UGA fans, what’s an acceptable result in Jacksonville?
Is it possible to lose to the hated Gators and still feel good? (AJC photo by Pouya Dianat)
Georgia heads to Jacksonville unranked, which it almost never is, and a two-touchdown underdog, which it never is. It will be met by a team that hasn’t lost since September 2008, a team tracking a second consecutive BCS title. (Know how many schools have won consecutive BCS titles? None.)
Put simply, Georgia is up against it in a way unaccustomed to Georgia teams under Mark Richt. It lost to Florida 49-10 a year ago in what seemed a coin-flip game going in. This one is no coin flip. This outcome seems foregone.
But hope springs eternal in the breast of every fan, and on the day before Halloween I want to ask Dawg fans this question: What would you deem an acceptable outcome Saturday?
A narrow and honorable loss? (Within a touchdown, say.) Or is actual victory the only satisfactory result? And here’s a twist: If beating Florida convinces Mark Richt he doesn’t need to make changes within his program, would you rather Georgia lose? Or would beating the Gators when they’re ranked No. 1 be worth another year of Willie Martinez?
I’d put up a poll, but I don’t think the parameters of a poll are broad enough. I’m interested in your thoughts. So rather that click on “yes” or “no,” I invite you denizens of Bulldog Nation to avail yourselves of the white comment box below. And I thank you in advance. And you’ll hear from me again Saturday afternoon from you-know-where.
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
700 comments Add your comment
puppydawg
October 30th, 2009
2:05 pm
GregoryB, you missed Hold Richt Accountable’s point altogether. (Why am I not surprised?) It’s not about the money. It’s about matriculating at that urban blight known as Georgia Tech.
ugaaccountant
October 30th, 2009
2:06 pm
Yellow Fuzz – congrats on your GT team. Please consider showing some class on the blogs so that we UGA fans might start to respect you guys a bit more. It is quite hard to do when people like St. Simmons are the most noticed among your fans.
UGA COACHING STAFF
October 30th, 2009
2:08 pm
Fans
I know our staff is paid 5 million a year to coach the bulldogs
We have had 10 win seasons almost every year
So what if don’t beat FL
We are still paid so suck it up and stop griping
We will give our best tommorrow
If our best is not enough rest assured we aren’t sweatin it our bank statements are better than every complainer on this board
Have a positive attitude and
Who knows one day you might want to buy our beach front property we have invested in with our millions we’ve made thanks to all your generous donations to buy tickets to watch a quality coached team
Hold Richt Accountable
October 30th, 2009
2:09 pm
GregoryB:
“Tech graduates earn on average…”
Greg, you are a shining example of why I make a statement like that.
Delbert D.
October 30th, 2009
2:10 pm
That should be “Urban” blight to Dawg fans to make it more meaningful. Call it a twofer.
ugaaccountant
October 30th, 2009
2:10 pm
And there’s better things in life than money. Attending UGA being one of them.
But if money’s your thing, UGA is actually a very good school, that is very quickly moving up the public university ratings. You can attend UGA and then make tons of money. We have Rhodes Scholars and Lawyers. We send tons of people to medical school and to big businesses. Engineering is not the only way to make money.
vols
October 30th, 2009
2:12 pm
45-19 45-19 45-19 45-19 hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hold Richt Accountable
October 30th, 2009
2:12 pm
GergoryB:
By the way, it would be a MORONIC statement, not moron statement, as you wrote. You moron!
Yellow Fuzz…look it up!
BANDITDAWGG
October 30th, 2009
2:13 pm
Total blowout we have no chance. Got to be able to run the ball which we cant.Is Herchel available he still has one year left of egibility.
Delbert D.
October 30th, 2009
2:16 pm
ugaaccountant – Thanks for that 2:10 post. I appreciate the things you pointed out, and I’m a serious Tech fan.
california Kid
October 30th, 2009
2:16 pm
The worst possible result would be : 17 – 14 Gators – If Willie keeps the score low and UGa still loses its the worst of both world – I want a Georgia win or a huge Georgia loss… a close loss keeps Willie the DC.
