Georgia-Florida was basically even … except for the coaching
When A.J. Green did get the chance in the fourth quarter, he was simply amazing — as usual. (Brant Sanderlin / AJC)
Some more thoughts on Georgia’s latest loss to Florida. …
The verdict is still out on defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. Until we see at least another season of his work, we won’t be able to gauge whether the lack of progress shown by the Dogs’ defense this season is a result of the level of talent Grantham inherited from Willie Martinez or is an indictment of Grantham’s coaching. But I think it’s safe to say at this point of the season it’s unlikely the light bulb is suddenly going to come on and this defense is going to get markedly better. The problems that have plagued the Dogs all season are still there. Too many times Florida receivers were wide open Saturday, even on plays where the Dogs not only didn’t blitz but didn’t really pressure the QB. How does that happen? And stopping a running quarterback? They don’t appear to have a clue. Still giving up the big play, too. If Cam Newton doesn’t set a bunch of records against Georgia, it’ll be a failing of his own making. …
And was anyone other than Grantham surprised by Urban Meyer going to a hurry-up offense? …
Still, it’s worth noting that the league’s worst defense on third down didn’t play that way Saturday. Florida converted on only four of 14 third-down tries and whiffed on its one attempt to convert on fourth down. …
On the other side of the ball, Mike Bobo didn’t do a bad job with his offensive calls for most of the game, though I still wonder why Georgia didn’t run it more. But Bobo’s decision-making in overtime definitely was questionable. I’ll give him trying the throw to Kris Durham in the corner of the end zone on first down because if the ball had been properly placed, it would have been a touchdown. Still, it was a fairly low-percentage play for Aaron Murray, who hasn’t really looked good throwing into that corner most of the season.
From there, though, Bobo got predictable: a run up the middle that got stuffed and then look for A.J. Green over the middle. And another tipped ball turned into an interception. You don’t have to be a offensive guru to wonder if maybe rolling Murray out on that play might have been a safer choice. And also to wonder whether the best choice of all might have been to just run it three times and kick the field goal. As Florida’s session of OT turned out, the worst that would have resulted in was a 34-34 score and a second period of OT. …
Kids don’t come much tougher than Durham. Not only did he hold on to the ball despite taking a vicious hit that had him coughing up blood on the sideline, he later returned to the game. …
Man, on that one Florida drive even the Gators’ false starts worked in their favor, including one that negated a Bulldogs stop on third down. And another time a sack of the Florida QB was wiped out by another Gator false start. What are the odds? …
As we noted Saturday, turnovers by Georgia — compounded by the Dogs’ failure to take it away when the Gators gave them the chance — really were the difference in this game. First downs, overall offensive yardage and time of possession were basically even between the two teams. …
As my brother Tim noted, thanks to CBS’ claustrophobic camera-work, you couldn’t really tell most of the time whether Florida’s coverage really had A.J. wrapped up or whether Murray was just looking elsewhere for most of the first three quarters after throwing a pick on the first play of the game trying to hit Green. CBS’ Gary Danielson seemed to think Green was open quite a few times when Murray went elsewhere.
But when Murray did go to Green in the fourth quarter, the receiver was amazing as usual. The 3rd-and-10 catch he managed to hold on to despite being hit immediately after he’d laid out for the ball was a thing of beauty (and made ESPN’s Top 10 Plays of the Day Saturday). And the touchdown catch a few plays later in the midst of triple coverage was nearly as impressive. …
Give the devil his due, Meyer knows how to make use of an off week and outcoached Mark Richt. Again. …
I have to agree with Jeff Dantzler of “Bulldog Brunch” that the location of the game in Jacksonville isn’t the reason for Florida’s dominance of the series the past two decades. It’s the same place they played when Georgia dominated the series the two previous decades. But Greg McGarity should make scheduling a bye week before Florida whenever possible a priority. During his years in Gainesville he’s seen firsthand how important that is.
As for the mental challenge facing the Dogs in playing Florida, Richt is probably right in his assessment that the only way to get out of that mind-set is to win a game like this one. Georgia didn’t do it, unfortunately, and that’s going to make Richt’s job even harder next year. …
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382 comments Add your comment
Stick With Richt, Bobo Gotta Go
October 31st, 2010
9:15 pm
Look on the bright side, we’ll get the Gators at home in Athens next year!!!
