Crazy weekend leaves Georgia 1/2 game out of first place in SEC East
Georgia’s football team awoke to new possibilities Sunday — and not just because a 43-0 victory tends to brighten one’s outlook.
Two surprising results elsewhere in the SEC on Saturday night -– South Carolina’s 31-28 loss to Kentucky and Florida’s 10-7 loss to Mississippi State -– scrambled the Eastern Division standings to the point that Georgia suddenly is within ½ game of first place.
Yes, Georgia.
Yes, the team that seemed destined to spend the season in oblivion after losing its first three SEC games.
After a crazy weekend, South Carolina leads the SEC East with a 2-2 league record, while Florida and Georgia are tied for second place with 2-3 league records. Vanderbilt is 1-2, Kentucky 1-3 and Tennessee 0-3 within the conference.
“People always say year in and year out that anybody can win on any given weekend, and that’s about what’s happening right now,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said Sunday. “It’s an exciting SEC year, no doubt.”
Georgia’s chances of winning the Eastern Division remain improbable, partly because the Bulldogs would lose a two-way tiebreaker to South Carolina on the basis of the Gamecocks’ 17-6 victory on Sept. 11.
And more significantly, Georgia has three tough SEC games remaining: Saturday at Kentucky, which beat South Carolina one week after the Gamecocks upset then-No. 1 Alabama; Oct. 30 in Jacksonville vs. Florida, which has beaten the Bulldogs in 17 of the past 20 meetings; and Nov. 13 at Auburn, which is undefeated and ranked No. 5 in this week’s Associated Press poll behind the play of Heisman Trophy-contending quarterback Cam Newton.
South Carolina and Florida remain in position to clinch the East’s berth in the SEC Championship Game if either team wins all of its remaining league games. (The Gamecocks and Gators meet on Nov. 13 at Florida.) Georgia would win the division if it wins its three remaining SEC games and if South Carolina loses two of its four remaining league games.
Georgia’s 43-0 victory over Vanderbilt and 41-14 victory over Tennessee the past two weeks make the Bulldogs the only SEC East team on a two-game winning streak at the moment. Florida, by contrast, is on a three-game losing streak.
Richt said he assumes his players are “keeping an eye on” the standings, but he wants the larger focus to remain where it has been for the past two weeks.
“The one thing we had to do to win these last couple of games was just focus on the process of becoming a better football team, rather than where we were in league play,” Richt said. “That was the big motivation for everybody –- to do the things we have to do to block better, tackle better, play more physical, play more disciplined.
“We’ve got some momentum, certainly, because of how we’ve played the last couple of weeks. But I don’t want to forget what got us into this mode; I want to keep focusing on that.”
Georgia’s immediate challenge is a Kentucky team that rallied from a 28-10 halftime deficit to beat South Carolina. Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline completed 32 of 42 passes for a career-high 349 yards and four touchdowns. Wide receiver Chris Matthews caught 12 passes for 177 yards, and Randall Cobb caught eight for 63.
Kentucky’s offense could get another key player back this week. Tailback Derrick Locke, the SEC’s third leading rusher at 95.7 yards per game, didn’t play against South Carolina because of injuries to both shoulders. On Sunday, Kentucky coach Joker Phillips said Locke remains doubtful for the Georgia game but expressed hope he “might have a chance” to play if his shoulders continue to improve.
THE MUDDLED SEC EAST
Teams’ current conference records and remaining games:
South Carolina (2-2): at Vanderbilt Oct. 23; vs. Tennessee Oct. 30; vs. Arkansas Nov. 6; at Florida Nov. 13.
Florida (2-3): vs. Georgia in Jacksonville Oct. 30; at Vanderbilt Nov. 6; vs. South Carolina Nov. 13.
Georgia (2-3): at Kentucky Oct. 23; vs. Florida in Jacksonville Oct. 30; at Auburn Nov. 13.
Vanderbilt (1-2): vs. South Carolina Oct. 23; at Arkansas Oct. 30; vs. Florida Nov. 6; at Kentucky Nov. 13; vs. Tennessee Nov. 20.
Kentucky (1-3): vs. Georgia Oct. 23; at Mississippi State Oct. 30; vs. Vanderbilt Nov. 13; at Tennessee Nov. 27.
