Poll time: Is this the year Dogs finally thump Gators?
Orson Charles and Dogs came close last year but lost in overtime. (Brant Sanderlin)
Here we go again. Does I-95 morph into Georgia’s “Trail of Tears” again?
Heading to Athens this morning for Mark Richt’s weekly news conference. I think you can make a case that this is the most important Georgia-Florida game during Richt’s administration, given the ramifications for both this season (the SEC East is still up for grabs) and the big picture (no elaboration necessary).
Loading ...The Gators have lost three straight, but they had lost three straight last season when they defeated the Bulldogs in overtime 34-31. The Dogs have won five straight, but the fact the wins have comes over Coastal Carolina, Mississippi,Mississippi State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt justifiably tempers the celebration (the four SEC opponents have a combined conference record of 1-15.)
I’m not ready to make a prediction yet. You’ll have to wait a couple of days. But here are a few reasons why either team can win, just in case you need something to ponder before voting in the who’s-going-to-win poll.
Why Georgia will win:
• 1) Better quarterback: Aaron Murray has not had a great season but he should be given the edge over John Brantley, who is expected to return from an injury after missing two and a half games and figures to be rusty.
• 2) Better defense: It might be difficult to tell because of the level of opponents, but the Dogs’ defense has improved this season (third in the SEC, sixth in the nation at 272.9 yards per game), and to a lesser degree in scoring (20.4 ranks sixth in the SEC, 27th in the nation).
• 3) Law of averages: Florida has won 18 of the last 21 meetings. Richt has lost three straight and eight of 10. But the Dogs came close last year. It has to turn at some point … doesn’t it?
Why Florida will win:
• 1) Weis vs. defense: The Florida offense has been a mess the last few weeks. But Charlie Weis is one of the best offensive coaches in the game and now he gets back his starting quarterback. Even if Brantley’s timing is off, Weis will put him in the right situations to succeed.
• 2) This could be a three-point game. So it seems appropriate to point out that the Florida kicker (Caleb Sturgis) is 15 for 16 and the Georgia kicker (Blair Walsh) is 12 for 20.
• 3) The Gators are not nearly as bad as they’ve been made out to be. They were waxed in consecutive games by Alabama and LSU, but those two are leveling everybody. In the last game, a 17-6 loss to Auburn, Florida was still missing Brantley. Can we really say they’re worse than Georgia? To date, the schools have had only one common opponent: Tennessee. The Dogs won 20-12; the Gators won 33-23. That’s a push. Florida has beaten Kentucky and lost to Auburn, which Georgia hasn’t played yet. Georgia has lost to South Carolina and beaten Vanderbilt, which Florida hasn’t played yet.
By Jeff Schultz
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430 comments Add your comment
Ryno
October 25th, 2011
12:40 pm
I am almost 30 years old. For the bulk of my lifetime UF has almost always pounded on Georgia.
I literally cannot imagine a year in which Florida loses four conference games in a row. Especially if they have a bye-week to prepare.
We get to Brantley but Florida wins by 10.
ARdawg
October 25th, 2011
12:42 pm
Is it just me or does everyone notice at lunch time all the sanitation workers and store clerks show up here disguised as Tech fans?
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2011
12:44 pm
Fat Dog Brindise October 25th, 2011 10:30 am
“I would add in a third critical element for UF – penalties. The Gators have killed themselves with penalties this season”
FLORIDA Penalties 2011 are # 120
GEORGIA Penalties 2011 are # 85
It doesn’t matter where you look, neither team is any good and neither is either coaching staff. I don’t believe 2 teams # 85 and # 120 in penalties all season long, have ever played a game. Brawl ?
ARdawg
October 25th, 2011
12:44 pm
Ryno
If we get to Brantley, FL will lose. However, it’s all academic, I don’t think Brantley is playing
dawgs smell
October 25th, 2011
12:46 pm
Good Lord the chest pumping that will occur if Ga were to beat UF for only the 3rd time in as many decades. This is the weakest UF team you have faced in 25 years yet the bragging would be loud on NOW the tables have turned and “We” dont lose to you for another 20 years! BS ! I hope UF thumps you leg humpers !
Snoop Dawg
October 25th, 2011
12:46 pm
I’m not telling anyone anything they don’t already know, but the weak link for UGA is coaching. Richt and Bobo are incompetent and national jokes at this point.
Even with UGA oozing with talent, without a solid game plan, discipline, and timely play calling the Dawgs will once again go down in flames down in Jacksonville.