UGA COACHING STAFF
October 30th, 2009
2:20 pm
Fans
No need to worry
We will make it competitive tommorrow
If we lose so what just remember we coached our hearts out
Buy the way I thank I am going to sell my house on Miami beach and make some more money
This UGA salary is starting to not be enough for lifestyle
Willie
Grammy Dawg
October 30th, 2009
2:20 pm
I know that you make think I have already hit the party punch but, I know that if we the Dawgs stay focused and play as good as we played Arkansa we will win! That is, if we do not have the same officiating crew as we did with LSU and the one they had with Arkansa. The gators are really not that good even if they are number one. Look at their scheduled compared to ours and where they have played at. Look at the picture as a whole. I think if they played all teams that we have played so far they would have a loss too! I do think we will win tomorrow our time has come. Do not count Cox out he had a touchdown last year what did Stafford have! I believe! Go Dawgs!!! If not I still love them and proud to be a Georgia Bulldog and does not want Willie to go!
Udawg
October 30th, 2009
2:20 pm
Oh come on, a victory is the only acceptable out come…..I know the odds are long, but I’m a DAWG FAN and winning is the only way to go. How can you even suggest that a close loss is ok…..A loss is a loss. I will not bow my proud Bull Dog head for no team….. We are going down to Jax to win and to hell with all you nay sayers…..
Super Dog
October 30th, 2009
2:22 pm
California Kid
I agree if we lose I hope its so bad that coaching changes on both sides of the ball will be address Monday Morning
If we win well they still need make changes
I will take the win but if it is a loss hopefully it will be by 84 points
Atlanta_Tiger_Fan
October 30th, 2009
2:26 pm
UGA will get spanked by the Gators so don’t try to kid yourselves! While they may be struggling a little, their defense will smother Cox. I predict 45-3 loss for puppies, if Meyer is feeling nice and calls off the first string!
Ron
October 30th, 2009
2:28 pm
There is no such thing as an acceptable loss.
Pago Flyer
October 30th, 2009
2:31 pm
The best qb in America will probably have his best day ever!
Rodney
October 30th, 2009
2:32 pm
DAWGS WILL PULL OFF THE UPSET OF THE YEAR. Tebow will have the worst game of his college career. You heard it here. The experts say the gators will lose to a team that no one expects to beat them, well the Dawgs are the suprise team. If the gators win, they will walk the table until they get to the SEC Championship, and then Bama will get their revenge.
Super Dog
October 30th, 2009
2:34 pm
Athens is a lot better place to live than Tallahassee
And plus if Richt keeps standing by his coaching staff we won’t have to worry about a big time program hiring him away
He will be lucky to coach Wyoming
bugman67
October 30th, 2009
2:35 pm
The only thing the dawgs have a chance of winning tomorrow is the coin toss…gators win big…
gdawginkalamazoo
October 30th, 2009
2:35 pm
Mark, Nothing but a win and Tebow crying after the game is acceptable. This ain’t Lane Kiffin “try not to lose to them too bad” football. If we get beat by 39 this year so be it that’s the reality of it. But if you don’t win you lose.
That said I hope the D line of ours plays lights out. Those guy have the size and experience to get the job done in the trenches and I hope they do. Figure Tebow to throw a bunch tomorrow and run at least 20+ times. If I were the RB’s I would take it to Spikes to start the game out. Those groin injuries are very hard to get completely over and I can’t imagine he is fully healed. One way to find out though take it to him right off the bat. No shame in losing this game nobody else has beaten the gators in 18 tries and they have played many teams better prepared than us.
I am proud to be a dawg fan win or lose tomorrow. I hope the kids play their hearts out.
styles
October 30th, 2009
2:35 pm
Not sure what’s going on but the SEC is protecting Bama/LSU/UF this year at all costs. It’s obvious that they are making sure a SEC team makes it to the NC game. This prob has to do with the new ESPN deal but the bias is getting ridiculous. So no matter what UGA does, “they” won’t allow UGA to beat UF b/c it would jepordize the NC opportunity for UF.
ugaaccountant
October 30th, 2009
2:36 pm
I actually think the dawgs win this one. The gators are not playing well right now and we match-up well in a decent number of areas. Special teams play should be huge in this one and we’ve got some great talent in the special teams.
Vick=Dog killing thug
October 30th, 2009
2:38 pm
Anything short of a win is UNACCEPTABLE. Mark Richt has been at UGA for 9 years and has hand picked his coaches and players. He has all the tools needed i.e. Tradition, Fan Base,MONEY,Facilities and Talent.
He’s paid millions yearly to produce. Every team has its ups and downs but for me the moderate success that the current coaching staff has been negated by WAY TOO MANY BLOW OUT LOSSES.
