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. …
Find me on Facebook.
Follow me on Twitter.
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
382 comments Add your comment
timthebrave
November 1st, 2010
1:23 pm
If GA gave up at halftime after going down 21 to 7 or if they didn’t make any adjustments I would say blame the coaching. Don’t think that was the case in the game I saw. If the team has someone make a few plays in each of the games we lost we might have only 0 or 1 loss instead of 5. This team is close to being good. Go dawgs!
LAKE OCONEE DAWG
November 1st, 2010
1:25 pm
GApeachdawg:
YOU ARE SO PITIFUL, JUST GOT TO CALL YOU OUT…CAN’T BELIEVE I’M EVEN ANSWERING YOU UP, BUT GOTTA DO IT…OLE DEATH DEALER IS A DIE HARD BULLDOG WHO PLAYED AT ONE TIME FOR THE DAWGS….WHEN YOU SAID YOU WERE A FLORIDA GRADUATE, I SHOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD…BUT FOR YOU NOT TO UNDERSTAND THAT 450 YARDS, 31 POINTS, AND ALL THE GOOD THINGS THE OFFENSE DID AND THE GREAT PLAY CALLING THAT WENT WITH IT, AND YOU COME DOWN ON BOBO….THEY MUST HAVE ALREADY LEGALIZED CANNABIS IN FLA. LIKE THEY ARE TRYING TO DO IN CALIFORNIA..BELIEVE YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN INTO SOME OF THAT…..YOU HAVEN’T TOLD ME ONE THING YET THAT BOBO COULD HAVE DONE SATURDAY THAT HE DIDN’T DO…YOU ARE SO FAR OFF BASE TO CALL BOBO OUT WHEN THE OFFENSE PLAYED GREAT….IT IS THE DEFENSE, MADAME, THAT GAVE 34 TO A FLORIDA TEAM THAT SCORED A TOTAL OF 6 PTS. VS. MISS STATE…..FLORIDA’S OFFENSE IS TERRIBLE….
Old Ga Fan
November 1st, 2010
1:27 pm
How do you say it was all coaching.Two of Murrays interceptions should have been caught,2 fumbles should have been picked upand 2 of Floridas passes hit us in the hands. Players have to make plays. Floridas always make the plays when the chance is there. The only coaching I dont agree with is on 3rd and 4 with a 21-7 game we throw into the endzone 1 time and kick the field goal from the 8 yard line. I say run twice and score 7 cause 3 points aint beating Florida
Joe Tess Fish House
November 1st, 2010
1:28 pm
U guys need 2 understand Rick is no good as a caoch. Hes ruiend the story UGA program with his lack of disciple of his players and his worst paly calling. The resaon the Digs are loosing games is Mark Rick.
Nuff said!
A member of Gator Nation
November 1st, 2010
1:32 pm
Lake Oconee Dawg – the idea that “the whole Gator Nation turned” on Urban Meyer this season is laughable. There’s a lot of unhappiness with Addazio, but you’d be hard pressed to demonstrate that even the lunatic fringe of our fan base turned on Meyer after 7 games into this season. Get real.
dawglover
November 1st, 2010
1:37 pm
Everybody on here seems to be looking to “blame coaches”, “blame players”, etc, etc..The reason for all the frustration, I believe, stems from fans who continue to buy into the idea that uga is really a good team, has “all that talent”, better than UF, and on and on. Every blog after every GA loss this year says they “lost to a lesser team”. Sooner or later better face the reality that for last two years the uga talent level is just not very good. Seems most uga fans are buying into class rankings by recruiting services and assuming that translates into on field performance. Fact is, it doesn’t. Against UF uga lost to a team with better football players…as example, would any of the uga fans here actually turn down a trade of Murray for Burton? If you would turn that down you don’t know much about football. Also, look at UF running backs vs. King and Ealey..uga backs are not comparable.
