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With an eye on Florida, concentration will be key for Bulldogs against Kentucky

8:17 pm October 19, 2012, by Chip Towers

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Georgia coach Mark Richt grabbed a microphone and stepped on a stage at UGA’s Legion Field on Thursday night and declared himself a Florida Gators fan.

“Believe it or not, I am cheering for the Gators this weekend,” Richt told a thousand or so Georgia students and fans gathered there to hear a Jason Aldean concert. “We need them to beat South Carolina to get us back in the driver’s seat.”

Losing a game in the SEC certainly makes for strange bedfellows.

The Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1 SEC) were unceremoniously dispatched by South Carolina 35-7 in Columbia, S.C., on Oct. 6. But during Georgia’s bye last weekend, the Gamecocks lost at LSU.

That means a loss by South Carolina (6-1, 4-1) to No. 2 Florida (6-0, 5-0) on Saturday — coupled by a Georgia win over Kentucky — will set up what essentially will be an SEC Eastern Division elimination game for the Bulldogs against the Gators next week in Jacksonville. A Georgia win in that game would give them the head-to-head tiebreaker over Florida. A loss, and the Gators almost certainly will roll on to the Dome.

But, of course, first things first. And the timing of events Saturday will be interesting.

Florida and South Carolina kick off in Gainesville, Fla., approximately three hours and 15 minutes before Georgia does the same against Kentucky. That means the Bulldogs could know the outcome of that game about the time they take the field at Commonwealth Stadium.

That could be a good thing or a bad thing.

“We know we’ve got to focus on our business or it won’t mean anything,” Richt said. “So I’m not worried much about it. I don’t want to sit there and have that game become a distraction in any way to our preparation for our game. But I don’t think we’ll be able to stop anybody from knowing what happened in the ballgame.

“I’m not expecting that we can keep it some kind of secret or even that I want to keep it a secret.”

In the digital age of social media, it’d probably be impossible anyway. The good news for the 11th-ranked Bulldogs is Kentucky (1-6, 0-4) is a team against which they can afford to be slightly distracted. After last week’s 49-7 loss at Arkansas, the Wildcats’ average SEC margin of defeat is 28.5 points. That happens to be the approximate line by which Georgia is favored in Saturday’s game.

There have been many contributing factors for Kentucky’s demise. It has lost two quarterbacks, two tailbacks and two safeties to injuries. Jalen Whitlow, a freshman who started out as a wide receiver, will get his third start at quarterback for the Wildcats Saturday. Nevertheless, coach Joker Phillips said, hope is alive.

“They’re excited to go out and play,” said Phillips, who had 42 freshmen and sophomores among the 68 players he took to Arkansas. “They don’t think about it. They’re getting an opportunity to play, and a lot of them are getting an opportunity to start, so I don’t sense a hopeless feeling.”

Georgia emerged from its undressing at South Carolina similarly positive. Because of last year’s experience — they won 10 in a row to overcome an 0-2 start and reach the SEC Championship game — they were espousing hopeful optimism following the off week.

“It definitely stinks that we’re not in the driver’s seat right now,” said quarterback Aaron Murray, who’s coming off an 11-for-31, 109-yard passing performance against the Gamecocks. “But we just have to do our thing. We have to make sure we win the remainder of our games because if we lose even one more, there’s no shot of making it to Atlanta.”

Said cornerback Sanders Commings: “The goal is still to win the national championship. We’ve got to have a little help around the league and around college football, but it’s still definitely the goal for us.”

All of that will be out the window if Georgia loses to Kentucky, which has beaten the Bulldogs twice since 2006 and traditionally plays them tough in Lexington. And it could be all for naught if the Gators don’t handle South Carolina.

But rather than hide from that reality, Richt has embraced it. He even wore a red shirt with orange stripes on Monday to underscore his pro-Florida sentiment this week. And while there won’t be a television in the Bulldogs’ locker room at Commonwealth Stadium, Richt said he’ll make no attempt to barricade the information superhighway.

“First of all, I don’t think there’s any way you can keep anybody from finding out what’s going on in the world of college football,” he said. “Even if I tried to say, ‘I don’t want anybody to say anything about that game; I don’t want to hear anything,’ you might get on the bus and the bus driver says something. Everybody’s going to be watching that game.

