It’s time to close the books on the debacle in Baton Rouge and get our minds right as the bye week nears an end, which means turning our thoughts to the hated Gators.
While I don’t want to beat any deceased equines in this post, I can’t help but wonder whether the Dawgs will have their collective heads on straight Saturday week. Florida, since losing to Kentucky, has won five straight, including a win over the team that just beat Georgia by 20, and finds itself tied at the top of the division. So, if Dan Mullen sounds like a man who thinks his team is feeling it,
“I like how we’ve come together as a team, because I think that was a really important thing for us as a program,” Mullen said. “Our guys are learning how to go play the team game. If you look at how we’ve won, it hasn’t been with just defense or just offense. We’ve found several different ways to win games, and we’ve done it as a full team…
“As the season goes on, you want to be playing in big games,” Mullen said. “When you’re playing in big games the second half of the season, the reason is you’ve made them big games. That’s the fun part, and if you want to continue playing in them, you’ve got to continue to succeed in order to make the next game bigger than the last one.
“I don’t know if I’m surprised, and I don’t know if this is where I expected us to be. It is what it is, and you adapt and move on. I’m not disappointed with where we are, but I think there are a lot of things we have to get better at in every phase of the game.”
… that’s understandable.
It’s also understandable that over the last decades of the series, it’s Florida that’s won more often with attitude than has Georgia. Job One for Kirby is to get his team playing to that standard they all like to talk about.
Get The Picture 
We better win this game. I honestly can’t even consider how shitty it would be to lose.
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Spikes’ inner Munson voice… “We are doomed..”
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Our 5* attitudes best get to work. (coaches too). Florida has us right where they want us, what with doubt, lack of focus, QB controversy, etc. If we don’t come out with 4 quarters of fight, it’s over.
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Certainly the internet fans have doubt, so I hope none of them make the travel roster. Neither you nor I have any idea of those 70 players’ confidence.
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I have to give Mullen credit. He walked into a dumpster fire and has made FU relevant in just a few months. Obviously this is the biggest game so far. Win and we have a clear shot to Atlanta. Lose and we also have a clear shot to Atlanta. ( The Peach Bowl).
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Lose this game plus the Kentucky game and we have a clear shot to Shreveport.
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I’m not buying it. I don’t think they are that good. Florida was getting their asses kicked by Vandy for a good portion of that game last week. Franks still sucks. If we take Perine out of the game it will be a blowout.
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Miss St receiver doesn’t drop a sure touchdown in the 4th qrtr, Florida loses. LSU receivers catch two passes, Florida loses. Vandy doesn’t lose their bell cow rb in the 2nd qrtr, Florida loses. They remind me of the 2012 Gators, we can beat this team like a mule if we play to our strengths.
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SIX gifts from UT didn’t hurt.
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I think you nailed it. I watched Vandy snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Florida has gotten lucky, but sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. Perhaps Mullen is right and they’re buying-in and confidence is helping to generate that luck.
By contrast we’re brushing edges with a QB controversy that’s already dividing the fan base. Kirby is trying to keep the QB rat poison out of the locker room, but how much longer can he keep that monster away. I’m very concerned about this team and if we don’t play significantly better than last Saturday, we’ll lose!
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Florida ain’t shit, but nether is LSU. If this team doesn’t get their heads on straight, we will lose again.
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People didn’t think LSU was that good either.
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Franks couldn’t carry the LSU QB’s jock.
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Dawgs have not come together as a team yet (after seven games!), so unless they do it during this time that they have and fix their mistakes, I don’t think they will win. I hate saying that. Something I hate saying even more is, even TN regrouped! FL and KY regrouped! If they can regroup, so should our Dawgs! Get it together coaches and Dawgs!
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As painful as it may be… there’s not much of a bigger motivator than taking an L the way we did in Baton Rouge. I fully expect to see our best game next Saturday and to curb stomp the Gators back down to earth.
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I’m still too used to what we used to be, and I’m not expecting that. I think last year was one of those years (like 02, 07, and 12) where things came together. We got too excited, and we need to remember there’s only one Alabama, and their run is historic.
I don’t think we’ll return the favor on UF’s 25 years of dominance, and Mullen is gonna do fine because he’s having more success in Year 1 than Kirby did, and we’re just gonna keep on being Georgia.
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That’s more doomsday than even me, although I do expect to lose to UF. We’re just not playing as a team. But hopefully I’m wrong. I will be watching with a bunch of Gators so whatever happens, just know I have it worse.
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You are right, we haven’t clicked on all 8 for a game all year. I think UGA will be ready for FU, and will win. If our guys aren’t capable of rising to this challenge, it not only says something about this year’s group, but may portend trouble for next year because much of our talent will be back. You can’t teach heart and attitude. As a whole, these guys are used to winning and succeeding so seeing how they play with their backs against the wall is more important than just one game. They have had their manhood called out in the media, and from both the coaches and the fans. Dawgs roll out of JAX with some momentum going into the Kentucky game, which will be the bigger test.
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I was afraid Mulllen was going to pull the Gators back up and that looks like what he has done. Things are going be a bit tougher for Kirby than they were in year 2. I’m afraid Georgia is back to what it always was 9-3 with an occasional 10-2. Unfortunately Georgia will always be Georgia.
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Am I right in remembering that 4 out of the past 5 uf coaches have beaten uga in their first season?
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I don’t know if most of the remarks are from true Georgia fans or not but it certainly doesn’t sound like it. Those that just hang their heads and mope away with “that’s Georgia” are pathetic. We have good coaches, great players and should be in every game we play..big time! Every team that has ever walked out on a field has had one of “those days”. LSU was ours and in every player’s heart and mind is the feeling of “never again”. Our Dawgs will return to form and no East Division team will stop us! Go DAWGS!! GATA!!
