‘Hurricane Jarvis’ sweeps through Florida’s offense for 17-9 Georgia win
Georgia's Jarvis Jones comes up with one of his two fumble recoveries against Florida. He also caused two fumbles and recorded 13 tackles and three sacks in his first game back from injury. (AJC photo by Bob Andres)
JACKSONVILLE — Never mind all that “soft defense” talk. Georgia had Jarvis Jones back in the lineup.
The Bulldogs’ dynamic outside linebacker, who has missed two games with injuries and been hobbled much of the season’s first half, was feeling good and healthy on Saturday. Just ask Florida, which felt his wrath all night.
The 2011 All-American terrorized the Gators all night, finishing with 13 tackles, three quarterback sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Jones wasn’t the only reason, but he was a big reason the No. 10-ranked Bulldogs were able to knock off the No. 2 Gators 17-9 Saturday night at EverBank Field.
The victory gives puts the Bulldogs (7-1, 5-1 SEC) into the driver’s seat to repeat as SEC East champions and represent the division in the SEC championship game in the Georgia Dome. Georgia plays host to Ole Miss (5-3, 2-2) next Saturday and closes out the conference slate at Auburn (1-7, 0-6) on Nov. 10. Since the Bulldogs now own the head-to-head tiebreaker, the Gators need to beat Missouri next week and have Georgia lose one of its final two.
“All we’ve done is give ourselves a chance to play Ole Miss and have it mean something,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said.
It was only fitting that Jones would make the play of the game. With the Bulldogs’ clinging to an eight-point lead in the final minutes, Florida tight end Jordan Reed hauled in a pass and was running inside the Bulldogs’ 5-yard line. But Jones hadn’t given up on the play. Catching Reed from behind, Jones tomahawked the football loose and it bounded into the end zone. There, cornerback Sanders Commings jumped on the ball and cradled it in the back of the end zone for a touchback.
“I didn’t really realize exactly what Jarvis had done until they told me and I looked at the line,” Richt said. “That’s on a bum ankle and I know his groin’s not really 100 percent yet. He really led for us tonight on the field But he was more vocal than I’ve ever seen him. He really wanted this one badly. I’m just happy he’s a Georgia Bulldog.”
Jones emerged from the locker room later than his teammates, who were being interviewed in a ground-floor concourse. He again had to receive post-game medical treatment. But he spoke humbly about what had just occurred.
“I had a good game, but all of us had a big game,” said the junior from Columbus. “We were clicking on all cylinders. We held the No. 2 team in the nation without a touchdown the whole game. That’s a compliment for us as a defense. I just hope we continue to play this way the rest of the season and keep challenging each other week in and week out.”
Jones’ teammates weren’t as modest in talking about him.
“Jarvis Jones is a beast; that’s a beast right there,” senior linebacker Mike Gilliard said. “He’s a hard worker; he’s a passionate, passionate guy; he loves this sport. He came out here and showed up like we knew he would. Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games.”
“Jarvis is a great player, an outstanding player, whatever you want to say,” sophomore Malcolm Mitchell said. “To come off an ankle sprain the way he did. That’s not an easy thing to come back from. Then to do what he did, I’d pick him No. 1 in the draft if it was me.”
It was a total defensive effort by the Bulldogs beyond Jones’ play. Georgia held the Gators without a touchdown in this series for the first time since 1988 when coach Vince Dooley’s last team beat them 26-3. Florida had six turnovers – four fumbles and two interceptions – and managed just 266 total yards.
It’s no coincidence that the performance came in the same week that Williams, the senior safety and de facto defensive captain, came out and said the Bulldogs were playing too soft on defense and without the same kind of passion they did the year before. Georgia returned eight starters from last season’s unit, which finished fifth in the nation in total yardage.
“Our guys were very serious about playing with intensity and playing with some physicality,” Richt said. “They had been accused of some things that guys don’t like to be accused of and I think that probably helped motivate them.”
Richt was pretty motivated, too. The Florida series has been one that has dogged his tenure as head coach. Saturday’s win was just his fourth in 12 seasons over the Gators.
