Fighting to the finish, Georgia overrides Florida – and history
A sight seldom seen in Jacksonville: Mark Richt victorious. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)
Jacksonville — At halftime Mark Richt invoked the fresh memory of the St. Louis Cardinals. “Guys that don’t quit have a chance,” he told his Georgia Bulldogs.
Much later, Richt would tell the assembled media: “We didn’t quit.”
Folks can and will argue over the worth of one victory over a Florida team that hasn’t won since September, but no one can question the weight that had fallen on the Bulldogs regarding their strange inability to win this one game. “There was some history and some demons,” Richt said, and the way this game began it was as if those demons would beat Georgia by themselves.
Florida’s first play from scrimmage netted 72 yards. Its first touchdown came on a fourth-and-19 pass 7 1/2 minutes into the game. (Who goes for it on fourth-and-19 so early in any game?) Its second touchdown came on a 99-yard kickoff return by its second-best returner. Everything that had gone wrong for Georgia in this series the past two decades was going wrong all at once, but that, in a weird way, might have been for the best.
Said cornerback Brandon Boykin: “You could say a lot of bad things happened. We had to calm down. But this team is special. After we lost to Boise, I told people, ‘Don’t worry about this team.’ We’ve bounced back.”
Said offensive coordinator Mike Bobo of his team’s 17-3 deficit: “Nobody said, ‘Hey, here we go again.’ ”
Surely a few Bulldogs thought it, but they put aside any nattering negativity to focus on the task at hand. Said Todd Grantham, the defensive coordinator: “That game was a test of our mental toughness. We kept going. We kept playing the next play.”
One play changed this game and maybe the course of Georgia’s season. The same Richt who’d ordered a field goal on fourth-and-goal against Central Florida in the Liberty Bowl last December rediscovered the nerve that had marked him as a young head coach. Ninety seconds before halftime, his team down 14 points, Richt had Aaron Murray throw into the end zone on fourth-and-five. Michael Bennett hauled it down, and from there Georgia believed.
Said Alec Ogletree, the superb linebacker: “Once the offense scored right before halftime, we fed off that.”
The Gators’ offense, overseen by the famous Charlie Weis, would manage 32 yards and one first down in the second half against Grantham’s defenders. With quarterback John Brantley unable to work under center due to an ankle injury, Florida went almost exclusively to the empty backfield, and Grantham, cogitating on the fly, trumped Weis at every turn.
Grantham: “It’s a credit to our players … From halftime on, we were playing a new game plan.”
Midway through the third quarter, Richt did it again. His team down seven points, Richt chose to have Murray throw again — to different receiver down a different sideline — on fourth-and-six, and Tarvarres King outfought Jaylen Watkins for the ball. At last, the game was tied. It would come untied due to a field goal generated by another long kickoff return, but by then Georgia had made its point: This day would not be like other days against the hated Gators.
Richt: “I just thought the best thing to do was to go for it on fourth down. I just felt like we needed a touchdown. I didn’t think threes were going to get it.”
The fourth quarter was all Bulldogs, and they celebrated in a way that far outstripped a four-point victory over a 4-4 opponent. What did this game mean? Said King: “Everything. We’re back.”
Again, that might be overstating. But when a team has failed so often in this venue, any break in the pattern is major news. “Now that it’s over,” Richt said, “I can say, ‘Yeah, it was a big deal.’ It was a big deal for me personally.”
For two years we’ve parsed Georgia results and asked, “What does this mean for Richt’s job status?” After Saturday, we can say this much for sure: Richt’s Bulldogs started 0-2 but have won six in a row; they’ve beaten Florida, which hadn’t happened since 2007, and they’ve kept themselves in position to take the SEC East if South Carolina slips. At this moment, it’s almost impossible to imagine Georgia parting ways with this coach anytime soon.
No, this isn’t the most polished bunch you’ll see. (Richt described his special team as “mostly average to scary.”) But Georgia spotted Florida 14 points and held its nerve in a way the Gators — 14 penalties for 106 yards — could not. In a game where the Bulldogs invariably invent ways to lose, they found a way to win. They might not be the smoothest-running bunch, but these ‘Dogs will hunt — and fight.
By Mark Bradley
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932 comments Add your comment
Paddy
October 30th, 2011
9:46 am
BullDawgMike……..yes it is sure time to give Bogatay a crack at field goals. Like you said, what can it hurt!
Excuses count
October 30th, 2011
9:46 am
Tampa Gator….. Texas and now Florida are proving that the number of stars given a recruit doesn’t guarantee wins….. I guess it helps to change the subject…
Tampa Gator
October 30th, 2011
9:47 am
ARDawg….
