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
matt
October 30th, 2011
10:25 am
They held Florida to negative rushing yards, their QB was playing on 1 leg, they were penalized 14 times and I had to hold my breath till the end. We threw 2 jump balls for TDs, gave up ovef 200 yards on returns, our once AA kicker has lost it, our AA punter netted about 60 yards…on two punts late in the 4th. Murray is an average QB at best. Missed wide open receivers with time to throw. We are damn lucky to get out of there with a win.
i’ll take it but I’m also staying realistic.
Ron
October 30th, 2011
10:26 am
Samuel fell down on the last run of the game, 1 yard short of a td.
The "hot seat"
October 30th, 2011
10:26 am
Yellow Fuzz
October 30th, 2011
10:24 am
It took you to almost 10:30 to get on a UGA blog and flap your gums? You’re slipping.
Special Teams Coach
October 30th, 2011
10:27 am
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE HIRE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Senor Coughee
October 30th, 2011
10:28 am
hahahaha…they beat Clemson, YET, have to come to the UGA board and begin making excuses…..
Ron
October 30th, 2011
10:28 am
Another year where Richt goes 0 wins against ranked teams, no improvement, and beats the lousy unranked teams.
SMAE OLD MARK RICHT.
Senor Coughee
October 30th, 2011
10:28 am
Ron…waaaaaaaaaaa….waaaaaaaaaaa….waaaaaaaaaaa…cry, baby, cry….hahahahaha….
Excuses count
October 30th, 2011
10:28 am
Yellow Fuzz… already getting your excuses ready… you will see how much better the Dawg defense is soon enough…. Maryland scored 30 points on Clemson… yea they are real talented
Mark Bradley Fan Club
October 30th, 2011
10:29 am
Mark, is that mayonnaise on your lips or are you just back in business?
Joey
October 30th, 2011
10:29 am
Ron, you may want to look at the stats. UGA actually had very much the same in yardage – offensive and defensive, as both LSU and Bama vs UF.
And, if Walsh hits the two chip-shot FGs and UF doesn’t run the kickoff back for TD, you are looking at a similar score as the the other two – 30-13.
I know we aren’t as good as either one of those teams, but I am saying that defensively as well as offensively, the game was about the same as LSU’s and Bama’s. Also, neither of those defenses helf UF to -19 yds rushing.
ARdawg
October 30th, 2011
10:30 am
Fuzz
Where have you been for the last two weeks? HA HA HA
Your team beat an overrated freshman infested Clemson. Big deal. That was a house of cards waiting to crumble. You need to find you a Big East board someplace to post on so you can feel the superiority you so clearly crave
Top Recruit
October 30th, 2011
10:30 am
Richard Samuel IV…they had no answer for you. Watching Samuel take the ball between the tackles for hard fought yardswas a thing of beauty. You bruised the Gators, man! That last run was just damn awesome. It said this “take this Gators…our game”. May not have been a TD, but for all purposes and all times it said it all for UGA fans and alums.
Great game Richard Samuel IV. We thank you for your hard work and commitment to a team!
Ron
October 30th, 2011
10:30 am
Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Coastal Carolina, Florida, Ole Miss, Miss St—6 wins.
Where’s a win against Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Arkansas, South Carolina, Boise?
flagboy?
October 30th, 2011
10:31 am
TampaGator, it wouldn’t matter what if i posted everything you posted. You’re trying to have your cake and eat it too. “I’m not making excuses!” then saying the interference call, where Reed was “mauled” turned the momentum. .right. And that play wasn’t even close to interference. Defender was making a play on the ball. If anything, he had a better chance of catching it than Reed.
I can say I appreciate you being classy with your responses. At lease you’re not saying “you suck mutt fans” or the typical drivel from some around here. But somehow I’m slanting something by pointing out what you wrote. . . right. . .
Here’s the deal. Georgia won. I’m happy as hell about it. Fla people can can “we’re terrible this year, nothing to crow about”. . . wrong. Any time you beat a rival, it feels good. I’ll be more than happy if you guys continue to be terrible in your opinion if it means UGA beating fla. . .I’m sure fla fans know the feeling very well over the past decade or two.
Congrats to the coaches (especially Grantham, great game plan second half), congrats to the players, and to the fans, enjoy the win.
