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
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
932 comments Add your comment
Vince
October 29th, 2011
10:46 pm
Are you kidding me? Did you see how Richt was acting after the game? You were SUPPOSE to beat Florida. You just did beat Florida by 4. Wow. You would have thoguht he had just beat Urban. Dancing around and acting Janky after beating a team that you should beat……amazing.
FLA DAWG
October 29th, 2011
10:47 pm
Mountain Dawg,
I’ve been high on RS for a long time. I never thought he had quite enough time to become comfortable on O.
It appears he has done so. I hope it continues.
Athensdawg
October 29th, 2011
10:48 pm
go Dawgs
Shine
October 29th, 2011
10:50 pm
No G, I am not kidding. 2/3rds of the ACC could whip the Bulldogs. If they are lucky enough to make it to the SEC title game, Murray and the Crumb Crowell will be in the hospital before halftime.
Athensdawg
October 29th, 2011
10:50 pm
Tonight’s win is a win. Many of you who want to call for Richt’s dismissal, that’s your right to do, but you are hurting the UGA recruitment and future of the Dawg program. It’s not productive as us dawg fans and alumni to always bash our dawgs! If you are a true Dawg then you will remain united behind whoever is the coach, player or whomever that participates in the game. Let’s use our wins, our talent and the great players we have to motivate them for the next opponents stand behind them.
Granite that tonight wasn’t the prettiest win in UGA football games. Any team has problems that have to be addressed from week to week. There is no need to try to convince people on this board, because they are all qualified football coaches, however, when you step on the field in the SEC or any level of college the game changes. Coaches can only coach so much try to best prepare them for the upcoming games. If the team was not prepared, then you can start blaming it on the coaching staff, but you can’t place the blame on Richt if the players just aren’t having their game. That’s why you call it a team for each of them to pick the others up and make the best out of the game, which UGA did tonight!! College players, yes are having a paid way through school which makes everyone want to think they should perform like pros, however have to do a lot more than that while balancing school with football. Notice that UGA has placed emphasis on graduation rate among athletes and coaches are held to a degree of responsibility making sure of that. Throw all this into the game, you can start noticing why players lag behind some on the field. If it was just as easy as putting pads on and focusing on football then it would be different. Administration has different priorities than us as fans do. We put higher expectations on players, who are really just 18-22 year olds, that just may not be mature enough to handle everything that is expected out of them.
Proud to be a dawg fan and alumni. I may not agree with the plays that are called or agree with particular coaches, but I don’t trash my team. Lets go Dawg nation and quit giving Georgia Tech people reasons to keep poking us about our program.
Dalton
October 29th, 2011
10:50 pm
Georgia beat the Gators. Fla didn’t beat themselves. Ha, those who think so are delusional. The junkyard dawg defense smothered the Gators today, and everybody that watched the game knows it. The win is in the books, the monkey is off the back, and we must now focus on the next game. Gators and haters can continue to whine on this blog if they must. Go Dawgs!
Athensdawg
October 29th, 2011
10:50 pm
Tonight’s win is a win. Many of you who want to call for Richt’s dismissal, that’s your right to do, but you are hurting the UGA recruitment and future of the Dawg program. It’s not productive as us dawg fans and alumni to always bash our dawgs! If you are a true Dawg then you will remain united behind whoever is the coach, player or whomever that participates in the game. Let’s use our wins, our talent and the great players we have to motivate them for the next opponents stand behind them.
Proud to be a dawg fan and alumni. I may not agree with the plays that are called or agree with particular coaches, but I don’t trash my team. Lets go Dawg nation and quit giving Georgia Tech people reasons to keep poking us about our program
William
October 29th, 2011
10:50 pm
To all you haters, suck it! How Bout them Dawgs!!!
Tdawg
October 29th, 2011
10:52 pm
Monger I will have to agree with your accessment of Murray. I have seen him play often and he simply is not that impressive to me. In all actually he kinda suxxxx’s in my opinion. He was missing wide open receivers all day. It almost seem to me that he was throwing the game. He had 2 weeks to prepare for this game and it looked like he just got the play book this morning. Defense better play their rear-ends off, because the offense and special teams has no intention of doing their part.
