With Lattimore out, Dogs’ hopes rest on Florida game
Mark Richt didn't like what he saw at Vanderbilt but his team's in a good situation.
Not that anybody wants to see a great athlete have his season ended by an injury. But could anything more possibly go right for Georgia?
South Carolina has lost running back Marcus Lattimore for the season with a torn knee ligament. Lattimore was the key to the SEC East title last season. It was reasonable to think the Gamecocks might be able to overcome the personal and career meltdowns of quarterback Stephen Garcia and still win the division if they could get reasonable play from backup Connor Shaw. But losing Lattimore might be too much.
What does that mean for the Bulldogs? Just this: Beat Florida in two weeks and there’s a good chance they’ll be in the SEC championship game (against either Alabama or LSU).
Consider the top three teams in the East and the remaining schedule:
• SOUTH CAROLINA (4-1): The Gamecocks hold a tiebreaker edge over the Dogs for their win in game two. They probably will still win their game at Tennessee in two weeks, but sweeping the final two games at Arkansas and home against Florida will be difficult. Actually, they could lose both of those games. A split leaves them at 6-2. But minus Lattimore, 5-3 may be more likely.
• GEORGIA (4-1): If the Dogs sweep their final three conference games against Florida, Auburn and Kentucky – all at home – they’ll almost certainly win the division with a 7-1 record. If they beat the Gators, they’ll eliminate Florida and likely finish at least 6-2 (assuming a win over Kentucky). In that scenario, they would need South Carolina to lose to both Arkansas and Florida (assuming a win over Tennessee). If the Dogs to Florida, they probably would drop a game back, allow the Gators back in the race and lose tiebreakers to both division competitors. They could finish 7-1, 6-2 or 5-3.
• FLORIDA (2-3): The Gators need to sweep their final three games to have a shot in the East. That’s possible, particularly if injured quarterback John Brantley comes back from a leg injury. (Coach Will Muschamp said he hopes to get Brantley back for the Georgia game.) After Georgia, Florida’s only remaining SEC games are against Vanderbillt and South Carolina. They’ll finish 5-3, 4-4 or 3-5.
Most of the Dogs’ shortcomings were on display at Vanderbilt Saturday night. Mistakes and the lack of discipline upset coach Mark Richt. But they’ve won five straight and getting back to the SEC title game now may hinge on just beating Florida. Which, of course, has been a problem over the last two decades.
By Jeff Schultz
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374 comments Add your comment
Chloe
October 17th, 2011
9:15 am
Gators feast on the dawgs, meaning another miserable day for fantards.
Dawg Fud
October 17th, 2011
9:25 am
Lose to Florida and the entire staff should be fired on the spot.
That would be Richt’s third loss against a first year Gator head coach and 2-10 overall against them.
Unacceptable.
Mobile Dawg
October 17th, 2011
9:32 am
I see the usual kool aid drinkers are making reservations in Atlanta already. If I’m McGarity that won/loss record isn’t what I’m looking at right now. I’m looking to see if this team is “more” disciplined, is improving week to week; so far I’m really not liking what I’m seeing.
DC
October 17th, 2011
9:34 am
UGA couldnt stop Latte..but now fans think they can stop Dyer?…garbage! I expect FL to play better than they did against us last week…In the state of FL and I believe they get some more players back from injury…but we shall see..
kerryb enjoy LaLa land…you are one big whack job…
Portland, OR DAWG
October 17th, 2011
9:34 am
Each time Richt cashes his check he should be indicted for larceny. $3.5M for this?
Bama Mike
October 17th, 2011
9:37 am
As I said last week, Murray would have a good day throwing the ball. Vanderbilt while not the most talented plays smart, hard and fundamentally sound which would give anyone fits. Our game with them only 7-0 with less than a minute before halftime. 100 yards in penalties is hard for any team to overcome. What should have been we won despite ourselves has been clouded by Granthams second meltdown in less than two years. Richt should get on board with the one voice program. With that said still a solid win by a young and improving Georgia team.
WDE
October 17th, 2011
9:45 am
@Bama Mike well said ! I can’t wait for your game vs LSU that should be a war this year, but I’m thinking if I have two beasts of teams playing you have to like the team Saban is coaching chances.
Embarrassed for Shultz
October 17th, 2011
9:48 am
This is one of the most poorly-written columns I’ve ever read. The AJC can’t find anybody better than Schultz? Where did he learn his language and writing skills … oh, wait — where did he FAIL to learn them. The AJC is *supposed* to be a major league newspaper — it is obviously minor league with Schultz in the stable.