Ron
October 30th, 2011
10:32 am
Richt will finish 2nd best, to South Carolina again.
Senor Coughee
October 30th, 2011
10:32 am
hahahaha….sniff, sniff, Ron…keep cryin’……..
The "hot seat"
October 30th, 2011
10:32 am
Ron,
When is the next comicon so we can expect to get you off this blog.
ARdawg
October 30th, 2011
10:32 am
Ron,
Get ur head head out of your anus man. Samuels had more heart than any player on that field yesterday. The yardage he gained, he earned on his own.
Joey
October 30th, 2011
10:33 am
“We won, but have nothing to brag about…..”
****************************
That’s BS. You think UF DIDN’T brag the whole past 12 months by barely beating a 6-7 UGA in overtime?
You be as embarrassed by this win as you want.
Me? I’m bragging!
Go Dawgs!
Yellow Fuzz
October 30th, 2011
10:35 am
The “hot seat”
October 30th, 2011
10:26 am
Yellow Fuzz
October 30th, 2011
10:24 am
It took you to almost 10:30 to get on a UGA blog and flap your gums? You’re slipping.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT I JUST GOT BACK FROM JACKSONVILLE, AH. YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE. IT WAS A GOOD GAME.
1eyedJack
October 30th, 2011
10:36 am
Thank you Blair Walsh! You have forced Coach Richt to find his MoJo.
flagboy?
October 30th, 2011
10:36 am
In Jeff’s weekly pick ‘em, I actually picked gt to beat clemson. It’s not the surprising to me.
Ron
October 30th, 2011
10:36 am
#22 only averaged 3 yards a carry. I could fall down for better than that.
Senor Coughee
October 30th, 2011
10:36 am
Ron:”Oh yea. Well if we’d have scored more points than you guys we would have won”….sniff, sniff….”I need my blankee”….hahahahahaha
Mark Bradley Fan Club
October 30th, 2011
10:37 am
TampaGator is a C0cksucker.
FLA DAWG
October 30th, 2011
10:37 am
AMAZING!
GT fans win a great, great game and today some have nothing better to do than blog on a Dawg site about how worthless our win was.
Certainly a reflection of their character.
GEAUXTIGER
October 30th, 2011
10:37 am
joey, simmer down,
you barely beat a team with a ONE-LEGGED qb, with a 4 and 4 record…
your qb couldn’t hit an open man in practice,
though painful, you must admit GA is a poor joke,
please petition the SEC to cancel the playoff game, and save you the embarrassment
RedandBlackDawg
October 30th, 2011
10:37 am
This quote epitomizes the UGA team this year.
“I don’t measure a man’s success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom.”
- George S. Patton
We had hit bottom and as these young folks get more experience, UGA will be a force to be reckoned with for a few years to come. Fill a few holes and nobody will look forward to playing UGA next year. How many of you negative posters would have given UGA a chance at being bowl eligible after the first two games, or for some of you even, before the first kick off. I can answer that with a big “ZERO”. UGA may not have played a really hard schedule but they are 6-2, and you naysayers, are now having to result to lies, fabrications, and childish remarks to insult UGA. Here is some news for you. The players and coaches aren’t listening and neither are true UGA fans, What is really sad, is the fact that if UGA fans were supposedly drinking some mythical Kool Aide at the beginning of the year, the Tech. fans have now, bought out the store. You have beaten one over rated as usual ACC school, and all of the sudden, you are number one in America. I am going to enjoy the beat down UGA gives you this year, more than most. Are you going to revert back to the old standard excuse you use of the academic standards being so high at tech. that you can’t recruit superior athletes like UGA does. Those same athletes by the way, that become thugs and bums according to you, after they turn down Tech. each year at recruiting time.
GO DAWGS and GATA
Ga
October 30th, 2011
10:38 am
needs somebody else to do something that they could not do for themselves; which is beat SC so the dogs can win the SEC east. After watching ARK yesterday, I would not count on them, and obviously Fla is down this year. Plus, don’t just assume Ga will beat Auburn, they have beat ranked teams this year which is something Ga has not been able to do for some time now.
