UGA wins in Nashville; can it possibly win in Jacksonville?
Was what we saw Saturday a circling of the wagons? (Photo by Frederick Breedon IV)
Nashville – I’m going to say something, and you’re going to laugh. You’re going to laugh so hard you’ll make like Chipper Jones and pull an oblique muscle. And that’s OK. I’ll feel you’re laughing with me, not at me. (Sort of.) So here goes:
Georgia has the mighty Gators where they want them.
I know, I know. It sounds like the dumbest line I’ve ever written, which would make it the dumbest line in the history of lines. But the Bulldogs will play in Jacksonville on Halloween with nobody expecting them to do anything but lose by six touchdowns, and that’s not a bad way to approach such an opponent.
“We having nothing to lose,” A.J. Green said Saturday. “We know we have a chance [against Florida]. We’re going to go down there and play hard and play fast and play physical.”
I know, I know. You’re saying: What evidence exists to suggest Georgia is capable of doing any of the above, let alone all of it? Saturday’s game? Hey, that was against Vandy. And I hear that, too. The Bulldogs led by just seven points after 40 minutes and outgained the SEC’s worst offense by only 103 yards. But it was, I submit, better than losing.
And let’s be honest: After what happened last week in this state, we weren’t sure Georgia would win again this season. But they won 34-10 Saturday and got incrementally better. Said quarterback Joe Cox: “All three phases [offense, defense and special teams] played well. We really needed a game where we all played well.”
Georgia ran the ball harder and better, at least in the second half. The defense didn’t allow Vandy quarterback Larry Smith to turn into Joe Montana, or even Jonathan Crompton. The great Green made another great play, turning a sideline hitch into a 65-yard touchdown. It wasn’t the greatest performance in the history of football, but it was the best Georgia has looked in 2009.
Loading ...I know, I know. It was still just Vandy, and this Vanderbilt team is a shadow of the past few. But with all the negativity swirling around Georgia, it was a heartening first step.
Said linebacker Rennie Curran: “Coach kept telling us we have to represent the guys who’ve worn the jersey before, the guys who had the ‘G’ on their helmet and who might not have appreciated the way we’ve been playing. Now the weight’s been lifted. We know we’ve still got an opportunity to do great things this season.”
Like give regal Florida a royal run? “Yeah, why not?” said freshman Orson Charles, a Florida native. “We had an edge today. We’d heard our coaches were going to get fired, but we listened to them. We had a team meeting [Tuesday] and just talked. We broke everything down and said we had to put it in the past.”
Said Mike Bobo, the offensive coordinator who worked from the sideline this day: “A lot of people don’t give this team a lot of credit, and I’m talking about Vanderbilt. But they’re a tough team, and to get something going gave us some confidence. I hope that can carry over against Florida.”
I know, I know. It sounds silly. But it sounded pretty silly two years ago to think that a Georgia team that had been blown out in Knoxville and needed a late Vandy fumble to survive here would go to Jacksonville after a bye week and unhorse the reigning national champ. And remind me again: How’d that one turn out?
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512 comments Add your comment
Mark Bradley
October 17th, 2009
6:52 pm
Florida crosses the 50 yard line. Inside three minutes.
willie martinez
October 17th, 2009
6:52 pm
my rapier like wit will shred you.
Logo sTomping Dawg
October 17th, 2009
6:52 pm
Gators moving on ARKY
Logo sTomping Dawg
October 17th, 2009
6:53 pm
Good teams find a way to win!
Dawgs
October 17th, 2009
6:55 pm
Bama will not be the number 1 in the nation! Cause the media loves the gators!
GaCFB
October 17th, 2009
6:55 pm
“Florida’s losing today. I’m calling it.”
this is what happens when you get Bradley on your side …
BIGBOY
October 17th, 2009
6:55 pm
rough day for the refs
willie martinez
October 17th, 2009
6:55 pm
florida will win this game.
Logo sTomping Dawg
October 17th, 2009
6:56 pm
we need Arky to win…
Time
October 17th, 2009
6:56 pm
Good news Dawg nation. Willie is gone, it appears he flew straight from Nashville to go take over as DC at UF.
