Even if Florida is ripe to be had, has UGA ripened yet?
In 2008 Florida scored at least 30 points in all nine games against SEC opposition, including the one it lost to Ole Miss. Its average margin of victory in those games was 30 points.
In 2009 Florida has scored 30 points against one SEC opponent, that being Kentucky. The Gators managed 23 against Tennessee, 13 against LSU, 23 against Arkansas and 29 against Mississippi State. Their average margin of victory in those five games was 13.4 points.
As silly as it sounds to say of the nation’s No. 1 team as led by the nation’s No. 1 player, Florida isn’t playing well. It was lucky to beat Arkansas in the Swamp — remember, Georgia scored 52 points against the Razorbacks on the road — and needed a phantom interception to escape Starkville with a 10-point victory. (Remember, Georgia Tech beat MSU by 11 points on the same field in a game that was only cosmetically close.)
Tim Tebow ranks 45th in the nation in total offense. By way of comparison, Joe Cox ranks 53rd. After the Mississippi State game Tebow didn’t meet the media, which was an utter shock. (He said later he wanted to spend time with MSU coach Dan Mullen, formerly Florida’s offensive coordinator, and family.) But Urban Meyer acknowledged this week: “Tim Tebow is not playing at his highest level.”
Tebow told reporters on Monday: “It’s kind of new and it is frustrating.”
Put simply, Florida is vulnerable. And looky who the Gators play this Saturday.
Georgia is coming off its most impressive game of 2009, albeit against Vanderbilt. It has had a week to rest and ready a new end-zone dance. (Sorry. Couldn’t resist.) When last the Bulldogs had a bye before Florida, they beat the Gators and Tebow in a performance so stunning it rankled Florida for the next calendar year.
But let’s get serious. Georgia is 4-3. It needed a last-gasp pass breakup to beat South Carolina and a last-second field goal to subdue Arizona State. It lost by 26 points — the second-worst defeat under Mark Richt, topped only by 49-10 in Jacksonville last season — to unranked Tennessee. It led Vandy only 17-10 after 40 minutes.
Some team is going to beat Florida. Georgia, sorry to say, is not that team. It doesn’t defend well enough, and it isn’t going to score many points against Charlie Strong’s inspired bunch. (Florida ranks No. 1 in the nation in total defense; Georgia ranks 70th.) The Bulldogs will play hard and keep it close for a half, and then superior forces will carry the day/night.
It’s weird. Georgia hasn’t beaten a No. 1 team since it stunned Florida 24-3 in 1985, and these Gators don’t look nearly as impregnable as those Gators did. But this isn’t a vintage Georgia team. In almost any other year it would be easy to pick the upset. Not this time.
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563 comments Add your comment
Pete
October 27th, 2009
6:41 pm
UGA has about as much chance of beating Fla. this weekend as the Falcons have of beating the Saints Mon. nite.
Zip.
Nada.
Ain’t gonna happen.
never dull
October 27th, 2009
6:42 pm
if the extra week of coaching helps teams out, then UGA got lucky, Willie and Bobo were furloughed one day each last week. It probably helped our players more than anything else not having hem around.
Goal Line Stalker
October 27th, 2009
6:43 pm
Because, farty vandalay, college is not professional, not calling penalties on a player because he is better than everybody else is cheating, and cheating is wrong… If that goes down this weekend, you can forget St Simons, there will be property destroyed in Jacksonville.
SOUTHGADAWG88
October 27th, 2009
6:44 pm
It will be interesting to see how many of you guys will be on here posting Sat night.
tj
October 27th, 2009
6:45 pm
I don’t know about that one Pete, UGA has a chance, may not be big, but they have one!! The Falcons on the other hand don’t have a chance without decent corners and a safety!! The only way they can pull off beating the saints is a play perfect game on offense and blitz the majority of the game. And not blitz 20 yards away from the line, like Brees wont see that coming!!
never dull
October 27th, 2009
6:45 pm
if an extra week of coaching is suppose to help the team, then UGA got lucky, Willie and Bobo were both furloughed one day each last week. Not having them around probably helped more than anything.
coach smith
October 27th, 2009
6:52 pm
King Gator
It is a little tacky and a little convieniant that Gator fans only want to go back on that little W-L record to when Spurrier got to Florida
They don’t want to go back further than that…no sir because then the record swings the other way
How about a relevant W-L stat…the last 5 years (you know when these players were born)
Cold hard truth Gator fans in the last 5 years the “mighty” Gators are 3-2 vs the Dawgs
Not exactly domination is it?
Sancho Panza
October 27th, 2009
6:53 pm
Truly a quixotic dream.
Chan Gailey
October 27th, 2009
6:54 pm
Fire Richt and hire me I’ll get us back on track Guaranteed
Excessive Celebration
October 27th, 2009
6:55 pm
We are kidding ourselves if we think we can beat the Gators with WM as DC and MB as OC. Won’t happen.
Excessive Celebration
October 27th, 2009
6:55 pm
Enter your comments here
Tenn 45-19
October 27th, 2009
6:57 pm
And this just in…..Tennessee scores again!
