Richt: ‘I’d say we were not soft’ (plus other postgame quotes)
WHAT THEY SAID AFTER GEORGIA’S VICTORY OVER FLORIDA
“I’d say we were not soft. The defense rose to the occasion, and everyone fought their tails off. There was a lot of emotion and two really good football teams getting after it.”
– Georgia coach Mark Richt
“I’ve said all season long — we’re not a team that has a lot of margin of error. Obviously, six (Florida) turnovers led to 10 (Georgia) points, critical plays in the game. … You’ve got to give (Georgia) credit. You’ve got to rise up to those opportunities you have, and you have to make those plays. They did and we didn’t, but six turnovers — wow. That’s tough to overcome.”
– Florida coach Will Muschamp
“What can this guy not do? He gets sacks, forces interceptions, forces fumbles.”
– Georgia safety Bacarri Rambo on linebacker Jarvis Jones’ huge game
“Jarvis is a great player. To come back from an ankle sprain the way he did … and come out here and do what he did, I’d pick him No. 1 in the draft.”
– Georgia wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell
“I had a great game, but it’s about what we did as a defense. All of us did what we came here to do. We beat the No. 2 team in the nation, and it’s a great feeling.”
– Jones
“We knew we had the guys to make plays; we just hadn’t been making them. And I think the challenge from the media and the challenge from (safety) Shawn Williams, I think that opened some guys up. Everybody went out and played hard.”
– Cornerback Damian Swann on how the UGA defense responded to Williams’ early-week comments that the unit had been playing soft
“We prepared hard this whole week. I’ve never seen these guys practice like this before. … Everybody thought we were soft. They had more people carted off the field than we did.”
– Rambo
“The fans were really propelling us that whole game. They were loud, getting us pumped up.”
– Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray
“Oh, man, were there really that many?”
– Murray, when told there were nine turnovers in the game (three by Georgia and six by Florida)
“It was a rough game. That was an SEC defensive matchup right there. Offensively, we had our shots at points, but we were just making mistakes when it comes to turnovers, penalties, stuff that we need to correct.”
– Murray
“We hadn’t had a lot of turnovers this year (four before Saturday), so it’s just kind of a shock to everybody.”
– Florida defensive back Jaylen Watkins
“He ran it 27 times and didn’t fumble it, which is huge.”
– Richt on freshman tailback Todd Gurley, who had 118 yards rushing
“We’re right where we want to be.”
– Gurley on the Bulldogs being in position to win the SEC East if they defeat Ole Miss and Auburn
“It was awesome. Everyone was going crazy. I feel like we were out there for 20 or 30 minutes. There isn’t a better feeling.”
– Richt on the postgame celebration on the field
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
120 comments Add your comment
Wayne
October 28th, 2012
12:17 am
DC….I called Murray out his freshman year, I knew he would not be a winner. My father-in-law finally agreed with me after today.
drbasic1
October 28th, 2012
12:17 am
Hey lil Wayne,
I made a boat load on this game…I have PAY-PAL, “that a$$ whooping Bama gonna give us”…..lets talk son, put your money where your mouth is..
Wayne
October 28th, 2012
12:35 am
If I thought you’d pay up I would gladly take that easy money. True gamblers bet with their brain, not their heart. I guess you forgot last year’s game. And it wasn’t even Bama. I hate Bama, but when it comes to betting you had better know what you’re doing. But I guess Murray has you sold.
Glenn
October 28th, 2012
12:35 am
You can’t give Murray much credit for this win but the “D” did show up, we were very fortunate but thats what it takes to get to a BCS bowl. Oh we aren’t there yet for sure. Also the media is behind ND as much as it is behind obama. sickning
SEC BOYZ
October 28th, 2012
12:37 am
Play’d like a tru defensive team tonight..
Us UGA fans can test assure for the week & the year
Of the rivals..
Sometimes it takes somebody to hit a bad spot u don’t like to respond
Great win.. Finish the drill !!!!