Ex Georgia Fan
October 30th, 2011
10:38 am
“FEAR THE FUZZ”
I really like the sound of that
Ron
October 30th, 2011
10:39 am
Lose to Auburn & Tech, finish 8-4. UGA fans are thrilled with 8-4, 8 meaningless wins aganst unranked lousy teams. Only UGA.
Tech beat a No. 5 ranked team fellas, that’s REAL coaching.
flagboy?
October 30th, 2011
10:39 am
. . and Ron will finish behind his laptop.
Ron
October 30th, 2011
10:39 am
Too funny.
dawg85
October 30th, 2011
10:40 am
Nerd envy is rampant. Florida is not quite as bad as the excuse makers want to claim. They do have some weapons on offense and had the 11th ranked defense in the country coming into this game. They played Bama tough until Brantley went down. The Dawgs obviously have some work to do on special teams. I don’t think it was coincidental that Murray started missing passes after the shot to the thigh. It’s a win against a team that has been in Georgia’s players heads for a long time. They fought back from a bad hole and dominated the game in the second half. Fix the special teams and this game isn’t close at all. If you are a supposed Georgia fan and you can’t enjoy this one then you are a moron. Talk all you want little bugs. We’ll see on November 26th. Clemson came in ranked 60th in the nation in defense giving up 378 yards per game. Big deal. I think you’ll find these Dawgs are a little bit stouter than the last few years.
Excuses count
October 30th, 2011
10:41 am
Geau…. maybe you’ll have a chance to back up your Cajun lip… if you get in the game… if the pot smoking tigers don’t get suspended
Ron
October 30th, 2011
10:41 am
UGA fans are happy with wins against unranked lousy teams, and losing every game to ranked teams.
Joey
October 30th, 2011
10:41 am
GEAUXTIGER, come on, man. Just look at the stats. I pull for LSU and love Les Miles.
Y’all could probably win the NFC South this year. Seriously.
Be happy about your team.
No need for put downs . . .
BREAKING NEWS
October 30th, 2011
10:41 am
ESPN can confirm that the SEC commissioner will declare the loser of the showdown between ALA and LSU the SEC east division champion; so that the SEC championship game will not be the laughing stock of the entire country if somehow the GA bulldogs back into the SEC east championship.
Ron
October 30th, 2011
10:41 am
Guess the best record of all the teams Georgia has beat this year for a good laugh.
Excuses count
October 30th, 2011
10:41 am
Ron…. tek blog to boring… no fun hanging out with zit faced nerds…
flagboy?
October 30th, 2011
10:42 am
said it before, I’ll say it again. Anytime you beat a rival, it’s great. Especially one who had had our number for a long time now.
Congrats to Richt and all the coaches (grantham especially) and all the players. Made this Sunday and yesterday evening a whole lot more fun.
Go Dawgs
dawg85
October 30th, 2011
10:42 am
Nerd envy is rampant. If you’re a Georgia fan and you can’t enjoy this one you are a moron.
Excuses count
October 30th, 2011
10:43 am
Ron… guess the Dawgs record against tek the last 10 years…..
Puffy
October 30th, 2011
10:43 am
Does anyone think Richt will let Lemay compete for the starting QB job next year? Two more years of Murray could be painful.
Ron
October 30th, 2011
10:43 am
No Alabama, LSU or Arkansas on the schedule, and Richt still figured out a way to finish No. 2 in his division.
therealdog
October 30th, 2011
10:44 am
God Dawgs!
Ex Georgia Fan
October 30th, 2011
10:46 am
ARdawg
Hahaha. See you Saturday after Thanksgiving. Better bring your A game AH! I’m sure some poll or recruiting service magazine will have favored which is exactly what we want.
FEAR THE FUZZ, dude!
1eyedJack
October 30th, 2011
10:47 am
Time for CMR to take over control of the “special teams”. Somebody’s got to do it.
Ron
October 30th, 2011
10:49 am
Records of teams UGA beat:
CC—-4-4
Miss–2-6
MSU–4-4
Tenn–3-5
Van—4-4
UF—-4-4
UGA fans are excited about beatng those lousy unranked team without winning records.
Ron
October 30th, 2011
10:49 am
Has UGA beat a team yet with a better record than 4-4?
NOPE.