Bulldogs need ‘more of same’ to beat Ole Miss and make Florida win stand up
ATHENS — Georgia’s 17-9 win over Florida on Saturday was impressive on multiple levels. The Bulldogs overwhelmed the Gators defensively, got timely plays in the running and passing games against one of the nation’s best defenses and scored an elusive victory over a Top 3 opponent.
But it will all be for naught if Georgia can’t close the deal the next two weeks. Yes, the Bulldogs (7-1, 5-1 SEC) are in the driver’s seat in the SEC East. But a loss to Ole Miss this Saturday or to Auburn the next week would make for a gnarly wipeout.
“(The Florida) victory doesn’t mean anything unless we keep winning,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said Sunday. “We know we’ve got to win. We know we’ve got to continue to play like we did this last game to give us the best chance.”
All Georgia did Saturday was give itself the tiebreaker over Florida should both teams finish the season with one SEC loss. South Carolina, which beat the Bulldogs 35-7 on Oct. 6, has since lost two games. Simply put, Georgia has to win out.
Enter Ole Miss, a name that might have brought forth a snicker in recent years but shouldn’t now. The Rebels are in the midst of a turnaround under first-year coach Hugh Freeze. After losing 16 consecutive SEC games over the past two seasons, Ole Miss (5-3, 2-2) just won its second in a row, 30-27 over Arkansas at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
Afterward the last-second win, Ole Miss players were talking a lot about “believing” and “winning out,” and they’re excited about testing themselves against a Top 10 team on the road.
“We’re just getting better and better every day,” Ole Miss wide receiver Randall Mackey told reporters. “We’re trying to go to a bowl game and that’s the main thing. But we’re trying to win out.”
Richt spent Sunday afternoon watching video of the Rebels and he can understand their confidence.
“They’ve got every reason to believe they can win out,” richt said. “They’ve got a really good team. They very easily could have won the (Texas) A&M game and it’d be three games (in a row) that they’ve won. That’s what happens when you start tasting success. You get excited and start believing and that’s what’s happening right now. When a team has a lot of momentum, they’re hard to beat.”
If Georgia is to maintain its own momentum, it will need to generate a defensive effort similar to the one it displayed in Jacksonville. The Rebels come into Saturday’s game averaging 32.4 points and 430 yards offense a game and the 6-foot-5, 210-pound quarterback Bo Wallace has proved masterful at executing Freeze’s fast-tempo, spread attack. Wallace, a junior college transfer, has passed for 1,649 yards and 10 touchdowns and is an elusive runner as well.
Florida’s Jeff Driskel brought similar attributes into this past Saturday’s game and was sacked five times and committed four turnovers. The Bulldogs need more of the same this week.
“We should have been playing like this all year,” said outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, who accounted for 13 tackles, four sacks, two fumble recoveries and forced two other fumbles. “We just have to give everything we have in every game.”
This past Saturday’s ferocity may be tough to duplicate. On Sunday Richt called it “one of the most intense games I’ve ever coached from start to finish.” Georgia was penalized 14 times for 132 yards and Florida 10 for 95, many of those of the personal foul variety.
“You want intensity but you want intensity with discipline,” Richt said.
NOTES: Richt did not have an update on starting fullback Merritt Hall, who sprained an ankle on Georgia’s first offensive play against Florida and did not return. “We’re hopeful,” he said of Hall returning this week. But Richt praised Zander Ogletree was a “mistake-free” game filling in for Hall. . . . Richt confirmed reports that the Bulldogs prayed as a team after the Florida game for South Carolina tailback Marcus Lattimore, who suffered a horrific knee injury on Saturday. . . Richt said he heard but hadn’t seen anything on the pregame skirmish that resulted in Florida strength coach Jeff Dillman shoving a Georgia player. “I’m not really worried about that right now,” he said. . . . CBS picked up Saturday’s game for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff. . . . Georgia moved up to No. 6 in the USA today/Coaches and Harris polls and 7th in The Associated Press rankings.
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228 comments Add your comment
BD
October 29th, 2012
10:16 am
Murray is a great QB against sub-par teams. He is awful against anyone that is worth a darn. UGA won because of their D. He will have a long-hard day against either Bama or LSU.
