Georgia proves only it also can lose a close game to Florida
Aaron Murray led rally but had too many mistakes in his first Florida game. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
JACKSONVILLE — It wasn’t humiliating. Is that better? After two mostly miserable decades in this rivalry and consecutive dismemberings of 49-10 and 41-17, should it feel better to know Georgia walked off the field and could have won?
“No — it’s a loss,” Akeem Dent said.
“An L is an L,” A.J. Green said.
“This kind of hurt more,” Washaun Ealey said.
Georgia came close Saturday. That shouldn’t be the objective.
Maybe comebacks say something about a team’s character. Maybe the Bulldogs grew up a little in the second half. Maybe the quarterback won’t have early-game jitters next time. Maybe one year again, they’ll actually beat Florida.
But this program should not be about gauging the degree of severity of losses.
They lost in overtime 34-31. They showed remarkable resolve by rallying from a 21-7 halftime deficit to tie it twice, the last time at 31-31 with 4:36 left in regulation. That’s certainly more resiliency and substance that the past two Georgia teams showed in Jacksonville.
A.J. Green's 15-yard touchdown sent the game into overtime.
But here’s the reality check. This is not a great Florida team. It entered with its worst regular-season losing streak in 22 years. This is certainly the worst team Urban Meyer ever has fielded. It’s so bad that a 4-4 Georgia team on the wrong end of a lopsided rivalry was favored.
The Dogs lost anyway. That makes 18 in the past 21 years.
“I really don’t look at it like that,” said athletic director Greg McGarity. “College players have a two- or three-year window. They weren’t here the whole time.”
He is right about that. The real problem is that the one-year view is no better.
At 3-4 in the SEC, they are dead in the conference race.
At 4-5 overall, they are clinging only to mathematical possibilities for a lower-tier bowl.
The Liberty Bowl never should be the objective.
Green has been through three of these Florida games now. He probably won’t go through a fourth. The NFL calls. But it will take some time to forget this one.
“I swear I thought we were going to win this,” he said.
The loss dropped Georgia to 4-5 and Mark Richt to 2-8 against Florida. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
The comeback started with a field goal in the third quarter, making it 21-10. The Georgia scored touchdowns on its next three possessions. Murray, after completing only 5 of 14 passes with two interceptions in the first half, went 13-for-21 with two touchdowns in the second.
And we wondered: “Where did this team come from?”
“We were clicking on all cylinders,” Green said. “We had the momentum.”
Trailing 31-24, Murray drove the Dogs from midfield with under seven minutes left. On third-and-goal from the 15, he found Green in the middle of the end zone to tie the score. The teams went to overtime.
One more Murray mistake decided it. He tried to hit Green in the corner of the end zone, but the pass was tipped by linebacker Jelani Jones and intercepted at the 11 by safety Will Hill. (He nearly returned it for a touchdown but was pushed out of bounds at the 4-yard line by Tavarres King.)
Murray on the interception: “I’ve just got to learn from it. I wish I could take that throw back.”
The Gators got the ball back and ran three plays before Chas Henry’s game-winning 37-yard field goal.
Green, as a member of the field-goal block team, had a close-up view.
“I felt like I was going to block it,” he said. “It was real close.”
How close?
“I could feel the wind from the ball. Then I turned around and thought, ‘Dang.’ I was hoping a bird would fly down and knock it down.”
That just doesn’t happen in this rivalry. Things go wrong. Meyer justifiably gets torched for deciding to bring “Time To Die” guy, Chris Rainey back from suspension for this game.
What happens? Rainey scores the game’s first touchdown on a 20-yard run.
But this was less about Rainey than it was about Georgia. The Dogs are better than they were at 1-4. But not a lot. Beating Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky doesn’t prove a lot. Nor does losing close. It just makes for a little more pain and a little less humiliation.
♦
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1,166 comments Add your comment
azdawg
October 30th, 2010
10:29 pm
GR82BAG8R. You think GA is going to beat AU!?!? We’ll be lucky as heck to go 6-6.
For so many years we had to endure Martinez defenses. Now its Granthams turn and from the 4 losses and a KY 2d half score at will, he has not changed his 4 down to 5 which would put 1 more in the box to stop or slow the run. In all our losses he’s not done anything different. Yes, the TO’s really hurt but holding FL to one score maybe 2 in the 1st half sure would have made a difference. The only reason FL didn’t score more in the 2d half was GA was able to move the ball and kept FL’s O on the sideline. So don’t give Grantham any credit for holding FL to one TD and a FG in the 2d half.
I don’t see why we go to JAX anyway. The way we play they just might as well concede the loss and save the expense of travel and feeding this sorry coaching staff. Sorry to say they should all be canned.
Chile Dog
October 30th, 2010
10:29 pm
Own it and wear it. 3 and 18.