I am not expecting you to buy into anything. But you can think whatever you want. Georgia beat Florida yesterday. Congrats. But Georgia…….based on what I saw yesterday…..is nothing to shake a stick at. Florida is a bad team right now. You barely beat them. Auburn barely beat them Bama and LSU dominated Florida. Just the facts. Good luck in Atlanta. You will need it.
Excuses count
October 30th, 2011
9:47 am
Gator meats whole reason for living is over… he is not a Dawgs biach
H-Town Dawg
October 30th, 2011
9:48 am
GOOOOOOOOOOOO DAWGS! SIC ‘EM! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!
Kenny Powers
October 30th, 2011
9:48 am
Team Win…matters not who had a bad game…all players have bad games…team’s win; individual’s put up stat’s…stat’s don’t win games; team’s win games…great team win, no quit, no give up, no surrender…saw sooooo many player’s stepping it up…be proud of this win and quit whining about who kicked bad, who punted bad, who went cold on passes, who dropped balls, who ran poor pass routes, who, who, who…one player doesn’t win a game; a team wins…today they came together as a team and won a must game…good teams always find a way to win…they don’t quit…this team is sooooo much more of a team than UGA has had recently…why not enjoy the ride and appreciate that you finally beat Florida…Kenny Powers OUT
Excuses count
October 30th, 2011
9:48 am
now…..
ARdawg
October 30th, 2011
9:48 am
Tampa Gator
Well, there you go again. You had 11 guys out there on every play. If I start dissecting that game it’d get much more demming for your Gators. You were banged up fine, you were also awful, if not for one brain flitter on the Georgia D and bad special teams you wouldn’t even had made the end zone. They might be hurt but they are just not a good team. Your only bright spots on the day were Ga miscues
Tampa Gator
October 30th, 2011
9:50 am
Excuses count…..
I have said that many times. Same is true with Georgia, isn’t it? Georgia won yesterday….but didn’t exactly do it with a 4 and 5 star quality performance…….and 79% of Florida’s 4 and 5 stars are freshmen and sophs. Give it time, my friend.
Bama Badass
October 30th, 2011
9:51 am
Our second string can beat the Bull Pups!!
Joey
October 30th, 2011
9:51 am
BullDogMike, think back the past decade and name a starter for Richt who got benched for not producing. Even Joe T broke his thumb to give Stafford his chance.
Agree with him or not, Richt just doesn’t like change.
H-Town Dawg
October 30th, 2011
9:51 am
It’s funny how all the haters are now talking about what a bad team Florida is and yet they apparently didn’t think so BEFORE the game when they were predicting that the Gators would win. Can’t have it both ways, haters.
GO DAWGS!
ARdawg
October 30th, 2011
9:52 am
Tampa Gator,
We’re not a very good team either and I realize that. Improvement for us has been extremely slow. I’m okay with it. I’m not seeking out excuses or reasons for when we lose other than they were better than us.
GT is a 4th rate high school team
October 30th, 2011
9:52 am
GATOR fans should know that AUBURN was proud to say that UGA never won 2 straight over AUBURN until MUSCHAMP became their defensive coach and UGA won 4 straight.
Paddy
October 30th, 2011
9:52 am
Tampa Gator……you always seem to be level headed and fair. What happened to you today? Florida has more talent than UGA, has for 5-6 years. You lost today, move on. No more excuses, you seem better than that! If you are that frustrated, don’t post.
H-Town Dawg
October 30th, 2011
9:53 am
And if butthurt Gator fans don’t think that the Dawgs are young and talented then they don’t know much about the situation.
GO DAWGS!
GT is a 4th rate high school team
October 30th, 2011
9:54 am
GT won against another high school team CLEMSON. LOL ACC – ASSOCIATION OF CUP CAKES
Tampa Gator
October 30th, 2011
9:55 am
ARDawg…..
Typical blind crap from you………and exactly what do you think those inside the 25 fumbles by Florida to Georgia were…..non gifts? Or that non-call when Jordan Reed was mauled on that critcial pass play down the middle that turned the MO in Georgia’s direction. Without those gifts (from Florida and the refs)…..your team does not score two TDs and you lose the game. But you won the game (just like Florida has when they got lucky) and because you scored 24 points and Florida scored only 20…..no matter how those points were scored. But neither team looked very good yesterday……..and that is a fact. Both are very young and neither are very well coached at this time.
SEC East Conference
October 30th, 2011
9:56 am
Tampa Gator I’ll give Fl. credit for their play in the first quarter but after that they just fell apart. Georgia Fans don’t have all that to be proud of either. If it weren’t for Florida’s turnovers I don’t think they would of scored 7 points just two teams that looked bad and someone had to win.