“The reality of that situation is South Carolina will have three more SEC games to play after that game and we have four more games. So, again, we know we have to focus on our business.”



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193 comments Add your comment

gt4ever

October 20th, 2012
10:41 am

LOL, yeah I would be for UF to, if I couldn’t do the job myself… It’s always fun to get in the SEC championship and then getting my arse handed to me…

Dawg Whisperer

October 20th, 2012
10:43 am

Huh?

Enough already…it is so embarrassing for UGA fans, and in this case the media, to be scheming about how UGA can get back to the SEC CG. It would be awful if UGA backs their way in again.
———————————————————————————————————————–
Trust me, if UGA returns to the SEC CG, I will not be embarrassed nor will all the other fans that show up for the game. Now, you want to GT, I am embarrassed for them.

1eyedJack

October 20th, 2012
10:45 am

One thing I wish Coach Richt would work on is his side-line demeanor. I do think your team takes it’s que from the coach and CMR ain’t one to throw his visor, or to throw his headset and kick it the way Dooley was liable to do. I would like to see some emotion, and the players need to see that there will be a reckoning, when things go wrong.

Bama Fan

October 20th, 2012
10:48 am

@Joey

Our schedule has been a disappointment. It looked good in the pre-season, with early games against both Michigan and Arkansas. Who knew that Arky would suffer a complete meltdown after losing their HC?

As for the upcoming games, I’d rank their level of difficulty thusly:
1. LSU
2. MSU
3. A&M

I’m not looking past the Tennessee game today. Both Tennessee and Auburn will bring their A-games when they play Bama. Not only are these games historical rivalries — for the Vols and the Tigers, these games will be as close as they’ll likely get to a meaningful bowl game this year. Auburn almost defeated LSU. They have underperformed this season, but they aren’t without talent. Neither is Tennessee.

I’ve watched every Bama game, and the only team that has offered solid competition against them was Ole Miss. Those guys play hard and they don’t quit. They are building a foundation to become real contenders in the SEC.

Kennesaw David

October 20th, 2012
10:49 am

If the Georgia defense don’t show up real fast here then what everybody else does will really not matter.

UGA cannot beat the good teams !

October 20th, 2012
10:54 am

Kind of sad UGA depending on SC to lose to get them back in SEC championship picture. But guess that’s the reality. If UGA can beat Kentucky and Florida, maybe they deserve to be back in the hunt? But can hardly consider them a top tier team, after whipping they took at South Carolina. Really wonder about their coaching.Their talent level is as good as anyone in SEC, but cannot win the big games.Probably same story as last year…

Bazooka Joe

October 20th, 2012
10:57 am

Dawg Haus – I agree,South Carolina is not a “rival” – heck I might even consider Clemson more of a rival than South Carolina. I normally dont care one way or the other about South Carolina except when we are playing them, the only reason there is any “hate” now is Spurrier, not the chickens themselves.
If I had to rank them I would say South Carolina is at best #5 on our list of rivals (my order… Tech, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee, SC or Clemson)

Fla - Ri - Duh

October 20th, 2012
10:59 am

Florida SUX. Game Crocks SUX too! Spurrier SUX most of all. So YES I will pull for Florida to beat Spurrier today ’cause it will help the Dawgs. Now if UGA loses to them Lizards I won’t be doing this again. One thing for sure UGA needs to get their act together – starting to resemble pre – Grantham defense…… ugh!!!!!!

Bud

October 20th, 2012
11:00 am

CMJ says he’s pulling for Fla. Better be thinking about Kentucky. We’re so schizophrenic there’s no telling what might happen.

short memories

October 20th, 2012
11:03 am

Lets beat up on a 1-6 team and show how tough we are.

Gatorbai 18-4

October 20th, 2012
11:06 am

Fla – Ri – Duh

If “Game Crocks SUX too! Spurrier SUX most of all” and he and his team just destroyed and embarrassed your team,what does that make you? Just ax’in.

short memories

October 20th, 2012
11:06 am

Richt is wearing orange stripes to show he is cheering for Florida. I would love for him to go and be a cheerleader.

phil

October 20th, 2012
11:07 am

Again, we’ll be fortunate just to beat Kentucky today…..

