Gators didn’t give the game to Georgia — Dawgs took it
Aaron Murray made some clutch runs. (Jason Getz / AJC)
A few more thoughts about Saturday’s Georgia victory over Florida. …
My wife and I dropped by a Halloween party late Saturday, and one of my neighbors asked if I thought Georgia deserved to win, pointing to the points the Dawgs got as a result of Florida turnovers in their own territory — as if the Gators giftwrapped the game.
To the contrary, those Florida turnovers were anything but unforced. The first fumble by Chris Rainey, recovered by Bacarri Rambo, was caused by the returning Alec Ogletree (who bounced back nicely from a rusty start early in the game). And Frankie Hammond’s fumble, recovered by Shawn Williams, was forced by Jarvis Jones, who had a career day against the Gators.
Yes, the Dogs most certainly deserved their hard-fought win. …
(Speaking of Jones, he’s one of the nominees in ESPN’s Capitol One Cup Impact Performance of the Week vote. You can vote for him here.)
One of the more impressive aspects of Georgia’s win in Jacksonville was that it was in spite of several key players having off days. Aaron Murray missed nine consecutive passes at one point, and some of them weren’t even close. At times, he looked like he was on a completely different page of the playbook from the receiver. Blair Walsh continued his meltdown (though, frankly, I think that might have ended up working in the Dogs’ favor by prompting Mark Richt to be a bit bolder in the red zone, telling Mike Bobo to operate under the assumption that he had four downs to work with). Isaiah Crowell was sporadically effective but again ended up spending more time on the sideline than should be the case with any starting tailback. And the normally reliable Drew Butler had his worst day ever punting.
Had those folks played up to par and had Georgia’s special teams not been abysmal, the game wouldn’t have been nearly as close. …
On the other hand, give credit to Murray for making some clutch runs and throwing some nice balls, too, particularly on the two fourth-down touchdowns — though credit is also due to receivers Michael Bennett and Tavarres King for going up and taking the ball a la A.J. Green, despite being closely covered. Murray had a couple of passes dropped, too. …
I praised Bobo in Saturday night’s report for some gutsy calls, and overall I thought he called a good game. There were a few times when great play calls were undone by Murray’s inaccuracy. But there were several times in the third quarter when Bobo again fell into trying to run diminutive Carlton Thomas up the middle, a low-percentage play against just about any SEC defense. And while Richard Samuel came through big-time for the Dogs when he got the call to go up the middle, I wish Bobo would give up on trying to use Samuel on the toss sweep. It nearly always results in a loss of yardage. That’s just not Samuel’s game. …
From the silly is-he-or-isn’t-he-going-to-start pregame warmup business with John Brantley to the trading of timeouts as Florida tried in vain to draw Georgia offsides on a third-down play in the fourth quarter, Will Muschamp’s attempts at mind games were unsuccessful. Speaking of the third-down defense, Georgia’s turnaround from last year in that aspect of the game this season has been spectacular. …
And, lastly, didn’t it feel great to see Georgia finally be able to get a couple of first downs when it needed to kill the clock to preserve a win?
Got a question for the Junkyard Blawg? Send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.
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789 comments Add your comment
Joey
October 31st, 2011
10:31 am
“I told you guys before the season Jarvis Jones would make us forget who Justin Houston ever was.”
*****************************
Pat yourself on the back for that one, Insider, but what about that, “folks, it’s a done deal – Peterson’s taking the UGA job after his interview with McGarity in the Georgia Dome!”
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 31st, 2011
10:31 am
Tampa Dawg
Yes I realize that those field goals put UGA in the lead against UCF
My question to you is this
You do realize that UCF was a Div II level school not that many years ago and UGA is ranked 3rd in total SEC wins, 11th in wins in the NCAA, ranked 5th in bowl appearances and bowl wins, has 5 national championships if you count them like Tech counts theirs
Now your 4th and inches inside the 8 yrd line against UCF who has no football tradition and you cannot go for it.