Tennessee (0-3): vs. Alabama Oct. 23; at South Carolina Oct. 30; vs. Mississippi Nov. 13; at Vanderbilt Nov. 20; vs. Kentucky Nov. 27.
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151 comments Add your comment
Dawg_Mike
October 18th, 2010
7:57 am
@ SC Texan
Why didn’t SC kick the FG?
It’s because SOS cannot help himself. He has to throw the ball.
They Still have....
October 18th, 2010
8:06 am
NO CHANCE! If I am not mistaken, they have not yet played UF or Auburn. Even though UF is on shaky ground right now, I don’t see anyway UGA doesn;t get beat by 30. Not to mention the fact that UK didn’t look to bad this pas weekend. Dawgs definately lose 2 out of the next 4, maybe even 3.
bad dawg
October 18th, 2010
8:09 am
We better wait and see what the courts decide. Go O-line!
JB
October 18th, 2010
8:09 am
Yeah, we might as well not show up. Insert eyes rolling icon, here.
HBTD!!!
dawgster
October 18th, 2010
8:28 am
Tide Roll…why is it you can’t get it thru that empty skull you have…even the TV announcers were saying that Newton had wanted to go to Au, but they had Kodi Burns at the time and that he chose the gators…he wanted to play in a spread type offense and the gators and yes Au were using that type offense…it has been stated over and over that the young man was not interested in coming to UGA…what is so hard for you to understand about…your absurd posts are repeated over and over and over and over and over and over and over…please find something else to comment on that would be of interest to the people on here…it amazes me that you claim that your handle makes you seem you are ar Bama fan, but i seriously doubt that since you have all this love for Au…i truly believe you are a bandwagon jumper…so whoever the hot team is your team…
takedowndawg
October 18th, 2010
8:29 am
Has anyone heard from tampagator lately. I hope he is not ill or something. He preaches fl well.
DawginLex
October 18th, 2010
8:35 am
Laugh all you want to but the East is there for the taking. The funny part is the team with the BEST shot is Kentucky. They get UGA at home, then play MSU, Vandy and UT. Not exactly murderer’s row.
UGA beats florida and gets florida to a 4th conference loss and SC loses to either florida or Arrkansas and Kentucky goes to Atlanta.
Only in America.
WV
October 18th, 2010
8:35 am
The SEC East is a joke. When a toilet bowl team like UGA is still in the hunt to win it.
Urban Myers
October 18th, 2010
8:39 am
Where are all the Florida fans?
liars and damm liars
October 18th, 2010
8:44 am
Well the good part about all this is that Tach and Georgia both suck so the annual game will be the only real thing to play for this season.
UGA the 8th I am
October 18th, 2010
8:44 am
Ok Russ I will be at .500 by this weekend. Hopefully be 1 – 2 after Jacksonville so I can carry the torch.
liars and damm liars
October 18th, 2010
8:46 am
Oh yea are their any more teams in Tenn. that we could schedule since Georgia teams can win against vandy, tenn and middle tenn. Doesn’t Austin Peay have a football team? Get busy AD’s
Herschel Walker, the red panty stalker
October 18th, 2010
8:51 am
Let’s say all the stars align and the improbable happens and UGA wins the east. BFD. Does anybody really care? A four loss team wins the conference. Real powerhouse conference there.
DawgFaceBlues
October 18th, 2010
8:52 am
If any you fools gonna bash the Dawgs, get the F off here. And especially if you are a Ga fan putn them down.
DawgFaceBlues
October 18th, 2010
8:55 am
Most of you all are too stupid to realize that the SEC is now a super conference. Even the media claims that. In the SEC, if you have 3 or 4 loss record with the tough teams having to play against each other, that is like having a 1-2 loss record in other wimpy az conferences.
Buck Belue wears a toupee
October 18th, 2010
9:15 am
It don’t matter… Alabama will win out and kill whoever lucks there way into the SEC Championship.
Cam Newton = felon
WOW
October 18th, 2010
9:21 am
Who whould have thought that after UGA’s losing streak that the east would still be this close? Florida is even struggling at this point but UGA is turning around at the right time. Hum, maybe UGA can iron some things out and some way pull out a win over Florida, but first they have a good Kentucky team to play first. Let’s not forget that UGA matches up against Auburn decently, think about when Stafford was a freshman and upset them when they were #5 in the nation. Auburn’s defense is also highly suspect especially against the pass because Arkansas 2nd string qb tore them to pieces !!!