SEC Fan
October 29th, 2012
10:18 am
I haven’t yet seen any evidence that an SEC East team should be ranked in the Top 10. ESPN simply reports, they don’t control the polls or anything else. That idea is nothing more than fruitcake, loser paranoia.
kingdaddy
October 29th, 2012
10:46 am
Whaaaaaaaaa, Jan Kemp, Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, Gamecocks, Whaaaaaaaaaaa, 35-7, Whaaaaaaaaaaaaa, Kentucky, Whaaaaaaaaaaaa, we haven’t played anyone, Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, Bobo, Whhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, Bama is good, Whaaaaaaaaaaa, We’re uglyyyy, Whhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, where’s my binky, Whaaaaaaaaaa, Steve Spurrier for President, Whhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaa, Ga. trailer parks, Whaaaa, Whaaa, Whaaaaaaaaaa, Everybody is better than us, Blah, blah, blah, we can’t win, we can’t play for the NC, we will lose the SEC-CG, Ol Miss will spank us, penalties, , Arron Murray hurts my feelings, Jarvis Jones is a bully, Todd Grantham is “choking” on a Scooby Snak, turnovers are killing us, Doggies have bad breath and Dingle-berries, they drink out of the toilet, their schedule is too easy, Fla. had a bad game, 35-7, Richt is a Preacher Man, I hate RED & BLACK, I WANT MY MOMMY…I could go on, but this is boring, just like the morons that spew this garbage 24-7…
JvilleDawg
October 29th, 2012
10:47 am
It really does not matter if UGA wins out and beats Bama…
October 28th, 2012
10:17 pm
…if KState and Oregon or ND win out, too…
K State goes if they win out, however Oregon and ND both could be leap frogged by a one loss UGA if we were to knock off the undisputed #1 team in the country as a top 5 team. Both Oregon and ND’s SOS took a huge hit with USC losing again. Now if Oregon beats them and ND they will be a 4 loss team, most likey out of the top 25 and it would be a hit to two already weaker schedules. To help our cause we would also need UF and SC to win out. Oregon has looked impressive but there’s a reason why they are #2 in the polls but are #4 in the BCS calculations. Ore St losing hurt as well.
Besides a LOT of football left to be played. Between KState , Ore, and ND only two of the 3 need to drop a game for us to control our own destiny. Ask UF fans, in 06, they needed 4 of 5 teams to lose over the last 2 weeks and it happened. We still have 4-5 weeks of ball left.
I smell a trap game with ND and Pitt this weekend.
First things first though, the Dawgs must beat a hungry and much improved Ole Miss.
Go Dawgs!
Tampa Gator M.I.A.
October 29th, 2012
10:49 am
The biggest gator troll on the internet is M.I.A. I have a question for him that must be asked and it is –
Q- Why did the Gator cross the road?
A- Because it was easier than crossing the goal line!
MurfDawg
October 29th, 2012
10:55 am
Hey guys,
Put down the BCS kool-aid and stick with your ice cold Buds.After watching Bama in the first qtr, I came to the conclusion that they are playing a different game from the rest of us. Let’s beat Ole Missy and the Tigers/war eagles/ plainsmen and go to the Dome and then to New Orleans. That would be a good year. forget the Beauty Contest Series.
ps. anyone notice we are 3-3 with the mighty gators since 2007?
McFly
October 29th, 2012
10:56 am
Florida just turned the ball over again…….
JvilleDawg
October 29th, 2012
10:58 am
@ SEC FAN
If you don’t think ESPN influences the polls you’re high as a kite.
Journalists are lazy, the coaches poll is done by grad assistants. Where exactly do you think they get their info from to vote on the polls each week? You honestly don’t think these guys sit around and watch EVERY SINGLE GAME do you?
The ESPN/ABC family of networks broadcasted every single bowl game last year except the Sun Bowl.
Look no further than last years Heisman race. They limited highlights of RG3, and actually gave Saban and Richardson nearly 20 mins of air time to make a case for why he should win the Heisman. Why?! Because they KNEW Bama had punched it’s ticket to the big dance and wanted to have a championship game featuring a Heisman Trophy winner. Good for ratings which is good for ad dollars.
ESPN will ALWAYS push the agenda when there is something to be gained or lost for their networks.
This is why it’s a shame that no one ever had a successful run at putting on a competing network. It’s too late now. CNN has CNBC and Fox News. ESPN has no credible counterpart. They are the Wal-Mart of sports broadcasting.
Jeff Dilldoman
October 29th, 2012
10:59 am
Is a bigger douchenozzle than Franklin. Shoving players that could curb stomp your butter bean looking arse is a bad move.
MontanaDawg
October 29th, 2012
10:59 am
Call it ‘tough love’ but winning out the rest of our schedule will be worth little to me unless we show up in Atlanta and at least look respectable against either ‘Bama or the Tigers. One win aganst Florida does not convince me we can win BIG games consistently.
As McGarity told Richt – he pays him to win SEC Championships. Nothing less.
Dang Good Dawggy
October 29th, 2012
11:00 am
Poor Tampa Gator…. Guess he is sore after getting pounded DAWGGY STYLE..LMAO!!!!!!