Have we already forgotten what happened at SC?

Bama Fan

October 20th, 2012
11:07 am

I hope that I can offer an unbiased opinion without being seen as a troll. Georgia’s problem is not that they lost to South Carolina. The problem is that they failed to even compete in that game. There is no shame in losing a single game on any given day. There is no shame in having other teams lose so that your team can move up in the rankings. Quitting is shameful, and Georgia quit against the Gamecocks. That doesn’t mean that Georgia fans should give up on the entire season, but it does signify a problem that goes far beyond the loss of any one particular game.

Feel free to hate me for saying that, but I’m not the kind of person who won’t tell a friend when they have a big piece of spinach stuck in their front teeth after lunch. The University of Georgia has a proud history as a premiere SEC football program. You guys deserve better than to see your team lay down when they face adversity.

phil

October 20th, 2012
11:07 am

Fire someone!!

phil

October 20th, 2012
11:08 am

Bama Fan, you are spot on…..

But most GA fans can’t see beyond the nose on their faces.

GB's Hamburgers

October 20th, 2012
11:08 am

I just saw the UGA AD with Chuck Dowdle on TV. He was making excuses for the SC loss. He ways saying the “we feel like the fans of Texas and West Virginia do this week.” That statement helps diminish the loss and what it says about our preparedness to play and employ our great athletes. But he picked the wrong analogy with Texas. Mac Brown is much like Richt. He gets top recruits but usually fails in big games. West Virginia is not a good analogy. They always show up to play even in an upset. They outcoached, outplayed and beat UGA a few years ago.

Bama Fan

October 20th, 2012
11:13 am

@phil

Fans are fans. I know, because I’m a fan too. I was a fan through Bill Curry winning every game except the ones that mattered. I was a fan through all of the “Mikes”. The fans can only support their teams. It’s really up to the leadership at the various universities to make sure that the teams are on the right path.

UGA cannot beat the good teams !

October 20th, 2012
11:14 am

Mark Richt nice guy and a good coach, but not a great coach. Just cannot get to the top level. There is no excuse for UGA performance against S Carolina and Spurrier. But son’t see any coach available right now who can do better at UGA. And school just gave Richt a new contract and pay raise. He ain’t going nowhere!

chase

October 20th, 2012
11:17 am

Georgia wins out and plays the LSU/BAMA winner in the SEC title game..AND THAT WINNER WILL PLAY IN THE NC GAME!

UGA cannot beat the good teams !

October 20th, 2012
11:17 am

I need typing lessons. Word is “don’t” not “son’t”. Guess I am a typical illiterate UGA fan?

AUG2424

October 20th, 2012
11:17 am

Mobile Dawg, I totally agree with you. It is embarrassing! Also, not only is the coaching stafff to blame but Aaron Murray is not a big game QB. Yes, he has alot of great stats all time but he isn’t David Greene. Murray has a better arm and scrambling ability but Greene was mentally tough. He won big games!

chase

October 20th, 2012
11:18 am

Also, I would replace the Offensive Coordinator IF I were making any changes to the coaching staff

coach Bobo gets to “tight, predictable and nervous in big situations”

GB's Hamburgers

October 20th, 2012
11:27 am

Talk to some UGA players of years gone by. Their coaches were tough — even mean. They were not the players buddies. Cross them and there would be swift and dreaded consequences. If it continued, they would find a way to get you out of the program. All teams recruit thugs but Bobby Bowden and Richt are not Alpha males. They don’t have the mindset or toughness to control them. The result is as breakdown of team discipline, penalties and players playing like they want to instead of how they are told to play. Fans (and even the pollsters) end up never figuring out how good the team is because it’s always unpredictable.

j

October 20th, 2012
11:33 am

Lame…

MamiDawg

October 20th, 2012
11:38 am

I think I would rather him focus on doing his job and coaching the Dawgs rather than failing then rooting for other schools. Shameful.

ugab

October 20th, 2012
11:39 am

Every dawg fan has to be a Gator fan this weekend. It’s the only way to win the SEC East. SC embarrassed the entire Ga staff, players and fans. I really think this poor showing goes back atleast 6 years with CMR. It is not like its the first time Ga has not showed up for a game. WV bowl game was a good example. SEC championship is one.. MR does not know how to get his team up for the hype. It is the same ole crap, different season. It look like Uga signed MR for another 5 yrs. It appears we are going to watch CMR retire at Uga. They need to get the fans into the game at home. SC has the fans jumping out of their seat.

