Georgia uses defense to best Gators, 24-20
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The SEC East-leading Georgia Bulldogs played like the underdog and, for once in a blue moon, came out on top against the Florida Gators.
Florida managed just one first down in the second half and the Bulldogs’ came back from a 17-3 deficit to edge the Gators 24-20 here at EverBank Field on Saturday. The win was Georgia’s sixth in a row, snapped a three-game losing streak against Florida and was just the fourth in the last 22 years against one of their most bitter rivals.
With the victory, Georgia (6-2, 5-1 SEC) remains in at least a tie for first atop the SEC’s Eastern Division. South Carolina (6-1, 4-1), which holds the tiebreaker due to its 45-42 win in Athens in September, was playing Tennessee in Knoxville late Saturday night.
It was the fourth loss in a row for the Gators (4-4, 2-4), who are in their first year under coach Will Muschamp, a UGA graduate and football letterman. It’s the first time Florida has lost four consecutive games since 1988, when Georgia also handed it loss number four.
After giving up a 72-yard pass play on Florida’s first offensive play of the game, the Bulldogs bowed up to allow just 154 total yards the rest of the way, including 19 yards passing in the second half.
Georgia outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, who was named a Butkus Award finalists just this past week, recorded four of the Bulldogs’ six quarterback sacks in the game. John Brantley, who ended starting for the Gators, was 12-of-33 passing for 245 yards.
The Bulldogs scored two of their three touchdowns on fourth-down passes from quarterback Aaron Murray, one to freshman Michael Bennett and another to junior Tavarres King. Murray was 15-of-34 passing for 169 yards and threw one interception.
Tailback Richard Samuel recorded the other TD on a four-yard run in the fourth quarter and finished with 58 yards rushing in relief of injured starter Isaiah Crowell. The game ended after Samuel’s first-down run to the Gators’ 1-yard line.
Crowell missed most of the second half with a shin contusion but managed to finish with 81 yards on 18 carries.
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216 comments Add your comment
Brainiac(Dawg for life/Richt fan for life)
October 29th, 2011
10:31 pm
Alex: Please feel free to take your negative BS to another site. Maybe you could become a Gator fan. We damn sure don’t need your NEGATIVE A$$ spouting off about CMR needing to go. You appear dumb enough to be triplets and CMR will be coaching at UGA as long as he chooses..
LOYAL DAWG
October 29th, 2011
10:32 pm
ATLBAMAFAN, you bet it feels good!
LOYAL DAWG
October 29th, 2011
10:34 pm
Brainiac, don’t pay an attention to the Trolls, they’re just trying to spoil you fun.
Desert Dawg
October 29th, 2011
10:35 pm
Gator meat: Smells like fish and tastes like chicken.
mississippa dawg
October 29th, 2011
10:37 pm
Samuel has been a dedicated dawg to me every since the ga.tech game 2yrs ago. where have u all been. no he s not crowell but hes a tank
jezzydawg
October 29th, 2011
10:38 pm
Great win! We need to sign Mark Richt to a long contract extension right now before he gets away. Richt haters can shove it, this guy is the best.
LOYAL DAWG
October 29th, 2011
10:38 pm
Samuel’s got heart and he’s a team player. Very rare these days.
St Simons - we're on Island time
October 29th, 2011
10:43 pm
I know what I saw.
I saw that for the first time in a long time, Mark had the clipboard, and talked into the headset on every offensive play. I think he took over the playcalling today.
St Simons - we're on Island time
October 29th, 2011
10:45 pm
Samuel & Jones are Junkyard Dawgs, in the old mold.
hotdawg
October 29th, 2011
10:49 pm
So proud to b a dawg today the defense is truly junkyard…and the recievers were great and I won’t speak on murray just to stay positive
strawdawg
October 29th, 2011
10:55 pm
Well ,I guess we just convinced John Theus’s mom that UGA is the team for her son! She was quoted that the winner of the Ga.vs Fla will get her son’s service. I guess that is UGA, huh!
Bo In North Carolina
October 29th, 2011
10:57 pm
jacked fever since gt knows how to handle ranked teams, why couldn’t you handle unranked
Va & Miami? Atlanta Gator and Beast. Best of luck for the rest of the season.
Lucky Dog...
October 29th, 2011
11:08 pm
Lucky Dogs…
BUZZED
October 29th, 2011
11:16 pm
PAUL JOHNSON for President!!! Clemson’s a joke!!!!
Chris
October 29th, 2011
11:16 pm
it is a good time to be a dawg!!! Great win!! Richt is on a role! he needs to announce someone as special teams coach cuz whatever we are doing stinks and is going to lose us a game. Is blair walsh on ddrugs????? he is a bumm. Maybe he is having like family issues or something but something is wrong. the AD needs to sign richt to an extension so recruits feel secure with richt being back next year!!! GREAT WIN!!!! LOOKING FORWARD TO REDEMPTION IN THE DOME IN THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GO DAWGGSSS
trout dawg
October 29th, 2011
11:17 pm
I dont give a DANG how we won….WE BEAT FLORIDA!!!