Oh wait… just checked the schedule, it’s actually in Florida again… for the 70th-something time…
You know, the Iron Bowl use to be at a “neutral” site at Legion Field in Birmingham. I actually went to the first Iron Bowl at a non-neutral site in Auburn at Jordan-Hare in 1989. Auburn won (even though ‘Bama was undefeated and ranked 2nd in the nation). I can tell you for a FACT that getting rid of the neutral site did not diminish that game’s tradition or intensity in the least. The Iron Bowl remains the biggest rivalry in college football. And I think getting rid of the neutral site added to the intensity.
And trust me, you can get just as drunk in Athens as you can in Jacksonville. You can get as drunk on a typical thursday night on Clayton Street.
Would the Dawgs win every home game? No. But it would still be better than busing/flying to Florida every G.D. year. Would we have lost basically the past 21 games to the Gators? Definitely not!
Latarian Milton
October 31st, 2010
9:18 pm
There ya go, Bama Stan; slam the ACC. If you haven’t noticed, the SEC sucks too. Ultimately you can’t spell insecure without S-E-C.
george
October 31st, 2010
9:18 pm
I am disgusted with the current state of Georgia football. Not because of another loss to Florida (we didn’t deserve to win playing like that), but because this is NOT a well coached football team. You have the best wide receiver in the country and you can only manage to get him the ball a very few times…that’s coaching. Players should be taught to “fall on fumbles” not try “to pick it up and run” as we did twice yesterday…that’s coaching. Either one of those fumbles deep in Florida territory could have made the difference in winning or losing. We have the best field goal kicker in the country, and he was a “non factor” in the overtime. Why? Because Bobo, or Richt, decided to go for the bomb twice instead of running the ball (as we did well for most of the day)…that’s coaching. What could have been a decent season after a disastrous start is now wasted. A win over Idaho State should be a given, but I’m not too sure about that with the big let down this team is sure to have after yesterday. A loss to Auburn is almost certain, and Tech win doesn’t look real good either. It’s time for heads to roll in Athens, and I really hope McGarity will do just that…SOON.
AFDawg
October 31st, 2010
9:19 pm
Bill, I hope you’re wrong. I hope Richt doesn’t get another crack next year. I thought I would never say this but I hope UGA loses out — it will guarantee Richt’s departure. UGA football being a laughing stock has got to end. We need a coach with the killer instinct. UGA won’t be getting any more money from me until they correct the problem. I’ll be the guy at the Idaho State game holding the “Fire Coach Richt” sign. This embarassment has got to stop!
Troll
October 31st, 2010
9:19 pm
(((( Saint Simons ))))
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Michael
October 31st, 2010
9:20 pm
Great point Bill, 34-31, Meyer was MILES greater than Richt, right? So obvious.
Michael
October 31st, 2010
9:22 pm
Bill-
In your last article, you said Georgia lost….except for turnovers.
Now in this one, you have a new story, it’s…..coaching.
2 different stories.
Lou Vales
October 31st, 2010
9:22 pm
I implore all of you to go back and look at the schedules Georgia andRicht have played the last 10 years. Look honestly and assessthe games whereGeorgia andRicht had CLEAR and DISTINCT talent advantages. Makea judgment about thegames wheretalent differential was not blatant but Georgia had the edge. Add up all those games and then honestly comeon hereand say Richt’s wins per year is something special. Also considerthe games where there wwas virtual parity–or close to it–and figure his record in those games.
Mark Richt is a DOG and I don’t mean a good one.
P. Bull Terrier
October 31st, 2010
9:24 pm
What was Bobo thinking calling 3 runs in a row in OT? He and Richt were playing scared instead of going for the win. You don’t play a for a field goal against Urban Meyer, because you know he’s going to come out and do everything it takes to score a touch down. I can’t believe UGA was content to run 3 times into the line and hope a field goal was enough to win the game. If they had any guts, they would have tried to hit Durham in the corner of the end zone or thrown to AJ over the middle. Fire Bobo, Fire Richt…
Oh wait, I have it backwards. That was the complaint I had prepared in case UGA did like everyone is now suggesting, settled for a FG, and ended up losing the game.
Danged if you do and danged if you don’t.
THIRTY FOUR POINTS to your thirty one points
October 31st, 2010
9:27 pm
an FORTY ONE POINTS to your seventeen points, FORY NINE POINTS to your ten points….
18 out of 21
8 out of 10
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
Mulk
October 31st, 2010
9:27 pm
UGA Mark,
Just how many crutches does a program or fan base need:
1. Bye weeks tailored for the competition
2.7 home games each year a requirement
3.zero out of region/home and home games like Oregon and Oklahoma St
4.having to play in Jacksonville every year
5. tough non-conference rival like GT
6. grinding SEC schedule
7.getting beaten up each week by teams like the 3-win streak comprised of Vandy, Tenn, and Kentucky.