GB's Hamburgers

October 20th, 2012
11:42 am

So Richt is wearing orange stripes today hoping that the Gators beat SC. That’s what he is so good at … public relations and showmanship. His car commercials have gotten very professional, he can call “red outs”, “black outs” — he can make the fans do anything he wants them to. But PR expertise a good coach doesn’t make. It takes an alpha male to make football players play with discipline and as directed. UGA, for most athletes, is just a rest stop on the way to the pros.

Fats G

October 20th, 2012
11:52 am

I agree with some of the others on this forum. Kentucky will BEAT UGA because our boys have never gotten over the mauling they took from mighty South Carolina. They have the confidence of a bunch of “Pee Wee Hermans” right now and it will play out unfortunantly :(

Fats G

October 20th, 2012
11:56 am

Richt will have to knock the “Pee Wee Herman” stew out of em to get them back on track. Wonder if he has that kind of nature to get that done,as some people think its a crime to be straight forward and strong with their teams. Time will tell

UGA cannot beat the good teams !

October 20th, 2012
12:00 pm

Yep, GB Hamburger,

Richt good coach and a good PR guy, but will not take UGA to the highest level. Seems like UGA just always a step below the best teams. Some of the players do need more discipline and control, but not Richt’s personality type, unfortunately.

jojo

October 20th, 2012
12:04 pm

At least CMR didn’t spend 90 minutes on Skype with a recruit. Who did that? The great Nick Saban. What do you think they were talking about? I’d rather have Mark Richt any day.

Bama Fan

October 20th, 2012
12:11 pm

@jojo

Don’t worry. Nobody will try to steal Coach Richt away from Georgia. ;)

Gatorbai 18-4

October 20th, 2012
12:13 pm

I’m affraid Richt does his Ford commercials better than he leads the dawgs.

Gatorbai 18-4

October 20th, 2012
12:19 pm

@jojo

Suits me, the longer you put up Richt, the better the Gators and SC like it. Soon, Dooley if given a chance will push you in to 4th place. That’s about the time McGarity will get out the axe.

Hairy Dawg

October 20th, 2012
12:27 pm

Dawgs got a warm up game against the Kens Tuck scrubs before we get to having a beat down on Gaytors. Just need Judas Muschump to whip Visor Boy today. But even if Stevie Wonder wins in Gainsville he goning to lose the next week to Dooley Boy. Dooley Boy got to get a big win or he gets a firing.

Dawgs just got to take care of business with Kens Tuck that even Arky embarassed badly. Then we makes Muschump pay for Benedict Arnold on Dawgs. Our D can practice fixes from off week while making Kens Tuck look bad. Then wel’l be ready to sack Gaytors while Aaron Murray has career day in Jax. Coach Richt knows how to beat down Judas Muschump just like last year.

Go Dawgs! Sick Em!

Hairy Dawg

October 20th, 2012
12:37 pm

And we’re not back ending into any East Champs. Were winning it outright from taking control of rest of Games because we’re the DAWGS. It not our fault that SCar schedules badly. We had one poor game where players showed up stinky. But SCar will lose multiple times because they always is goning to be the choking chickens. We owns East and will prove it with Kens Tuck practice game and then beatdown in Jax.

Fats G

October 20th, 2012
12:50 pm

If History is any judge, yes Spurrier will lose the East and UGA will take itvhome,but UGA ain’t winning no stinkin National Title like the UGA cornerback spoke of. It is very possible to take the East,but Richt has to drop the “Pee Wee Herman” routine with his team. Everybody is tired of Richt riding into town on his Pee Wee bicycle. Symbolic and poking fun at the ole boy folks! :)

o-my dawgs

October 20th, 2012
12:52 pm

Big Win today, UK is no USC…but who cares just win!