DP
October 30th, 2011
9:58 am
Somebody brought up Texas a few posts back. The simultaneous falls of Florida and Texas have been quite stunning and parallel each other. Late in the 2009 season they were consensus top 3 teams along with Alabama and looked like they would be for years with the depth of talent on their rosters. They have top 5 recruiting classes every year. But there was an element of smoke and mirrors to both of their offenses, no power running game other than Tebow at either school. Alabama exposed their deficiencies back to back and since then both Florida and Texas went into a downward spiral. Both look like cream puffs physically when they play against top teams. What happened to all those top recruiting classes? Were their recruits only rated so highly because they signed with Florida and Texas, or is it a product of coaching? And it’s interesting that Will Muschamp went from Texas, which had become soft, to Florida which has also become soft.
bwell
October 30th, 2011
9:58 am
great job of coaching. BUT PLEASE HIRE A SPECIAL TEAM COACH!
edumacated
October 30th, 2011
10:00 am
That post by Jerry at 9:23 has me in stitches.
Excuses count
October 30th, 2011
10:01 am
Boy Tampor Gator’s is showing us a new side… the sore loser side…. hey TG take the loss like a man and stop you whinning.. we own you for a year and then you get another chance…
What’s really bugging him is the program is in a free fall and Muschamp is not the answer… he know it’s only gona get worse.
Bill
October 30th, 2011
10:03 am
Would we have beaten Florida with a mobile Brantley? Would we have beaten Florida in 2007 with a mobile Tebow?
RedandBlackDawg
October 30th, 2011
10:03 am
The voice,
Come into your house at 9-2 and leave at 10-2. What will change, certainly not your ability to beat UGA, as it is no different than any other year. UGA is not Miami or U of VA. and they handed you your lunch. You will be introduced to a very good UGA Defense that will shut down the corners, and there is not going to be anything up the middle for Tech. against UGA’s defense. Does that mean that your QB will be forced to pass then. Please, please tell me he will throw his wounded duck passes against a quality defense. Just like nine out of the last ten years, Tech. gets an early unwelcome Christmas present, courtesy of UGA.
GO DAWGS and GATA
Mojoman566
October 30th, 2011
10:04 am
CRM’s theme song for all you Haters. “How do you like e Now?”
MS Bully
October 30th, 2011
10:07 am
Congrats to the Bulldogs. The SEC East cannot compete with the SEC West. Bama or LSU will destroy the East representative in the Championship game.
flagboy?
October 30th, 2011
10:08 am
TampaGator
You’ve said all FLA needs is
1. A really good reciever
2. A better offensive line
3. A good power back
4. A talented QB
5. A top LB
6. A really good DE
. . . . I think any team would be pretty good with all those pieces. Good to see that’s all FLA needs.
You can’t have it both ways. One second you say “‘i’m not making excuses! never do that!” then in another post you say “non-call when Jordan Reed was mauled on that critcial pass play down the middle that turned the MO in Georgia’s direction”. . . .Can’t act like you’re above it all when you’re doing the same thing.
Tampa Gator
October 30th, 2011
10:09 am
Paddy……
People read into what they want to think…..not what is actually in a post. I clearly stated that Georgia deserved to win yesterday……no matter the situations related to the game…..as is the case with previous past Gator victories when the only reasons for those Gator victories were Georgia injuries and bad refs. Georgia has a lot of talent on their team…..maybe a little more than Florida because of the offensive talent on Georgia, particularliy at WR and LB (with Ogletree and Jones who are truly outstanding players). But to think or say Florida is history because of this Florida loss to Georiga…..is just blind loyalty to Georgia. The Florida-Georgia game with again be a head knocker next year….with either team having the opportunity to win…..and where coaching will make a difference. In this game, RIcht outcoached Muschamp….and Muschamp needs to get better as a head coach….no doubt. But I also think he will…..and Florida will be back and very strong….very soon. I have no doubt about that as well.
Now…..time to go to Sunday brunch. Enjoy your bragging rights for a year. You earned it.
Billy (not Martin)
October 30th, 2011
10:10 am
Florida is horrible so the Dawgs can’t thump their chest on this one.
ANy other SEC team would have killed us. DOes anyone think Murray is going to lead the Dawgs to victory every week? Bobo and this offence are horrible and special teams, I can’t even describe.
Better hope the D keeps bailing them out. The defense is starting to look like the old Junk yard dawgs. But this win didn’t impress me.
And
October 30th, 2011
10:11 am
Excuses count
October 30th, 2011
9:46 am
Tampa Gator….. Texas and now Florida are proving that the number of stars given a recruit doesn’t guarantee wins….. I guess it helps to change the subject…
And Ga has been proving that for years
DP
October 30th, 2011
10:11 am
I think Richt would be smart to send a message to Crowell by holding him out of the New Mexico State game, thereby denying him an opportunity to pad his stats. Richt could say that Crowell has been nicked up for several games and he wants him to be healthy for the stretch run. And then he could tell Crowell privately that if he wants to be the lead running back at Georgia he needs to toughen up and play through the kind of minor bumps and bruises that everybody plays with. I saw a promo for an upcoming feature on ESPN that talks about playing with injuries and it showed former Dawg Terrell Davis talking about how big time players don’t come out of big time games.
