Georgia will take an ugly win like this any time
Jarvis Jones had a monster game (three sacks, two forced fumbles) to lead Georgia. (Bob Andres/AJC)
Everybody is going to call it ugly. The quarterback was awful for most of the game. The opponent had six fumbles (four lost) and two interceptions. Two of the supposed best teams in the SEC swapped turnovers, penalties and dropped passes. If the late Sid Gillman was watching, he would’ve covered his eyes and screamed, “No! My eyes! My eyes!”
But does it matter?
Ugly is barely beating Kentucky after a bye week. Ugly is looking flawed against Buffalo and Florida Atlantic. Ugly is giving up 44 points to Tennessee. If beating the No. 2 team in the BCS — especially when it’s Florida — is considered ugly, it’s a canvas of ugly that the Bulldogs would wrap themselves in any day or night.
As Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray, he of the three first-half interceptions, said Saturday night, “I know I’m going to get stressed out when I look at the film. But it’s still a great win.”
Georgia, drop-kicked at South Carolina three weeks ago, seemingly comatose in the SEC and again floundering in a season of high hopes, rode ugly back to respectability Saturday. The 17-9 win over Florida put the Bulldogs in control in the SEC East. They need only beat Ole Miss and Auburn to secure a berth in the conference championship — and in the process stomped on all those can’t-win-the-big-one claims.
Malcolm Mitchell danced into the end zone with a big touchdown after Aaron Murray's pass beat the blitz. (Bob Andres/AJC)
The win had historical significance: It was the Dogs’ first time winning in consecutive years against Florida since 1988 and ’89. That’s long ago enough that the coach for that first game was Vince Dooley.
The game also had personal significance for Mark Richt. Battered for doing so poorly against top-10 teams (1-9 since 2008), the Georgia coach stayed on the field long after the game was over, going from one end of the stands to the other, celebrating with fans.
Winning this game last season, some believed, may have helped saved his job. Winning the game this season was even more significant because of the Gators’ stature.
Appropriately, it happened because of
Mark Richt was only 1-9 against top 10 teams since 2008 before Saturday.
defense, in general, and Jarvis Jones, in particular. Jones had three sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He knocked the ball loose from tight end Jordan Reed at the Dogs’ 18 with five minutes left, as Florida was moving in for a potential touchdown.
Jones’ amusing self-analysis: “I don’t know my stats, but I think I had a good game.”
The defense, whether motivated by external criticism or the internal slap from safety Shawn Williams, who called his team “soft,” had one of its better games of the season. Florida was held without a touchdown in a Georgia win for the first time since 1988.
Jones again: “I think what Shawn Williams did, he challenged us. Obviously we needed it. … Everybody was calling us names, calling us soft. ESPN, everybody on TV. Soft, soft, soft, soft, soft. As a man, you take it personal.”
Here’s a suggestion for Richt: Have one player call everybody a name every week. Couldn’t hurt.
Georgia led only 10-9 when Murray made amends for a mostly horrible night (12-of-24, three interceptions). On a third-and-5 from the Gators’ 45, he dropped back, beat blitzing safety Josh Evans and completing an 8-yard pass to Malcolm Mitchell. The receiver spun away from cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy and then cut across the field and ran to the end zone, giving the Dogs a 17-9 lead with seven minutes left.
The game’s only other touchdown — a 10-yard run by Todd Gurley — came early in the game following a Florida fumble. Of course. Florida had six fumbles (losing four) and six turnovers (Georgia three). The teams combined for six turnovers in the first half. They didn’t need marching bands — just the percussion section with the sounds of crashing cymbals with every bobble and misfire.
The Gators had only four turnovers in their first seven games. Yet quarterback Jeff Driskel fumbled on two of the first three plays of the game (Jones recovering the second). See, it doesn’t matter how ugly one team is if the other is worse.
Linebacker Jordan Jenkins said the team was inspired by a pregame speech by defensive end Cornelius Washington, who touched on all of the expected themes: no respect, big game, rival opponent.
“It was the craziest and wildest he’s ever been,” Jenkins said. “He was talking about how everybody was doubting us. He had us all pumped up and ready to go out there and knock some heads.”
Sometimes, that’s how games are won. The win is all anybody will remember.
By Jeff Schultz
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
844 comments Add your comment
observer
October 28th, 2012
2:16 pm
Tide rising let it slip a long time ago that he’s really a Tech fan that has been riding the Bama bandwagon as a way to needle the dawgs. Most of you missed it but it was a misstep by him that made it obvious.
kingdaddy
October 28th, 2012
2:17 pm
Nothing wrong with Mormon’s. We are going to have one for president soon…Go Mitt!!!
david
October 28th, 2012
2:20 pm
Saban and Bama are in for the beating of their lives Dec 1st. Our defens will pulverize them and Murray and Co will step up and put 37 points on the board! Dawgs 37 Bama 6.
kingdaddy
October 28th, 2012
2:21 pm
An ID from a Bammer fan will be in crayons with macaroni and glitter…
DawginLex
October 28th, 2012
2:21 pm
turd rising
Only a pathetic retarded bama fan who is worried about the possibility of playing UGA would show up and post on this blog
Now let’s see.