ugaclassof2004
November 1st, 2010
1:37 pm
I’m going to put the blame where it belongs: on our big money donors. They have kept Richt around for the last 2 years. They haved stood by him out of some false sense of “loyalty” and have watched as the program plummented the last 2 seasons. They put no pressure on him after 2008. They allowed Richt to keep Willie Martinez around a year longer then he should instead of demanding for his removal after the 2008 season. And now they will keep Richt and Bobo around longer than they should until the program bottoms out. This is nothing new really. They kept Ray Goff around 2 years longer than they should have. They did fire Donnan after only 5 seasons, but they were never behind Donnan to begin with. But I’ll say this: the program was in much better shape when Donnan got fired then it will be when Richt leaves. This program is back to where it was in the mid-90’s, where the team was averaging 5-6 wins a year and hoping for any bowl they could get. Whoever comes in after Richt will have MAJOR rebuilding to do. And all of this I blame on our donors for tolerating it. If BAMA or Florida underachieved like the Dawgs did in 2008 or 2009, Meyer or Saban would be gone. Shoot…there are Gator fans that want to fire Meyer now, even after he’s already led them to 2 National Titles in 4 years!! Demand excellence and you will get it. Settle for mediocrity and you’ll get that too.
Joe Tess Fish House
November 1st, 2010
1:40 pm
Dan Reeves 4 UGA coach!
Burger Boy
November 1st, 2010
1:41 pm
I disagree. Fan IQ was not even. Ugag is borderline retarded.
Mad Dawg
November 1st, 2010
1:42 pm
I am going to start a movement to target EVERY top high school football player that will be attempted to be recruited by Georgia and strongly encourage them NOT TO ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA UNTIL BOBO AND RICHT ARE FIRED!!!!
takedowndawg
November 1st, 2010
1:42 pm
deathdealer, as others have so aptly pointed out, his plays from run to pass, or pass to run are as predictable as the sun coming up tomorrow. We aren’t throwing any defensive coordinators or their defensive captains off. Surely, you can see that, death. Compare with Les Miles and his offensive coordinator. Even they don’t appear to “know” what they are going to do next. They respond at the line. Extensive use of check offs etc. Either Bobo has bridled Murray from checkoffs or our young star is misreading the alignments. By the way, what QB in the SEC would ONLY throw to AJ Green in a desperation double team for sure situation. Discount the first pick and play of the game. By the way, you do know that the “out” is one of the easiest pick passes by a fast CB. Bobo called that one for us for starters. We knew that Florida would bring the house every play on Murray and to not allow him to roll out frequently by design is not smart by a OC. Just for your information.
Mike
November 1st, 2010
1:45 pm
This was a Zook era loss. You know the drill, UGA goes into the game with the better team, yet screws up in ways they dont in other games. They gave this game to UF with stupid turnovers. Murray looked like a kid that hadnt thrown in a year. Which brings me to the offensive coaching.
Bobo’s offense looked totally unprepared for this game. Give them credit for coming back in the second half, but this offensive unit just doesnt hit the field ready to play anymore. They spend half the season sleepwalking and not until November do they decide to show up in the first quarter. Its pathetic.
Fl/StillmanDawg
November 1st, 2010
1:45 pm
I said it before, Ill say it again.. As a TRUE Georgia Boy/Fan. I will say CMR and some staff WILL NEVER TAKE US TO THE PROMISE LAND.. The defense next season will be AWSOME.. The offense needs a new face.. Don’t Fire CMR just GET RID OF HIM and those LAZY PLAYERS HE RECRUITED.. That game was on both players and coaches..THEY JUST PLAINLY STINK.
Ace
November 1st, 2010
1:47 pm
Myers still has it, UGA don’t.
producewiz
November 1st, 2010
2:03 pm
And Grantham really showed his class by yelling at the Florida kicker and putting the choke sign on his own throat.Sorry, players can do it, but no class when the coach does it.
Macclenny_dawg
November 1st, 2010
2:06 pm
If Meyer was 2-8 against us and won only 2 SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS in 10-years would he still be coaching FLA??????