8.annual top ten recruiting ratings
9.depending on Vandy to lose 4 games in a row to win division
10.waiting for specific 3-4 defense recruits to arrive
11.hiring wish list of any coach with a winning record clamoring to come to Athens
12.having to play Fla, or any team with more thugs than you
13.having to play a team whose coach has less team discipline than your coach
14. conspiracy officiating
15. conspiracy local police departments
16. non-supportive/honest news columnists
17. etc.
18. etc.
A humble middle school football assistant coach
October 31st, 2010
9:28 pm
You Mr. King are an idiot. I didn’t even waste my time getting past the title of this horrible thing you call an article. You clearly know nothing about football and I have no idea how you still have a job. Coaching does not cause 4 turnovers. Because of those turnovers, we gave their offense a short field to work with and they capitalized with 14 points. Coaching did not cause a freshman QB to be slightly rattled playing his first game in his home state. Coaches did however make second-half adjustments and other in-game adjustments that helped the Dawgs rally back from a 21-7 first-half deficit. Coaching helped hold their offense to 10 second-half points in regulation and helped us score 24 points in the second half. With budget cuts and everything considered, I am shocked that you and Mark Bradley weren’t the first ones to go. I graduate from UGA in December with a sport management degree. Maybe I should attach a resume with this comment. I might not know as much about journalism as you, but I promise, it isn’t hard to know a hell of a lot more about football. You might be better suited for the Tech blogs.
Never going to Outback resturant again...
October 31st, 2010
9:29 pm
Meyer didn’t outcoach Richt !! Not even close !! Twice we had turnovers, but didn’t keep them because the players wanted to pick up the ball and run with it, instead of just falling on it . That and the playcalling in OT was the difference !!
Runner up Richt
October 31st, 2010
9:29 pm
If Im not mistaken I had the bye week last year and got blown off the field anyway. I thought for sure the black helmets would help and the week off and I still got outcoached. Pay me my money.
THIRTY FOUR POINTS to your thirty one points
October 31st, 2010
9:31 pm
Dont forget, Urban Meyer has 2 NC’s…how many does Richt have???
Runner up Richt
October 31st, 2010
9:34 pm
Im not even going to live up to my title this year. The best I can hope for is fourth place in my division.
THIRTY FOUR POINTS to your thirty one points
October 31st, 2010
9:34 pm
THAT’S IT!!!!! NO BLACK HELMETS!!! Woulda won the game!!
Perro Guapo
October 31st, 2010
9:35 pm
What about Florida’s entire team running on the field in OT? They should have been flagged. Then they would have been starting from the 40 instead of the 25. Just sayin’
S Spurrier
October 31st, 2010
9:35 pm
….all those recruits…same ol’ GA.
Runner up Richt
October 31st, 2010
9:35 pm
Oh and by the way McGarity is not going to fire me cause I got him in the palm of my hand. I whipped out my bible, poured a glass of Jesus Juice and we prayed on this loss. All is well.
JJ
October 31st, 2010
9:36 pm
Scheduling a bye week before Florida? Why, so you can play the week before the GT game and end up losing to GT?
UGA fans just need to face up to some facts. You are not an elite team and, other than a few years in the early 80’s, never have been
muttsuk
October 31st, 2010
9:38 pm
there ya go Perro, like a true GA fan—-BLAME THE REFS!!!!! If you had scored, and held FLA it wouldn’t matter!!!
Runner up Richt
October 31st, 2010
9:38 pm
Thats right folks keep making the excuses and I will help lose to Florida as long as you let me. Heck if I cant beat this year how am I ever gonna do it?
Runner up Richt
October 31st, 2010
9:40 pm
Heck maybe UGAVIII ate the wrong food yesterday maybe that was it.
Bobby
October 31st, 2010
9:41 pm
Quit whining folks. It was a very good game. Had Murray made the TD in OT everyone would be singing his praises. Yes, he made mistakes in the game, but he also made some big plays. I would love to have a QB like Murray at Georgia Tech. He’s going to be an excellent QB as he advances each year. I’m not at all confident that he will not beat the Yellow Jackets this year, even with his problems.
Runner up Richt
October 31st, 2010
9:41 pm
Last time I checked the priests at NOTRE DAME dont coach football, so why does UGA let me? I run one of the biggest churches in the country.
Winger
October 31st, 2010
9:43 pm
Isn’t it nice to call all the right plays the day after the game? Now why didn’t the UGA coaches think of that?
Runner up Richt
October 31st, 2010
9:46 pm
Bobo is my scape goat.