A jovial Richt remained on the field for nearly 15 minutes, working his way from the north end of the stadium to the south, giving fans the thumbs-up sign, shaking hands and chatting up hundreds who had come down to the front row.
“You need to enjoy these moments,” Richt explained. “As long as the fans were going to stuck around, I was going to stick around… . When you have a victory like that against a great team and your fanbase is there, I want to stick around and enjoy it with them. I wanted our players to enjoy it and I wanted to enjoy it. We wanted to celebrate.”
Georgia did manage to generate some offense, though it was more timely than prolific. Quarterback Aaron Murray had a season-high three interceptions – all in the first-half after having only four all season – but hooked up with Malcolm Mitchell on a 45-yard touchdown pass with 7:11 remaining in the fourth quarter that have the Bulldogs some breathing room.
And freshman Todd Gurley provided the Bulldogs just the spark they needed in the run game. He rushed for 118 yards on 27 carries and scored on a 10-yard run, his 11th TD of the season. In all, Georgia eke out just 273 yards.
Williams, for what it’s worth, finished with six tackles and a tackle for loss. Bacarri Rambo and Damian Swann each recorded interception.
Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel was sacked five times and was 14-of-26 passing. Mike Gillisee led the Gators with 77 yards rushing.
“I’ve said all season we’re not a team that has a lot of margin of error,” Muschamp said. “Six turnovers, wow, that’s hard to overcome.”
GEORGIA-FLORIDA GAME COVERAGE
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601 comments Add your comment
Doc
October 28th, 2012
11:34 am
What an offensive headline, with 60 people dead in the Caribbean: ‘Hurricane Jarvis’ sweeps Ga. to victory
flatsdawg1
October 28th, 2012
11:38 am
Dawgs are Better than Gators,two years running!
must win
October 28th, 2012
11:40 am
well put DawgNation.
Would of, could of, should of….every game has those moments.
GA will lose to Bama as will every team. But, at least we beat Florida, AGAIN.
After years of a-hole gator fans coming on this site saying they “own” us. . .it feels sweet.
davidinloganville
October 28th, 2012
11:51 am
Tampa Gator:
our QB didn’t throw an interception in the end zone but he did throw at least one in the red zone. According to the letter of the rule as you posted it the interference called in the end zone on the GA nickle back was not interference, while he had his hand on the receiver’s hip he did not “significantly hinders the progress of an eligible player of such player’s opportunity to catch the ball”.
Wooooooo Hooooooo
October 28th, 2012
12:04 pm
GA bent the Gaytors over and put it to em DAWGY STYLE…
Enjoy Today
October 28th, 2012
12:06 pm
then better get focused on Ole Miss so what was just accomplished will not be in vain. This is the SEC and Ole MIss should not be able to beat UGA, but after such an emotional win a let down could be disastrous.
Athens
October 28th, 2012
12:13 pm
@Tampa Gator,
Yes, it could have gone either way if either team had capitalized on opportunities. Our D was a bit better shutting done your run game. But to say most Dawg fans wanted to fire Richt last week, that is just wrong. Maybe some bloggers. The alums are always much more careful than that – concern yes, fire?, not even close until a season evalutaion was done.
Pound Sand GA Naysayers
October 28th, 2012
12:14 pm
A big F U to all the GA Naysayers from last week… Where are all you biatches now???????????
KBP
October 28th, 2012
12:28 pm
Tampa Gator. . . your gators are a running team and I think Gillislee is an NFL caliber back but we shut your running game down. We also kept the #2 ranked team in the nation out of the end zone. If that is not domination, then it is EXTREMELY close.
mt
October 28th, 2012
12:39 pm
And you cannot hold behind the line of scrimmage either
exactly I know they didn’t call holding,But had the shoe been on the other foot, Florida QB throws to Gilliesby behind the line and Jarvis Jones had wrapped him up before the ball had gotten to him, lets see if you would be as quick to pull out the rule book.No you would be saying the same thing I ‘m now. OK maybe it wasn’t technically pass interference,but it was an infraction.Just face it man your team got beat.
mt
October 28th, 2012
12:46 pm
Wait till next year for the Georgia vs. Florida game
I thought Florida was waiting for this year to pay us back for Murray throwing those to 4th down TD’s
last year.