Columbus Dawg
October 17th, 2011
9:53 am
Hey DC, or is it DA? Be sure to watch the UGA-Auburn game on November 12, and you and all of your idiot Auburn weenies will see how UGA will stop that little sawed off Dyer back of yours. Can’t wait for UGA to make it 5 out of last 6 against the Aubies.
From here on out, it is about CMR
October 17th, 2011
9:54 am
The big story line from here on out with EACH GAME is whether CMR hangs on to his job. Losing to Florida with a new head coach and staff, with a former UGA Captain now coaching them will be Richt’ s Waterloo. Then, to slip up to AU and possibly GT, will put a wrap on his era. Losing two for sure and possibly ONE MORE and he will be done.
The first two games took a huge toll on the probability of his longevity at UGA. Folks, we all knew that he needed to defeat one or both SC AND Boise State and we were horrific with errors and mental lapses in BOTH GAMES.
Time will tell. This UGA edition is not necessarily about SEC East titles, as much as it is about CMR and does CMR have a future at UGA?
Time will tell.
UGA class of 71 & 73
BIGMIKE
October 17th, 2011
9:58 am
There are some DUMB A$$ PEOPLE blogging in the State of Georgia. It truely embarrasses me how ignorant most of you people are to what makes up a winning program.
LOSING LATIMORE DOESN’T COUNT OUT CAROLINA? CONNOR SHAW LOOKED LIKE A QUARTERBACK? How do you think he achieved the modest success he was able to achieve? Latimore made everone around him better. Carolina is done.
UGA is a young team. They are learning with every game they play. And last week they learned lesson #2…how to overcome adversity. Vanderbilt is a much better team than they are given credit for and will probabably wind up with records comparable to S.C. AND FLA. before it’s over. They are a young program as well.
Mark my words…BY THE END OF THE YEAR, THE DAWGS WILL COMPETE WITH LSU AND ALABAMA ON ANY FIELD.
2010 BCS CHAMPS
October 17th, 2011
9:58 am
Yes dawgs, you can win the East this year….only to get stomped by Bama or LSU.
2010 BCS CHAMPS
October 17th, 2011
9:59 am
“UGA couldnt stop Latte..but now fans think they can stop Dyer?”
They could barely stop Vandy. VANDY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Destin Dawg
October 17th, 2011
9:59 am
One game at a time,,, we’re young and not over powering… no need to worry about any body but Florida…. Grantham looks calm compared to Muschamp… he gets crazy !! Go Dawgs beat Fla.. !!
2010 BCS CHAMPS
October 17th, 2011
10:00 am
“Vanderbilt is a much better team”
Only a UGA fan would write something as dumb as this.
Dawgfan
October 17th, 2011
10:00 am
Army Vet…UGA coaches stick up for their players! Call that THUG if you want but you obviously don’t know anything about football so STFU.
2010 BCS CHAMPS
October 17th, 2011
10:01 am
“Watch out fans of Florida, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, et al. These low class puppies will be crying all day if you get the least bit physical with them. ”
Two words: Nick Fairley
Flashback 2010: WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Dawgfan
October 17th, 2011
10:02 am
BCS Champs…we’ll see what happens when the weagles come to Athens. Better find a QB before then. Bc our offense will definitely pack more of a punch than Florida’s pathetic excuse of an offense will.
Mobile Dawg
October 17th, 2011
10:03 am
BIGMIKE, is it the rose colored glasses that allow you to see things so differently? The team I see is unsound fundamentally, continues to make the same mistakes, lives by the big play, and has a “questionable” group of coaches.
2010 BCS CHAMPS
October 17th, 2011
10:03 am
“With Lattimore out, Dogs’ hopes rest on Florida game”
This reminds me of last year when UGA fans were hoping/praying/wishing for Cam to be ruled ineligible for the AU/UGA game. For weeks these pathetic fans were all wanting Cam to go down so they’re man-child qb could have a chance to beat Auburn.
The only way for UGA to win is for others players to go down.
PATHETIC.
Janna
October 17th, 2011
10:03 am
Jeff Schultz can BITE ME……UGA is overrated, GA fans are by far the worst and I hope that AU, and FL SLAY them in the manner which they deserve. Who wants to win the EAST just by default….which is the case if they do manage to pull it off. They haven’t played like champions this season and SC is as committed as ever to win this for Marucs….watch out SEC we’re not thru yet! See you in the Dome on 12/3
1eyedJack
October 17th, 2011
10:03 am
All these Nancys scared to face Bama/LSU have no gonads. Let’s get there first and then worry about the boogeyman.
2010 BCS CHAMPS
October 17th, 2011
10:04 am
“BCS Champs…we’ll see what happens when the weagles come to Athens. Better find a QB before then. Bc our offense will definitely pack more of a punch than Florida’s pathetic excuse of an offense will.”