Michael
October 31st, 2010
9:50 pm
How bout we move this game to a “neutral” site, right outside of Athens Georgia, and give Richt 2 weeks to prepare for Meyer, and schedule 7 home games, and a bunch of cream puff teams like Meyer did the years he won a National Championship?
UGA VIII
October 31st, 2010
9:51 pm
“Richt outcoached by Meyer.” – Now there is a news flash. Richt and his staff are routinely outcoached. Talent and shear athletic determination are the only reasons they have won a game this year. Might not win but one more.
As for Auburn, I hate to even think about it. It could be real ugly. Now we know why Todd Grantham was our fourth choice for DC. He sucks. Say what you want about the new scheme. Week to week there is no sign of progress. If Auburn doesn’t put 50 on our defense, I would be shocked. It’s not that we don’t have players. We don’t have coaches.
CHDawg
October 31st, 2010
9:55 pm
The funny thing is we have twenty or thirty Dawg fans plus St. Simons pretending to be ten different gator fans and five different upset Dawg fans, and he is still obnoxious enough to make me cut off the computer! It is almost better when Tech wins, so he can just be his obnoxious self and not have to take on his Gator/Alabama/Auburn identities to irritate Dawg fans! Funny how the Bama IDs disappeared when UF beat UGA! Good night Dawg fans!
UGA VIII
October 31st, 2010
9:55 pm
Runner up Richt, the whole coaching staff is the scape goat. Name for me a single coach on this staff that is worth keeping.
They should have been fired prior to the post game news conference. That way, we would have plenty of time to find replacements. And, the replacement should not be a coordinator wannabe head coach.
AFDawg
October 31st, 2010
9:56 pm
Humble MS Football Asst Coach, Now we all know why you are an assistant at the MS level. Sounds like you should be at the pee-wee level. The turnovers didn’t matter once the game went to overtime. The biggest coaching failure came in OT which resulted in teh turnover. Even the announcers predicted the outcome before Murray ever threw the interception. You play percentages in OT — you put your All American kicker up against their bcak-up kicker. Doesn’t take a genius to figure this stuff out.
AFDawg
October 31st, 2010
10:00 pm
P Bull Terrier, Did you not watch the game? Did you not hear all of the discussion surrounding the fact UGA has one of the best kickers in the country and FLA has been struggling with their back-up kicker. Advantage UGA — you play to your strengths. Unless of course you like losing.
Sandyspringsjacket
October 31st, 2010
10:03 pm
THUGA will get the long awaited bye during bowl season, home for the holidays’s this year mutts, streak over, LOSING SEASON.
sunny purdue
October 31st, 2010
10:04 pm
Welcome to toast town doggies. This UF team is younger and more talented than the previous bunch. They are going to be outrageous for the next 3 years. You guys had your best shot and blew it. You guys had 10 returning starters on the offense and had only 10 points by the end of the 3rd quarter. A,Jersey and Kris and the o line and Caleb etc. will be gone. Murray will be running for his life next year and those receivers will be dropping those passes like a bunch of high schoolers. Burton is gonna school you classless idiots and then we have the #1 QB recruit coming in behind him. Eat my dust you delusional rednecks. Herschel left 30 yaers ago and he will not be coming back until you give him another new car. BWAHAHAHAHAHA
THE (G) ON THE MUTTS HELMET STANDS 4 GATOR
October 31st, 2010
10:06 pm
THANK YOU GATORS FOR PUTTING THESE REDNECK HILLBILLIES IN THEIR PLACE!
FLORIDA KICKER FROM GEORGIA BEAT THE MUTTS!
AUBURN QB FROM ATLANTA,GA WILL BEAT THE MUTTS!
YOU HICKS KEEP CHASING THE TOP TALENT OUTTA THE STATE OF GEORGIA,BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE SO EVIL,THESE FOOTBALL PLAYERS READ THESE BLOGS!
GET RID OF REDNECK MIKE BOZO!
Game Location
October 31st, 2010
10:06 pm
I’m tired of losing this game every year and dealing with all these obnoxious florida fans at the landing every saturday night! McGarity needs to move this game back to athens, ASAP. Ga can win a lot more in athens than jacksonville, which is a dump.
Choo Choo Charlie
October 31st, 2010
10:21 pm
Bill-
So glad you brought up coaching, let’s do look at Georgia’s coach a little more rationally to see if you’re right, or just emotional.
Richt’s finished rankings:
01- #22
02- #3
03- #6
04- #7
05- #10
06- #23
07- #2
08- #10
Conclusion:
The Richt dude can coach em’ up.