Jborodawg
October 28th, 2012
12:49 pm
TampGator…you press on with the Easley interference call, as if the Gaytors were penalized more than the Dawgs. There were ‘questionable’ calls for both teams. Eg, you can’t seriously think Gurley’s one second “outburst” in the end zone was excessive celebration? And on and on…10 penalties against the Gaytors and 14 penalties against the Dawgs.
BigDaddyGator…if holding the #2 team in the country out of the end zone aint “dominating”, I don’t know what is.
I thought before the game that Murray would have to be near-great for us to have a chance. So much for that little gem of wisdom on my part.
Great win! Now GATA against the Rebs!
Go Dawgs!
49-40-2
October 28th, 2012
12:50 pm
But to say most Dawg fans wanted to fire Richt last week, that is just wrong
careful now, It was Shawn Williams whose comments lit a fire under the D.
Richt record against top level teams is still woeful.Richt and Bobo’s offense way under performed yesterday.
optimist
October 28th, 2012
12:54 pm
Tampa Gator,
That might be our last W’s in the series for a while. You guys are well on your way. This seemed like one of those “unseen hand” games where all kinds of strange things happen to prevent a team from winning, and it took all of that for the Dawgs to win IMHO.
Such as… D blows a coverage but the center somehow thought the QB was under center, so he snaps it badly and the QB throws a bad ball to a wide open receiver in the end zone… Wildcat QB and RB botch a handoff… TE happens to jump and hold the ball out just as a guy is catching up behind him…
Jborodawg
October 28th, 2012
1:02 pm
W49-40-2; “…Richt and Bobo’s offense way under performed yesterday…”
I have to disagree. Murray “way under performed” if you ask me. CMB called some good plays; Murray just couldn’t execute them. He says during the week he needs to “have fun…be loose…”, then he seems tight as a tom-tom…in big games. Not to over-emphasize what I’m saying because Murray’s still our best option at QB. He’s progressed in many ways since last year; just not in some important ways, like apparent nervousness in big games. The three INTs are one thing; but the inability at this stage of his career to not keep up with the game clock is dumbfounding.
Ugabulldog81
October 28th, 2012
1:25 pm
Jarvis Jones for President! Can’t make it to any more games. The rest of my season tickets are on Ebay. 181009605685
Mickey Mouse
October 28th, 2012
1:31 pm
The rule that Tampa Gator idiot posted was from Wikipedia, word for word which does not show the entire rule on pass interference and holding. Someone posted earlier the rule from the NCAA rule book and THE CORRECT call was made. It wasn’t so much pass interference but there was holding so it was a penalty regardless.
What do you expect from someone wearing blue and orange glasses. I would not put alot of stock in what TG posts. He sounds like an idiot. If you read back he hopes Muschamp contacts the SEC office about the call. Tampa Gator = CLUELESS
truedawg881
October 28th, 2012
2:23 pm
Great win D looked great know its our time to run the gators.Moved up to 7 in ap poll 6 in the coaches great job now finish the drill go dawgs
Marquis de Mercury
October 28th, 2012
2:27 pm
#7 or #6…OVER RATED!!!!!…worst 1 loss team in the country….UGA and its fans are life’s losers…
49-40-2
October 28th, 2012
2:31 pm
Marquis de Mercury
We don’t care what you think.
truedawg881
October 28th, 2012
2:34 pm
Your a loser come on here got nothing better to do And i love seeing gators on here talking bout wait till next year as long as muskrat is florida coach he will never beat georgia anyways go dawgs way to smack those gators around all night loved seeing one after another gator laying on the field go dawgs
BAND WAGON BOBBY
October 28th, 2012
2:35 pm
SHAWN WILLIAMS FOR PERSIDENT!!!!!!!
mt
October 28th, 2012
2:36 pm
He sounds like an idiot. If you read back he hopes Muschamp contacts the SEC office about the call.