The Lawman
October 18th, 2010
9:26 am
Here it comes! First arrest of the week?
Abnerish
October 18th, 2010
9:36 am
After watching the UK/SC and MSU/UF games on Saturday, how in the hell did UK lose to Florida so bad?? Was it the bye week for the Broncos and Tebow suit up?? Gives me hope that UK is susceptible to a similar beatdown by the Dawgs. I don’t know how it would be possible (that they would think they can look past an opponent), but the Dawgs need to not look ahead to Florida and concentrate on the game at Lexington.
YOU SUCK
October 18th, 2010
9:39 am
Reality Dawg, get a grip, support your team or go on a date with a Gator!
Abnerish
October 18th, 2010
9:41 am
Oh, and we are very lucky that Aaron Murray did not get killed on that hit he took on Saturday. Murray is one tough kid. Needs to learn not to cut back like that. If Murray goes down, we are dead.
AltamahaDawg
October 18th, 2010
9:48 am
Georgia does not lose when they don’t turn the ball over. Ky needs multiple turnover to win. It’s a pretty simple equation.
StatesBurr
October 18th, 2010
9:50 am
Bulldog Joe: Awesome man…. The Stat Man… where did you get you data..The Gainesville Sun? You are either from Floriduh, Bammer or Tennersee. At least the Auburn folks keep it clean and I am sure Bammer is thinking of the 65 points…
Mobile Dawg
October 18th, 2010
10:01 am
UGA has exactly the same players today they started the season with except AJ Green. One player can make that difference, just look at AU and you can only wonder where they would be without Newton.
That said, I still can’t believe AJ could make that much difference. What we’re seeing this year (the inconsistency) is why I think we need new blood in Athens. There’s no excuse for us not being prepared at the beginning of this season and playing decent football from the beginning. Excuses have run their course and run out.
AltamahaDawg
October 18th, 2010
10:08 am
Peach Fuzz: “If dawgs win out , using past SEC logic, Colorado will be SEC champs”
using tech logic they would still try to claim it anyway. 1990.
dan
October 18th, 2010
10:09 am
I swear to God, if Florida finds an offense vs. UGA and scores 40 + points, Mark Richt should be fired on the spot!!! I’m not even kidding! The Gators are terrible! And the SEC East is a complete and total joke! Scratch that! The SEC this season is a total joke! 65-43 in the Arkansas vs. Auburn game???? Is tackling just not a cool thing to do anymore?? Should I just go ahead and expect 58-55 Arena League Football scores in the SEC from here on out?
Florida can’t hang more than 7 points on MSU( at least UGA was able to score a garbage TD on them at the end). LSU slops around vs. UT and McNeese State! Bama beats Ole Miss in a lackluster effort! South Carolina craps their pants vs. Kentucky! THIS IS NOT COMPETITIVE FOOTBALL! It’s pathetic…just pathetic! Its like we are doing our best ACC imitation! If this is the best that the SEC has to offer, I am not impressed!
uncle kirk
October 18th, 2010
10:20 am
Watch Floriday break out with the Gatorskin Green helmets against UGA in 2 weeks. I thought UM was too good of a coach to resort to gimmicks.
BLACK BEE
October 18th, 2010
10:33 am
All those DAWG fans that gave up on CMR and called Coach BoBo all those names, one of their own should be a shame now!!!! People joked about a good man religious convictions, something you didn’t know, GOD WILL NEVER LET THE RIGHTHEOUS FAIL! The Dawgs will win the SEC East and go to the tittle game. Shame on yuou DAWG FANS, you showed you weren’t true DAWGS, but a Dawg WITH FLEAS ON HIM!
RxDawg
October 18th, 2010
10:35 am
Yeesh! The SEC east is looking pretty rough this year huh?
Look, I’m no fool. We looked good against some inferior teams. I’m not going to get SEC hopes up at this point. In fact, I’m scared to death of Kentucky this week and really don’t expect a win. Now if we continue to look good against Kentucky, then we’ll talk.
AltamahaDawg
October 18th, 2010
10:36 am
It s not just AJ. Although the idea of the best WR in the country makng some huge difference when he is in the lineup is not that far fetched is it? Is the top weapon worth a TD per game? And our losses have been by how much? Would be great if we didn’t need our best player to win every time, but the fact remains any preseason predictions, which everybody seemed to be comfortable with, was based on him being in the lineup.
