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
kb
October 30th, 2011
3:11 pm
Gt , A whipping of massive proportions coming your way at the end of November, Clemson beat Clemson last night.
GT
October 30th, 2011
3:12 pm
Yeah you going to win, by hyping the SEC then getting a candy a.. schedule and looking like you are world beaters. You have three maybe four ,with South Carolina, teams in the SEC the rest are about ACC level. I am thinking Clemson will probably beat South Carolina this year, play even with Arkansas and couldn’t touch Alabama or LSU., which for your information are in the SEC.
Winning is Winning
October 30th, 2011
3:17 pm
GT no matter how bad we are or how easy the schedule is we are going to drill the jackets…. again…nothing of interest on the gt blog so you come to the real football blog
Mad Dog One
October 30th, 2011
3:19 pm
@ gt How can anyone from the acc even say anything about the schedule of any school. Dam# boy just look at the power houses in the acc OH that is BB sorry. As always GO DAGS & GATA
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
October 30th, 2011
3:22 pm
We watched a lot of games yesterday/last night. Special teams were pretty bad on several games.
Winning is Winning
October 30th, 2011
3:22 pm
Nothing like a GT nerd with the typical tek inferiority complex using a UGA win to benchmark thie victory over Clemson…. mighty VT beat Duke by 4… does that mean they sux? You will find out soon….
GT
October 30th, 2011
3:25 pm
Nope, Bradley takes cheap shots at us for two weeks and then leaves for Jacksonville knowing yall have that one won. We are playing the best we can, you are not even out of first gear. What I cannot figure out is if the stuff we read about your recruits is BS from this paper on out to the rest of the world or is Richt that bad coach, which I truly believe it is his coordinators. I can promise you that number 1 you have playing is not number 34 or in the same planet. And that defensive co. is not Erk Russell. But if Erk just had this defense you would be up there with Ala. and LSU don’t even get rid of Bobo.
duronimo
October 30th, 2011
3:26 pm
Murray is not accurate enough to be a premier SEC quarterback. The receivers bailed him out. I think Crowell is going to regress much like Washun did. It’s clear Crowell is not getting the carries expected of a premiere back. He may be a bust. And Samuel? He flashed his potential for about 10 minutes … enough to help us win. Where’s that been for three years? Did the kickers have bets on the game? Another, halting, stumbling, fitful effort over a bad team.
Mad Dog One
October 30th, 2011
3:30 pm
OH I almost forgot as my gaytors friends are fond of saying old history dosen’t count (about when GA. owned fla.) so we are 1 & 0 against fla. Dam# that felt gooood. As always GO DOGS & GATA
GT
October 30th, 2011
3:31 pm
You won’t hear Bradley say that he is scared of you. It is easy to hit Tech we don’t read his paper anyway but the Dawgs are his reading public, just like WSBs. Georgia goes out with all that money and instead of hiring a football coach they hire a PR man that covers up this and writes copy for a lazy Bradley. I was listening to Butler on 750 talk about how this will help your recruiting. How the hell can you do any better in recruiting than you are doing right now?
coma toast
October 30th, 2011
3:34 pm
my theory on Crowell: the kid is looking at a bigger picture than playing in Athens. He’s playing not to get hurt and mess up his chances at getting to the next level. You may never get the best of Crowell. Running backs have a short life span. Lattimore has already taken too much of a pounding at SoCar. Life for a feature back in the SEC is much tougher than being a feature back in a lesser conference. IC might be looking big picture and can’t say i’d blame him.
Voyager Dawg
October 30th, 2011
3:35 pm
Kool Aid – Mark Richt’s winning percentage has him in the top ten active college football coaches. It’s like a batting average. Not really a fair comparison saying it would be like getting a “C” like you would get in school. I’m great with my kid being in the top ten of his class or batting .730 on his baseball team. The bottom line is I’m just a fan of the Dawgs, what I think doesn’t make a big difference one way or the other and certainly won’t affect the team’s ability to win National Championships. I agree with you on the special teams not being very good, but I guess I’m more of a glass half full type of person. A year ago everyone wanted Will Muschamp to come back to Georgia and we can see how that’s working out for Florida. Kirby Smart has been the flavor of the week. I for one don’t want us to take a step back and don’t really see anyone out there that would come to Georgia and do better. Gotta go mow the yard. Enjoy the victory and the rest of the weekend! Go Dawgs!
wildbill
October 30th, 2011
3:37 pm
Lets all bow our heads for the special teams and qb position, they need all the help they can get. With all the mistakes we made, I still can’t believe we won. I was picking the gaytors by 10 points, if they had played a decent average game, we would have been toast.
GSU Eagle 91
October 30th, 2011
3:39 pm
I watched this game as a neutral observer, and I have decided that the SEC East is 2 ladder rungs below BAD!
But the Dawgs and their fans should enjoy this moment.