Wayne
October 28th, 2012
12:39 am
And I put my money on Florida and then changed my bet after the Shawn Williams affair. Florida was a terrible team getting lucky just like Georgia, but after a teammate jumps everyone’s A$$ you can almost guarantee a different team will show up. Too bad someone doesn’t call out Murray. But hey, my bet was covered and it will be in Atlanta as well.
World's Largest Outdoor Gator Beating
October 28th, 2012
12:57 am
Thanks Coach Richt
World's Largest Outdoor Gator Beating
October 28th, 2012
12:59 am
Shawn Williams needs to have a talk with Aaron Murray.
Columbus
October 28th, 2012
1:28 am
I was wondering for a minute if Murray had bet money on UF….that being said…..no more INT’S Murray OK? We ahve had 3 years of them in the big games…..
Jarvis, you are the man and were the difference maker….we had you and they didnt!
Shawn Williams….THANK YOU! The defense didnt let UF score a TD despite the 3 INT’S! Caused 6 FREAKIN TURNOVERS!!!! Now that is a GREAT defense!!! Nice tackle on the 4th down play too Shawn!
7-1……..in control.
cleveland dawg
October 28th, 2012
1:33 am
good comments wayne sounds like you know what kind of team we really have and if they dont play better they might get bit by auburn or ole miss. But we still have problems with the team,and it needs to be resolved,cause we cant play with bama right now,but we can always dream and maybe go to the cotton bowl,or chick filet.
LakeDawg
October 28th, 2012
1:47 am
FINALLY! Great win, Dawgs. I have nothing negative to say after a win over UF. The defense played lights out. Biggest win in 7 years.
GB's Hamburgers
October 28th, 2012
1:48 am
Someone as said that the reason the offense played so poorly is because they were playing a great defense. That’s true, but the offense did play well except for the quarterback. Our running was plenty good to have made passing pretty easy. And he was not pressured or sacked in the game. With the other team having 6 turnovers the score should have been 38 – 9, but Murray kept it close. It was a great SEC game to watch.
Shirley
October 28th, 2012
1:57 am
To Wayne, how can you be so negative about this UGA team and it’s coaches? You are certainly no help with your comments, and if you hate this team and these coaches so much, go somewhere else and support another team. If that team isn’t perfect, you will be no help to them! I say way to go Dawgs, and keep it up in spite of non fans like this Wayne guy.
The Diesel
October 28th, 2012
2:30 am
I am a Dawg Fan through thick and thin.Good win today.Defense played well.They have to maintain the edge and physicallity the rest of the year.No letdowns.Murray once again chokes in the big game.The out pattern to Mitchell was all Mitchell.Murray kept saying we made mistakes it was YOU young man.So buck up Murray and y’all take it to the dome.
1969 Graduate
October 28th, 2012
5:51 am
I really like Aaron Murray’s comments quoted above. He gets it that the thing to focus on is the areas needing improvement. We had a great victory. It’s great to be a Bulldog. Murray needs to be a team leader, step up, state the obvious, work on his game, hold himself and the rest of the team accountable for the many areas still in great need of improvement, and focus on what it will take to beat Ole Miss.
Unless we get very lucky two weeks in a row, beating Ole Miss is going to require a solid, competent performance by every Georgia player. Ole Miss is going to really be up and shooting for us. They see themselves as a talented team on the rise!
Our coaches need a butt whipping for allowing so many penalties, and for not haven already instilled a great deal more discipline. Penalties for intensity are one thing, but we had way too many for undisciplined, unnecessary activities when the play was over.
tell me again
October 28th, 2012
7:53 am
Dawg Fud – I agree Mitchell needs to channel all of his energy into the game and not into opponents facemasks – but, the kid is a tempest of rage on the field – that TD from Murray was 30 percent Murray and 70 percent his effort to pull away and get it to the house. Plus, one of his penalties was just because he was talking smack and the ref threw the flag – he didn’t touch the kid or anything . Remember last week when the ‘Bama player did the WWE move and head planted the running back? THAT is the kind of play you bench a player for – not for talking smack. You have to be careful you don’t neuter the stallion – you need the fire – THIS TEAM NEEDS THE FIRE players like Mitchell bring to the field – he’ll learn.
