake the swing pass and hit the fly pattern from there.
Dawg Tell
October 26th, 2010
2:31 pm
Pass Defence and Penn Wagers if he is in JAX!!If his crew is there we should file a complaint to the SEC.Oh he hates UGA and it shows in every game his crew officiates.Also turnovers are a big key.Look what happened in the KY. game.GO DAWGS!
Flo-Ri-Duh!
October 26th, 2010
2:34 pm
Defense wins games…. but a good offense is the best defense. Running game is most important. UGA needs at least 150 yards rushing and ZERO turnovers to win this game.
TimDawg
October 26th, 2010
2:39 pm
If UGA can run the ball and not give up so many dang 3rd and longs they will control the clock and win. I think!