Bradley, you could be on to something. UF barely handled a LSU team that UGA would have beat without the pathetic officiating. UGA beat Arkansas, who is at least going to make UF fight to the end.
Georgia could beat this UF team in two weeks.
D. Ellis
October 17th, 2009
6:56 pm
Wow-Tech took a page out of UGA playbook. They have more penalty yards than total yards….so far
Logo sTomping Dawg
October 17th, 2009
6:56 pm
Florida will Win
Logo sTomping Dawg
October 17th, 2009
6:57 pm
Dawg will not win the east now
Logo sTomping Dawg
October 17th, 2009
6:58 pm
Arky blew it!
Drunkdawg
October 17th, 2009
6:58 pm
Its over now.
Logo sTomping Dawg
October 17th, 2009
6:59 pm
Why cant anyone stop Fla. QB draw?
Drunkdawg
October 17th, 2009
7:00 pm
Arky playing like UGA, only better.
willie martinez
October 17th, 2009
7:00 pm
Bradley, PLEASE dont pick us against FLA
willie martinez
October 17th, 2009
7:02 pm
if i made business decisions like you make predictions, i’d be living under a bridge
willie martinez
October 17th, 2009
7:03 pm
Bradley, so much for me double or nothing my bet based on your advice…..
Drunkdawg
October 17th, 2009
7:04 pm
Hey, theres still four seconds left.
GaCFB
October 17th, 2009
7:05 pm
Florida Gators NATIONAL CHAMPS!!!!
Mark Bradley
October 17th, 2009
7:05 pm
Is it my fault the Hog kicker misses a 12-yard field goal?
browndog
October 17th, 2009
7:06 pm
Do the refs love the Gators or what? Two really BS calls on ARK late.
Mark Bradley
October 17th, 2009
7:07 pm
I’m telling you: The Gators are vulnerable. Maybe not against Georgia, but against somebody. They’re not as good as they were a year ago.
GaCFB
October 17th, 2009
7:08 pm
don’t worry, the SEC will say later this week the calls were bad and everything will be fine, both sides will be happy again.
Mark Bradley
October 17th, 2009
7:08 pm
OK, ladies and gents. Thanks for sticking with me all day on both posts. It’s been another slice of live-chat fun.
Logo sTomping Dawg
October 17th, 2009
7:09 pm
I told ya FLA would win!
Logo sTomping Dawg
October 17th, 2009
7:10 pm
Fla will beat UGA too! Mark it down!
willie martinez
October 17th, 2009
7:11 pm
yeah it was your fault. you jinxed the poor ark kicker. and lost me $1,000 bucks on your advice.
Country Boy
October 17th, 2009
7:11 pm
Hello Marky Boy !!! Margin of error is just too thin for us even though Fla. isn’t playing all that well today. Also I don’t feel good about the guys in stripes based on recent history of this game. I miss Larry.
GaCFB
October 17th, 2009
7:13 pm
I couldn’t believe when those CBS announcers said all that matters is the win, doesn’t matter how, just win.
If Boise State wins out we’ll ask them at the end of the season what was more important: that they just won or how many points they won by
Jamie
October 17th, 2009
7:13 pm
The officiating in the 4th qtr was unbelievable! Gift wrapped!
georgia87
October 17th, 2009
7:21 pm
After watching the Florida game and Alabama games this year, it is clear that the little 10 should leave the SEC to the Gators, Tide, and the officials who love them so much. Georgia would’ve been called for offensive pass interference, illegal motion, and holding on Florida’s winning drive. Florida got called for none of them. The pass interference in the end zone against Arkansas was debatable and the personal foul should cost someone their job. If they are not cheating, it illustrates how the officiating crews give Florida (and Alabama) the benefit of the doubt when they see something out of the corner of their eye. I’ve seen enough. Slive needs to address it openly or the league will start losing credibility.
pcjeff
October 17th, 2009
7:25 pm
Ark had there chances, but the officials really helped FL. If it was UGA, no way they get those calls to go there way.
