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
Ron's Boyfriend
October 30th, 2011
11:24 am
Ronnie loves to play with statistics.
But he prefers to play with this here hoo-hoo…
Come on Ronnie!
Ron
October 30th, 2011
11:27 am
New Mexico and Kentucky are both 3-5 teams, so there’s the 2 more wins.
Losses to winning teams Tech & Auburn, and UGA finishes with 8 wins over 8 teams with losing records, and 4 losses to teams with winnng records.
Say It Aint So
October 30th, 2011
11:27 am
I was wrong about the Dawgs in the 1st half and if any of you say you did not think the same, you are lying. The Dawgs have to run the table now, anything less would be a failure. CMR has to win out to keep his job. Strange how the players feed off of the DC’s energy?
Ron
October 30th, 2011
11:28 am
IS UGA a good team, if they can’t beat anyone with a better record than 4-4?
maddawg913
October 30th, 2011
11:29 am
Teams Tech Beat…….17-31
Teams tech lost to……..9-8
ARdawg
October 30th, 2011
11:30 am
Nothing happening on the Manboobs blog so they congregate on the UGA blogs. Typical. Nerds you had a decent win yesterday why not enjoy and revel in it instead of projecting your jealousy of Georgia?
Ron and Your Pont is
October 30th, 2011
11:31 am
Ron, winning is winning… ask the 7th rated ACC winning tek team that got creamed by the Dawgs…. you are wastng your time trying to diminish the FLA win.. can’t figure if you are a tek fan or hurtin gator… either way it doesn’t matter….
maddawg913
October 30th, 2011
11:32 am
shhhhhhhh, quiet everyone!!
Ron’s doing math now!
ARdawg
October 30th, 2011
11:32 am
Ron and your point
Make no mistake, thats a manboob
NiceUniform
October 30th, 2011
11:33 am
Florida was 4-3…when we beat them yesterday….Clemson was 8-0…when Tech beat them…yesterday. Tech beat an Undefeated team, Ron, not a 1 loss team…do you understand math?
Escaped from Email Purgatory
October 30th, 2011
11:33 am
Great to beat the Gators, but come on folks, UGA hasn’t beaten a good team all year. This UF bunch was as ordinary as can be – for a UF bunch anyway.
I think it’s a huge mistake to perceive this victory as a watershed moment for the program. Reminds me of when the Falcons beat the Cowboys in Dallas one year – gotta go way back – Dan Henning was the head coach. Falcons fans thought we’d turned the corner. Turned out, the Cowboys were just uncharacteristically bad.
The special teams play was freaking atrocious yesterday. Even the estimable Vern Lundquist was offering pointers – suggested Richt might want to hire a special teams coach.
CMR went for the desperate moves when desperate moves were necessary – necessary because he’s in a desperate situation.
These Dawgs are a talented bunch, but there’s nothing new about that for the Dawgs. They’re always talented.
If this win justifies retaining Richt’s head coaching services, then the brain trust didn’t want to replace him in the first place.
Call me a glass-half-empty guy all day every day. But also show me one game in the last three years against a top opponent where Richt has his charges ready to play.
And you amy want to think twice before you classify the Gators of 2011 as a top opponent.
Peace.
Ron
October 30th, 2011
11:33 am
Tech will move ahead of UGA in the polls with their victory over No. 5 ranked Clemson. UGA hasn’t even won a game against a team with a winning record in 2 years.
Ron and Your Pont is
October 30th, 2011
11:34 am
Ron…. statistics don’t mean anything ….. wins and losses do… save your typing finger
Ron and Your Pont is
October 30th, 2011
11:35 am
Ok now we know Ron is a tek fan who can’t enjoy the tek win by itself… he has to compare it to UGA’s win because UGA is the benchmark for success when it comes to Tek…. pretty pathetic
ARdawg
October 30th, 2011
11:35 am
Ron
Makes no difference where you Nerds are ranked, you still won’t beat us
Ron
October 30th, 2011
11:35 am
Saban or Miles’ guys owuldn’t be dancing on the field after beating a 4-4 team.
Ron
October 30th, 2011
11:36 am
Why were UGA fans cheering yesterday after a win over a 4-4 Gator team? Really, according my calculation fans should only cheer for their team when they get win against teams at least 7.4435 wins more than losses.
1eyedJack
October 30th, 2011
11:36 am
Dallas Lee, broken leg. That hurts. Somebody’s got to grow a pair on the OL and step up.
Ron and Your Pont is
October 30th, 2011
11:36 am
Tek and Clemson have both proved the rankings are not too accurate and don’t mean much till the very end of the year….
Ron
October 30th, 2011
11:37 am
Ron…put down the crack pipe. Saban or Miles?
Ron
October 30th, 2011
11:38 am
I’d like to point out, UGA only won by 4 points, to a 4-4 team Florida, and by 5 points last game, to another 4-4 team Vanderbilt. It’s not like that’s special or something.
Ron and Your Pont is
October 30th, 2011
11:38 am
Ron does tek have to hide behing LSU and Bama…. what’s that all about
Ron's Mom
October 30th, 2011
11:38 am
Ron,
How many times have I told you not to leave your leotards and wig on the floor???
ARdawg
October 30th, 2011
11:39 am
Techies are hanging out on the UGA blogs looking for something, anything to give them one shred of hope HA HA HA. Just like against Virginia, coming up empty handed. You nerds have no hope, suckit
Ron's Boyfriend
October 30th, 2011
11:39 am
shhhhhhhh, quiet everyone!!