UGA hasn’t beaten a ranked team in over 2 years. UGA can’t beat USC or Florida.
Who did Auburn beat? USC and Florida.
Nuff said
DC
October 17th, 2011
10:05 am
Columbus…I’ll be front row and center sec 107 to watch my tigers take on the lack luster defense of UGA…I’m not buying it..UGA fans were doing this same dance last year when they beat the cup cakes and then they played decent teams.
I’m not saying we dont have flaws either…heck most of the starters are soph….we seem to have issues finding a QB..but I think we finally did the right thing in sitting trotter…he is mentally collapsing..
Our Defense has been stepping it up each week…if we had a better offense we beat arky no doubt..but thats the past…
Ontario and Dyer are the 1-2 punch on offense…and we’ll get one of the best Wide outs in the SEC with Blake coming back.
You can mention that little streak all you want..but we have the numbers that matter: 2010 BCS National Champs and the overall wins against UGA head to head.
bitter red panties
October 17th, 2011
10:06 am
lack of——-lissen murry and the “O” line– and that missrable special teams play—–
how do you fix all of these problem areas???????????????????
———-can murry play a great game against fla—ra—duh!!!!?????????
——————can our top kickers start acting like —-TOP KICKERS??????????
—————-can the dawgs start getting a —-killer instint in there blood?????
——————————————–one can only hope————
2010 BCS CHAMPS
October 17th, 2011
10:06 am
“UGA fans were doing this same dance last year”
That dance has gone on for 32 years now.
2010 BCS CHAMPS
October 17th, 2011
10:08 am
DC
UGA mocks Auburn etc yet Auburn has beaten 2 ranked teams this year WITH freshmen and a couple of sophomores. I love the pathetic cries from dawg fans.
Hey UGA fans, feel free to come over to Auburn to see what a nice crystal trophy looks like.
DawgDad
October 17th, 2011
10:10 am
I don’t get all the doom-and-gloom, there were never any real expectations UGA would win the East this year. Far too young and thin in key areas. They can play out a very respectable year and come back next year primed for a title run.
You can make valid arguments the Dawgs should have been better prepared to take the East this year, but didn’t we all know going in they weren’t ready yet? I mean, if SC and the Gators weren’t all beat up we’d be EXPECTING to finish no better than third. As-is, it’s there for the taking, and it should be fun to see what they can do.
Bama Mike
October 17th, 2011
10:11 am
WDE, Good luck this weekend. If Auburn can just hang around for 3 quarters ie., South Carolina and implant some doubt with LSU I am just saying. We still have to get past Tennessee and they always play us very tough. We really need for one of wide outs to step up big time. I am afraid that is where LSU will exploit us. Not sure we can beat LSU via the air if they put 8 in the box. Their secondary is lights out.
2010 BCS CHAMPS
October 17th, 2011
10:13 am
Bama Mike
Keep that crystal trophy in the state of Alabama for a third straight year.
WAR EAGLE AND ROLL TIDE
Destin Dawg
October 17th, 2011
10:20 am
2010 champ….. Auburn’ s got a good team O.K… and Malzahn’s a great coach… but why are you on UGA blog ??? we’ ve beaten you 4 out of last 5 ?? and probably will this year.. Man get a job !!!
claytondaw
October 17th, 2011
10:21 am
@Trish…you’re comment to Spike “get me a beer” was TERRIFIC. I’m a ‘Dog fan with a sense of humor.
Destin Dawg
October 17th, 2011
10:22 am
Don’t they have newspapers in Alabamer ??
claytondawg
October 17th, 2011
10:22 am
I’m Claytondawg…Misspelled above.
JC_ATL
October 17th, 2011
10:22 am
UGA fans keeping it classy as always.
WDE
October 17th, 2011
10:22 am
@2010 BCS CHAMPS little man calm down…I promise we are going to show up for our match up with your bunch. you hate UGA we get that..we kinda hate you right back. Just show up on time and bring your best shot, that’s all we ask. I know your just venting because you have to face LSU this week and your shaking in your little booties, you need to calm down if for no other reason than bladder control.
2010 BCS CHAMPS
October 17th, 2011
10:23 am
Destin Dawg
This isn’t a UGA blog.
“we’ ve beaten you 4 out of last 5 ??”
WOW!!!! Did you get a crystal trophy for that record?
“Man get a job !”
Says the troll who is……………blogging.
I love hypocrisy.
2010 BCS CHAMPS
October 17th, 2011
10:24 am
“I know your just venting because you have to face LSU ”
Nah, has more to do with pathetic leg humpers, like yourself, who love that Lattimore went down.