Big Time, He probably thinks the SEC will reverse the score and declare the GAtors the winner of the game.All the smack he has talked,he sure is have trouble handling now that Georgia has won two in a row.
mt
October 28th, 2012
2:39 pm
Next think coming out of Gainesville will be all the Gators saying Muschamp secretly wants his Alma Mater to win.They will start up a Fire Will Muschamp website.
truedawg881
October 28th, 2012
2:43 pm
I thought Shawn killed number 83 i loved it surrounded by gator fans last night to all you dawgs i rubbed every minute right in there gator faces i was beautifull 4 dawg fans among 15-17 florida fans thanks sis for inviting me loved rubbing it in all ys gator friends faces by the way my sister is a dawg go dawgs
mt
October 28th, 2012
2:43 pm
@optimist
optimist really, for who Florida I bet you have orange and blue and jorts on right now.
mt
October 28th, 2012
2:46 pm
truedawg881
good man! I’m glad you a great time in Jax. Me and my daughter went to the 09 Florida-UGA IMPERSONATING Grambling
game and it was not a happy affair, believe me the Gators didn’t take it easy on us.
truedawg881
October 28th, 2012
2:48 pm
BY the way i want to thank my sister for inviting me to her house we live in florida originally from georgia there were 15 gator fans there and believe me i rubbed it in there faces dawg fans it was beautifull Shawn knockin piss out of 83 was a great moment go dawgs
truedawg881
October 28th, 2012
2:49 pm
Wasnt at the game but it was great wished i was
BG
October 28th, 2012
2:51 pm
To hell with Florida. GO DAWGS!
Kburger
October 28th, 2012
3:07 pm
Lay off Aaron Murray. He had a bad game but he came through when we needed it the most. If it hadn’t been for him we would have lost to Kentucky. If you have never played QB at this level in this kind of game, then you can’t criticize his play. I have a lot of respect for the young man.
DawginNY
October 28th, 2012
3:22 pm
Dear Sore Loser–OH, I mean Tampa Gator–Georgia had the better team and won statistically except for one facet of the game in 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2010, but we still lost. You can talk about how Florida gave Georgia the game all you want, but it doesn’t take away the L or restore your dream season. I know it’s a bitter pill, but I hope all you Gators choke on it.
DawginNY
October 28th, 2012
3:33 pm
And to those who are mad at all the “naysayers,” where would you be if we had lost? I think coach Richt is an excellent man and a decent coach. I still don’t think this team has come close to realizing its potential. The defense and OL we saw yesterday has been nowhere to be found against decent opponents. Based upon the track record since Van Gorder left, I am not confident that we can reach our potential even fairly consistently going forward. That opinion has been formed over several years, not a single big game.
Mark Richts
October 28th, 2012
3:33 pm
Georgia got lucky, Florida had a bad day.
Georgia is not a good football team. HC too wimpy to call out his team……Williams had to do it.
I said GA would win 24-9…………..close.
Ole Miss or Auburn WILL beat Georgia. Bank on it fool.
Richt sucks.
Mark Richts
October 28th, 2012
3:38 pm
Dear Jarvis,
Try to bring that against real football teams, like Bama, LSU and Oregon.
You’ll get them dreadlocks wrapped round ya neck.
Keep playing high school teams little boy.
Mark Richts
October 28th, 2012
3:41 pm
Aaron Murray is queer.
mt
October 28th, 2012
4:17 pm
@ Mark Richts
Georgia got lucky
Florida overrated, didn’t score a TD,Georgia’s D punched them in the mouth, hopefully Florida can beat FSU. I doubt it. They helped us beating USCe, I sure they won’t be able to help us again.
umyboyBLUE17
October 28th, 2012
4:28 pm
Tampa Gator they called holding on the UF d lineman not pass interference holding holding holding they called holding because he was holdind
CBS picks up Georgia-Ole Miss game; Dogs move up to 6th in coaches poll, 7th in AP | UGA sports blog
October 28th, 2012
5:21 pm
[...] Game story: Hurricane Jarvis sweeps through Florida, Dogs win 17-9 [...]