tell me again
October 28th, 2012
8:04 am
Murray had a rough game but remember he saved our bacon last week when the D had yet to show up. Our receivers were well covered all game / even the TD catch was well covered – Mitchell made that play happen. – there wasn’t alot to throw to. It wasn’t so much that Murray threw blatant picks but that they had a bad habit to be knocked up and about instead of just dropping to the ground. He did have one bad one. He did miss some open receivers. Here’s my take on a possible ‘Bama match up – anybody who says ANY TEAM can’t be beat is crazy. We could beat Bama but we would have to bring last nights defense with the Vandy game offense and put them TOGETHER for one perfect storm of a game – otherwise, ‘Bama is too consistent and too good to beat. They don’t have bad games – but we could have a great game. It’s doable
Pete
October 28th, 2012
8:06 am
For people jumping on Murray: yes his 1rst half was another poor job against a ranked team; BUT you must give him CREDIT for getting his head straight in 2nd half. A couple of those stalled drives were because of dropped passes.
damon
October 28th, 2012
8:20 am
Good job Malcolm Mitchell!! But one thing. Quit running the ball out of the endzone on kickoffs. YOU ARE A GREAT ATHLETE BUT HAVE TO KEEP YOUR HEAD!
JARVIS for Heisman!
Much love to Lattimore! Sending out best wishes for a full recovery. USC legend!
GOOOOO DAWGS!
JUNKYARD DAWG
October 28th, 2012
8:29 am
TO ALL THE TALKING HEADS AT ESPN,YOU ALL CAN PUCKER UP AND KISS SOME BULLDAWG BUTT! GO DAWGS.
SwamppeopleTroy
October 28th, 2012
8:41 am
Good hunt last night, my shooter JJ was tagg’n him some Geico Lizards last night, still got plenty more on bait, they com’n on a Dawg blog whine’in, never heard gators whine, sounds good actually, but mabey they need to go console their fellow lizards on the geico lizard blog, Dawgs feast’n here.
SwamppeopleTroy
October 28th, 2012
8:52 am
& JJ tagged & mashed a well quite a bit of lizard tells last night, munch’n on jerky tail, now we just keep this machine roll’n. AAAWOOOF! AAAWOOOF!
Dawg1
October 28th, 2012
8:57 am
Hmmm…
Well, to be fair to the media; you couldn’t blame them for picking UF. The Gators beat A&M away and beat LSU and South Carolina ‘back to back’ at home. Georgia looked awful against South Carolina and not much better against a bad Kentucky team and could not stop the run. Florida’s strength? Running the football… On paper, they look like the clear winner.
Yes, Florida turned the ball over 6 times. Off the top of my head, at least one came from the QB’S arm being hit as he was releasing the ball and the last fumble came from Jones ripping the ball out. Those are foreced turnovers – not mistakes.
Alll three of Georgia’s turn overs were self-inflicted.
Georgia’s defensive pressure was oustanding all day. Florida had difficulty running the ball all day. This had been how they had won all year. Wearing down the other team; including LSU and a darn good A&M team.
I do not see UGA teams through Rose Colored Glasses. The kicking game continues to hurt. The missed FG would have meant two scores up – this thing’s over before JJ’s great play.
UF’S secondary clamped down on our receiver’s most of the day. And our QB made poor decisions most of the game. Not something you expect out of a three year starter who is already working on his masters and is described as ‘film room rat’.
First things first… UM is pretty good. Georgia cannot ‘mail in’ this game. And while Auburn looks awful; the LSU game was a war and we should remember that.
Georgia has to stay focued and get through the rest of the season and then will need to play with yesterday’s energy and mstake free to stay with the Bama..