Who’s your daddy?!
45-19
Jim
October 27th, 2009
6:57 pm
Yes Mark you are most likely right but your reasons are wrong. The reason Georgia may not win is because it’s something the officials can’t let happen no matter what. If you don’t believe me just watch the film of Florida’s game last week with Mississippi State. Add that to the fact Tennesse is most likely the best team Georgia will play this year and they will continue to get better as the year goes on. In all right Tennessee beat Alabama everywhere but the scoreboard last week. And Alabama like Florida had a little help from the zebrz boys to nail down their win too. Florida has been lucky but the dogs are about to turn a trick on them. Looking forward to seeing Mr. Tebow getting sacked a lot.
A real dawg fan
October 27th, 2009
6:59 pm
This might be the biggest bunch of loser cry-baby fairweather fans I have ever came across on this blog. Dawgs dominate a weak, struggling Fl team that relied on gifts from the officials to beat the 2 worst teams in the West by the skin of their teeth. Take that losers.
UGA-35
FL-10
Jackets!
October 27th, 2009
7:00 pm
DannyDawg
Quit gving up!!
No Percy Harvins No other weapons but TeaBow Oline is week this year….
kaygeeone
October 27th, 2009
7:00 pm
Haygood, you are a moron!
Tenn 45-19
October 27th, 2009
7:01 pm
Jim-
Is it the officials’ fault that UGA is 3-19 against the Gators over the past two decades?
Stop whining.
45-19
KNelson
October 27th, 2009
7:01 pm
That cracks me up ! Nobody beats Georgia by 16 coming off a bye week. You’re right I bet Florida wins by more than 16. Hell UT beat you like a dog ! _Pun intended_. You homers calling out scores of Georgia winning are dreamers or you never even attended college. Florida kicks your tails, maybe not as bad as Tennessee did , but you get Spanked !
Urban Meyer
October 27th, 2009
7:01 pm
Man I wish I wouldn’t have called those timeouts last year. I am a real sack of monkey $hit. Cox and AJ are gonna lite me up.
South Ga SEC Fan
October 27th, 2009
7:02 pm
Florida will loose!!!!! Just not to GA this weekend to Alabama in Atlanta. Tebow and the offense is not doing well due to Dan Mullen going to Miss St. Florida was able to win without Harvin, but that offense is struggling without Mullen.
Ole Kincade
October 27th, 2009
7:03 pm
Dawgs are delusional as usual if they think
they’re coming out if jax with a W, not
gonna happen, sorry buck
Sancho Panza
October 27th, 2009
7:04 pm
Read the book. It won’t happen. Herschel the knight errant is gone.
Deal with your pain.
Dirty Dawg
October 27th, 2009
7:04 pm
Dawgs going down, why would u expect
anything but an L?
Cautiously Optimistic
October 27th, 2009
7:06 pm
If we are going to pull this upset we need the running game to get going for one. Also need to finally win the turn over battle (which I think we are over due for) and on defense force Tebow to run wide and cut off the option. Make him beat us throwing and hopefully we can get some pass d from the d backs. Then we need a big play early to help “spark” us. And I was going to say a Boykin Kick off return for a td but that would just put our d right back on the field negating the idea of getting the running game going and keeping the d off the field. Not too much to ask is it?
BTW what is the status of Spikes and the other 2 on defense that were not playing last saturday? Maybe that could help get the running game going.
Dawgie Poo
October 27th, 2009
7:06 pm
Puppies have no shot, to think otherwise
borders on insanity
Sancho Panza
October 27th, 2009
7:06 pm
Read the book. It won’t happen. Herschel the knight errant is gone.
Accept your fate.
Mad Dawg 20/20
October 27th, 2009
7:07 pm
FL couldn’t stop Petrino’s struggling offense, and they certainly will not stop AJ, Orson, Moore, and Munzenmaier. Dawgs win a close one with a fired up D and an explosive offense.
UGA-24
UF-21
Dan
October 27th, 2009
7:08 pm
The Arkansas game was by far the best game UGA played this year so far. UGA was a road underdog at night in a pretty hostile environment and scored 52 points. If UGA plays like they did that night this Saturday they have a shot at beating the Gators.
Sancho Panza
October 27th, 2009
7:08 pm
Read the book. It won’t happen. Herschel the knight errant is gone.
Accept your fate
Devildog
October 27th, 2009
7:08 pm
It might be relatively close . . . for awhile. Like the Tennessee game. Gators won’t lose. I hate Gators but they will win.
South Ga SEC Fan
October 27th, 2009
7:09 pm
Well when Ga is getting it’s tail whipped by Tebow you can go to youtube and watch Herschel beat florida in the 80’s. So you guys won’t feel so bad. You can also do the same when Tech whips you. Go look up Ga vs Ga Southern to see when you could at one time slow down the triple option. Willie can’t stop Tebow when he’s on crutches.
Canine
October 27th, 2009
7:09 pm
This version of GA football is woefully inadequate
and has little chance of even making a game of it.