The way it will be
October 29th, 2012
11:10 am
The apple cart will be upset this weekend when LSU beats Alabama. LSU hasn’t forgotten the licking they got last year in the National Championship Game and will come into this game like we did against Florida. Then we will get our chance to finish the drill against LSU in Atlanta to amend the beatdown of last year. For the National Championship game the chips will fall where they may.
McFly
October 29th, 2012
11:12 am
Florida just turned the ball over again…..
JvilleDawg
October 29th, 2012
11:17 am
MurfDawg
October 29th, 2012
10:55 am
Hey guys,
Put down the BCS kool-aid and stick with your ice cold Buds.After watching Bama in the first qtr, I came to the conclusion that they are playing a different game from the rest of us.
————————————————————————————————————————————————-
And 3 weeks ago Geno Smith had the Heisman sewn up and WV’s offense was unstoppable.
Any given Sat my friend. Besides Bama hasn’t truly been tested. Look at LSU last year people were saying the exact same thing about them, they beat what 6 top 25 teams, 4 of the top 10 at one point. And lost the rematch against Bama. Don’t get me wrong they are very good and very impressive but much like Oregon, who have they really played?
They beat an overrated Michigan, and an overrated Miss St (take a look at their schedule), the rest of their schedule has been, Arkansas, West. Kentucky, Florida Atlantic, Ole Miss, Missouri and Tenn.
Here are the common opponents and the results, other than Tenn, not far off.
Bama vs FL Atlantic 40-7
UGA vs FL Atlantic 56-20
Bama vs Ole Miss 33-14
UGA vs Ole Miss TBD
Bama vs Missouri 42-10
UGA vs Missouri 41-20
Bama vs Tenn 44-13
UGA vs Tenn 51-44
A lot of ball left be played. None of the experts gave us a shot agains UF this weekend either.
JvilleDawg
October 29th, 2012
11:21 am
The way it will be
October 29th, 2012
11:10 am
I definitely think that game will be a lot closer than people think, plus night game in Death Valley. LSU will be the first real team Bama faces.
kingdaddy
October 29th, 2012
11:32 am
Who has Bama beaten? Michigan/un-ranked, Miss St./18th…Yeah, they are awesome…
DogFaceBlues
October 29th, 2012
11:34 am
Let the Big Dawg Eat!
Lee Corsette
October 29th, 2012
11:40 am
Not so fast my friend, if ND, Oregon and KS go undefeated, UGA will not go to the MNC game. Do any of those 3 play each other?
BlackOut
October 29th, 2012
11:41 am
@JvilleDawg
Against common opponents, Georgia has allowed two to three times as many points to be scored against them as has Bama. In addition, Bama has been playing their third and fourth string guys in the second halves of those cupcake games while Georgia has not.
kingdaddy
October 29th, 2012
11:41 am
Hype, that’s all…
“And the day will surely come, when the mighty will fall “…
In the history of the world, all armies (teams) will lose a battle (game) to superior forces or tactics. It is inevitible according to history…
kingdaddy
October 29th, 2012
11:46 am
Bama has beaten one top 20 team. Very scary…
Hey Florida
October 29th, 2012
11:55 am
@Troll 527
Lick Our Dawg Nuts loser…………
kingdaddy
October 29th, 2012
12:04 pm
Being undefeated doesn’t guarantee a spot in the NC game. You have to beat somebody. Fla. was for real, they beat SC & LSU & TA&M. They deserved being #2. The Dawgs are peaking at the right time. “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish!”
If we get to play and beat the #1 team in the country, I don’t care who they pick to play the NC game. We will have beaten the legitimate #1 & #2 teams in the country. What more do we have to prove? They will never be able to take that away from us. All I ask is that even if we lose to LSU OR Bama, that we play close and don’t get blown-out again this year. Richt has to bring the same intensity to the rest of our games that remain. One game at a time…
kingdaddy
October 29th, 2012
12:12 pm
@Troll
pathetic liar. When was your last big win?
BlackOut
October 29th, 2012
12:13 pm
If Alabama loses a game, then there will not likely be an SEC team in the Top 2 at season’s end. One thing has become obvious. The SEC in 2012 is Alabama and then everyone else. LSU should have been an elite team this year, but they aren’t. I’ll be shocked if Bama doesn’t beat them down again just like they did the last time they played one another.
tell me again
October 29th, 2012
12:17 pm
Just relaxing and dipping some fried gator tails in the hot sauce. Hey! It’s GREAT – TO BE – A GATOR HATER! GO YOU HAIRY DAWGS!
McFly
October 29th, 2012
12:34 pm
Florida just turned the ball over again….