I hope the Dawgs prevail (even if may prolong Richt’s stay) but a famous general once said that hope is not a method.
More likely, our own Will Muschamp and his competent coaching staff will embarrass Richt and company on national TV this in his rookie season as head coach.
Murray seems to choke any time he has to play a decent opponent. Jury’s out on his mettle…
Bottom line: Don’t bet on the Dawgs unless you don’t need the money.
PS Until the coaching is changed at UGA, it is ignorant to believe that anything will change consistently or significantly for the better.
ARdawg
October 25th, 2011
12:50 pm
Snoop
IMHO, this game could well seal the fate of Richt if he loses. If he doesn’t it’s open for interpretation. I said weeks ago if he loses this one game he’s likely gone, he could lose a couple of others and remain but, not this particular game
ARdawg
October 25th, 2011
12:51 pm
I guess we’ll see how bad he wants to stay?
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2011
12:52 pm
udawg October 25th, 2011 10:48 am
“im not convinced Brantley will play. I think Muschamp may just be saying that so that we waste preparation time getting ready for him.”
I don’t know why. Florida is the # 100 passing offense in the nation, WITH him.
TheTruthHurts
October 25th, 2011
12:52 pm
The best thing that could happen to the UGA football program from a future perspective is for Fl to win. If, as has been said, a loss would result in Richt’s being canned. This is Richt’s eleventh year and he has let the program deteriorate badly the last several years. No coach that is being paid 3 million a year should let a program degenerate to such a level, esp. when it takes in revenue totaling 64 million dollars in one year. Make no mistake about it, if Richt continues to hang around, the mediocrity will continue. Richt’s luck has run out and his time has come and gone. To be competitive with LSU and Alabama, McGarity will have to find a coach that is capable of rebuilding the program to that level of competition. It may cost a lot of money, but competent coaching ability doesn’t come cheap.
JB
October 25th, 2011
12:53 pm
Lot’s of Gators preparing for a loss by telling us how bad Gators are and no QB and new staff blah blah blah. Question. Why is the Florida defense so bad with back to back to back to back top 5 classes?
Chickasaw
October 25th, 2011
12:54 pm
Forget gut feelings and laws of averages, and set aside your snake bit negativity for a minute, fellow Dawg fans. What other teams did in other games aren’t particularly important except as they impacted player morale. Florida’s is down while UGA’s is up. With that in mind, Georgia should win this game with a decent amount of comfort because UF must respect the UGA running game and UF’s D backs will be overmatched against UGA’s receivers, especially Charles and Mitchell. It will not come down to a field goal. Detest him all you want, but Urban Meyer was a relentless warrior and game planned the Hell out of us last year–and we still almost won. Muschamp is (1) new and (2) not that good a coach. The biggest threat to UGA this year is AU, not UF.
JB
October 25th, 2011
12:55 pm
TheTruthHurts…..It’s may be the worst staff in the SEC. I think Richt would be OK if he would get out of the way and hire a top notch staff.
ARdawg
October 25th, 2011
12:58 pm
Chickasaw
I can buy into that
BIG DAWG
October 25th, 2011
12:59 pm
I just don’t have a good feeling about this one Sarge. Gaters talking about how bad they are…never really stopped them in prior years. Dawgs have to realize its the only way the Go Gaters can “save” their season.
Fat Dog Brindise
October 25th, 2011
1:03 pm
@ Thomas Brown – before getting hurt, Brantley completed 65% of his passes for an average of 188 yards per game, with 5 TD’s and 3 INT’s. Not record setting stats, but that hardly sounds like the 100th best passing offense in the country either. The passing offense collapsed after he got hurt.
AceDawg
October 25th, 2011
1:03 pm
It’s too devastating to expect a win and see another failure by UGA here. I did feel like the team overcame the Florida jinx in the second half last year… except or Aaron Murray. If Murray is on his game, the Dawgs are good enough on paper to win. Now it’s just time for fans to cheer hard, hate Florida, and hope for the best.
If the Dawgs lose, Richt should move back to the sunshine state himself.
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2011
1:03 pm
murfdawg October 25th, 2011 10:54 am
“This is a new decade and the Dawgs need to make this a rivalry again.”
_______________________________________________
New Decade ? How did we draw a line in the sand from the last decade ? Because we already Lost last year, so this is the New Decade 2011 ? Last time I looked, a decade starts on the 10 and ends on the 9. We redefine everything around here, including that this game does not matter. 2009 was two (2) years ago. We Lost that one too. We’ve lost 3 in a row and 5 of the last 6. Just great. Oh, yeah. No advantage to Florida playing the game in JAX. Then, it should not bother them to move it, right ?