Ron’s doing math now!
____________________________
No, he’s doing his “homework” now.
Good boy.
1eyedJack
October 30th, 2011
11:39 am
Ron, I’d like to point out that Tech lost to Virginia and Miami.
Ron and Your Pont is
October 30th, 2011
11:39 am
Ron, I’d like to point out that Tek lost to a mediocre Miami team and a mediocre Virginia team..winning is always special
Ron
October 30th, 2011
11:40 am
UGA’s win against Florida should not count. only wins against teams with winning records should caount.
ARdawg
October 30th, 2011
11:40 am
1eyedjack
He’ll be missed.
dawg67
October 30th, 2011
11:41 am
For all of you morons that are screaming for Richt to be fired, I have a question for you. Who in the heck would you bring in as the savior of UGA football? Last year at this time you same morons were yelling and screaming for Richt’s head and your suggestion for a new coach was Dan Mullen. How does that look to you now? And do not mention Kirby Smart (a defensive coach that plays second fiddle to the head coach).
ARdawg
October 30th, 2011
11:41 am
Ron
October 30th, 2011
11:40 am
UGA’s win against Florida should not count. only wins against teams with winning records should caount.
You’d think you Tech grads would at least check up on the rules HA HA HA. See you on the 29th nerds
Ron's Mom
October 30th, 2011
11:42 am
Ron,
Have you finshed your spelling lesson??
Ron
October 30th, 2011
11:42 am
Axtually UGA fans should have quietly left statium in shame after florida game…beating a team with a 4-4 record is like a loss. saban and miles don’t count wins against teams with losing records.
Joey
October 30th, 2011
11:43 am
Is Ron the nerd that kept crowing about the yardage after yet another loss to UGA last season?
I thought so.
ARdawg
October 30th, 2011
11:43 am
dawgs 67
You’re asking someone to pick a head coach who does not exist for a position that isn’t available?
ARdawg
October 30th, 2011
11:44 am
Joey
Thats him. Waiting on the grease to heat up in his fryer for the lunch shift
Ron
October 30th, 2011
11:44 am
Tech beat an 8-0 No. 5 ranked team who had beaten V Tech, Auburn. Manhandled them 31-17.
UGA beat a 4-4 unranked team by 4 points.
evil empire
October 30th, 2011
11:44 am
coastal carolina got beat by stony brook yesterday 42-0..great scheduling uga…god i hope you tards extend cmr as coach for life…
evil empire
October 30th, 2011
11:46 am
you tell ‘em ardawg…our coach ain’t goin nowhere…hahahaha
Ron
October 30th, 2011
11:47 am
This Florida team only beat 3-5 record Tenn & Kent, Fla Atl & UAB. They had lost to everybody else. And UGA only beat them by 4 points.
maddawg913
October 30th, 2011
11:48 am
Ron,
Tech lost to a 4-4 team….got manhandled by them 24-7
Ron
October 30th, 2011
11:49 am
Nope, Tech played No. 5 ranked Clemson, and destroyed them.
evil empire
October 30th, 2011
11:50 am
ron = realistic troll…reality not spoken here…go away troll..hahaha
SXS
October 30th, 2011
11:50 am
People wanting the pull out the history between the two teams, almanac about stats. GA won the game against their most heated rival regardless of who dominated the series. They will need help to have the chance to play in the SEC championship game.
Ron
October 30th, 2011
11:51 am
AP voters should drop UGA from rankings, since they havn’t beat a team yet with better than a 4-4 record.
And move Tech up since they dominated the No. 5, 8-0 Clemson.
Shine
October 30th, 2011
11:51 am
I am not concerned how many NFL playuhhs UGA turns out. Nobody remembers that crap. I am concerned how many BCS Championships Ga turns out. That number sits at zero and will remain so as long as loser Richt is coach. Either get somebody to do the job or pay a mediocre salary for mediocrity.
maddawg913
October 30th, 2011
11:51 am
Ron,
what’s Miami’s record? who won that game??
Escaped from Email Purgatory
October 30th, 2011
11:54 am
@dawg67
Are you saying CMR should be retained because there’s nobody better out there? Or is it based on merit – his job performance – based on the team’s performance the past three years – this year included – warrant retaining him?
You make a good point (i.e. it’s tough to find a good HC – especially if you’re replacing an HC who was good – emphasis on “was”), but I think you’re saying the same thing a lot of folks do who just don’t want CMR to get fired. They’re looking for any reason not to pull the trigger. I guess that says a lot about Richt, the man, but it won’t improve the quality of UGA football.
Are you happy with the performance of UGA football the past three years? If not, does Richt deserve any of the blame? And what makes you think he’s corrected the problems that have plagued UGA football in recent years?
I guess it’s pretty sorry to gripe about CMR after a victory over the Gators – finally. But that’s my nature I suppose.
maddawg913
October 30th, 2011
11:54 am
AP voters should drop tech from the rankings since they lost to a 4-4 and a 5-3 teams and move UGA up since their losses came to a 7-0 and a 7-1 team.
Your Friend on FB
October 30th, 2011
11:55 am
Ron, son, your beat annual UGA beat down is in a couple of weeks. You all haven’t beaten the Dawgs in 20+ years. I exclude the vacated cheating years. It’s just a game dog per 5th down Reggie Baller.