WDE
October 29th, 2012
12:48 pm
Hey did you hear UGA and A.Murray won a BIG game last weekend..oh yeah and the Gators lost! And the only game of importance this week for UGA is UGA vs Ole Miss..Go Dogs !
UGAJD
October 29th, 2012
12:48 pm
I love the Dawgs, but this talk about us making the BCSCG is ridiculous. There’s no way we are one of the two best teams in the land.
BlackOut
October 29th, 2012
12:49 pm
Georgia could lose to Ole Miss and still play for the SEC championship if South Carolina loses to Arkansas and Florida loses to Mizzou. After watching last Saturday’s performance by the Gators, I wouldn’t rule out that possibility.
DJ Dawg
October 29th, 2012
12:53 pm
Just take it one game at a time! Prepare for Ole miss and GATA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kauai dawg
October 29th, 2012
1:02 pm
My concern is we don’t handle success well or the pats on the back led to our early season sluggish play. There is plenty from the game that gives GREAT concern. I know Florida has a good D but we sure did help give them life all day. So thankful our D finally showed up. If not it could have been worse that the SC game.
Stay grounded and working to get better and don’t worry what “down the road” might bring and just play each game as if it’s the most important.
kauai dawg
October 29th, 2012
1:04 pm
Buzz you have to be “buzzed”. Are you kidding me? What gives a tech fan hope at all? Will they even show up for the game?
Football Guy
October 29th, 2012
1:04 pm
More ot the same: Have Murray throw 3 ints. or have the opponent give up the ball 6 times or have the refs call a defensive holding before the offensive player leaves the backfield or have the opponent commit 2 turnovers in Uga endzone or start a brawl pregame with 2nd & 3rd stringers so some of the opposing starters will be suspended or have a player publicly diss other players the week before the game or…………..
Republican for Life
October 29th, 2012
1:06 pm
If the Dawgs were to knock off Alabama in sec champ game, who’s to say that we dont deserve a spot in NC game? Beating #1 and #2 in the same yr. is impressive. One game at a time though. Give em heck DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SEC FAN
October 29th, 2012
1:06 pm
All I keep seeing is “man, the defense showed up against Fla”, “man the “D” was on fire”, well times that by 2 and that’s how Bama’s “D” plays EVERY game, not 1 in 8!!!
WF-TexasDawg
October 29th, 2012
1:09 pm
Last week on this here blog I predicted a win by the Gators; I am now happily eating crow!
Woofie
October 29th, 2012
1:11 pm
Yep you are right football guy!!!! GA kicked Fla’s AZZ!!!!!
SEC FAN
October 29th, 2012
1:13 pm
That’s hard pressed to call that an “AZZ kicking”. More like the sloppiest game college football has ever seen by a bunch of thugs that can’t hold on to a football. Nice win though – bahahahahaha!!!
SEC FAN
October 29th, 2012
1:14 pm
The Rebels are gunnin for ya, let’s do this Ole Miss!!!
Woofie
October 29th, 2012
1:16 pm
Thats right SEC FAN.. GA kicked some AZZ baby… whoo hooo…
BlackOut
October 29th, 2012
1:17 pm
@SEC FAN
I agree. Both teams should be ashamed of their performance in Jax. Sorriest football I’ve seen since the last High School game I attended.
UGA Pride
October 29th, 2012
1:18 pm
Poor sec fan is a mulletheaded jort wearing gaytor!
SEC FAN
October 29th, 2012
1:19 pm
That’s right Woofie, Ga got it handed to them in the form of turnovers. You MUST be a Dawg fan to be happy with that one. Typical UGA loser!! Ole Miss 24 – UGA 14. Murray will wet the bed, count on it!!
SEC FAN
October 29th, 2012
1:21 pm
Definately not a Gator UGA Pride, but nice try Leghumper! Ga WILL wet the bed and call for CMR to be fired and BoBo and everyone else because you are such loyal fans!!
Will Muschamp
October 29th, 2012
1:23 pm
Sorry to have let the Gator fans down. I’m only a 2nd yr. coach. Please bear w/ me. I need more time.
WDE
October 29th, 2012
1:24 pm
@SEC FAN hey troll boy who is your team? We beat the no.2 team in the country and it had the added luster of being the Gators what rock are you living under to not realize how sweet that is? And we did it without playing a perfect game…so what we won they lost and that is what matters at the end of the day.
Will Muschamp
October 29th, 2012
1:25 pm
To SEC FAN:
It’s going to be ok. Maybe I can beat GA next yr. for you. Not sure. But I will try my darndest
WDE
October 29th, 2012
1:25 pm
@BlackOut we of the Bull Dog Nation don’t care what you think…we clear?
Will Muschamp
October 29th, 2012
1:27 pm
Crap,
I’ll be lucky to get the Chick-Fil-A bowl now.