I think USC can beat Arkansas but it doesn’t matter. SEC (L)East champ is going to be destroyed by the LSU/ Alabama winner…
Winning is Winning
October 30th, 2011
3:40 pm
GT… Bradley and Schultz both give the Dawgs and Jackets hell ….. they don’t play favorites.. why can’t you enjoy your win over Clemson and relax… too mad UGA won? does it hurt that much to see UGA win… that’s funny
Winning is Winning
October 30th, 2011
3:43 pm
GSU… then you should bet all you own on the SEC CG since you are clairvoyant…..
And don't y'all forget it!!
October 30th, 2011
3:51 pm
NOBODY and I mean NOBODY beats us 19 times outta 20!!!!!!!!!!!
And don't y'all forget it!!
October 30th, 2011
3:52 pm
I meant 19 outta 22 times
Great Dawg
October 30th, 2011
3:57 pm
Has anybody heard anything about Samuels injury? I just read that Dallas Lee’s leg was broken.
GrantParkGator
October 30th, 2011
4:06 pm
Good win for UGA and CMR! The players wanted this one for their coach….364 days and counting!
Yellow Fuzz
October 30th, 2011
4:17 pm
How bout THEM
2 star recruits?
gimmick, high school offense?
80 year old Defensive Coordinator?
Looking forward to doing business with you in 27 days!
bart
October 30th, 2011
4:20 pm
Any win is good, and this was a very good win. But it was not a great win. We were playing an average team with a hobbled quarterback, and we still won by only 4 points. I expect to get beaten by both Auburn and Tech, especailly if the Tech team shows up that killed Clemson yesterday. Hope I’m wrong and I’ll happy to eat my words if I am wrong.
Winning is Winning
October 30th, 2011
4:25 pm
yellow fuzz you have been hiding until this Clemson win…… well Clemson has been exposed as the jackets were exposed by Virginia…. remember when tek was #7 and got thrashed at home in 2009…. the Clemson defense was on oxygen.. in the second half… the Dogs will be on Tevin… we are looking forward to extending our winning ways vs the bumbler bees
Winning is Winning
October 30th, 2011
4:25 pm
Bart Simson I presume……
dawgtired
October 30th, 2011
4:35 pm
Dont worry dawgfans, John Theus is ALL DAWG. Spoke to him at the game last night and he assured me not to worry about his commitment. Huge kid will start from day one. Looks bigger than 6′6″ and 290 without the lineman “belly”. Very mature kid.
Mad Dog One
October 30th, 2011
4:36 pm
yeller fuzz Is that not what grows around a mans b oh never mind. Can you say 9 out of 10.
Jesup
October 30th, 2011
4:38 pm
Enter your comments here
Crenshaw
October 30th, 2011
4:40 pm
Congrats on beating up on the 4th, 4-4 team of the year, and the 3-5 team, and the 2-6 team to get those 6 wins!
Crenshaw
October 30th, 2011
4:41 pm
CC, Vandy, UF, MUS, all 4-4 teams= 4 wins
Tenn 3-5 = 5th win
Ole Miss 2-6 = 6th win
WHAT A SEASON!!
Jesup
October 30th, 2011
4:42 pm
As we were leaving our tailgate area i heard a Florida fan hollar at me ” WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR ” ….. and i thought, thank God I wasnt saying that again this year.
GO DAWGS
Eaassyy
October 30th, 2011
4:44 pm
GT and Yellow, remember getting drummed by Miami and a really bad Virginia team? Congrats on the W last night. Act like you have been there before.
Kool Aid Drinkers Beware
October 30th, 2011
4:47 pm
Ole Dawg:
“would I have fired Dooley after his first 10 seasons?”
Yes. I think my dog could have coached that team to a NC with HW in the backfield. Nat’l champions in the last 10 years: LSU, Bama, Florida, Auburn. We haven’t even sniffed the field.
bleed gold and black
October 30th, 2011
4:58 pm
I am really looking foward to UGA winning the east and then watching them get throddled
by LSU/BAMA in the championship game. I don’t want to miss it for nothing.
browndog
October 30th, 2011
5:02 pm
Vandy should have beaten Arkansas so believe USC will play the Hogs very close.
bleed gold and black
October 30th, 2011
5:02 pm
If UGA wins against,which they want it will be there only upset of the season.
War Dang Dawg
October 30th, 2011
5:03 pm
Mark Richt isn’t going to make anyone forget Vince Lombardi, or Vince Dooley for that matter, but come on guys, we’re on a 6 game losing streak and just beat Florida. Let’s give some credit where credit is due. He showed some guts by passing into the endzone on 4th down right before halftime, and that carried over into a second half where we outscored Florida 14-3. He might find his way into the SECC Game before it’s over. Enough negativity.