Chile Dog
October 30th, 2010
10:31 pm
6 and 6 at best. Only if you beat Idaho St.
Equivalent of 2 and 8 before corporate college football and the 12 game schedule.
Nice job MCR
CMR
October 30th, 2010
10:31 pm
Rehire Ron Zook please!!!
Andy in Blairsville
October 30th, 2010
10:31 pm
It’s funny how UGA fans look at the FL game as all out war, but the FL fans look at the same game as an easy SEC win similar to playing Vandy.
UGA89
October 30th, 2010
10:31 pm
@Spot-
“No one has blown UGA out. They could have won all 5. They have been able to FIND A WAY TO LOSE. No one has out talented GA. There is something missing with this team.”
Go sell sunshine somewhere else. You got to be kidding me with those comments. I saw a SC, Arkansas and Miss St team beat our team. Just because we beat a horrible Tenn & Vandy team. I pulled one out in Kentucky who has been up and down all year… doesn’t mean squat.
Florida is not a very good team and they controlled most of this game.
I appreciate your loyalty, but you just don’t understand the game of football if you actually believe what you said.
This year has absolutely sucked and I have seen this team and coaching staff regress this year… a lot!
Jason
October 30th, 2010
10:32 pm
Hey jtdawg,
You asked “How long are we gonna linger as mid tier wannabes before real change comes?”
The truth is thats all UGA has ever been with the exception of a couple years with Herchsel. UGA has never established itself as a consistent national power, and never will with the impatience that its fans have. As long as its fans continue to overate their program, UGA will never be able to establish anything because they’ll run good coaches off with their lofty expectations.
Chile Dog
October 30th, 2010
10:32 pm
Yo Coach… not enough 4 and 5 star athletes?
savannahdawg
October 30th, 2010
10:32 pm
Tough loss…………should have won this one. Murray finally made some freshman mistakes. Still not playing smart………two fumbles lost that should have been recovered. Also missed out on two key interceptions. Need to hire who ever taught AJ how to catch and bring them to UGA. Still not happy with the play calling. No real running game yet the offense seems restricted. Drops and all, this team has a lot of talented receivers and of course a damn good QB. Need a playcaller who is not scared to open things up and go with more of a spread attack!!! Use some of that no-huddle and attack. The style being used right now won’t work at all against Auburn. You better put up some points to beat them Coach!!!
Alan
October 30th, 2010
10:33 pm
Murray threw 3 int’s and and fumbled a ball for a 30 yard loss. Won’t win any games giving the ball away 4 times. Joe Cox did the same thing last year. Georgia doesn’t know how to correct mistakes. Murray got busted trying to be a hero and take the team on his back, when he clearly didn’t have the ability and judgment to do it.
I kept looking for #14, Hutson Mason, to come in and get a chance to throw some balls to the red team, knowing Mason owned all the Georgia records for touchdowns ands yards, I knew this would be his chance, but it never happened, Richt decided to go down with Murray as his QB, even after Murray threw 2 int’s and had a 30 yard + fumble.
Sometimes you got to make a change at QB.
Wish we’d gone with Logan Gray or Hutson Mason this year, Murray’s been a losing proposition at QB.
andy
October 30th, 2010
10:33 pm
The call to fire Mark Richt should be examined as a business decision. Richt has a 25% success rate vs UF. He may be a nice guy but the team has very little discipline. Most business owners would agree that they evaluate employee performance based on results more than who is nice. Richt’s performance in this series is terrible. Georgia is mediocre overall. What do Georgia fans want? And just because UGA lost to UF too often prior to Richt does not excuse the poor results of his tenure.
RICHT APOLOGIST
October 30th, 2010
10:33 pm
We’d rather go 0 – 12 with CMR than win the National Championship with any other coach. Yes we would. CMR is teaching the men he coaches to be FORD truck tough and you don’t do that by winning. You must do that through losing so we will continue to lose and build the character of these young men to be FORD truck strong and tough. Yes we will. Thank you and god bless…
Larry Munson
October 30th, 2010
10:33 pm
It’s all Jan Kemp’s fault.
boots
October 30th, 2010
10:33 pm
Jeff, sometimes your sarcasm is funny, and sometimes it isn’t…
Red Neck
October 30th, 2010
10:34 pm
GEORGIA looks like Arby’s with all the turnovers. YUM,YUM.
little brother
October 30th, 2010
10:34 pm
the truth, actually I’m on the Best Coast watching the Ducks and getting ready to go out for the evening- your the geek sitting at his computer at 10:30 at night. I’ll be out and about at 10:30. Have fun with your right hand.
Headley Lamar
October 30th, 2010
10:34 pm
Last word on the subject. Things can change mighty quick in College Football.
Look at Auburn. Anybody expect them to be where they are right now.
UGA was at the top of the SEC during Richts first 7 years. 2 Championships and Three Championship game appearances.