And finally this. Will you pathetic loser gayturd fans please STFU up. Take your pathetic whinny, cry baby, sore loser attitude and just shut up. Like a previous poster said. We own that arse for this year and they ain’t nothing you can do about it. Ain’t life a hoot? Suk on that for awhile loser’s.
Shine
October 29th, 2011
10:52 pm
David must be one of the mediocre playuhhs, or the parent of a so so playuhh and UGA.
Athensdawg
October 29th, 2011
10:53 pm
A win is a win. Many of you who want to call on Richt’s dismassal, thats your right to do, but you are hurting the UGA recruitement and future of the dawgs program. Its not productive for dawg fans and/or alumni to bash our dawgs. If you are a true dawg fan you are behind who ever the player or coach is. All this is negative bashing when we should be PROUD to be a dawg!!
Shine
October 29th, 2011
10:54 pm
Yes, the Dog defense smothered a team of gimped up hobbling Gators. They are just awesome. lol!
Shine
October 29th, 2011
10:55 pm
For a brighter future, FIRE MARC RICHT!!
Elliot Jones
October 29th, 2011
10:55 pm
Hey Dog Fans…..you are worse than Democrats trying to REWRITE history. Cocks beat you 45-42 (2nd year in a row) and own tie-breaker on your sorry ass.
You may be in Atlanta in the Chick Fil A game. Most of you would be better suited for Nut Bowl in San Francisco where you can visit bath houses.
Tdawg
October 29th, 2011
10:56 pm
William I like you. My thought’s exactally.
Dalton
October 29th, 2011
10:56 pm
Shine, I’m not saying the Dawgs are world beaters or even a top 20 team right now, but WHAT ARE YOU SMOKING??? 2/3 of ACC?? Clemson, probably, depending on where it is played. But that’s about it. Tech will be a great game because it always is, but c’mon man, what are you thinking?
Scott
October 29th, 2011
10:58 pm
I, for one, am very happy with this win. Dawgs were supposed to win this one and found a way to do it even when they were down by 14 pts. I thought Murray did a fine job today in spite of some accuracy issues. Now if they can win the rest… GO DAWGS!
Ckgator
October 29th, 2011
11:00 pm
Herschel Talker nailed it. You beat the worst FL team in 20 years…. by 4 points. Which I guess beats losing to the worst FL team in 20 years. But it almost happened.
Dawg4Life
October 29th, 2011
11:01 pm
I am very grateful for the W as we sure needed it. Without question, Bogotay deserves a shot at field goals. Richt is too loyal to pull the trigger. I feel badly for Blair, but he has more than enough opportunities to redeem himself. McGarity please let’s hire a special teams coach. Hey Gators, turnovers are a bit** aren’t they? As much as I hate the slime Patrino, come on AR and beat the Cocks.
War Dang Dawg
October 29th, 2011
11:05 pm
Chomp Chomp Chomp Cough Gag Wheeze CROAK
Dalton
October 29th, 2011
11:05 pm
Yes, it does beat losing to FL. Come on, you’re team lost. Let it sink in, take a deep breath, and admit defeat. We hope you can bust Gamecock a$$ for us!
mike
October 29th, 2011
11:05 pm
Great win for Coach Richt and the entire “true” Bulldog Nation! You Coach Richt and Coach Bobo haters need to give it a break. Bradley, I know you are disappointed that we pulled it out, what will you possibly write about if Coach Richt is off the “hot seat”
boots
October 29th, 2011
11:07 pm
On picture day this summer, whenever the players signed the posters they had handed out, they would put a big “X” through the Florida game on the schedule. Don’t tell me this game did not mean a lot to them. Well done, Dawgs! Now we need for the Chickens to drop a game, and we need to finish strong against Kentucky and Auburn. Still, great win for the program and for a group of guys that are showing a lot of promise.
War Dang Dawg
October 29th, 2011
11:08 pm
CKgator, we beat the worst Florida team in 20 years after giving up 10 points off of kickoffs and missing two easy field goals and surrendering field position with unusually bad punting by one of the nation’s best. And still came within a yard of beating you by 11. This game was not nearly as competitive as it looked. UF’s offense was completely outclassed in the second half.