GrantParkGator
October 25th, 2011
1:04 pm
IF Ron Zook can beat UGA then I’m not worried about UF losing Sat…UF won last year without coaching,a QB or playmakers…Aaron Murray and Bobo will give this victory to UF,again! GatorBait!
chazzo
October 25th, 2011
1:04 pm
Weiss aint all that. Gators had a week off, too. Georgia can find a way to lose in Jax. I love the Dawgs, but they had better watch the penalties and turnovers. UGA should win this based on “D”. BUT, the Dawgs can’t get away with some of the goofs that they’ve gotten in away with in the last few weeks. The Gators will come to play, if the Dawgs don’t….. well, wait til next year, I guess.
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2011
1:08 pm
GTBob, I don’t have a problem with it, as long as you don’t mind me replying that you are on NCAA PROBATION in FOOTBALL back-to-back REPEAT OFFENDERS of the Major Infractions database and have lost to this hotseat coach of ours who has to win this game to keep his job at 3.5 million annual total compensation, 9 out of his 10 games against you.
Ray Goof's Hat
October 25th, 2011
1:14 pm
There’s no reason to play the SEC title game in the state of Georgia each year either. It should rotate among several cities.
AFAN
October 25th, 2011
1:14 pm
why does everyone think weis is so good when as a college coach he has never been successful.
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2011
1:21 pm
J October 25th, 2011 11:05 am
“Mark Richt was an idiot to apologize for his player and coaches conduct last game”
________________________________________________
Got to agree with you on that solid point. He will tell all his players and coaches to play with no fire Saturday, like he always does. Not that Florida is anything but a cupcake. They have beat absolutely nobody. And, yes, we are CUPCAKE too, for the same reason. Ranked # 22; hogwash. We backed into it because Five (5) teams all lost last weekend who were at the tail end of the rankings. When your passing offense is # 100 in the nation; when your penalties are # 120 in the nation; and when your turnover margin is # 109 in the nation = you are a cupcake. Good news for FL fans and there have been ZERO on these blogs ALL SEASON LONG, is that you play emotionless Mark Richt apologizing for what his players and coaches were incensed about, or we lose to Vandie on those 2 plays to end the game. And, worse yet ? He called his own Scholarship Recruit, # 36 Shawn Williams a DUMB***. Then, apologized for his curse words when he did that, not that he called his Scholarship Recruit an idiot.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 25th, 2011
1:21 pm
There is no excuse in losing to FL this year
NONE
T.
October 25th, 2011
1:25 pm
Hey all you Georgia can’t win folks, they have before
47 times.They will again. Will Turncoat is not Spurrier or
Meyer.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 25th, 2011
1:29 pm
Richt is no Spurrier or Meyer
Buh Bye Mark Richt
October 25th, 2011
1:30 pm
Mark Richts waterloo game this weekend. Book it!
sam
October 25th, 2011
1:31 pm
Thomas Brown, the “get on the bus or get off of it” Dawg Fans would like your a** off of the bus, forever…Who needs your bad mouth crap, negitive junk…….
Hard Truth Black Soldier
October 25th, 2011
1:31 pm
This is gotta be the year where Georgia not only wins, but sets a standard of, “we tired of losing against ya’ll”, and punch Fla in the Mouth. Who in the hell set this up as a game that must always be played in Jacksonville? Georgia must send a message not to just Fla this week, but to the SEC (and Tech) that we are serious, and 2012 will be our time. Recruits are starting to see who is coming up and who’s going down, and a good Azz whipping would set the standard for the future.
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2011
1:32 pm
Columbus Dawg October 25th, 2011 12:27 pm
“I’m not so sure that Richt returns in 2012. He looks displaced on the sidelines every week, and may well be sick and tired of the whole thing. I have also heard the North Carolina rumors, but he may just want to do mission work.”
______________________________________________
This cannot be the RICHT-0-FILE extraordinaire Columbus Dawg can it ?
GTBob
October 25th, 2011
1:35 pm
Thomas Brown, I don’t mind at all. If you would rather talk about GT then the UGA/FL game which is what this blog is about then more power to you. I would rather stay on topic.
bobby
October 25th, 2011
1:39 pm
about uga’s defense it has improved remember against south carliona usc had 3 non offensive tocudowns and anthoer on a interception returned to the 5 yard line of uga so bacially four non offensive touchdowns and against bosie doug martin had only 22 carries for 59 yards.