Richt will not be fired at the end of this season. Even if we lose out.
If things havent changed this time next year……….
tc
October 30th, 2010
10:34 pm
Any half way decent coach can win like CMR has over the last couple years with the talent we are capable of getting. So losing CMR is not a big deal. And if it takes a little time to get back on top that is fine, but we need to take action and not be stupidly loyal like FL state was to Bobby Bowdon. The sooner we let CMR go the sooner we can have a chance to improve the program
jtdawg
October 30th, 2010
10:34 pm
The absolutely sad and pathetic thing is the commentators and bloggers that will praise Richt and his merry band. The only one I don’t find fault in is Todd Grantham – at least he has legitimate excuses for the lack of talent at areas of his defense.
But everyone will praise “the heart of this team” for fighting back. How sharp our offense and Murray in the 2nd half. Yada, Yada, Yada.
Murray, for all his wonderful play, showed us he can and will cost us games today. He might become a very good player for us in the next three years, but a puke performance like this will linger around this team every big game we are faced with. Next year in Jacksonville, he’s laid the groundwork for another flop. He’s a good kid with lots of room to grow and he’s fun to watch. That’s all I can say.
Richt, yet again, had this team tight. His defense set us up in the first quarter to handle the Gators the way we should have and once again we came out and wet the bed.
Who’s responsible people? 18 of 21. Florida owns us and there is nothing we, or this coaching staff, and apparently our new wonderful “born and bred” AD can or will do about it.
I am a Georgia fan for life. But this is the first time I am really embarrassed to be so…. Proudly I wear my colors, and I always will, so homers can kiss off with their “well stop rooting for them then.. ” routine.
But I now wear my colors knowing full well what complete inferiority those colors represent.
I hope SOMEONE, ANYONE at the university would like this to change sometime soon. Please.
Frank Lane
October 30th, 2010
10:35 pm
I believe that Grantham has a big adjustment to make to college offenses which are much more varied than pro offenses; spreads, running quarterbacks, etc. And that is why we keep getting beat on long plays.
Secondly, I blame this season on AJ Green. His suspension took the air out of this team and put them in a hole, and he has not played like the best player in football since he came back. A few spectacular catches here and there but not enough. He is no Hines Ward who played every position asked of him.
If Green is a real man, he will announce now that he is coming back for his senior year to pay back his teammates.
jellybeandawg
October 30th, 2010
10:35 pm
Richt supports / apologists are a CANCER to the program! They will keep the program swimming in mediocrity as long as their PRECIOUS Richt can remain the coach.
They are nothing more then disgusting Cultists who support a coach over the program. Do not listen to them and avoid them at all costs!
LakeDawg
October 30th, 2010
10:37 pm
UGA played hard, which is an improvement. But when Uga has reached the point where everyone is just happy they didn’t get embarrassed…well. Still don’t know how to make a play on the ball. Still make boneheaded mistakes at crucial times. Still are quaking in their shoes at the sight of UF. Nothing is changing. It’s the same thing every year. If UGA has an overwhelmingly better team, they win close or lose close. If things are more equal, UGA loses in a blowout. Richt was brought in to raise UGA above the mediocrity of Donnan. Right now I can’t tell any difference in the two. Time to fire Mark Richt.
Kleenex
October 30th, 2010
10:37 pm
I’ve been sobbing since the game ended. I’m so disappointed. Came some one give me a hug?
Love, CMR
Headley Lamar
October 30th, 2010
10:37 pm
For those UGA is a mid level program blah blah blah give me a break.
DO YOU KNOW WHERE UGA RANKS ALL TIME IN WINS IN THE NCAA
11th just behind USC. THATS NOT MID LEVEL.
Reality
October 30th, 2010
10:38 pm
W’s: La-Laf, Vandy, Tn, KY, Idaho St.
Congrats rednecks. Nice season.
Andy in Blairsville
October 30th, 2010
10:38 pm
Why would AJ Green skip the NFL Draft to come back to this embarrassment of a team?
GIVE ME A BREAK
October 30th, 2010
10:38 pm
UGA might beat IDON’TKNOW STATE, but will lose to Auburn & Georgia Tech. Deal with that. Sad.
Headley Lamar
October 30th, 2010
10:39 pm
They are nothing more then disgusting Cultists who support a coach over the program. Do not listen to them and avoid them at all costs!
Thats really dumb. Fortunately for us you arent running the program. Knee jerk reactions arent needed now.
djgator
October 30th, 2010
10:39 pm
From a Gator fan living in GA. THANKS URBAN!!!!!!!!!! GO GATORS!!!!!!!!!!
Alan
October 30th, 2010
10:39 pm
THOUGHT bOBO got away from what had been working lately:
1- Ealey getting 100 yards on the ground
2- Running the ball
3- Protecting the football
4- Dominating the 1st quarter
None of that happened. The game plan stunk. Georgia deserved to lose.
