I got news for you, Coach. We didn’t need to hear Ramik Wilson and Sterling Bailey tell the media that the defense wasn’t mentally prepared to play Florida.
You know what really infuriates you when you watch this film closely? Georgia – when it did its job – actually shut down Florida’s offense. The issue was that there were WAY too many plays where not all 11 men did their job – whether it was a DL getting pushed back, taking a back door, or an OLB losing outside contain. Georgia did some things on defense last Saturday that would drive any defensive coach crazy because you KNOW they KNOW not to do what they did. You KNOW they’ve been coached better than that.
I can guarantee that all the talk about being able to dominate their opponent and Florida not being good on offense directly lead to this selfish, lazy play. When a person thinks they can dominate another player on the football field, fundamentals go out the window and they believe their skill will just allow them to be better.
Cory is confident that Pruitt will get after his charges this week and we’ll see a different defense. And maybe we will. They certainly were taken down a couple of notches in Jacksonville, so maybe the false comfort can be stripped away. No doubt shame can be a great motivator. But who knows with this bunch?
What I’m sensing right now is that Kentucky is the pivotal game of the season for this team. It’s not that the ‘Cats are that scary. They’re not. It’s that Georgia’s mental preparation is. That’s on the coaching staff as much as it is the players. So there’s plenty of soul searching to go around this week. And not just about what to say to the beat writers.
Get The Picture 
Kentucky isn’t the pivotal game of the season. That was last week.
LikeLike
Greg McGarity categorically denies that the situation was a Mental Preparation Nightmare.
LikeLike
If the team shows up in Kentucky with an attitude like the fans it will be a long day for sure.
LikeLike
This team is in a position that many Georgia team’s have found themselves in…playing out the stretch with their goals, dreams and hopes crushed. Last year we sat and watched a Georgia team lose to Vandy following a goal crushing loss to Mizzou. Much like Vandy of 2013, Kentucky is an improved team that will put up a quality fight. Is this team better than the 2013 Dawgs? Do the coaches have what it takes to regroup and push this team forward? I do not know the answers to these questions, which has me worried about the ‘Cats this weekend. GATA!
LikeLike
It shapes up as another predictable opponent’s gameplan I should think. Much like they did vs. Carolina, UK will likely run what UF did with Power and pulling guards only out of that Wildcat Formation. If Wilson & Co. go belly up, Dawgs lose.
But I think now that the “pressure” is off (as in thinking about Playoffs) the team regroups and ekes out a W like in ’08/10/12.
LikeLike
I think the SECC Game is still in plain sight…that has to be the goal every year, get there, win and it’s been a great season.
LikeLike
Good post, Skeptic.
~~~
LikeLike
Well at least we can be sure that CMR coaches his team up for games against 3rd tier opponents like Kentucky….
Oh.
Yeah I forgot about those games.
LikeLike
The generals never like the foot soldiers, the guys who carry the rifles, talking to the media because they might tell da troot. Et tu Ramik?
“Selfish football” indeed.
I’d venture to say the Kentucky game is pivotal because we find out if Jeremy Pruitt and the defensive staff can get the attention of their foot soldiers.
There are attainable goals for this team out there, but the margin for error, slim before, is now nonexistent.
Florida was a team loss. All the good things Georgia had been doing, especially the prior two games went blowing in the wind.
Old Lady Luck pissed on our feet and we thought it was raining.
And now we got another team desperate for a big win…this time I hope that team is us.
LikeLike
Wilson must have been a problem during the game as well, since he spent the builk of the 2nd Half standing on the sideline. Reggie Carter played in his stead.
LikeLike
Yep…sent to the rear.
LikeLike
IMHO, luck had nothing to do with what happened Saturday, with the possible exception of the FG. Zero. Didn’t come into play at all.
~~~
LikeLike
Still don’t understand why we couldn’t fix shit at half time.
LikeLike
I would say we could not fix shit at the half because it was too late.
LikeLike
Scorp, it wasn’t too late. We were down 14-7. Of course, I don’t know what was said during the half, but the game was still competitive and in reach. Come out in the 2nd half and get a stop for goodness sake. Stay in your assigned gap. Wrap up. Run to the ball. Block the guy in front of you. Attack the line of scrimmage.
The game got out of hand after we didn’t stop them on their first possession. The first 5 minutes and the last 2 minutes of each half are so important. We won the 1st 5 minutes of the game. Lost the next 2 chunks of time, and that made the last 2 minutes meaningless.
LikeLike
We didn’t know for sure at the time, Thomas, but it turns out it WAS too late. Myself, I thought it might be, and probably was, but hoped it wasn’t.
Thing is, it wasn’t about the score, or being in reach, or making schematic adjustments. The question was whether or not we could match Florida’s intensity and fight in the second half. If we could reach down for something we didn’t have with us when the game started.
When Florida took the 2nd half kickoff and kicked our tails all the way down the field, we knew for sure. It was indeed too late.
~~~
LikeLike
Saw that headline on Cory Brinson site that UF had a bad offense. Maybe he needs to hear what I use to tell young players in baseball…you do not see what you think you see…you had to focus on your play, prep, and hell prep some more because you are at the wall…you have to go thru the wall…the fight has just begun.