Aside from that, it’s hardly just him.
It’s a QB not playing in his first game and seeing the field better. He is making plays now, that he didn’t even see a few weeks ago. (and still a long way to go) And it’s the coaches having more faith in him to do that now. It’s some changes on the O-line, including getting our best left tackle in many years back in there. It’s the defense not just learning where to stand at this point and starting to be able to play with some speed. It’s some leadership among the players finally starting to show up. (underrated aspect of AJ back in the huddle) And whatever somebody might want to believe the coaches have corrected in thier own approach to this particular set of players and circumstanses. There are at least 5 major issues that existed to open the year that have had to be addressed.
And despite having a number of issue that nobody could have predicted, they are a handfull of plays away form being exactly what everybody predicted them to be. Maybe no “excuse” because really is there ever any good ones…. but they is absolutely plenty of legit reasons that did not start as well as they are going to finish.
Not saying that’s good enough, or matters. But let’s not pretend it’s just inexplicable.
biggestdogfan
October 18th, 2010
10:51 am
Every bullldog fan should check out new bulldog song, best song I have ever heard for a dog fan. http://www.jfareal.com or go to youtube an search jfareal go dawgs.
dawg1
October 18th, 2010
11:09 am
Can’t get to excited as Sat was a joke team….still got to beat Fla and Auburn and that wont be easy. Newton is for REAL! Go Dawgs.
Mobile Dawg
October 18th, 2010
11:16 am
It’s not inexplicable at all. Your points and opinions are well made, it’s deja vu every year, we’re unprepared, mentally and physically. The change has to do more with CMR’s philosophy and “his mental toughness” IMO, than with the players. It looks like he gets another year probably, I hope I have to eat my words and he can be the HC we need, history says it isn’t going to happen.
Eating crap, and howling at the moon.
October 18th, 2010
11:23 am
Dawgs—-The beast in the east with the least, wins the east with a losing record. sounds about right!
GADSDEN DAWG
October 18th, 2010
11:28 am
GT fan you are right UGA does sux but UGA will beat GT A$$
dawgdawgdawg
October 18th, 2010
11:38 am
Where have all of the Florida and South Carolina trolls gone? We sure do miss them on the UGA blog, hahaha
AltamahaDawg
October 18th, 2010
12:01 pm
I’m not defending starting the season slow. What I am saying is that should not have been a surprise and wasn’t. IF we need a new HC now, then you should have been saying that in August because this is Exactly the team that all the football gurus saw and most fans agreed we were coming into the season. The slow start was not only predicted, but accepted just a few month ago. I just didn’t hear, we need to fire Richt in August…..what’s different now than in August, especially if you are convinced the results were historically already determined. Or maybe you were.
Mobile Dawg
October 18th, 2010
2:09 pm
I am convinced that the results were predetermined. I blogged as much before the season started by reading between the lines about how this team would be coached around a young qb, or miscoached would be more appropriate. We knew the defense would struggle, and losing AJ Green hurt too. This team was picked to be an SEC East contender (and it’s kinda funny seeing we are with our record is truly surprising) due to the strengths and depth of our offense that disappeared. I fault our coaches directly for that. Murray’s performance has been better than expected so far, with some help we could have, should have been pretty formidable against all our competetion. I could have accepted a loss against USC, or Arky, but we shouldn’t have lost both. We lost both those games because of poor fundamentals. Missy St and Colorado, inexcusable with the talent we’ve seen lately, even against struggling teams. Again those losses were due to fundamentals and a lack of discipline.
We differ now and always will Alt on CMR, but that’s OK because I respect anyone’s opinion who can back it up in a mature way with facts and or educated opinions. We’re probably a lot alike in many ways.
I’m not a Mark Richt guy as far as thinking he’s the head coach that will take us where we need to be consistently. I lost confidence in his decison making in 2005 toward the end of the Auburn game we lost and the results and inconsistency since have just cemented that feeling. CMR teams have underachieved and been unprepared to play far to many times for my comfort and enjoyment as a Georgia Bulldog.
SCTexan
October 18th, 2010
2:53 pm
Dawg Mike, I don’t know. If we’d had 20 to 30 seconds remaining, yea, give it a shot or two. With time on the clock, you don’t feel bad about throwing it away, but if time may run out on the play, you’re going to force a throw, and there you have it.