Remember: UGA can’t win without someone else’s star player going down.
Ga Wins East!`
October 17th, 2011
10:29 am
without lattimore, usc is finished! Ga beats fla and auburn easy to win the East. Ga v. bama for the SEC title! Ga can upset alabama—they are overrated and haven’t played anyone good!!!!
Typical UGA fan
October 17th, 2011
10:30 am
We won the national title in 2008. We win it every year and we are undefeated right now.
DIT
October 17th, 2011
10:30 am
People just ignore the teckies on here. We are not at that game yet.
For those that think UGA will soundly beat the gators I have one question for you…. How?
I love the Dawgs, but we have not put together a full 60 minutes of football. Gators have had 3 tough games in a row and will be out to prove themselves. I UGA does not really pick up the intensity and tempo the hated gators will beat us by 10. Neither teams are great. Our defense has to greatly improve from the Vandy performance to keep Demps & Rainey in check.
DC
October 17th, 2011
10:33 am
This isn’t a UGA blog..this is a Jeff Schultz blog…
WDE
October 17th, 2011
10:33 am
@2010 BCS CHAMPS if your barner brain can remember that far back we played Lattimore this year . Oh and we are hoping your bunch gets out of Baton Rouge without any injuries or a win. Keep purring there war kitty your about to meet the real Tigers.
ramguy68
October 17th, 2011
10:34 am
@Thomas Brown That’s DISNEYdawgs.com of you to run in here and say you don’t know if UGA can beat LSU or Alabama, ramguy68.
Whatever, I really don’t know what that is supposed to mean. The fact is I don’t know and you don’t either. Oh we can make predictions but we don’t know. That’s why they play the games. I guess you have Ala and LSU crowned already. If it happens that the Dawgs do play one of them for the SEC title maybe you should go out to Vegas and bet a million bucks against the Dawgs.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
October 17th, 2011
10:35 am
The papers in alabama only write about how great Bama is and how well Cam Newton is paying as a true progessional this year. We come to this site to get the low down on the Jackets and Dogs all in good fun. You’re more than welcome to come to the Bama sites and bash us but I get tired of all that Bama is great bullsheet because I already know that and don’t need to read what some so called writer knows that couldn’t tie his shoe. The Gators are in a world of sheet with no QB but this goes to show just how great the ratings services are about 5* this and that. Driskell is a joke at best and the other guys is even worse. You see the AU so called wonder boy Frazier and he couldn’t hit a bull in the azz with a base fiddle throwing the ball yet he was a can’t miss because he was 6 5 at 230 . He played at a YMCA league in HS and set all kind of records but when comes into the games the DC’s will know he can’t scare them with the pass and they will destroy the run. I have my doubts about the Bama vs LSU game and I think the Tigers just might take us but you best hope you (UGA) don’t have to play Bama in the SECCG because Nick is going to send Richt and staff a message you fans will not like by way of the final score. You can thank Alabama for you chance to beat UF in years. This Bama team is huge,fast and skilled. They hurt folks and not like the thugs at AU (Fairly). Hope your meet LSU in Atlanta and not Saban. Their is bad feelings between the staffs so the boxing gloves are off. You have been warned.
Trojan
October 17th, 2011
10:36 am
One good article would be: How was Tech moving up in the polls last week to #12 when they had not played a top 50 team? Don’t make any sense.
UGA needs to continue to improve. They are on a five game win streak. No matter how many negative slants that reporters can put on it, they are improving.
UGA can take a major step this week against Florida. If UGA wins, Tech fans will still not like UGA, the AJC will still find negative slants and there will still be empty seats at EVERY Tech home game.
WDE
October 17th, 2011
10:38 am
@DC your correct it is a Schultz blog but the discussion is UGA but hey welcome I mean you have to got to an Atlanta paper and blog on a UGA article to talk about Auburn really there doesn’t seem to be anywhere else for you good folks to go.
Mobile Dawg
October 17th, 2011
10:38 am
You crossed the line 2010, nobody’s glad Lattimore went down, he’s a great player, with a great attitude. Wish he were a Dawg. You sport, are nothing but a jerk looking for reaction, a kid on the playground with a retaliation based comeback. You’ve offered nothing of substance on this blog, just childish retorts to other immature idiots immature comments.
BG
October 17th, 2011
10:39 am
GOOOOO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!
DC
October 17th, 2011
10:40 am
Wet willie…Frazier is not the starter at AU…and most of the time Frazier runs the ball he gets positive yardage…and EVERYONE knows hes going to run it. Frazier even stated he isn’t ready to run this offense…he is only a freshman you ditz..