Does anybody here even remember the Tennessee game where a rookie coach leading a very young team beat the dawgs bloody in every aspect of the game?
I respect Mark Richt for his values and he is not without merit.
Answer me this… Why isn’t UGA ranked in the top 5 with no more than 1 loss playing for their chance of a national title? Isn’t that the goal ????
Delbert D.
October 30th, 2009
2:39 pm
Super – Tallahassee IS the state capitol. Bowden’s house should be available cheap, since they’ll retire to the beach.
If he goes to Wyoming he’ll have to face that nasty Air Force option offense. If Illinois de-Zooks, he might look there.
WILLIE MARTINEZ IS THE MAN
October 30th, 2009
2:40 pm
What else can I say!
Johnny Test
October 30th, 2009
2:41 pm
When you start accepting moral victories you are on the road to ruin. The coaches should throw everything and the kitchen sink at Florida and try and win the game. If the players don’t have any more pride than to fight like hell to win this game they should not be UGA BULLDOGS. The attitude of this coaching staff about winning and losing stinks. They are way to accepting of losing and poor performance. UGA fans deserve the best offensive and defensive coordiantors money can buy. If CMR can’t figure that out then he needs to go to. I say no mercy on this coaching staff if they continue to embarass the school and the fans. It is time for someone to get fed up and serious about this being a championship program. Sorta like what Alabama finally did. Moral victories don’t sell season tickets and shut up the likes of Yellow Jizz.
UGA COACHING STAFF
October 30th, 2009
2:42 pm
We are getting tired of you whining fans
Let me remind you ungreatful crybabies
We have won 10 games year after year
Losing to FL is no big deal
If we lose to FL tommorrow who cares we know we coached better than they did we just got robbed by the refs
Willie could you ask the butler Mr. Belvider if he would be a good sport and take the Bentley and get us some fresh Caviar
These dreadful fans are complaining to much and it is getting on my nerves.
Ron D
October 30th, 2009
2:43 pm
The Dawgs need to play their best the whole game and the coaches need to coach their best the whole game. I have said since the Arkansas game that defensive coaching changes must take place. Either Martinez needs to go to a professional coaching bootcamp or someone else must step in. We cannot model our defensive strategy based upon what is hot in the college ranks and expect to compete. The bar is not high enough.
tech fan man
October 30th, 2009
2:45 pm
I hope the dawgs pull it out. It will be tough. Would like to have both teams ranked when we meet.
Super Dog
October 30th, 2009
2:46 pm
Delbert D
I did forget Illinois
hey how about Idaho St I think Willie will become successful there
T'ville Dawg
October 30th, 2009
2:46 pm
If good ole FU comes out on the short end there is still a glimmer of hope for a meeting in the Dome come December. I have GA. and S.C as my upset picks of the week. What might be better than a win would be shutting up that smug Meyer for a while.
Vick=Dog killing thug
October 30th, 2009
2:47 pm
Reptillicide, This is without a doubt the dumbest statement ever made in the history of statements.
Thousand of people have graduated from UGA but you firmly state that everyone one of them shares the exact same opinion on such a emotional subject such as college football.
Sheesh…
You’ll not find a single fan that is an actual GRADUATE of the University of Georgia that wants to see Mark Richt fired. That is possibly the single dumbest assertion I’ve ever heard (other than that one about the public option being an affordable answer to health care reform).
Brian Evans
October 30th, 2009
2:47 pm
Don’t worry dawg fans, we are gonna win. Coach Martinez assured me that he will match me up in alot of man to man coverage tomorrow.
Delbert D.
October 30th, 2009
2:48 pm
Super Dog – Let me check his resume, and I’ll get back to you on that.
Loran, Whatayagot?
October 30th, 2009
2:48 pm
How did the program get this mediocre, this fast? You can’t blame Willie Martinez for everything. The Obama people blame George Bush for all their problems, and we’re finding out there are a lot of things that they can’t blame him for (excuse the political comments). The offense is impotent (not a misspelling), and the offensive line (great description) is underperforming. Special teams are inconsistant, and, Lord, they can’t stop the stupid penalties after two years of emphasis on being mentally sharp and disciplined. We’ve been in the top ten in recruiting for several years, according to the recruiting sevices, and are there again. Cincinnati and Boise State and TCU can’t come close to our resources and facilities. But they’re kicking hineys all over the place. I do believe Mark Richt is the right man for the job, but he needs to reevaluate everybody, down to the people who wash the uniforms. He knows what it takes to make it work. He just needs to make some tough decisions.