But if moral victories is your thing, knock yourself out.
gmandog
October 29th, 2011
11:09 pm
keep deluding yourselves CMR supporters. As long as CMR is HC, UGA will never play for a NC. Why pay a guy over $4 mil a year to get mediocrity. There are many talented coaches out there that would give their first born to have his job. Any objective view of today’s game reinforces how bad the coaching of a talented team is. We have the talent. We just need a SEC caliber HC.
War Dang Dawg
October 29th, 2011
11:11 pm
And I remain highly skeptical of Richt. But give him his due, he showed a lot of guts today and the team fed off that.
2 things we learned or already knew
October 29th, 2011
11:11 pm
1-Aaron Murray is overrated.
2-Concerning the Bulldog Offensive Coordinator and the Falcon Offensive Coordinator. One is as good as the other. Whatever that means.
aladawg
October 29th, 2011
11:11 pm
You are so sad Miss Bee go suck an egg
aladawg
October 29th, 2011
11:13 pm
Ckgaturd stick a dawg bone up your ass
stendek
October 29th, 2011
11:14 pm
Fans, to use the term loosely, like you are not true Dawg fans at all Mike. Even folks with terminal cancer have good days infrequently but that does not mean the cancer is gone. No true Dawg fan wants another season of the uninspired ineptitude doled out by Saint Mark Wretch. True Dawg fans know this all too well. Maybe one day you will be one. A welcome victory over a hobbled Gator team notwithstanding!
real dawgfan
October 29th, 2011
11:17 pm
I’m amazed by the number of complete idiots on this site. You would think we lost the game based on half the comments here. Anyone watching the game would have seen the that CMR and Dooley hit 100 wins in their 14th season as a coach. You idiots would have been calling for Dooley’s resignation in 1979 (they went 6-5). How many future NFL players do you think Fla has? I’d say about as many as UGA, yet you idiots act like we should win any game by 20 or we stink. It’s the SEC. Everybody has a ton of talent. Every game is tough. Great win. Great Comeback! Great 6 game streak. Go dogs! If you feel like bitching after that game, you are not a georgia fan. You’re an idiot.
ole dawg
October 29th, 2011
11:19 pm
Question for you CMR detractors: Exactly who is this head coach that you all are going to hire that has 5+ years experience as a head coach in the SEC with a better winning percentage than CMR? Don’t give me this weak a** crap about some WAC or Mountain West coach or an assistant coach. The SEC meatgrinder will make boys of your so called men. Look at Florida and see how Muschamp is working out. He has no excuse… he has all the talent in the world and has finished ahead og UGA in recruiting pretty much every year. He was probably one of your answers before Floriduh hired him. You are delusional and an embarassment to the UGA Nation. These fine young men (and Coach Richt) returned the world to it’s rightful position today! Celebrate or else you have Dawg fans approval to go find another team to pull for!
UGA2002
October 29th, 2011
11:20 pm
Wow, nobody will even notice Georgia beat Florida. GT just beat Clemson. GT can beat top 5 teams, when is the last time we beat a top 25 team?
Dawgfood
October 29th, 2011
11:20 pm
UGA coaches announce they will replace Walsh with either a walk-on with no legs, a blind kid, or a potato.
The potato is a longshot, but all 3 candidates currently have higher percentages and more conversions per attempt than Walsh.
athdog
October 29th, 2011
11:20 pm
Well, we won. The defense looked as good in the second half as any Dawg D I can remember. Huge kudos to Coach G and the defenders. The receivers Bennet and Conley have bright futures in Athens.
Samuel ran hard in the fourth quarter, and I agree with the TV guys that we should’ve been pounding the Gator D line all night. Hope RS IV is not hurt too much. Murray is fine, he’s having a bit of a sophomore slump. Not at all unusual. Crowell is a really good, not great, back who has serious durability issues. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt concerning his grit. We need to recruit another good back, or get Malcolm healthy.
Bobo’s playcalling, other than the fourth down calls, was it’s usual puzzling mess. The kickoff coverage is abysmal, and has been for most of the last five years. They must be redshirting Bogotay.
Good win. Go Dogs. NO LETDOWNS, BOYS !!!