That my friend is why Mark Richt will never compete for a national title until that garbage changes, the elite coaches who have won big dont demoralize their teams in that situation in a meaningless bowl game
You know that to be true and anyone on here that has any sense knows this to be true
Paul Midler
October 31st, 2011
10:33 am
It is funny how people comment on here and say all this crap and will not use a real name. You are so big and bad behind your computer and your made up names. Go Dawgs.
NCdawg
October 31st, 2011
10:36 am
I hope they gave Samuel the game ball. He really stepped up big.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
October 31st, 2011
10:37 am
Paul Midler…………..Putting your real name out is dangerous for security reasons. But being to use ANY name is wrong. The AJC is going to make some changes to the blogging rules. I am not sure when but a change is coming.
War Dang Dawg
October 31st, 2011
10:39 am
I disagree that Florida gave this game away, but for future reference, they should feel free to give games away. A win is a win, who ever said they had to be pretty?
War Dang Dawg
October 31st, 2011
10:43 am
And whether Georgia won it or Florida lost it, the result is the same – Florida sux.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 31st, 2011
10:47 am
Still@theKool-aidBAR
Paul Midler still lives in the middle ages;
You remember those days when you could leave your house door unlocked, when there was such things as capital punishment and when you could sit out on your front porch and not have to worry about drive by shootings, or teenagers randomly killing people or the prisons being overflowed to capacity
Heck back then you could safetly walk down North Ave without being mugged or having your car jacked by the local GT thugs
TampaDawg
October 31st, 2011
10:49 am
Still@theKool-aidBAR — Very true on the name thing man. I know I crack on people for hiding behind the keyboard too but only after they make the blog a method of taking personal cheap shots at people using low class, sometimes self-descriptive, insults. That being said, I have been in computer security now for several years and you really want to keep as low a profile on the net as you can. Facebook has made this tough sometimes but outside of that, not need to add more to what’s already out there.
TampaDawg
October 31st, 2011
10:50 am
Flat tire “Heck back then you could safetly walk down North Ave without being mugged or having your car jacked by the local GT thugs”
OUCH!!!, but dead on accurate.
TampaDawg
October 31st, 2011
10:51 am
I still think because of the importance of the game and where the momentum swing would have been that CMR would have gone for it regardless of what Walsh’s numbers have been.
Joey
October 31st, 2011
10:51 am
Is Paul kin to Bette?
Man, she had great boobs back in the day . . .
War Dang Dung
October 31st, 2011
10:52 am
Dawg fans are truly bozos.
bdawg
October 31st, 2011
10:55 am
Great win!!!! Lets enjoy for afew days and get back to work. Our head coach needs to address our poor special teams play..either change schemes or personnel JUST FIX IT!! We have scratched back into this thing and we don’t need to continue give up special team big plays and scores (South Carolina, Vandy, and FLA.) THIS WILL ABSOLUTELY GET YOU BEAT IN THE SEC.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
October 31st, 2011
11:02 am
Flat…….you know they are not GT Thugs. They are local thugs Hunting on a baited field.
Bill Stanfill
October 31st, 2011
11:03 am
No doubt about it: UGA is the Beast of the East!
Still@theKool-aidBAR
October 31st, 2011
11:03 am
If rules concerning colleges were not Unconstitutional and students were allowed their Rights the muggings would not be an ISSUE.
LawDawg
October 31st, 2011
11:04 am
Richt is such a disappointment. He is on pace to win 10 games this year. That is just unacceptable. The bulldogs should win at least 15 games a year, win an NC every year, and beat UF twice every year. Richt only beat them ONCE. Something about Bobo!!! ANGRYRYRYRYR!!!!
chazzo
October 31st, 2011
11:05 am
Anyone else notice the UF D jawing up and cutting up a little too proudly during the first half. Maybe that had something to do with the loss.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
October 31st, 2011
11:05 am
Bill S. I will have to remember that. The Dawgs are the Beast of the East and the Bit.ch of the WEST.