UGAgirlFAN Forever
October 30th, 2011
5:05 pm
OMGOSH!!!!!!!! Here comes the Bandwagon Fans!!!!!!!! Where are you when UGA is losing ??? Oh that is right?! You are calling for CMR and whoever else’s head to be chopped off- Dang you make me sick! FOREVER A DAWG FAN- GOOOOO DAWGS- CONGRATS ON A WELL DESERVED VICTORY!!!!! Now I will enjoy my Gator Meat! AWWWW SWEET VICTORY UGA!
UGA leads 48-40-2
October 30th, 2011
5:06 pm
(just to keep a little historical perspective. UF didn’t invent winning in Jax, and the college game wasn’t invented in 1990)
Mad Dog One
October 30th, 2011
5:07 pm
Just checked the tech record as follows;
RECORDS
Catamoounts – 1 & 7
BLUE RAIDERS – 2 & 5
JAY HAWKS – 2 & 6
WOLF PACK – 4 & 4
TERPS – 2 & 6
VA. – L
UM – L
CLEM & SON – W Good Win
I don’t think you would scare A or L.S.U. very much. Keep winning “WE ARE COMMING” be afraid be very afraid. As always GO DOGS & GATA oh by the way thanks for inspiring ERK with these letters GATA
Winning is Winning
October 30th, 2011
5:12 pm
Oh yes that tek schedule was really a bunch of powerhouses
Not So Fast
October 30th, 2011
5:16 pm
138 Games into their UGA coaching careers:
Mark Richt 102-36 (.739)
Wally Butts was 92-39-7 (.692)
Vince Dooley was 92-41-5 (.685)
Richt haters take that weak crap somewhere else.
UGAgirlFAN Forever
October 30th, 2011
5:17 pm
I really like you “UGA leads 48-40-2″ and VERY good point!!!!!
(just to keep a little historical perspective. UF didn’t invent winning in Jax, and the college game wasn’t invented in 1990)
Your Friend on FB
October 30th, 2011
5:28 pm
Dawgs Baby
Chain
October 30th, 2011
5:31 pm
Since 2011, UGA is 1-0 against Florida.
Chain
October 30th, 2011
5:40 pm
Also, I wouldn’t care if Florida was 0-7 when we beat them…just like UGA didn’t care about beating Tech in 1994 when they were 1-9.
Chain
October 30th, 2011
5:43 pm
Tech fans probably need keep their fingers crossed that their team isn’t caught cheating again…one vacated ACC title is bad enough.
Kool Aid Drinkers Beware
October 30th, 2011
5:45 pm
Not so Fast Not so Fast…
I love it when we, dawg fans, compare CMR to only UGA coaches, as if that matters. Newsflash, UGA has had MEDIOCRE coaches for the most part, so that won’t fly here buddy.
What about comparing CMR in the present? I.e. against his peers: Les Miles, Saban, Chizik, Meyers, Stoops, etc. Think any of those schools want to trade with us?
Keep drinking your kool aid, telling your friends what “a good man” CMR is, and how you love just going to games, even if we lose.
I want to play for a NC someday. Do you?
BobDawg
October 30th, 2011
5:45 pm
I think we should start a “pool” on the CMR extension day/date???!!!
Geodawg
October 30th, 2011
5:46 pm
God loves the Bulldogs again! The air is clearer, the sun brighter and the birds sing “Glory, Glory to Ole Georgia” once more. Hooray!
Dutch
October 30th, 2011
5:50 pm
I don’t understand the bunch of you already putting the Dawgs down after they finally got the job done in Jacksonville. Yes, the special teams did not do well. Yes, our kicking game wasn’t what we expected. But the point is, we finished the game and the end result was a win. A true fan stays with their team through all the adversity. Yes, there were times that you would think a coaching change needs to happen. But look at the reality of it all. Look at the overal win-loss record of our coach. Look at the respect the players have for this coach. Look at the discipline these players are showing on and off the field. Yes, the monkey is off our back finally with this win over Florida. It doesn’t matter what record either of these teams have when this game starts. It is a fight from the start to the finish. Those of you that want to just put the Dawgs down. I have this to say to you. If you can do it better, get out there and try. If not you need to either be with us or against us. If you go against, you were never a true Fan. I enjoy watching the University of Georgia Bulldogs every time they play. I am not able to attend many games but I will always watch them. There have been bad moments and good moments for them. I will always believe in them and be a true Fan. I think this bunch of players we have are going to surprise you naysayers. I am glad we have such a great coach who has character and integrity. These values aren’t found in all coaches. Keep playing hard, Dawgs. You guys are doing great and those of us that are True Fans. We appreciate you and look forward to watching you play the rest of this season. Don’t let the remarks by a few fans reflect what those of us that are true Fans feel. We are behind you 100 percent. I am an alumni and I will always be faithful to UGA. No matter what is going on I will be there to support them in any way possible. Keep this streak rolling!!!!!!GO DAWGS!!!!!!!