With all of this said… Enjoy this! Been 25 years since the Dawgs won 2 in a row against the Gators… Takes a little of that arrogance away. Certainly makes it a little easier for our brothers and sisters who live in that state. And those ‘Gator’ tags around the state will bring a smile instead of a sigh or a frown.
Go Dawgs!
SwamppeopleTroy
October 28th, 2012
9:08 am
@Dawg 1; Well said, never put better, I can tell u from way back, u o’l junk yard Dawg! I gotta love, man, Gotta Love it!
SwamppeopleTroy
October 28th, 2012
9:09 am
@Dawg 1; Got some fried up Gator Jerky, want some?
StuDawg
October 28th, 2012
9:16 am
wow it feels so good to beat the Gators, 2 YEARS IN A ROW BABY!
LDawg
October 28th, 2012
9:20 am
Agree with Dawg1. I love our dawgs – always have and always will. And I am ecstatic that we beat a team NO ONE thought we would. (they never have turnovers, they wear down their opponents, the D is the best, etc. Suck on it ESPN.) We made dumb mistakes and penalties, like we thought we would. But then again, so did Florida – even more so. And that is all that matters.
Poopdawg
October 28th, 2012
9:30 am
Good win , with a great D performance. I am still a bit disgusted with our FG/EP kicking. I estimate over half of the GA HS football teams have had better kicking success than UGA. Morgan may be great one day but he is a head case right now. It happens . Does UGA have an open competion for FG kicking every week? Everybody is mad at Murray for his poor play , but our receivers did NOTHING to try to get open. Pitiful routes. Bobo should have called more passes to the RBs downfield rather the one swing pass. A win is a win , but that was an ugly win. UGA should have won by 3 tds. I guess Bobo forgot about the hitch and go route? Just hitched all day. One positive on the offense was the OL play and Gurley’s ability to break tackles.
SouthGADawg
October 28th, 2012
10:16 am
This game was not luck .UGA dominated on defense and has a better offense. The special teams is still a problem, if the kick goes in the endzone we need to down it. Our kiker is still ot reliable and scary at times. If Murray and the defense comes to play at the same time they could be awesome.
harold
October 28th, 2012
10:26 am
NOW UGA WILL BE PLAYING BAMA IN THE SEC TITLE GAME TO SEE WHICH TEAM PLAYS IN THE BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME! GO UGA!
WDE
October 28th, 2012
10:34 am
And at the end of the day Murray has his BIG win…now haters STFU and 59 arrests you take the prize for poor loser you really do.
RHall55
October 28th, 2012
10:42 am
As Gomer Pyle would say “Surprise, surprise, surprise”!!! Great defense…great defense…great defense!!! Now run the table and see the “Machine of College Football”!!! Saban was upset at the end of the game yesterday against Miss State because they scored a TD…a dynasty…Ga Dome could be ugly!! Great Team Win Yesterday!!!
gbal
October 28th, 2012
10:44 am
Definately not soft at FLA, but how do you justify this as the coach of the dawgs that you can come out strong a couple of time a year??? Yesterdays game confirms that we played SOFT the last two weeks and are capable of playing strong D….. What do we do too maintain tht level week in and week out as Bama does???
gbal
October 28th, 2012
10:45 am
And our offense this week????
Bill
October 28th, 2012
10:47 am
Wayne’s World, Wayne’s World, Wayne’s World… What a loser, Party time, excellent…ZZZRRRRR
yarddawg
October 28th, 2012
10:48 am
I let the Dawgs out!
yarddawg
October 28th, 2012
10:54 am
Wayne, pass the Hateraid! Quit drinking all the Hateraid!
NCBulldog
October 28th, 2012
11:09 am
I have a Florida Gator co-worker that I can’t wait to see tomorrow at work!!! Greatest game ever – now keep it up!!
LOVE MY BULLDOGS – GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
easleyga
October 28th, 2012
11:10 am
Shawn Williams for HC!