Many of us were very concerned about the teams and the road schedule of 4 games even with a Gurley. How many times do you hear SEC head coaches talk about how hard and difficult it is to win on the road. Most UGA fans already had Muschamp fired, that is the way they think and look at stuff. He may go, but for damn sure he out coached and out prepared the Dawgs. Plus he had the guts to get an OC and offensive staff. It would not surprise me if UF wins out. And would not surprise me if the Dawgs drop their next 2.
Pruitt. Notice how quick he came and talk to the media about his side of the ball. That is what I like about Pruitt. He is accountable and does hide like that Bobo. Bobo hides. Like his offense for long periods during games.
CMR needs to get a damn roster of complete players if he wants UGA and the alums to have a SEC title again. It is more important for those guys on the team who work their butts off every year and have to put up with the lack of discipline and focus of some very immature players.
Their prep for UK ends today. They are on the road tomorrow for a Saturday noon kickoff. And the UK coaches and players have enough confidence they can beat us. That is what their fans expect on Saturday.
LikeLike
When you only throw 4 passes and only complete 2 for 26 or so yards – but have over 400 yards rushing – that’s not the mark of a “good offense.”
I’d still argue that Georgia, when in position, did a good job of shutting down Florida’s offense. It is when they decided to play lazy and without fundamentals that they got their tails beat.
I love the defensive staff – but, as the Senator says below, there is no way in hell these guys were prepared mentally. Too many high school mistakes to believe they were ready. The guys literally thought skill alone would be enough – that isn’t the case in the SEC.
LikeLike
Outplayed. Outhustled. Outcoached.
LikeLike
The “we weren’t mentally prepared” line is a generic answer similar to the “we didn’t take them seriously” bit. I can’t believe how many but this shit. These guys don’t get to the top level by not talking it seriously. We got physically whipped. This not giving proper credit to your opponent is sickening. “Hey, I don’t want to admit that they physically whipped us so let’s make terrible excuses and blame ourselves for not taking Georgia – Florida seriously.” What bullshit…
LikeLike
That defense looked mentally ready to you? Ho-kay.
Georgia hasn’t been manhandled like that all season. They didn’t take Florida seriously – until it was too late. It was obvious to me and everyone around me sitting in the stadium watching it all fall apart.
LikeLike
They looked man handled. They were in place and ready for most every snap like they have most of the season. We gave up over 400 rushing yards to a truly high school offense. We knew what was coming and still couldn’t stop it. No…their mental preparedness looked fine. All I saw was a team that was dominated on both sides of the LOS.
LikeLike
They most assuredly weren’t ready for most every snap. As Cory points out, there were guys out of position on every big play Florida had.
LikeLike
I wish I could believe all we needed was a little more mental focus. It would certainly give me hope for improvement but we lost both our games against teams that were more physical, especially on the LOS. Certainly when it was a physical OL vs our DL.
It’s one thing to tell a child that they can do anything they set their mind to. It’s another when someone who is bigger, stronger and just as agile runs right at you. What exactly were the coaches or players supposed to do differently, mentally, to stop them? What was the offense supposed to do?? We had 7 points when the game was in doubt. The D turns around and gives them a perfect opportunity to put their high school offense down 2 scores, not allowing them to simply run on us, possible altering the game, yet we get nothing. Andrews goes down and shit snowballs from there. Now, maybe the team mentality crashed from there but it looked fine up until then.
It’s like folks using Muschamp’s comments about us showing a look on special teams that led to the fake FG as some sort of sign that we weren’t ready. Hell…someone is giving some sort of look every play. Most teams give that look on FG. Not much you can do other than line up in base D or FG fake but that doesn’t make sense.
Again…I’d love to put the blame on us, as it would make me feel better, and I wouldn’t have to give due credit, but I can’t do that. Much like our QB and passing game…the D is what it is. Every team has and will continue to attack us the same way on both sides of the ball.
LikeLike
“A little more”? Hardly.
LikeLike
You think that Eastern Michigan’s players are more physically gifted than UGA’s? I beg to differ. UGA has better defensive athletes than Eastern Michigan. The reason UGA gave up more yards to Florida than Eastern Michigan, and every other team Florida has played this year, or will play this year, is our players half-assed their way around the field. And that’s a mental mistake.
LikeLike
Will Michel play against Kentucky?
LikeLike
If two teams are physically somewhat equal then the results we saw was because the UF players wanted to win more than our guys. If one team wants it more than the other they may not always win but they will always play at a higher level than the team that is just phoning it in. Does anybody seriously think that had Aaron Murray still been the QB we would have been taken to the woodshed this bad?? I’m worried that now that they have crapped the bed they will just play out the string, see USCe. If the D doesn’t play smart disciplined football against GT they will make the UF beating look like a walk in the park. We’ll see Saturday if this team is done for the year.
LikeLike
Aaron Murray doesn’t play defense. And he was a part of several games where UGA players decided to take the afternoon off.
LikeLike
Let’s all just “PRAY” about it. Things might just work out to where there mighta coulda shoulda would be a National Playoff Spot for us provided more teams above us lose. ROFL……LMAO it hurts! 33 to 1 odds in Vegas! Senator that’s my in depth analysis on this season.
LikeLike