McDawg
October 31st, 2011
11:07 am
actually Drew Butler is rarely effective in pressure situations
loving the D
Murray, Walsh, Charles all had lousy games but i’ll take it
still not convinced that USC will lose again but if we can correct special teams- 10-2 sounds awfully good
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 31st, 2011
11:07 am
Still@theKool-aidBAR
Baited field
LOL
LawDawg
October 31st, 2011
11:08 am
“give credit to Murray for making some clutch runs and throwing some nice balls, too”
No. The TD pass to Bennett was thrown terribly. Murray showed some serious regression in that game. It was sort of odd because against USC, he played great, but made mistakes that cost the game. Against UF, he played horribly but avoided making mistakes to cost the game and made a couple of game-saving plays. Very weird season for our little QB.
McDawg
October 31st, 2011
11:08 am
Nick Marshall is getting killed on kickoffs
McDawg
October 31st, 2011
11:09 am
who was the walk-on receiver that made that catch -key completion
BP85
October 31st, 2011
11:12 am
Funny/Reality-
The “missed” interferance call was incidental contact while the defensive player was going for the ball. Your statement didn’t make sense. Learn the rules to save yourself future embarrassment. And learn to be a gracious LOSER. You sound like a couple of dweebs with loads of practice.
GatorGr8t
October 31st, 2011
11:12 am
both teams are pitiful. Bottom line for Mushcamp is he ain’t in Texas no mo. This is the SEC, and he’s at FL, where wins against JawJa are not hoped for, but expected. Vandy would be the nail in the coffin for Muschamp, so this weeks game is probably even bigger. As for Richt, he ain’t the answer for you guys either, so get out of your dream world. I like Mushcamp, and he’s a good guy that Gators want to see win, but I’m afraid he’ll be Zook 2!!
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 31st, 2011
11:12 am
LawDawg
On pace to win 10 games yes; but against who
I guess losing to the only ranked teams, the only 2 good teams we have played is acceptable
beating 10 lousy teams is something to brag about
Not beating a ranked team in 2 yrs is acceptable
Beating 3 sorry FL teams while never beating a good one
nor beating them 2 yrs in a row with a decades worth of better recruiting classes and while putting more players in the NFL than FL has is acceptable
Mike Bobo 17 INT
October 31st, 2011
11:13 am
“The score(s) will tell……
Mr. Krinkle
October 31st, 2011
11:13 am
FAT GUY with a Flat tire: you are dbag! When are going to give up on the UCF game? Take the banana out of your rear end. Does scoring 2 td’s on 4th down make you happy? Please go cheer for a different team!!!!!!!
Mr. Krinkle
October 31st, 2011
11:16 am
FAT GUY with a Flat Tire: Do you think that we just randomly pick our competition each week? So it is UGA’s fault that the teams we are playing are not ranked? I bet your boss thinks the same thing about your lousy arse.
timbo
October 31st, 2011
11:18 am
Lets be honest here. You struggled against a .500 team. I have seen people in wheelchairs more mobile then the UF quarterback. Your special teams is still a BIG problem. Your prized freshman tailback is a wimp, and the UGA QB is nothing special. On paper, there is no way that game should have been as close as it was, but if not for a non-existent Florida running game and an immobile quarterback, your special teams would have lost another game. You have some big problems that will only be magnified if you win the SEC East and play either LSU or Alabama.
Mr. Krinkle
October 31st, 2011
11:19 am
FAT GUY with a Flat Tire: “On pace to win 10 games yes; but against who”
College Football Teams Duh!!!
Mr. Krinkle
October 31st, 2011
11:24 am
timbo dbag: let me tell you what your problems are little boy: first you need to move out of your parents basement (at 42yrs old that needs to stop). Next, please take a shower (daily), find a job for longer than a week, and learn to read (its the future).