Vince
October 28th, 2012
11:15 am
If Shawn Williams and the media got them motivated to play Florida, what does that say about the rest of the season? Do people not understand why they were called out for not playing with emotion?
Vampire Bill
October 28th, 2012
11:20 am
No one ragged on the Dawgs in general and Richt in particular more than me. Quite surprised and pleased with the win. Lot of sloppy play from both teams but I enjoyed the win.
78Dawg
October 28th, 2012
11:27 am
Would someone please pass that Gator meat and the Tabasco sauce…..YUMMY
Murray needs to man up
October 28th, 2012
12:09 pm
Murray can play better in big games, like vs Auburn in 2010 in the first half. HE KNOWS THIS fact.
Murray needs to lead fro here on out with no mental mistakes, like that bone headed trow to UF safety Elam or the OT pic in FL game, 2010,etc.
IF UGA runs the table now to the Dome and beyond, he will be remembered. If not, he will be thought of like Eric Zeire, with tons and tons of empty passing stats. Yesterday, was his first step at being mentioned like Green and Others.
We need to blast Ole Miss and Auburn, Southern and the Joke by Coke.
go Dogs
Tom in Atl
October 28th, 2012
12:20 pm
Great win and couldn’t be happier for the Dawgs and yes – Coach Richt. Football is an emotional, physical game and must be played that way to get peak performance. The biggest issue going forward is how can we get our kids to play jacked up from whistle to whistle – but then have the maturity to settle down. We need controlled agression. UGA turned this one into a street fight – and based on the way they had been playing – it was their best chance of winning. They came out crazy and stayed that way – and out hit the Gators.
Bama plays as hard and ferocious as anyone – but without the extra shoving and mouthing off. Yes – that’s coaching – and what is demanded of them. Richt needs to show the guys that with that kind of effort they can play with anyone – but they have to be able to curtail their emotion once the whistle sounds. Discipline and execution still needed and is fixable – but this was a big step in the right direction. Hope we see it the rest of the way.
Go Dawgs!
David
October 28th, 2012
12:39 pm
I am thrilled that we won this game, and that we won when our offense was not clicking on all cylinders. I am proud that our defense rose to the occasion and played like they are capable of. Any win over Florida is huge. But make no mistake about it. This defensive surge and turnaround had nothing to do with Mark Richt. And it should have. It took a player on the team to step up and say what the coaching staff should have said. Yes, coach, they didn’t plat soft today because of the intestinal fortitude of one of your players. One that had the kahunas to step up and provide the fire that you should have.
Long-time Dawg
October 28th, 2012
12:43 pm
Most of the offense played as well(or almost)as the defense, except for Jarvis who is in a league by himself. It is Murray that has to get his act together.
Dawg Tired
October 28th, 2012
1:26 pm
“We prepared hard this whole week. I’ve never seen these guys practice like this before.”
Sort of sums up the problem. Perhaps they should practice “like this” every week. I bet Alabama does.
Ugabulldog81
October 28th, 2012
1:27 pm
Jarvis Jones for President! Can’t make it to any more games. The rest of my season tickets are on Ebay. 181009605685
NGA DAWG FAN
October 28th, 2012
2:51 pm
great game and great win. let’s finish stromg
SCDAWG
October 28th, 2012
3:26 pm
I am enjoying this win but i am still not drinking the cool-aid. Yall dont forget the feelings we had last week against KY and the beating we took in SC. This team still has a long ways to go. Nowhere near championship caliber yet. We need both sides to get hot “O” and “D”. If that can happen then we got something!!!!! BOBO is still too predictable. Murray still panics too much…we need to get more plays to Marshall on the edges to use that speed. A good team (like Bama) would have eaten us up yesterday with our mistakes. Be happy UGA but dont be satistfied. Strive for a perfect game cause i guarantee you Saban strives / demands excellence. He was chewing out his players lastnite for mistaks even though they were dominating the game…thats a different kind of mentality over there folks!