Guest

October 20th, 2012
12:53 pm

@Hairy Dawg

If you have no respect for your opponents, then what satisfaction will you stand to gain from defeating them? You write like a backwoods Dixiecrat Republican. Are you really Zell Miller in disguise? ;)

o-my dawgs

October 20th, 2012
12:59 pm

Guest its better than being a Liberal Social Democrat that wouldn’t know the truth if it hit him in the face.

GA Dawg81

October 20th, 2012
1:00 pm

I never said I agreed with Richt. What I said was I would like to see him show some of the emotion in a game that he does in practices. If we get ahead then do not let off the gas. Never stop playing. We need some players on this team to get mean and get in somebodies face when they make a mistake. I agree we were not prepared for some games but if he gets fired who then is going to replace him? If he gets beat by the Gators like the SC game then he is gone. Several teams have fired coaches and actually regressed. I like Kirby Smart but is he ready to be a head coach? Chris Peterson at Boise ? Only Coach I see that I would like to come in here is Chip Kelly from Oregon and I do not know if would be interested. I hope Richt figures it out and gets us the SEC championship game this year. Win or lose I am a Dawg no matter who coaches.

DawgNole

October 20th, 2012
1:03 pm

NCDawg
October 20th, 2012
8:51 am

And I will take backing into the SEC championship game, if that is how we have to do it. Bama backed into a National Championship last year. They had to rely on other teams to lose to get the chance. All you people saying you don’t want to rely on UF beating SC to get a shot at the SEC championship are just plain idiots. The Dawgs got to play for their National Championship in 1980 because of a bunch of fortunate bounces. They don’t even get the chance if Notre Dame doesn’t tie Tech. Winning every game is the goal but you don’t throw away a season because you looked bad in one game. Get some realistic perspective folks. Really.
___________________

Co-sign.

What so many seem to be ingoring is that a fla victory over SC ALONE is not enough to enable UGA to “back in” to the SECCG. UGA still MUST beat fla on the road–as “big” a game as they ever play every year–and then guard against the inevitable letdown vs Ole Miss and at Auburn. So IF the Dawgs makes the SECCG–and I sure as hell hope they do, regardless of the opponent–they will have EARNED that spot.

o-my dawgs

October 20th, 2012
1:05 pm

Richt will not be fired if UF wins…no way.

o-my dawgs

October 20th, 2012
1:07 pm

agree DawgNole…

Guest

October 20th, 2012
1:16 pm

@o-my dawgs

So then, the delusion that runs rampant in the penal colony is not limited to football?

Between Coach Richt and Congressman Broun, you guys do set quite the standard for cognitive dissonance.

Heh… At least you’re good at something! ;)

DawgNole

October 20th, 2012
1:17 pm

Why Quit?
October 20th, 2012
9:59 am

jrmdvm1
October 20th, 2012
10:37 am
______________________

Both excellent posts that have captured perfectly the current scenario facing UGA.

DawgNole

October 20th, 2012
1:20 pm

gt4ever
October 20th, 2012
10:41 am

LOL, yeah I would be for UF to, if I couldn’t do the job myself… It’s always fun to get in the SEC championship and then getting my arse handed to me…
_____________________

But not NEARLY as humiliating as hosting MTSU and getting your arse handed to you.

DawgNole

October 20th, 2012
1:24 pm

1eyedJack
October 20th, 2012
10:45 am

One thing I wish Coach Richt would work on is his side-line demeanor. I do think your team takes it’s que from the coach and CMR ain’t one to throw his visor, or to throw his headset and kick it the way Dooley was liable to do. I would like to see some emotion, and the players need to see that there will be a reckoning, when things go wrong.
_______________________

Unless we step on Vandy’s logo, or start celebrating a few seconds too soon near the end of yet another victory over Tech. That’s one of his problems–he can show emotion, but too often it seems to be at the “wrong” times.

RussRules

October 20th, 2012
1:30 pm

Leaving the hotel in Lexington, KY to head for the game and some good tailgating.. Go Dawgs!!!!

P.S. – LSU looks like CRAP today. They are nowhere near a NC title contender… Go A&M…..

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