If Saban was 2-8 against AUBURN and won only 2 SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS in 10-years would he still be coaching FLA?????
AND THESES COACHES HAVE WON A NAT. TITLE!!!!!!!!
IF YOU RAN A UNIVERSITY AND HIRED A COACH FROM THE SEC WHO WOULD IT BE??
IF IT AIN’T SABAN OR MEYER U R CRAZY!!!
AND FOR THAT FELLOW DAWG FANS IS WHY IF U R NOT ON TOP U HUNT ANOTHER LEADER!!! AND REMEMBER RICHT WHEN HE CAME HERE DIDN’T HAVE ANY HEAD COACHING EXPERIENCE!!!! ENOUGH SAID!!!
GatorBait
November 1st, 2010
2:19 pm
3 things in life that are guaranteed: 1) death, 2) taxes, and 3) fl beating ga
bruce mac
November 1st, 2010
2:27 pm
Coach Richt will be given one more year to figure things out, get over it. Lets beat Auburn and the Yellow Jackets and move on. Two bad years in a row is a trend, three is a pattern.
Freddy
November 1st, 2010
2:29 pm
Fred,
If the coaching is as bad as you say
why doesn’t Richt get fired?
Are you wrong, or is UGA administration?
Freddy
November 1st, 2010
2:30 pm
Darn it, meant to type to Bill, not myself.
Macdaddy
November 1st, 2010
2:31 pm
You know what is more disapointing than losing the ball game is to have all of the fair weather fans that support a team when it is winning and turn around and want fire the coaching staff and bench all of the players whe something doesnt go their way. I can sit here all day long after the fact and play the hind sight is 20/20. The team played hard and the coach’s called a good game.enough said.
The biggest difference was that Florida had the extra week to get ready for the game.
how2fish
November 1st, 2010
2:32 pm
I hate this loss, we lost to a inferior team. I thought the D made the adjustments it needed in the 2nd half and there was NO quit in our guys. No tears and no excuses move on..but our D is going to be better next year they could have folded their tents but didn’t . We moved the ball in the 2nd half on a pretty good D and overcame a 14 point deficient. We lost it hurts but we can play with these guys any day of the week! And last year I couldn’t say that. So congrats Gators you won as good a game as I’ve seen in a while.
Gbal
November 1st, 2010
2:38 pm
I agree we need to be a bit more creative …
On this off week issue just to satisfy my curosity …
Since 1998
UGA RECORD
UGA’s had 2 off dates before UF game 1-1 in those games
UF had 8 off dates before the game 0-8 in those games
3 games neither team off prior week 1-2 in those games
????
Pago Pago Dawg
November 1st, 2010
2:47 pm
Why in the world would you think UGA would beat UF with an extra week to prepare! And, some of you guys really need to look up what a “paragraph” is..geesh. Use them…
Macclenny_dawg
November 1st, 2010
2:55 pm
Macdaddy,
I AM NOT A FAIR WEATHER FAN I GIVE RICHT 1 MORE YEAR ANYTHING LESS THAN SEC CHAMPIONSHIP AND HE CAN HIT THE DOOR!!! WITH THE SCHEDULE NEXT YEAR ITS VERY REALISTIC. FLORIDA WANT HAVE A ADVANTAGE NEXT YEAR AS BOTH TEAMS ARE OFF THE WEEK BEFORE!!! OUR ROAD GAMES ALL SHOULD BE WON AND ALL THE TOUGH GAMES ARE HOME!!! NEXT YEAR OR BUST FOR RICHT!!!
Richard Dawson
November 1st, 2010
2:59 pm
The head coaching is the biggest problem. He’s in charge of the whole program, including the players, the OC, and the DC.
FIRE MARK RICHT.
Russ the Passed Over Mascot
November 1st, 2010
3:01 pm
A National Championship next year…woof woof. Losers.