Tampa Gator
October 30th, 2011
10:11 am
Flagboy?…..
Why don’t you read the entire post……and not just take a section and post it……that is what TV reporters do to slant their story…..and what you just did.
But…..I have to run now…..have a nice day, everyone. Go Gators.
Ron
October 30th, 2011
10:15 am
1. UGA beat 4-4 team, not a big deal
2. UGA couldn’t hold Florida to 14 points like Alabama, LSU or Auburn did
3. UGA won by 4 points
4. Special teams were bad
5. Murray had worst game of year
Buzz2011
October 30th, 2011
10:17 am
Where was Florida ranked? The Dawgs are knocking off some of the higher ranked teams in the country. It is ashamed they don’t have more to face. My gosh they would be ranked in the top 10!!!
LakeDawg
October 30th, 2011
10:18 am
Would we have beaten Florida with a mobile Brantley? Would we have beaten Florida in 2007 with a mobile Tebow?
————————————————————————————————————————————-
Yes. And yes. Tebow wasn’t immobile. The most over-hyped injury in college football. Interestingly, it was an injury to the most over-hyped player in college football history.
ARdawg
October 30th, 2011
10:19 am
DP
On Crowell, I am glad he’s a Bulldog but, he is no doubt a candy@zz. Those guys that were watching him in HS were saying that he was. I kept an open mind but, they were right. Someone should have inform the young chap that playing with pain is the norm especially in the SEC. He might be better suited for Archery
Snake Doc
October 30th, 2011
10:20 am
Repeat after me – 3 and 8…. 3 and 8… 3 and 8…
Raiderbeater
October 30th, 2011
10:21 am
Hey Miss Bee,
Florida beat themselves? By getting run over by a Ga running game? By getting -20 yards rushing and getting stuffed? By allowing Ga to make plays when they had to? By being given free points by Ga and the game gift wrapped for them by Ga. Is that how FL beat themselves?
Ga allowed FL to stick around and STILL beat them.
Gators suck….and it showed!
Ron
October 30th, 2011
10:21 am
Since the field goal couldn’t hit anything, Richt had no choice but to trust his offense to convert 4th downs. He’ll be back to his conservative self against Auburn, no worries. Thought Richt blew his management of his field goal kicker, with all those 50 yards + kicks, really killed Walsh’s confidence, and he’s never gotten it back.
Senor Coughee
October 30th, 2011
10:22 am
Ron…So? We still won. Need a crying towel?
ARdawg
October 30th, 2011
10:22 am
Ron
If we had played Florida’s schedule our record would have been much the same. Maybe the exception being Auburn
Senor Coughee
October 30th, 2011
10:22 am
We won, but have nothing to brag about…..
The "hot seat"
October 30th, 2011
10:22 am
Hey Mark, is Muschump now on the “hot seat”?
Ron
October 30th, 2011
10:23 am
Murray missed a wide open Charles on the fake double reverse.
Excuses count
October 30th, 2011
10:24 am
BUZZ2011…. nothing happening on the Tech blog after a big win? Got to compare it to a Dawg win to feel better? That’s pretty pathetic you know… your insecurity is showing… seems like iIremember when Tek was rated #7 and won the All Cupcake Championship and that didn’t mean much to the unrated Dawgs… You do remember that….. mr make a comparson
ARdawg
October 30th, 2011
10:24 am
BTW, the non-call on the pass interference by Boykin was a non-penalty, he went for the ball, was clearly looking at it, went up to get it and had his hands on it
Yellow Fuzz
October 30th, 2011
10:24 am
Hahaha. Glad all you chest pounding, AH dog nation represenatives were able to get by a banged up Florida team. Hahaha. While THE GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS totally dominated the #5 ranked team in the nation (which had far more talent and depth than us) with our “2 star players”, “gimmick, high school offense” and “80 year old defensive coordinator”. See you soon doggies. You may beat us but you will have to play the game of your life. There is NO WAY that you have more talent than Clemson.
FEAR THE FUZZ!
The "hot seat"
October 30th, 2011
10:25 am
Ron
October 30th, 2011
10:23 am
Yes…..please give us more play by play.
Ron
October 30th, 2011
10:25 am
Richt’s good at winning meaningless games. South Carolina was a game he HAD to win to contend for the East. Richt lost it. Season over. This was the year for a run, without Alabama, LSU, or Ark on schedule, and Richt couldn’t even beat South Carolina, who controls their own destiny and sits alone in first in the SEC East.