DAWGIT
October 29th, 2011
11:17 pm
Looks like BUZZED made a drive by fruiting.
@sportsguru95
October 29th, 2011
11:47 pm
Its a long way 2 the SEC Championship! This TEAM is getting better! If UGA wins the East, I like this teams chances vs Alabama or LSU, because this defense will be Lethal by then!
Fdawg
October 30th, 2011
12:04 am
I don’t know why everyone is harping on Crowell. He put up 81 yards on 18 carries (4.5 yards per carry) and took a nasty helmet hit to his leg. I’d say that’s pretty darn good. Samuel came out strong today and fought hard. Something we haven’t seen from him all season. A win is a win, even though it wasn’t pretty. Special teams and offense need a lot of work. But at least our defense has been playing lights out, which helps the offense squeak by.
Wreckmaniac
October 30th, 2011
12:29 am
SEC east leading dawgs ? When did this happen ?
Wreckmaniac
October 30th, 2011
12:30 am
Darn. Just when the dawgs finally get a win over Florida, they get upstaged by Tech.
jp
October 30th, 2011
5:18 am
bilbo you are a bilbo bobos play calling won the game you jerl off .cant take yes for an answer . you and planet clair and thomas brown are cheerleaders
jp
October 30th, 2011
5:25 am
joe and teewest are people that have never played 1 down of football. murray is not a big game qb. he tosses 2 4th down tds .crowell plays hurt and leads the team in rushing . go pull for tech or pull on each other. cant take yes for an answer .complete idiots
jp
October 30th, 2011
5:29 am
amen asa you said it all what cry babies and losers complain after a win
jp
October 30th, 2011
5:45 am
mike you never played football except in the back yard you idiot murray tosses 2 4th down tds and crowell plays hurt and leads the team in rushing. go watch soccer you jizz off . cant take yes for an answer . give your self credit . credit for being a cry baby loser
lakeland dawg
October 30th, 2011
8:50 am
I think a win is a win but to beat the gatos is a special win to the real dawg fans out there.Blair Walsh is garbage i wouldnt let him kick another field goal.He has cost us points in to many games.Our D. is just awsome they played with alot of heart.It is great win i woke up today knowing we beat those gators how u like that Will go dawgs.
Ginny
October 30th, 2011
9:20 am
I am so tired of negative comments from Bulldog Fans! If you are so ticked off with Richt and all the coaches, I’m sure that Muschamp could use a few fans right now, or maybe you could pull for Bama or LSU. They’re winning every game! Please pick one ’cause the Dawgs don’t need you!!!!
Where the hell is Gatormeat now?
October 30th, 2011
10:11 am
Single wide.
1969 Graduate
October 30th, 2011
10:31 am
I’m enjoying the win.
I’m also not enjoying the notion that consecutive wins over weak opponents somehow make Mark Richt a great coach, and entitle him to a contract extension.
The facts are plain enough. Mr. Richt has not produced teams in recent years which beat strong teams. Mr. Richt has stood by Mr. Bobo even though it’s obvious that Bobo is not very good. Mr. Richt has neglected Special Teams to the point where ours formerly dominant kickers are liabilities.
Mr. Richt is not a championship level coach.
Beating any Florida team is great, but let’s get real. This was a lame Florida team. This lame Florida team could have beat us, had a few plays been a bit different.
Congratulations to Mr. Samuels for a fine performance, and the best game of his career.
Stinger
October 30th, 2011
10:34 am
You beat a happless Florida team that has lost 4 games in a row, while we beat an undefeated 8-0 Clemson team that was # 5 in the nation. Big difference. Can’t wait for Nov.
john
October 30th, 2011
10:40 am
Glad we won, but it is obvious that Ga. is a poor coached team. With the exception of the defensive unit.
Danny G
October 30th, 2011
10:44 am
Crowell needs to man up and play with bumps a bruises. Bruised shin? Brantley was playing with a high ankle sprain. When is man enough to get on the field, he has flashes of a top back, but how can you play in the SEC and not get a bruised shin? Buckle your chin strap Son and get out there! Thank you Samuel IV for your efforts in the 4th to get us a victory.
JDawg1785
October 30th, 2011
10:44 am
Way to step up, D! How ’bout them Dawgs?!
Danny G
October 30th, 2011
10:47 am
Stinger, we can’t wait to beat your high school team, once again in Nov. as well. By the way, it is easy to say we beat a #5 team, but hard to explain the losses to unranked teams. Explain that one.
Black Mountain NC Bulldog
October 30th, 2011
10:52 am
I saw where Samuel has an ankle sprain and Lee has a Fibula issue. The O line is razor thin now, but the D is AWESOME!