Bama is not on our schedule
So you are obviously a Tech turd
BYU just scored again
Tide Rising
October 28th, 2012
2:23 pm
kingdaddy,
It doesn’t bother me. Matter of fact the vast majority of Bama fans pull for Georgia in the east over UF and UT because we hate the vols. I’m just not one of them.
I was drinking with an LSU buddy last night and at my local sports bar I’ve got LSU, AU, UT, UF,and UGA fans. I’m friends with all of them even the AU fans. But the one thing that all of us have in common is that we all laugh about the dawg fans as being the most delusional fan base in college football. I at least respect the other programs. The LSU guy and I are heated rivals but there is that respect. And last night for about the umpteenth time he got drunk and told me that the dawg fan base is the worst in college football. I don’t hate Georgia. I just have no respect for you.
kingdaddy
October 28th, 2012
2:24 pm
Lex,
Has the bugs won a game this year? Must have been a long time ago. Fried fish anyone???
Glory between the Hedges
October 28th, 2012
2:24 pm
The logic in here seems to be if you beat a team that turns the ball over then you are not allowed to be happy with the win. It’s basically still a loss. LMAO…ARE YOU KIDDING ME???
Tide Rising
October 28th, 2012
2:27 pm
“Only a pathetic retarded bama fan who is worried about the possibility of playing UGA would show up and post on this blog”
Exactly what in the hell would we be worried about??? Seriously? You guys have talked so much smack over the years that I’m jazzed about whupping your ass in the seccg. I was ticked that we lost you this year due to conference realignment and that you guys dodged us again in the 2013 season. If I’m mad about anything I’m mad that you guys always get to dodge us. I’ld love it if we could play you 10 times a year.
Dawg Whisperer
October 28th, 2012
2:27 pm
Tide receding… UGA fans are not holding their collective breath that you respect them. Stay off the booze.
kingdaddy
October 28th, 2012
2:29 pm
T. Rising
I find that hard to believe. Nobody is more delusional than the Bamma fans who only remember their wins or winning years. That is delusional. We have a couple of “loose screws”, but most are rational. Kinda like me…
DawginLex
October 28th, 2012
2:30 pm
turd rising
We have no respect for a loud mouth fat obnoxious turd like you either
i predicted we would win the game and we did
What is delusional about that?
Since you say it, it must be right huh?
Just STFU
Tide Rising
October 28th, 2012
2:33 pm
“Saban and Bama are in for the beating of their lives Dec 1st. Our defens will pulverize them and Murray and Co will step up and put 37 points on the board! Dawgs 37 Bama 6.”
I don’t care who you are. Thass funny!!!!
So Bama which leads the nation in scoring defense at 8 pts a game is going to allow 37 to Georgia. And Bama which has scored over 40 pts in 4 of its 8 games and has a season low of 33 pts is only going to score 6 pts against UGA. BTW no one has scored more than 14 against us this season.
kingdaddy
October 28th, 2012
2:35 pm
“Exactly what in the hell would we be worried about? “We heard that a lot from the lizards right before they got bruised, used, abused and eventually, confused…
Dawg Whisperer
October 28th, 2012
2:35 pm
Have a safe and enjoyable Sunday all (you too Tide man).
Tide Rising
October 28th, 2012
2:36 pm
Dawginlex,
And I’ve no respect for a clown that says that his friend saw 6 Bama players at the Tuscaloosa jail who were mysteriously let go but can provide no proof of such a Bullshyte story. So STFU yourself girlie boy.
kingdaddy
October 28th, 2012
2:38 pm
I think Bammer will duck us again in the CG, hopeing LSU can beat us again and they can “back-in to another NC,LOL…
Just my two cents worth
October 28th, 2012
2:38 pm
There are a lot of obnoxious Ga. fans but, all teams have their share of the same. When your team has only one national championship in their long history you tend to think eery year is THE year. Just saying
kingdaddy
October 28th, 2012
2:39 pm
What ???
DawginLex
October 28th, 2012
2:39 pm
I don’t have to prove anything to you turd boy
internet tough guy
I’d make you crap your panties if you tried to talk to me like that in person bug
kingdaddy
October 28th, 2012
2:42 pm
Flunked history,didn’t ya 2¢???