Gator tastes like chicken
October 27th, 2009
7:10 pm
Plays that way lately, too.
Sancho Panza
October 27th, 2009
7:10 pm
Read the book. Won’t happen. Herschel the knight errant is gone.
Accept your fate
South Ga SEC Fan
October 27th, 2009
7:10 pm
If Ga is gonna score they need Green or Ealey to do it by themselves like Moreno use to.
dawg2002
October 27th, 2009
7:12 pm
UGA will not beat UF. This UGA team is pretty much a Goff team clone. Last Friday night I attended a HS game and honestly either of the two teams on that field that night could beat UGA.
The UGA fans who say dawgs will win are either just homers or trying to stir the pot so that Techies or Gators will take the bait and flame back. It’s truly difficult for me to believe that any reasonably thinking dawgs fan seriously believes the dawgs will win.
And if CMR remains stubborn about his staff and refuses to fire anybody (my money says he won’t) then next year will be a re-run.
We are lite years away from being a true SEC calibre team without some major staff changes. I’m at the point where I agree with the various posters who’ve suggested we defect from the SEC and join another conference. Maybe the Big East or ACC would be for us.
Tenn 45-19
October 27th, 2009
7:12 pm
Mad Dawg 20/20-
California dreamin. Another beat down for the Gators.
Mad Dawg 20/20
October 27th, 2009
7:16 pm
Tenn 45-19
When Tenn can actually make a field goal, we will welcome you back to a blog about meaningful football programs. Until then, Tenn is just a useless stout D with no offense that should have kept Fulmer.
Eric C.
October 27th, 2009
7:22 pm
UF 80 – UGA 3
Mad Dawg 20/20
October 27th, 2009
7:23 pm
Enter your comments here
Terry88
October 27th, 2009
7:24 pm
Delusional homer dawgs. Embarrasing the
smack talk and nothing to back it up.
Woof Woof, the painful season is almost over.
Carl Spackler
October 27th, 2009
7:24 pm
I can’t believe that I’m going to say what I’m about to say, but after being critical of Cox all year, I feel that you’ll see a much more poised and in control Cox…even though it was Vandy, Cox looked more relaxed behind center and w/ Bobo on the sidelines he should be more composed as Bobo will explain what he needs to do, or what he had done right, or wrong…UGA have good athletes that can match up to any team in the BCS…I suspect that there will be a few new wrinkles added to get the ball to the TE and quick slants and then they’ll start pounding the ball while mixing in passes…the key will be to control the ball and keeping the D fresh & rested…another biggie is if Bobo can handle Cox in a way that he doesn’t beat himself…Florida’s running backs are small and quick/fast so the D needs to keep them running towards the sidelines and then turn them inside and knock the crap out of them, don’t let them get OUTSIDE…Cox has to get the ball to someone other than AJ, I’ll bet that Orson is sky high and ready to make some big plays, just get him the BALL and if they’re double teaming AJ someone else has to be open (come on O line hold the blocks just a little longer…again it will be up to Bobo to get out of Cox the kind of play that he and CMR have been espousing all year that “He gives us the best chance to win,” well it’s put up or shut up…if Cox delivers, then this will pick up the whole team…college ball is played with a lot of emotion and there are certain games where you can throw records out the window…this is a huge rivalry game, so anything can happen…I can’t believe I just gave Cox a vote of confidence, but I still feel he should never have been the starting QB
Sturm_und_Drang
October 27th, 2009
7:25 pm
Read my lips: F-I-R-E R-I-C-H-T. That’s all it will take to get the Dawgs back on top. Meyer, Miles, and Sabin are proof that coaching matters big. And they don’t recruit illiterate thugs like Richt does.
Porter
October 27th, 2009
7:28 pm
Dawgs are inconsistent, and all in all not very good sad to say.
UF might not walk away with a big win, but
they’ll get the W. Dawg fans are loyal but
delusional as they are every year with
their expectations.
Barkin'Dog
October 27th, 2009
7:30 pm
Eric C. — UF 80 – UGA 3
He!! — make it 433-3, you dumb stump.
sick
October 27th, 2009
7:38 pm
Do we have to see Teblows face on he front web page of the AJC? Is this really necessary? Let us pray.
simple GAYTUH
October 27th, 2009
7:40 pm
Amen Sick!—you hit the nail on the head. Teblow will lead us in prayer.
Can I get some more CHEESE with my GAYTUH?
Dos Equis
October 27th, 2009
7:40 pm
I don’t always watch college football.
But when I do I watch the Dawgs.
The Dawgs will win my friends.
icedawg
October 27th, 2009
7:42 pm
UGA doesn’t have the horses nor the coaches to compete at the same level with UF and UA and now maybe UT. It’ll probably be another embarassing Saturday for the Dawgs. 2009 is a yawner.
UGAGRAD
October 27th, 2009
7:43 pm
Have to admit a upset would be nice but not with Joe Cox at the helm–Mr. one dimensional.
Florida is more well rounded, and our offense will flounder, like Mr. Tebow when asked if this “christian” young man was a virgin.