All that money, in the program and no Special Teams Coach?
I hope we have all of our horses back by the Auburn game.
Old Dog, Retired
October 30th, 2011
11:26 am
Boy, Blair Walsh shouldn’t have taken those kicking lessons from Scott Norwood.
Dawg89
October 30th, 2011
12:24 pm
It’s good that the defense is great because the offense sucks. Grantham should demand that Bobo be fired. We upgraded the defensive staff, now it’s time to upgrade the offensive staff.
Dawg89
October 30th, 2011
12:27 pm
It’s official, Walsh sucks. It’s time for a new kicker.
Yellow Fuzz
October 30th, 2011
12:38 pm
Hahaha. Glad all you chest pounding, AH dog nation represenatives on here were able to get by a banged up Florida team. Hahaha. While THE GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS totally dominated the #5 ranked team in the nation (which had far more talent and depth than us) with our “2 star players”, “gimmick, high school offense” and “80 year old defensive coordinator”. See you soon doggies. You may beat us but you will have to play the game of your life. There is NO WAY that you have more talent than Clemson.
FEAR THE FUZZ!
TechRon
October 30th, 2011
1:13 pm
Well done, Dawgs! UF was down, but I could really see those demons trying to pull that game their way. However, the coaches and team did a great job. Well done. You know, they might win the rest of them! Could be. WTG.
zbulldawg
October 30th, 2011
1:32 pm
Richard Samuel YOU ARE ONE GREAT TEAM PLAYER !!!!!!!!!!! Running back to linebacker back to running back.Then to nail FLA. where it hurt the most. WHAT A GREAT TEAM PLAYER A LEADER ! JONES YOU ARE A HAMMER ! TODD GRANT “HAM” WILL DEVELOPE MANY MORE HAMMERS IN HIS TIME. THE WHOLE DEFENSE IS HAMMER TIME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SICK EM
zbulldawg
October 30th, 2011
1:44 pm
Tech fans are a piece of work. They should be called the Roosters the way they crow.NO CLASS Good game Jackets.
Preston
October 30th, 2011
2:24 pm
Glad we were able to beat a sorry Florida team. Should be a two year streak but we blew it last year. We’ll take it though.
Preston
October 30th, 2011
2:25 pm
Hire a damn special teams coach and take over the play calling Richt! NOW!
Preston
October 30th, 2011
2:30 pm
Yellow Fuzz is an idiot. We have more talent than Clemson. They play in your weak little ACC is why they were undefeated so keep dreaming. UGA may have it’s offensive and special teams problems but they will still stuff your asses as usual next month. Book it loser. You haven’t seen a defense like this! Can’t wait to shut you clowns up AGAIN! LMFAO!
Preston
October 30th, 2011
2:32 pm
Nice one Danny G! Don’t expect a reply from the idiot! LOL
techismybee-otch
October 30th, 2011
2:51 pm
If you are complaining after this win over hte Gators, then you are NOT a FAN! Quit your belly0achin’,…you would be moanin’ if we lost, why are you moanin’ because we won? We beat the SMUG Gators….the arrogant, in our face, hated lizards…..shut up and enjoy it! Or better yet, quit telling folks you are a UGA fan, because you aren’t….I am SO proud of our defense and we are winning again ike we did when Richt and BVG were working together….now, get well next week, play some subs, and win out against Auburn, Kentucky, and Tech….the REAL fans are SO PROUD of YOU and the Coaches….now get the special teams fixed!
techismybee-otch
October 30th, 2011
2:53 pm
If you are complaining after this win over the Gators, then you are NOT a FAN! Quit your belly-achin’,…you would be moanin’ if we lost, why are you moanin’ because we won? We beat the SMUG Gators….the arrogant, in our face, hated lizards…..shut up and enjoy it! Or better yet, quit telling folks you are a UGA fan, because you aren’t….I am SO proud of our defense and we are winning again like we did when Richt and BVG were working together….now, get well next week, play some subs, and win out against Auburn, Kentucky, and Tech….the REAL fans are SO PROUD of YOU and the Coaches….and PLEASE get the special teams fixed!
FaithfulDawg86
October 30th, 2011
3:53 pm
Leave Crowell alone. He’s a DGD, and may I remind you, 18 years old. Some true freshman can come in and take the load, some can’t. Obviously, Lattimore did for SC, but look at what happened to him this year. Herschel did, but he was (and still is) a freak of nature. Crowell has been battling through several different injuries in a very physical conference, He’ll be a great back and is already contributing a lot. I’d be willing to bet that everyone on here calling him pansy and so forth has never set foot on a football field except to water the grass. Go back to your pathetic whining and leave this winning team alone.
Jorge Oleary
October 30th, 2011
4:07 pm
Alabama man handled the gators. Boise state man handled you at the line of scrimmage, both sides. If you get to the SEC championship game you will be man handled again.