Tide Rising
October 28th, 2012
2:43 pm
kingdaddy,
Nope. We remember the Shula years quite well. And I remember the big talking dawg fans in the early mid 2000s talking their big talk and saying we were irrelevant and wearing out their usual line about us living in the past. What goes around comes around. You guys talked more smack about us than any fan base I knew in the early 2000s. Seems to me you guys could dish it out real well back then but you can’t take it years later when we’re on top and you guys are usually mediocre. And its not just me dude. Other fan bases say the same thing about the dawg fans.
kingdaddy
October 28th, 2012
2:45 pm
God, that was a great hit…
Tide Rising
October 28th, 2012
2:46 pm
“I’d make you crap your panties if you tried to talk to me like that in person bug”
I’ll be at the Derby lounge on Hammond drive next Saturday night for the LSU game. I’ll be wearing a Bama t-shirt that says “On A Roll” on the front and has 14 national titles on the back. A rather large fella. You can’t miss me. I’ll be looking forward to having that in person conversation tough guy.
kingdaddy
October 28th, 2012
2:51 pm
Rising
You come on a blog about a BIG UGA WIN to do what exactly? Did you beat the #2 team in the country yesterday? Didn’t think so. You are now contributing to Global Warming. You should be worried about LSU , hey will probably beat you again like last year, which was not so long ago…
kingdaddy
October 28th, 2012
2:53 pm
I have to eat. I’ll be back…
Tide Rising
October 28th, 2012
2:56 pm
kingdaddy,
The last time we played LSU they were no. 1- not no. 2. And they didn’t manage a single point. And in the previous game where they did win we missed 4 field goals and had more total yardage than them. We’ve beaten numerous top 10 and top 5 teams over the past several years. You’ve beaten one top 5 team in the last several years and that’s it. Now sit down and be quiet until you can actually win on a consistent basis instead of one big win in 5 freaking years.
Tide Rising
October 28th, 2012
2:57 pm
I’m out too. Gonna pay more attention to the falcons. See ya next Sat night for that conversation dawginlex.
kingdaddy
October 28th, 2012
3:03 pm
You ain’t big enough or bad enough to make me do anything but laugh. If you could read I said, “Did you beat the #2 team in the country yesterday?”, of course you just want to bloviate which you must practice a lot…
RichtRules
October 28th, 2012
3:15 pm
look for richt and UGA to go on a long run against fla–muschamp is overmatched by richt in this game and Ga will start dominating the series! Dogs–back on top!
DawgNole
October 28th, 2012
3:17 pm
GTBob
October 28th, 2012
11:03 am
DAWGS move on up in the BCS standings today.
Why do teams that have no chance at the BCS title game even worry about the BCS standings?
_____________________
Didn’t realize Tech was worried.
kingdaddy
October 28th, 2012
3:19 pm
Falcons embarrassing the squabs…
Vance
October 28th, 2012
3:20 pm
Since I live in Florida it is especially sweet to beat UF…two years in a row! It’s been a long time coming. We all know the D won the game for us. Now we just have to see if the team can play with consistancy. UF’s strengh was their D, so I’m not surprised we were challenged offensively. I’m looking for that mojo we saw this week from now through the end of the season. It’s the coaching staff that has to bring the mojo to the game plan….every week, every game. Richt’s job has been saved for now. Let’s see if they can “bring it” every week now that they have proven it can be done. Go Dawgs!
DawgNole
October 28th, 2012
3:21 pm
War Mongrel
October 28th, 2012
11:20 am
signature win??? hardly…fans knew Florida was way overrated…prepare yourselves for another SECCG butt-kicking, if you can beat Ole Miss…Tech could beat Auburn…buy your Chik-fil-a bowl tickets early…and pray Murray leaves after this season and gets a regular job, cause he ain’t NFL caliber…
________________
fla was undefeated, highly ranked, and a solid favorite, so don’t come now with your overrated BS.
DawgNole
October 28th, 2012
3:26 pm
Tampa Gator
October 28th, 2012
11:27 am
I am sitting here watching the replay again…..I like to punish myself. Jarvis Jones just pressured Driskel….and if he hadn’t…..Jordan Reed was running right down the middle of the field for a TD. Note to Jarvis Jones…….the NFL wants you….NOW.
__________________
Sh-h-h-h-h-h-h! Don’t tell him. We want him back for next year’s cocktail party.
DawginLex
October 28th, 2012
3:30 pm
I live in Lexington KY turd boy
I wouldn’t go watch bama pay if someone paid my way
Maybe you can actually beat LSU and actually get to the Dome instead of backing in and begging for a mulligan
“A rather large guy”
Yeah, I bet. About 5′9″ 425 pounds
DING!!!!!!!
LMAO at you
DawgNole
October 28th, 2012
3:32 pm
Put in Timeout . . .