Dawg Whisperer
October 31st, 2010
10:28 pm
Lots of silly comments from UGA outsiders as usual… Aaron Murray is why we were in he game. Next to AJ Green, he is the UGA offense. Anyone watching the game and this season knows that. He will probably be All-SEC next year. Alabama could only wish to have the talent of Aaron Murray as their QB. Reading absurd comments from gator and bama fans has become the norm. Bama wasn’t good enough to join the ACC before Saban!
Joe Tess Fish House
October 31st, 2010
10:30 pm
When did UGA every do N E thing? There one of the worse programs in collage football. They will kep loosing with Rick as caoch.
A humble middle school football assistant coach
October 31st, 2010
10:31 pm
AFDawg, the reason I’m coaching at the MS level is because I’m still in college and don’t graduate until December. You are exactly the kind of person that reads this blog, the kind that get their information and opinions about football from commentators and color analysts. I didn’t agree with the play calling in OT. I didn’t agree with taking a shot to the end zone of 1st down and then trying to run when they knew it was coming. You don’t just settle for a FG on third down. You QB has been money all year, you as a coach have no reason not to believe in him and let him try to win you that football game. Why don’t you just keep listening to Vern. According to him, Cam Newton transferred from UF because he didn’t want to sit behind Tebow. What a joke.
Dawg Whisperer
October 31st, 2010
10:35 pm
Thank you, choo choo… facts vs. fiction is always the undoing of all these “chicken little” fans. I’d like to know where they think UGA is going to find a coach as qualified as Richt. Why is it that fans of every school think that ex-players will make the best next head coach. Would Kirby Smart actually be the answer and to what? As you factually noted, choo choo, is Richt’s record so horrible to live with? I was at UGA in the first half of the 70s when Dooley was 7-4 and 6-5 for a few years. If UGA had canned Dooley, we might not have had the continuity that lead to the great 80s teams.
Just Got Back
October 31st, 2010
10:37 pm
Dawgs with ball in a tie game with a minute left. Play for overtime. Meyer won’t let them. He wants the ball back and even calls timeouts to get it back with 25 seconds left so he can try to win the game.
This fact in spite of the fact that we had momentum (just stopped UF), and we had the much better FG kicker. Speaks volumes to me about what is wrong with our program.
Should have easily won both the Ark and CO games; both there for the taking and games other staffs win. SC and Miss St should also have been wins but Lattimore too much for UGA before we got personnel straight.
Speaking of defensive personnel. We gave CWM hell for giving up 30+ points in games. We’ve done that a few times this year including yesterday against the worst UF team in >20 years. They scored 7 against Miss St. When we had all the momentum yesterday in the fourth quarter, we again let UF go down the field like Sherman through Georgia.
Joe Tess Fish House
October 31st, 2010
10:38 pm
Rick may be qaulified but he still no good. @ many players geting in truble 2 many players not playin up 2 standard. This team loose 2 much with the talant they have.
Derek
October 31st, 2010
10:44 pm
Richt coached a fine game. It was a good game–could have gone either way. To say that the offense and defense has not improved is a bone headed statement. Dramatic improvement. Richt’s job is secure through his contract and by that time he will have turned it around. Not giving up on CMR. He is talented, young, experienced and a proven winner. Richt is here to stay—thankfully.
Joe Tess Fish House
October 31st, 2010
10:47 pm
If Rick is not fired before the season is over I will become a Tech fan.
Nuff said
What a load of manure
October 31st, 2010
10:51 pm
Sorry Bill but this was a total waste of space today! 4 turnovers, not coaching lost the football game. But wait, you said that didn’t you? Which was it, turnovers or coaching? Let me tell you that it damn sure wasn’t coaching that lost that ball game. And to ask for 3 runs and then a field goal….this comes from the same people that say we need to have a killer instinct and step on someone’s throat???? Even my little girl knows that the first team to have the ball in OT has to put as many points on the board as possible, which means TDs not FGs. Just curious at this point, what position did you ever play that makes you an expert on any of this because your insight has been pathetic this year.
TheItalianDawg
October 31st, 2010
10:53 pm
King, I think you are being very harsh on our coaches, I think our D played very well and especially in the 2nd half. first of all Florida is having an advantage playing in Jax and a second advantage is Georgia played kentucky on the road, Im 100% certain if Florida was on the road before taking on a well rested Georgia, Florida would have been blown away. The AD of Florida helped his coach by easy scheduling why we cant do the same.
Ga Dawg 97
October 31st, 2010
10:57 pm
TheItalianDawg, you sound like a loser! Until our coaching staff and players lose this “look for excuses” mentality we’ll always be an also ran. Playing in Jax wasn’t a problem in the 80s now was it?