GMan
October 30th, 2009
2:52 pm
ugaaccountant, if you really are an accountant, please don’t do my taxes because I don’t want to wear a one piece jumper! Saying: “The gators are not playing well right now and we match-up well in a decent number of areas.” What ‘areas’ is UGA matching up well in?
gdawginkalamazoo
October 30th, 2009
2:54 pm
Hey for those of you uwho read my drivel I did not finish the drill on one line in my post. “But if you don’t win you lose, there is no moral victory in psorts that’s why they have the damn scoreboard”. There finished it ha. Still sounds dumb but not as dumb as before.
Nota mutt
October 30th, 2009
2:56 pm
I will be pulling for the mutts this game as you represent our state. You have played so poorly with such good talent you are due to somehow pull it together. Plus it will make our game on 11/28 more interesting.I will let all of you complain among yourselves about your coaching.
GO JACKETS!!!!!!! and remember ………….TO HELL WITH GEORGIA!
Dawg4Life
October 30th, 2009
2:57 pm
you want anything less than a freakin’ win, you aint no dawg fan. i dont care if you call yourself dawglover dawgman dawg whatever. If you are hopping to keep it close in the 4th quarter and only lose by a TD or so, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE for the love of god start rooting for Ga state now
Joe Cox
October 30th, 2009
2:59 pm
Guys, stop worrying. My arm (a/k/a “the cannon”) will be hot tomorrow.
gdawginkalamazoo
October 30th, 2009
2:59 pm
WTF. Stupid keyboard.
GMan
October 30th, 2009
2:59 pm
In the decade of ’style points’ and flashy wins, we have all forgotten that when the clock hits 00:00 and your team has more points than the opposition – it’s a win and any coach will take that. Back in the day, we didn’t have instant replay, ESPN, computer statistics, or so-called ‘football analysts’ to determine who was the best team in the country. It was wins and losses. Even ugly wins are still wins last time I checked.
Delbert D.
October 30th, 2009
3:00 pm
Super Dog – Idaho State is a definite possibility. They are 0-8, and the season highlight has been “Bengal Football Players Visit Chubbuck Elementary”. What’s a Chubbuck?
However: Willie’s history has been consistent in that he has shown good achievement only in the first one or two years after arrival at the new school/new assignment. EMU to CMU, for example, and promotion to DC at UGA in 2005.
I say they’d take him. He’s worked okay where little is expected of him.
Truth
October 30th, 2009
3:01 pm
Who cares about this game? The Texas-Oklahoma State and USC-Oregon games will be much better. That being said, I hope Georgia wins.
shane#1
October 30th, 2009
3:02 pm
A W is a W and a L is a L. I don’t think the Dawgs need to worry about style points this year. I am worried about points in general, as in having enough points to win. UGA has scored only 33 offensive points in their last three games, I can promise you 11 points won’t beat Tebow and a spread offense. IMO, priority number 1 is putting some points on the board. The power I with the current FBs, RBs, TEs and Cox’s arm isn’t going to get the job done. I would not think a steady diet of Gray in the spread option would work either since UF’s D practices against Tebow running the spread option all the time. Maybe Gray in the wildcat with four wideouts would work, but Strong would go nine in the box and stop the wildcat pretty quickly. I don’t think the Dawgs have the stud hosses to beat the Gators. That is what football boils down to eventually, and the Dawgs aren’t big enough, strong enough, or fast enough to hang with the Gators.
gdawginkalamazoo
October 30th, 2009
3:02 pm
Did I read a line where there will be record heat tomorrow in Jacksonville? Can we get Loren to call the cramp updates for old times sakes.
BJohnDawg
October 30th, 2009
3:06 pm
Just be COMPETITIVE! See ARK-Fla.See Alabama-TENN.That is all we ask. Losing is one thing. Not showing up is another.
Do I want to win? HECK YEAH. Do I want to be blown out? HECK NO!
This season has been embarassing enough.
DAWGS…MAN the ……..UP!
Georgia sucks
October 30th, 2009
3:06 pm
Best UGA outcome: Joe Cox gets a concussion early and a real QB gets an opportunity to play.