Not Yet
October 29th, 2011
11:20 pm
gmandog- you and Hersheltalker must have this NC destined coach in mind. Saban comin to Athens?
You know somebody that is gonna win 75% of their games and play in the SEC? Bet you thought Dooley was the man once, right? Took him 14 years to win 100 games. But then again, by your standards Dooley would not not have made it past 1976 (10 yrs is your limit). That would negate the 1980 NC for Dooley. So give us the name. Some up and comer like Will Muschamp???
Dalton
October 29th, 2011
11:21 pm
Georgia’s defense is underrated. Brantley’s ARM was not gimpy, and the receivers were not gimpy. By the way, did everybody see that stat on the largest O line in football??
Athensdawg
October 29th, 2011
11:21 pm
Mark Richt has been with the program going on 11 years. His record is 96-34 and his bowl record is 7-3. He has won 2 SEC championships.
2001 Georgia 8–4 5–3 T–3rd (East) L Music City 25 22
2002 Georgia 13–1 7–1 1st (East) W Sugar † 3 3
2003 Georgia 11–3 6–2 T–1st (East) W Capital One 6 7
2004 Georgia 10–2 6–2 2nd (East) W Outback 6 7
2005 Georgia 10–3 6–2 1st (East) L Sugar † 10 10
2006 Georgia 9–4 4–4 T–3rd (East) W Chick-fil-A 23
2007 Georgia 11–2 6–2 T–1st (East) W Sugar † 3 2
2008 Georgia 10–3 6–2 2nd (East) W Capital One 10 13
2009 Georgia 8–5 4–4 T–2nd (East) W Independence
2010 Georgia 6–7 3–5 T–3rd (East) L Liberty
You cant be perfect forever your team will have to go through some hard time sooner or later. So to say that Richt is on a down slope is complete b.s. The guy just had a top 5 recruiting class and revamped the strength and conditioning program. What else do you want from him? All anyone cares about is what have you done for me lately? The guy is a very good coach.
At 102-36 after 138 games, Mark Richt has more wins, fewer losses, and a better winning percentage (.739) than any of his predecessors at the same point in their respective careers.
No, the real problem with UGA are the fans, who for some reason think that they are entitled to a team that wins the SEC every year. Those people seem forget how long it was before Richt that we won an SEC title. I like to laugh at them when they complain and say Richt should be fired; fortunately, the people who actually can make that decision are both more intelligent and more rational.
east side weezy
October 29th, 2011
11:22 pm
I’ll take a ‘W’ from Florida. Would like to say Brantley is a trooper for toughing it through the game. I know everyone has something to say but I’ll just go with we finally beat Florida. Go Dawgs!
T-Town Dawg
October 29th, 2011
11:23 pm
Ckgator, you still lost. Thats all that matters. Not how good or bad you are or whatever, just the fact that you lost. Chomp on that til next year GAYtor.
phil
October 29th, 2011
11:23 pm
Fire mark richt!!
real dawgfan
October 29th, 2011
11:23 pm
Amen, AthensDawg.
GimmeABreak
October 29th, 2011
11:24 pm
YOu Gator fans a trolls on here can say whatever you want about this season for UGA. The fact is that the Dawgs D can keep us close in most any game and we have enough talent on the offensive side of the ball to make the plays we have to make to win. At the end of the day UGA has won 6 in a row and got a huge monkey off our back for the rest of the season. A win over a team that has dominated you is a major confidence builder and I hope that it will inspire our athletes to step it up. Special Teams has to be dealt with and Bobo still needs to be removed as the OC but we will be fine. Last 2 weeks all I’ve heard is “You guys can’t beat Florida, you haven’t beat anyone else, and the TRUE test will be in Jacksonville.” The truth is that haters like you will never give UGA any props because you can’t do anything but drink your own crappy team’s Koolaid and spew bile from your piehole about pretty much everything else in your life. You probably have been running your traps all week to people you know who like the Dawgs, and thinking you were God’s gift to football knowledge. But the problem is that no matter how sorry you think we are, we shut your sorry asses up tonight didn’t we? Mark Richt won a big game for himself and his program and you can’t stand it because you don’t like him. Well SHOVE IT… You’ll run your blow hole again before Auburn and we’ll beat them too, probably in a not so pretty fashion again, and you’ll say that we still haven’t beat anyone. Who the hell cares what you think? You probably live in your Grandmother’s basement and play Warcraft all day, while dual boxing and commentating on UGA blogs. It’s fine because when we win the East and go to the SECCG, your sorry ass team will be at home with their thumb up their butt. The ACC sucks and always has, just because you had a Clemson team that didn’t totally wet the bed for the first 7 games like it normally does, you thought you had a Clydesdale. Well they lost to a mediocre Tech team that can run all over D2 teams but can’t throw a pass against a decent defense. UGA will bury you on Thanksgiving weekend like we ALWAYS do. So go try to sell your all knowing idiocy somewhere else, we just won our 6th in a row so suck it!