Georgia cannot win in the SEC throwign the football. When will Bobo learn?
Ramblin' Wreck
October 30th, 2010
10:40 pm
Bwa bwa bwa bwa bwa bwa bwa bwa bwa bwa bwa bwa
Headley Lamar
October 30th, 2010
10:40 pm
UGA might beat IDON’TKNOW STATE, but will lose to Auburn & Georgia Tech
Nah we will wear Tech out again. The ball bounces our way in that one.
Reality
October 30th, 2010
10:40 pm
W’s: La-Laf, Vandy, Tn, Ky, Idaho St.
Nice job
Fake Urban Meyer
October 30th, 2010
10:40 pm
I can’t understand why ya’ll are so sad. It was a good effort but you lost. I look forward to this game each year. This is a game I can depend on to be a win.
georgiagirl
October 30th, 2010
10:41 pm
Just SHUT UP
Andy in Blairsville
October 30th, 2010
10:42 pm
Want to compare UGA to USC? How many NC’s has USC won? When was the last time USC won a NC? How many NC’s has USC won since Carter was President?
GIVE ME A BREAK
October 30th, 2010
10:42 pm
OK, I’ll give you that one, but not Auburn.
Waaaaaaaah Shan
October 30th, 2010
10:42 pm
Can I get a hug?
Outsider
October 30th, 2010
10:42 pm
Jellybeandawg: You can’t be serious. Are you comparing what Richt has accomplished at Georgia to the disasters that Zook and Shula were at Florida and Alabama. Put the anger and emotion aside and think critically, assuming your are capable. Richt inherited a sinking ship and righted it. Zook and Shula inherited decent teams and performed miserably. They deserved to be fired. RIcht does not. I cannot believe a sane person would even contemplate making that comparison. Again, look at Tennessee and see what happens when a delusiional fan base gets what it asks for.
Fake Urban Meyer
October 30th, 2010
10:42 pm
I like Mark Richt. He is a good coach.
18 of 21: The Florida Gators vs Georgia Bulldogs “Rivalry” « my life and journey
October 30th, 2010
10:43 pm
[...] In Uncategorized on October 30, 2010 by mylifeandjourney via blogs.ajc.com [...]
Fitten
October 30th, 2010
10:43 pm
To the person above, if Georgia had won the game, I would have been happier, yes, but I still wouldn’t say that they came out “ready to play”. Not when the first pass was intercepted, defense couldn’t get gimme Florida fumbles, etc. I would have said “we came back & beat the worst Florida team that Meyer has fielded”
now someone please explain how Richt is as good (or better) a coach than Saban or Meyer.
If you can’t make that case… If your only case is only that he’s better than some other coaches like Les Miles or Joker Phillips… Well that’s not a ringing endorsement
jellybeandawg
October 30th, 2010
10:43 pm
Avoid these Richt apologists at all cost… Avoid them like you would avoid HIV or the plague. Theya re the cancer destroying our program.
They are nothing more then Jim Jones type Wakos that choose to put a Man over the good of the program.
Support our players and support our U but do not buy into the agenda and propaganda of the Mark Richt Cult!
5150 P.O.A.D.
October 30th, 2010
10:43 pm
Russ is at home eating stake and laughing. Russ never lost to the Gators. How many Uga’s can say that?
Russ says all white bulldawgs tastes just like Chicken to Gators.
VINCE DOOZY
October 30th, 2010
10:44 pm
Shut Up! Eveybody Who Say Shut Up Shut Up!!!
Headley Lamar
October 30th, 2010
10:44 pm
Again, look at Tennessee and see what happens when a delusiional fan base gets what it asks for.
Exactly. Fire Rich now and you
1. Have lost all your recruits from this year ( Shaping up to be a good class)
2. It will take you 3-4 years to recover.
russell yow
October 30th, 2010
10:45 pm
aaaarrrrgggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
UGA fans are so ...
October 30th, 2010
10:45 pm
Musically Challenged: UGA did NOT always beat Florida before Richt got to Athens. Ray (Bubba Gump) Goff was 1-6 (the only win coming when Florida had an interim coach & before Spurrier got there). Jim Donnan was 1-4 versus Florida. So, genius, UGA was 2-10 before Richt got there! Think before you post!
Buford T. Pusser
October 30th, 2010
10:45 pm
How many wins does thUGA have over teams with a winning record? The answer is NONE!
You bunch of inbred, mullet wearing rednecks are insignificant on the national scene and just an afterthought in the SEC.
Welcome to below mediocrity and quit acting like you belong in a discussion of national powers.
You’re very similar to Notre Dame except that their fans actually attended college instead of failing their GED.
The Sheriff has spoken.
Corch Myer
October 30th, 2010
10:45 pm
Jason Elvis- too funny