AltamahaDawg
October 18th, 2010
2:59 pm
Good deal. No argument with anyone believing that we need to make a head coaching change now, as long as they were this past summer. I’ll take that a affirmative on your part. Now, if you were saying that in Jan of 2008, as it sounds like was the case..that’s really sticking to your guns.
Mobile Dawg
October 18th, 2010
3:20 pm
It’s been brewing for a while with me. Probably before 2008 actually, it just really wasn’t popular or smart to say it then. Can’t hold back any more. One thing I did notice was that I was wrong about Alabama’s offensive game plan to a point. Their folks were up in arms over here after the loss to Carolina about their game plan. They abandoned the run pretty quickly and a lot of people second guessed them. Watching them against Ark, their play calling looked similar to ours in ways, as far as patterns go.
I just want football to be fun again. We don’t have to win them all obviously, let’s just get competetive, win some “big” ones, lose some “big” ones. We just should not ever get blown out.
dawgsfan
October 18th, 2010
8:29 pm
I’m taking my son to the game this weekend, does anyone know what time the team get to the stadium? Would love to get him a couple autographs.
AceDawg
October 18th, 2010
8:52 pm
So, what happens if UGA is in a three way tie (such as UGA beats UF, but UF wins its other games, and USC only loses to UF)? In that scenario, wouldn’t UGA win with a better SEC East record? Assuming UGA doesn’t lose all three upcoming SEC games that is…
Stinger
October 18th, 2010
11:21 pm
Doesn’t say much for the SEC does it? YOu will be lucky to win 5 games this year. I predict you only win 4. Kentucky will run all over you this weekend. I say KEN 38 UGA 17. Just so you will know, I only missed the Missy State score by 2 points. I predicted them to win 24-10. I believe you may have gotten 12.
Stinger
October 18th, 2010
11:23 pm
Anyone arrested this week?
Stinger
October 18th, 2010
11:28 pm
Hopefully this dog has a strong heart. He is going to need it this year.
turkeycaller
October 19th, 2010
8:32 am
Altamaha Dawg… Good post earlier. The situations you pointed out are definite factors. However, it is evident that Richt got complacent in overseeing the team. Only after feeling the heat did he seem to get involved again. It takes a pretty good dose of dedication to acheive the type of seasons will all hope for. Hope it is a lesson learned.
Dawgs Tell
October 19th, 2010
8:36 am
Just beat KU,forget about this other crap!Thinking ahead is what gets us in trouble.
AltamahaDawg
October 19th, 2010
3:14 pm
Not sure which post you meant, but thanks. I dont really know about the complacency theory though, maybe. Not sure anything really ties the recent difficulties winning some game directly to him not getting involved with the team. I sort of think he’s pretty damned involved and always has and doesnt really let the “heat” dictate what he does. Also not realy sure that the actual issues on the field can be traced to the HC not being involved, nor instantly fixed just because he decided to start being.
For example, I don’t think he was complacent in the case of Aaron Murray. Very involved I would bet. I don’t think he was complacent in the case of the OL. Nor did him getting involved make all the pieces healthy enough to allow some changes in the lineup, that seems to be working better. The early struggles in the defense is a result of him dramtically changing the almost entire staff on that side, the exact opposite of complacent.
Whatever the struggle this year, it’s been more of an issue of what’s new, not what’s same ol.
But there are most definetely some things in the preparation that need to be examined. Starting with (and IMO most importantly) recruiting. And to agree with your point, I would assume that any coach does learn a lesson from every different situation that he faces, maybe better prepared to handle/head it off in the future.
Which is why I question the idea of throwing the baby out with the water. Seems like we already paid the price for hiring a guy who didnt have all the experiences of some others. To me it’s got to be a lot easier to fix the obvious problems on the field, rather than start all over and history proves in time there are just a different set of them with the next guy.
A Great Red Blog!» Blog Archive » Grab a front row seat for the unraveling of the SEC East
October 19th, 2010
4:20 pm
[...] at midseason isn’t even the craziest storyline in the division. Right now, that would be the resurrection of Georgia’s season following a 43-0 disemboweling of Vandy on Saturday, advancing the Bulldogs to within a half-game [...]