Acworth Dawg
October 28th, 2012
5:51 pm
Hey Yellow Fuzz how does it feel to be ranked 95th in the latest BCS poll “little man”? TEN points behind the mighty Middle Tennessee State. Can’t wait to play you AH’s in November on our way to a BCS Bowl (hopefully).
hHhHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAAHhahahahahahahahahahahahah
ahHAHAHAHAHhahahahHAHhahHAHhahHAHhahHAHhahHAHHAhHhhHHAAHAHA
hHhHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAAHhahahahahahahahahahahahah
ahHAHAHAHAHhahahahHAHhahHAHhahHAHhahHAHhahHAHHAhHhhHHAAHAHA
(((((((((((((((( 95th in the NCAA ))))))))))))))))) hahahahahahahahahaha
RoDog
October 28th, 2012
7:09 pm
jarvis was in fla’s backfield as much as their running backs! In the sEC title game, Jarvis will terrorize the alabama QB even worse. The dogs can pull the upset!
DirtRoad Dawg
October 28th, 2012
7:25 pm
Jarvis Jones’s performance was epic!! One that will be remembered for ages!!
Thanks for this memory Jarvis!
Rmikel58
October 28th, 2012
7:40 pm
I dont know that you can call it an ugly win.
A hard fought Defensive battle with a 7th Ranked Defense Florida and a much improved Georgia Defense that showed up.
No one can say that Florida outplayed Georgia in this game. Floridas Defense confused Murray and he just never seems to rise up in big games.
This was going to come down to turnovers and penalties just like in every Georgia/Florida rivalry since 1980.
Let the gator fans complain because we know how it feels because its Georgia that usually gets the short end of the stick.
It is what it is and there are 2 things to think about here.
#1 by next saturday we’ll be ranked #6 and get Ole Miss and thats an important game for us to win.
Alabama and LSU play that day as well and one of them have to lose ….catching on now?
Should move us up in the polls.
3 Games left and 2 are for the SEC which we need desperately.
The other game you cant overlook is Ga Tech.
So now that our Defense has found themselves i will expect nothing less than a victory with a dominate Defense.
Jarvis you are the leader and its up 2 you and those seniors to pump up the players and get onto them if they play soft.
BigDaddyGator
October 28th, 2012
8:03 pm
Jborodawg, if you don’t know what dominating is go back and watch your game against USC.
Bulldogs need ‘more of same’ to beat Ole Miss and make Florida win stand up | UGA sports blog
October 28th, 2012
8:05 pm
[...] Game story: Hurricane Jarvis sweeps through Florida, Dogs win 17-9 [...]
L.A. BULLDAWG
October 28th, 2012
9:04 pm
JARVIS JONES, IS THE BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER IN COLLEGE FB, PERIOD! NO DIS RESPECT TO MANTI TE’O, BUT JONES, SHOULD BE THE 1ST PICK IN THE 2O13 NFL DRAFT! MATT BARKLEY, OF U.S.C., IS OVERRATED! WEAK ARM, NO LEADERSHIP QUALITIES, ETC.! MEL KIPER, WAKE UP! PUT JARVIS JONES AT THE TOP OF YOUR DRAFT LIST!
UGA jumps to No. 6 in BCS standings | UGA sports blog
October 28th, 2012
9:45 pm
[...] Game story: Hurricane Jarvis sweeps through Florida, Dogs win 17-9 [...]
Dawg Guy
October 28th, 2012
11:19 pm
News flash…………
Jarvis jones sucks.
IHCMR
October 29th, 2012
7:19 am
No one should interview Jarvis Jones after a game. He is embarrassing. There is no way that guy is passing his classes. Very sad when a twenty something can’t even string a sentence together.
JayD
October 29th, 2012
4:51 pm
LOL IHCMR !!!! You mad Bro???? First off…. The guy speaks very well THANK YOU! Second…. He’ll eventually make more in a week than you have in you entire pathetic life!!!!