UGA2002
October 29th, 2011
11:25 pm
ole dawg, what you are saying is music to the ears of other SEC teams. We have been enormously aided by a easy easy schedule, we only had to play the two worst teams of the SEC West and not one of their 4 best. UT and UF are awful.
We’re awful, we’ve been awful, it’s all being masked by how easy the East is. It’s non existent.
As to who replaced CMR? SEC coach? Think outside of the box. Where did Chizik, Meyer and MIles come from? You are operating off the assumption an SEC coach wants to come to this mess.
athdog
October 29th, 2011
11:25 pm
Good win. Playcalling, other than on fourth down, was still puzzling. Samuel ran hard, and came up big in the fourth. Hope he’s not too hurt. Crowell has no toughness. We need another blue chip back.
Murray is having the usual sophomore slump. He’ll be fine. The D? Best performance I’ve seen in a long, long time by the Dog D. Second half was Erk-like.
Special teams, or specifically the kickoff coverage, is abysmal. Horrid. Embarrassing. Walsh has a bad case of the yips, and Bogotay must be heading for a redshirt, which I’m all for. We’ll need him next year. Ahhhhh. The start of a streak is sweet.
War Dang Dawg
October 29th, 2011
11:25 pm
Total yards – 354 UGA
226 UF
Horrible special teams play by Georgia kept Florida in the game, it should have never been that close late in the 4th.
Richt better focus on special teams the rest of the way if we have any hope of going to the SECC Game. These guys look overmatched on kickoffs by almost everyone we play. We got by with it against Florida, not sure that’ll happen against Auburn.
real dawgfan
October 29th, 2011
11:29 pm
The fire mark richt crowd would’ve wanted Dooley’s resignation in 1979. What a bunch of moroons. Every team in the SEC is loaded with future NFL players, but you people want us to fire the coach if we don’t win every game by 20. 6 W’s in a row, and you would think we lost ‘em all based on half the comments here. You fans are an embarrassment to the University, which I doubt any of you attended. I can think of about 90 schools that would love to have CMR as their coach, and we got him. Great Win! Great Streak! Go Dawgs!
UGA2002
October 29th, 2011
11:29 pm
@athensdawg
You say CMR can’t be perfect forever…. when was he ever perfect? Where is that BCS National Championship? I’ll answer it, it doesn’t exist and at this rate will never exist.
Meanwhile, over the SEC West they’ve got 4 in recent years and UF had 2 but I think it’s safe to say as horrible as they played that two decades of UF dominance in the SEC/SEC East has died. They are horrendous. 0-4? Lost to Alabama bad, lost to LSU worse, lost to Auburn who decided to swap QBs at the half and now we barely beat them.
athdog
October 29th, 2011
11:29 pm
Athensdawg,
I don’t know you, as I assume we’re neighbors, but I agree with your post exactly. I’ve said before, we’re not lucky enough to have the same history as ‘Bama, Oklahoma, etc…but some of the fans think if we don’t win the conference it’s a failed year. Dooley, Bryant, Osborne all would have been fired if these people had been in charge.
Great win, not beautiful but great nonetheless.
See ya at Jittery Joe’s in the morning!
Dawg enuff
October 29th, 2011
11:29 pm
Ckgator, that was a solid four points ! No way you could have beaten us.You are lucky we took a knee at the end of regulation! We could have easily scored another touchdown at the end,but Coach Richt has class,and it took you into overtime last year to beat the worse Georgia team in 20 years!