GuyFalks
October 17th, 2009
7:25 pm
It’s college football. GA torched Arkie and the final that night was by 11. UF had to have a gift-wrapped win against the ‘Hogs in G’ville today to dodge a big bullet. Can the ‘Dogs win? Of course they can. Even the CBS crew was talking about the calls against Arkie in UF’s last TD. UF was pass-interfering and it was called on Arkie. Finally, if Mallett had hit just a couple more clutch passes, it wouldn’t have been that close. As it is: still Christmas in October compliments of SEC refs.
GuyFalks
October 17th, 2009
7:29 pm
SEC is bovine feces: not (all) the schools, but the conference. Birmingham is full of dung up to their tear ducts.
Cuz
October 17th, 2009
7:31 pm
Oh c’mon. No way you throw flags when Tebow is driving for the win. You might lose your mortal soul.
georgia87
October 17th, 2009
7:33 pm
On top of it all, can anyone tell me why Tebow didn’t get excessive celebration after the fourth and two he converted? Did he ever acknowledge a teammate? Did he gesture at the crowd? Did he draw attention to himself? What is so disturbing is that A.J. Green is a star but got called in a critical situation. Tebow doesn’t. It just makes me sick to my stomach.
Einsteindawg
October 17th, 2009
7:37 pm
Folks, the fix is in in the SEC. First, congrats to my Dawgs…good game and good win. The SEC has mandated the officials to give bias and use their discretionary calls to the highest ranked team, as evidenced by the UF/AK game and the UGA/LSU game as well. It is so obvious that the CBS crew has even acknowledged it. Get rid of these bozo officials (mainly hospital administrators and lawyers), and hire some professionals. Why? It’s all about the money…TV contracts, BSC rankings and bowls, etc. Mike Sleeze has done a great job with the TV contracts, but he better tell his refs to be more discrete. But, it’s always about the money.
knoshown
October 17th, 2009
7:39 pm
Well I hopr this will shut up the anti Joe cox fans. He played like the UGA qb we all knew he was. Play him and the Greene conections and I see no way we lose another game. Joe will probally go in the top 20 picks in the draft. We will probally end up in a BCS bowl but because of officals in earlier games only finish in the top 5. Go JOE COX you redheaded wonder.
elderdawg
October 17th, 2009
7:42 pm
SEC and its refs will not allow their bellcow gators to lose to anyone until the SECC game.
UF’s win over Ark was as about as legit as pro wrestling. Horrible calls at the end to allow UF its faux victory.
georgia87
October 17th, 2009
7:43 pm
The good news is that Tebow just got his second fourth quarter comeback win. Now, he is only 1 behind Joe Cox. It is obvious that he is the greatest qb in college history.
Spectator
October 17th, 2009
7:45 pm
The SEC official gave Florida that game. That pass interference call was bogus and the unecessary roughness call was horrible.
Bat Masterson
October 17th, 2009
7:47 pm
If I’m the Razorbacks, I’m feeling more than a little piqued, right now.
ugadawg2005
October 17th, 2009
7:47 pm
The pass interference call looked like it should have been offensive pass interference if anything. I don’t think it is a conscous decision, but the refs did hand Florida 30 yards on that drive.
As far as Tebow’s antics, when he does it the refs view it as him just being so intense, focused and leading his team. He is “willing his team to victory” as the media keeps saying. When anyone else does anything remotely similar, it is excessive celebration.
Mark
October 17th, 2009
7:48 pm
The only way to beat FL is to blow them out. If it’s a close game the officials will make sure they win!!
Logo sTomping Dawg
October 17th, 2009
7:50 pm
Kirby Smart has a DEFENSE!!!!!!!!!!
Logo sTomping Dawg
October 17th, 2009
7:52 pm
7 – 0 Bammer. 77 yard int pick six. Garcia’s first pass attempt.
Logo sTomping Dawg
October 17th, 2009
7:54 pm
Mike Cody for bammer makes Jeff owens look like a baby blob.