October 28th, 2012
11:32 am
World’s Largest Outdoor Gator Beating
October 28th, 2012
11:25 am
IF the Gator doesn’t TRY for an ESPN HIGHLIGHT and just goes down The gators are down by 2 with a 2 point conversion to come with less than 3 min left in the game.
_____________________
IF, IF, IF. That’s why your posts are so worthless. Deal with reality, dumbazz.
kingdaddy
October 28th, 2012
3:33 pm
Time for a pick…
Game Changer
October 28th, 2012
3:37 pm
@tampagator,
You are correct that the defensive holding on Florida’s number 2 against Gurley was the wrong call. Many of the calls by officials in the game were strange, most were made by the Head Referee who I feel was not at the level needed for such a big game but since things seem to always go UGA’s way I did not care. One thing for sure, no one but the Florida players were responsible for 6 turnovers which lost the game game for you. All Florida had to do was not commit turnovers and our UGA QB Aaron Murray would have given you the game.
DawgNole
October 28th, 2012
3:41 pm
Tampa Gator
October 28th, 2012
11:34 am
I just watched the replay again………of Easley getting called for pass interferene on Gurley a (you can’t call pass interference behind the line of scrimmage….by rule)…..Gurley was 4 yards behind the line of scrimmage. That call should have never been called……and led to the final Georgia TD. Florida would have gotten the ball with 8 minutes left…..but probably still would have fumbled the ball going into the end zone. Oh well…….
_______________________
Oh, don’t start with the whining excuses now–especially about the penalties, which hurt UGA more than fla. You got your azzes handed to you, and turnovers played a major role–just like they did the week before in your win over SC. You were smugly arrogant/confident going in to this one. And you were wrong. Just be quiet and respectful for a year. We’ll all be better off. See you in Tallahassee Nov 24.
Preston
October 28th, 2012
3:54 pm
Can’t believe how some here say that UGA’s fans are more obnoxious than fans of other teams. Bama, UT, and UF have just as many crap talking fans as anyone else. I watched the game at a sports bar yesterday and heard a lady say the same thing because she was a pissed off gator fan. I politely told her to think about where she was and let her know how I was treated as a UGA fan when I lived in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Of course there are going to be a bunch of excited Dawg fans in GA. Duhhh….Florida’s fan base has to be the worst I’ve ever encountered (in terms of rudeness) but whatever. I was, after all, in Florida. I get it.
Preston
October 28th, 2012
3:59 pm
Nobody in their right mind can say they get called for more BS penalties than UGA. It’s like the refs are still picking on us for that silly celebration 5 years ago so please spare me from blaming your whipping you took on the refs. That dog won’t hunt here!
kingdaddy
October 28th, 2012
4:02 pm
Bierman has a set of wheels. Would love to see Jarvis fall to the Falcons or them trade up to get him. All the Bierman haters, have another helping of crow…
kingdaddy
October 28th, 2012
4:04 pm
Preston,
That’s all they got. Please don’t take that away from them, they are very pitiful today…
Jake Benson
October 28th, 2012
4:06 pm
Every once in a blue moon, in desperation, Ga. plays with some fire in their belly. The problem is, they work themselves up to it, not carry it into every game. It’s why they are perpetually under achievers. It’s strictly a coaching issue. The talent is always there, the inspiration isn’t. It’s significant that it took a player to fire up the team, not the coaching staff. Mark Richt should have been the inspiration, not a team member.
Voyager Dawg
October 28th, 2012
4:15 pm
Keep up the intensity Dawgs. We still have to beat Ole Miss and Auburn. Nothing will be handed to us. Nice win, but it’s time to focus on the Rebels. GATA!
UGA BOY
October 28th, 2012
4:27 pm
FALCONS WIN SUPERBOWL / UGA WINS BCS JUST WATCH!!!!!!!!!! THE ATL/ GA CURSE IS OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DawgNole
October 28th, 2012
4:33 pm
gamewatcher
October 28th, 2012
1:55 pm
It’s funny …Tide Rising calling the Bama QB by his first name like he knows him personally. Tide Rising you are a pompous little prick that nobody on this blog takes seriously.Go play with yourself and keep telling yourself how great you are while everyone else laughs at you behind your back!…..LOLLOLLOL
__________________
They probably laugh at him to his face.
GTBob
October 28th, 2012
4:41 pm
GTBob, answer a question for us : When will Tech ever take football serious again ?
Considering about 20% of the administration, students, faculty, and alumni care about football, I would say the answer is never.
Dawgs in 2012
October 28th, 2012
4:42 pm
Stupid to get in a pissing match with Tide fans. Don’t forget Bama is the defending NC, until UGA can win the SEC and NC I would STFU Disney Dawgs