Gary
November 1st, 2010
3:05 pm
Why this late in the season are they FINALLY throwing to Orson Charles?
doug dawg
November 1st, 2010
3:09 pm
let’s have a calm resignation by richt, who has had enough, has enough money, and really should be coaching at a little christian college, like mars hill, where his son is quarterback. frankly, i like the man, he’s done his due for georgia, and he needs a peaceful pasture. we need a smooth transition, not rancor. bring in mullin from missy state. and let the good times roll. we’ve had enough of this mess over the last 2-3 years. good bye mr. richt. you served your time well, very well. but 10 years is more than enough.
DFR
November 1st, 2010
3:10 pm
The bye week we had last year really helped.
Gbal
November 1st, 2010
3:12 pm
Pago –
Just saying UGA is 2-3 over the past 13 games if they have the extra week or neither has a week off prior.
UGA is 0-8 over the past 13 games when UF has an off week prior.
Seems there is some advantage maybe to UF if they have the extra week… and 8 of the last 13 years they have had it.
Gbal
November 1st, 2010
3:15 pm
Not really proud of that record and it definately is no excuse for loosing to Co , Miss St, SC or Arkey
Gbal
November 1st, 2010
3:18 pm
Or last year DFR but it is a fact that UF takes advantage of theat week most years and its a fact the UGA does better when they dont have it. Saying McG should lobby to even this up a bit.
Snake Doc
November 1st, 2010
3:41 pm
Every one of you blind homers are boobs. Aren’t yo the same losers that were saying UGA wins the SEC east and plays in the SEC Championship. You boobs have nothing to say to us who want this program to excel. You boobs are the same ones who are championing a coach who is 2 and 8 against our most hated rival. The little JUCO schoo doesn’t count!
STFP! you’re a bunch of toothless morons who wouldn’t know excellence if it bit you in your behind!
SOUTHGADAWG88
November 1st, 2010
3:44 pm
Fla will probably win 10 games.All the inferior team talk is hot air.
how2fish
November 1st, 2010
3:55 pm
Snake Doc you sir are moron of the highest order. I’ll STFP whatever that means when and if I want to now what do you say to that tough guy?
UGA = Irrelevant
November 1st, 2010
4:07 pm
UGA getting outcoached by THIS UF coaching staff speaks volumes about the train wreck in Athens.
STEVE ADDAZIO’s offense scored 31 points on UGA….Grantham should go choke himself to death.
bigdsel
November 1st, 2010
4:13 pm
i dont want to hear about manny diaz. that fool came from the same place as willie martinez. Todd’s stats speak for themselves. 34 pts is the most scored on these dawgs all year. last year, sc had 40+, arkasas had 40+, Florida had 40+,kentucky spanked our butts, tenn scored all over us too.
Coachdawg 2000
November 1st, 2010
4:27 pm
It pains me greatly to have to say that I now have ZERO confidence in CMR. Maybe its just bad luck or maybe its just that he has lost the team. But for ANYBODY on here or elsewhere to say that beating Florida isn’t the objective must be in full spin mode. It isn’t just another game. We need to beat the baddest dude in the neighborhood and for the last 20 years that dude has been the Florida Gators. Until we all (AD, fanbase,players,coaches,etc.) realize that we have to find someone who won’t wilt in Jacksonville every season.
JohnsCreekDawg
November 1st, 2010
4:30 pm
Grantham is doing a heck of a job, its his first year installing a completely new scheme. Give CMR and Grantham one more year to beat So Carolina, Tenn, UF, Aub, and GT all in the same year. If they cant do that next year then so be it.
I know about the turnovers and the no huddle and all that stuff. but IMO, it came down to our pass rush disappearing after the first quarter. Besides that sack which was negated by a BS false start at the end of the game, I dont remember us getting any pressure at all after the first quarter. If we had we would have won….
JohnsCreekDawg
November 1st, 2010
4:32 pm
And I love Bacarri Rambo just like a love every Dawg on the squad, but the guy has dropped two picks at the end of games which, more than likely, if he holds on to them we win the game.
He must feel terrible….