Atlanta Gator
October 25th, 2011
1:39 pm
“This cannot be the RICHT-0-FILE extraordinaire Columbus Dawg can it ?”
Thomas Brown, if you mean to say that Columbus Dawg is a fan of Mark Richt, then the correct suffix of ending for your coined word should be “phile,” from the ancient Greek work philos for brotherly love, as in Richtophile or Richtaphile—-NOT “Richt-O-File.”
Let’s at least pretend we went to college . . . .
gbal
October 25th, 2011
1:40 pm
Clueless – Its a crap shoot at this point in time.
5 Wins for UGA in a row but not that much competition…
Fla started HOT but against lesser competition and then has lost 3…
All about game plan and who comes out with their head right. Can go either way.
Hope UGA truely has their BREAKOUT game (which we have yet to have this season) and then rolls thru the rest of the schedule to Atlanta and gives Bama or LSU a game.
Atlanta Gator
October 25th, 2011
1:42 pm
“Thomas Brown, the “get on the bus or get off of it” Dawg Fans would like your a** off of the bus, forever…Who needs your bad mouth crap, negitive junk…….”
I’m not even a Dawg fan and I agree with that. No need to be such a Debbie Downer.
gbal
October 25th, 2011
1:42 pm
Tee it up!!
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2011
1:42 pm
Yeah, they were # 98 before the last 2 games in passing offense. Like I said, he has missed only the last 2 games, ok ?
http://web1.ncaa.org/football/exec/rankingSummary?org=235&year=2011&week=6
Dade County Gator
October 25th, 2011
1:44 pm
Florida’s scholar-athletes will – as usual – trounce the braindead dummies from Athens.
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2011
1:48 pm
Like it is going to matter, sam. There are 6 pages of fans all saying the same thing. Then, there is you mad at me because I said what everyone else said, too. Grow up.
Debbie Waaaaaaay Downer
October 25th, 2011
1:48 pm
Gators romp, 34-24
No big surprise there!
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2011
1:50 pm
is that anything like a crock-o-dile ?
Love 'em Dawgs
October 25th, 2011
1:52 pm
Right on, Sam – he’s always complaining – a half-emply glass kinda guy. Probably one of those “fans” who leaves early when things aren’t going well for the Dawgs.
Bulldog59
October 25th, 2011
1:52 pm
Simple as 1-2-3.
For Georgia to win:
1. Murray has to be on his game! He can’t have a day wrought with misfires to open receivers and hitting the opposing team in the chest with errant throws over the middle.
2. The D should focus on Demps, Rainey, and Brantley (or whoever the QB will really be. I’m not sold that Brantley will actually play.)
3. No turnovers and limit penalties, a.k.a. play solid fundamental football.
For Florida to win:
1. Brantley has to play and play well, opening up the offense to more than just Rainey and Demps.
2. The UF D should focus on (1) pressuring Murray, with (2) constant focus on Crowell, Mitchell and Charles. No other UGA players have proven they can CONSISTENTLY catch the ball and/or move the chains.
3. As with UGA, they must limit their turnovers and penalties……
A loyal UGA alum, that’s as honest of an assessment as I can make. I still don’t believe Brantley will play (at least not the whole game.) I think this is a Muschamp smoke screen to try to get UGA to alter their game preparation/plan.
Walsh, Blair Walsh, has anyone seen Blair Walsh? If he shows up Saturday, UGA wins by 3.
No turncoats... noooooooo
October 25th, 2011
1:52 pm
To those morons calling Muschamp a turncoat: Vince “Remedial Studies” Dooley was from Auburn.
Hard Truth Black Soldier
October 25th, 2011
1:55 pm
The “New” Players in the New Millinium want respond like “OLD SCHOOL” Players and will shut down on Muschamp. Thus theres the difference in the game!
A Crock-O-Dawg is not the same as a Crock-O-Dile
October 25th, 2011
1:56 pm
Crock-O-Diles live in swamps. Crock-O-Dawgs live in cesspools.
dIME
October 25th, 2011
1:56 pm
It’s NEVER the year for the Dawgs to thump the Gators.
3-18 record last 21.
Nuff said.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 25th, 2011
1:57 pm
Yea I love the turncoat slang from some of these people
These are the same people who would leave their place of employment in a minute to go work for the competitor that offered a salary 3 times what they were making
LOL
And dont say you wouldnt
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2011
2:02 pm
at least we know how to take a picture of a bulldog for our media guide, then – more than can be said for the Florida crocodiles