Still@theKool-aidBAR
October 31st, 2011
11:25 am
Coastal Carolina & New Mexico St are College Football teams? You dawgs say Tech is a High School team. so UGA plays at least 3 high school teams this year so UGA can’t win 10 games against COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAMS.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
October 31st, 2011
11:27 am
Is Ole Miss really a College football team? Are the Vols really a College football team?
ARdawg
October 31st, 2011
11:28 am
Mcdawg
Conley?
Why the block?
October 31st, 2011
11:30 am
ARdawg
October 31st, 2011
11:28 am
Couldn’t be Conley. I think he meant the white kid, McGowan.
WDE
October 31st, 2011
11:30 am
Well we won the game…let me repeat that we won the game and if we played the same gator team 10 times this year we win 9 of them, why? We are a better team and our coaches this year learned from past efforts and did what it took to win…again we won the game…all the haters and so called dog “fans” stick that in your pipe and smoke it, it was the gators and we won.
Mr. Krinkle
October 31st, 2011
11:30 am
Gator 8: UF clearly did not do homework on CWM. They assumed that if UT wants him and if CMR is fired that he would be coming to SECe. They clearly got a coach that has his hands full. You can not learn on the JOB at UF. This team looked poorly coached at all levels Sat. If you did not have two RB’s that run 2.0 40’s and a UGA kicker that forgot how to to kick your gators would have been crushed. I love the fact that UF has made the wrong hire don’t get me wrong. Thanks to Tenn for doing the same thing with Dooley! Go DAWGS GATA!!!!!!!
Dominating Dawgs My Arse
October 31st, 2011
11:30 am
I hate to say it, but “timbo” is right. Wake up Georgia fans.
ARdawg
October 31st, 2011
11:35 am
I’ve been a harsh critic of Richt and rightfully so. We’ve been mired in mediocrity or less for 4 years now. However, The solid defensive play covered up for some gross inefficiencies on offense and special teams. Even with that, displaying the ability to comeback from 14 down, against a very bad Florida team is turning a corner in my mind. Murray was bad, Walsh was bad, Butler bad. The defense in the first half was asleep at the wheel. But, their play in the 2nd half was stellar. The Dawgs are improved. They’re young, talented and pretty doggone deep. Making a coaching change with these positives would be a mistake IMHO. We should be going into KY and AU games healthy and poised to win.
Mr. Krinkle
October 31st, 2011
11:36 am
Wake up to 6 wins in a ROW!!!!!
ARdawg
October 31st, 2011
11:38 am
Why the block
You sir I believe to be correctomundo. Thanks
Still@theKool-aidBAR
October 31st, 2011
11:40 am
6 in a ROW against teams that are WHO again?
ARdawg
October 31st, 2011
11:43 am
StilltheBar
What is your major malfunction numbnutz?
Should Georgia or the fans apologize for a schedule that was made 5 years ago? Nobody was pizzing and moaning in the last 3-4 years when UGA was playing the toughest schedule. It is what it is. You play who is in front of you. Thats the way it is. Deal with it
timbo
October 31st, 2011
11:43 am
Mr. Krinkle needs to wake up from his wet dream. It is not the QUANTITY of the wins, it is the QUALITY of the wins. Once UGA starts racking up QUALITY wins against QUALITY opponents, then maybe the college football world will take you seriously.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 31st, 2011
11:45 am
Mr. Krinkle
Lets see now 22 games since we beat a ranked team
Guess we are playing the national championship because the way we are playing in your eyes we will romp Bama or LSU right
WDE
October 31st, 2011
11:47 am
@timbo you want some whine with that cheese sonny?
Why the block?
October 31st, 2011
11:50 am
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 31st, 2011
11:45 am
So if we were to beat Auburn and Tech, would you then be saying “22 games and we’ve only beaten 2 ranked teams”? I mean, the turnaround has to start somewhere.