Coachdawg 2000
November 1st, 2010
4:33 pm
Until Tressel showed up michigan owned Ohio State. Since not so much. Chris Peterson please come to Athens there is no barrier to the BCS here, but I do warn this ain’t the WAC or the Mountain West either. So pack your lunch and prove your a genius. CMR thanks for the memories and good luck you’re a great man and helped us to take a step.
JohnsCreekDawg
November 1st, 2010
4:35 pm
If CMR has to go I like Peterson, but the thought of us getting Jim Harbough on the sidelines makes me say giggidy giggidy….
LawDawgSouth
November 1st, 2010
5:02 pm
“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.” Deep into your piece you admit the truth of the matter…so why start out saying the teams were even excepting the coaching? The defense played a decent game for having the Florida offense start on our side of the field so often. I am the first to admit that the coaching for the last two years stinks overall, but this particular game cannot be chalked up to coaching. Several Dawgs just choked in the clutch…the ever present specter hanging over the Florida game every year now. Gators just have to get on the bus and get to the stadium; the Dawgs will manage someway, somehow to beat themselves.
tell me again
November 1st, 2010
5:13 pm
I has been a bad year – we lost games at first because our best players were making silly mistakes off the field and could not play for us…..We knew the new QB and new D would cost us a few games….it has not been a year to grow fond of…..we will beat Idaho St. and we will absoulutely cream Tech and Auburn is beatable and we can score on anybody. I for one was not expecting us to be a great team this year but we could have gotten off to a much better start than we did. Coaching is not the problem (maybe Bobo) but overall we are fine there – the talent is there – this year was snake bit from the start with the afore mentioned problems and so it is what it is. We win out and win a bowl game and our record is identical to last year. AND as for Willie — have you seen the Oklahoma secondary this year??? It’s a replay of our defense when he was here – no tackling , no players close to the ball and general mayhem in the secondary…..we are heading in the right direction. It’s a game – enjoy it win or lose and give thanks for those young men who fought back when they could have cashed it in. Be proud of these Dawgs – they’re OUR DAWGS! If you’re not proud of them get the H##l off this blog and find a team you can root for.
DawginTX
November 1st, 2010
5:14 pm
When a QB doubles his interception total for the season, it isn’t coaching.
And you can rag the D if you want, but our O set the up the Gators several times. And if Florida had this O all year, they would have only entered the game with 1 loss. You will see when the pound SC and FSU and the SECC is really close.
I thought the Dawgs played great, but the breaks didn’t go our way. Case in point, 2 of Florida’s false starts were late calls afer we had stopped them on 3rd down and come up with a sack to puch them to 3rd and 20. Both times they converted on the next play.
coachx
November 1st, 2010
5:28 pm
Coaching was not the problem.
UGA had 1 penalty and FL had 7.
The problem was turnovers. Murray is coached to throw the ball away or take a sack. Instead he forced a few and had 5 turnovers.
Every offense is predictable. Heck, every time Burton was in you knew it was going to be an option run. The only guy who threw was Brantley.
bgdawgfan
November 1st, 2010
5:43 pm
Hindsight is always 20/20. We weren’t out coached we were just the victim of bad breaks. I thought the playcalling was fine. What are we gonna do? Fire Bobo and spend all next season getting used to a new offense. I say stick with what we got and Murray and our offense will be fine. Bobo is a True Dawg who don’t deserve all the blame this season.
bgdawgfan
November 1st, 2010
5:50 pm
Ill be willing to bet that most of the Dawg fans calling for CMR to be fired probably got on the bandwagon when he had his early success. Oh,How fickle some fans can be. Do us all a favor and really keep your promise to quit going to games. We don’t need you.
OnceAgain
November 1st, 2010
5:54 pm
The players lost this game, the coaching was better than Florida’s in my opinion. The breaks didn’t go our way. It was a competitive game that we should’ve won, but again we didn’t. I am curious to see the day that we start winning this series again…I just hope it’ll be in my lifetime