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And people act like this is 1996 team has already lost 2-4 games and the season is over before we even arrive in Jacksonville. We beat the living shit out of every team we played this year so far besides last weekend (and arguably Missouri). We have called the dogs off early in the second half of most of them and have not had to exert a lot of effort doing it. I know this can lull a team to sleep in believing in its own talent, but geez Senator…many of these comments smack of sockpuppetry.
UF has caught a lot of breaks this year and is no doubt better than last year’s team, but let’s not all get so carried away just yet in believing we are back to expecting to lose in Jacksonville.
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And who’s to say they won’t be lucky again?
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I’ve been avoiding commenting this week because I would just be repeating this over and over: Georgia will play better and beat Florida. The doom and gloom after one road loss against a good team is ridiculous.
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Unbelievable how quickly the bad vibe around UGA football has returned. It was starting even before the LSU loss. I just hope the team is not experiencing it as much as we are. If so, Florida will take full advantage.
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Why should we be surprised about the bad vibe? We take pride in channeling our “inner Munson” and in talking about the team “$#!t-ting the bed.” We have fans who like to talk about “I demand excellence” which is code for “natty or bust.”
I don’t know about others, but I didn’t expect this team to be a playoff team (I hoped). I think (and still do) that 10-2 is the floor for this team.
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Because last year, man. We are God’s gift to football and should beat anyone else in the country just by stepping out onto that field. Losing is inexcusable its time to fire the whole staff and start over.
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Brandon, we have a segment of our fan base that would make me happy if they would get off (and stay off) the bandwagon. I don’t know about you, but I lived through the late 80s as the program slid into mediocrity and wallowed there until 2002. If this year is about rebuilding and it ends with a New Year’s 6 bowl game win, I’ll be darn happy with that.
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I’m not going to jump off a cliff if we lose to Florida, but it would be a HUGE setback to Kirby’s recruiting momentum if we do. We are supposed to be reloading, not rebuilding. Rebuilding is for non-elite programs. The idea that Mullen could take a low talent Florida program that we destroyed last year and beat us this year is inconceivable and would lead all to think that last year was an outlier for UGA. Next week is a very big deal.
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I would agree with every word you wrote, dude.
A big +1.
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That response was entirely in jest of that segment of the fan base. I’m with you ee, I was born in 87, so I grew up in mediocrity just hoping and being happy if my Dawgs made it to a bowl game. What people need to realize is one great season with an extraordinary amount of talent and leadership (which most all of it sans Baker is now gone) did not turn us into Alabama overnight. Kirby and crew are recruiting at an unprecedented level but he and some other key staff members are young and still learning how to do their jobs on the fly the best that they can too. I just hope that we can learn from these mistakes and continue to get better every week. I think we will and come out of the break focused and take care of business the rest of the way to get back to Atlanta. Unfortunately I also think we are going to get pantsed this time by Bama which is going to bring the sour grapes right back to the surface. But who knows, right? That’s why they play the games.
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I knew you were being funny.
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Sic ’em, Brandon M! This team should be running like a well oiled machine and it’s not. Even after seven games! Hello? Coaches? Veterans? Let’s see well executed, coached and played games from now on out! Go Dawgs!
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I think you missed my sarcasm Salty. lol. Although I’m 100% on board with your last sentence and truly think we will begin to see more of that as the year goes on.
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I think the way last year’s team played (disciplined, mistake-free, leveraging its talent advantages to maximum effect) and where it played (playoffs) and who it played (Bama, to OT) convinced a lot of fans that Kirby and Georgia was New Bama, destined to displace Old Bama as soon as this year.
And now everyone’s freaking out, wondering if in fact Kirby’s Georgia is New Coke.
Both were overreactions, but that’s what we do as fans. It’s more fun that way?
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I would agree with you, but I would take it a step further. I think we have some fans that actually enjoy pointing out the failures in the football program and can’t wait to run to their keyboards (or phones) to tell us how right they are.
I don’t care to become the New Bama … I want us to become the New UGA … disciplined, talented and focused. When that happens consistently, we’ll all be happy with the results.
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And well we should because every time we expect something good 9 out of 10 times something rises up to bite us in the arse.
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It wasn’t just losing to LSU. It was the WAY the team lost. What upset me was the sudden realization that we have idiots making decisions in game.
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I agree, Mayor. I guess according to some, we aren’t true fans. By my count. This is CKS third season and the second where coaching has been suspect. I’m sold on CKS as a recruiter. No doubt. The jury is still out on this staff’s ability to coach the kids up.
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Dawgs have a history of going on the road and getting blown up.
ND was an outlier. ND was a very overrated team in 17.
Unlikely Dawgs finish in top ten this year.
Real team was on display with LSU.
Can not correct and motivate this late in season with a team who think they are super talented.
And when folks like Dawg Nation warm your hearts with high comments and lead folks to believe only Bama is better.
O line and TE are Pittman and Chaney.
Absent for most of year.
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At least it’s not all caps.
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That’s funny.
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He’s our e. e. cummings.
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“Real team was on display with LSU.”
Why is it the ‘REAL’ team that lost? Why can’t the ‘REAL’ GA team be the one that was winning the other games? Earlier the Senator posted the stats that show the dogs didn’t have an inefficient game against LSU. It’s not like we were a bad team. A lot of really good things happened for LSU to win by that margin and UF will need a lot of good things to happen for them to win this next game. JMO.
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Forget it, he’s rolling.
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“Can not correct and motivate this late on season ….”
We used the Florida game in ‘07 and ‘12 to do just that . Neither of those seasons were going any better than this year at the same point.
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God awmighty…. I don’t know whether to view this more as a Navajo code-talkers style or 11th-hour West-of-the-Pecos jailhouse pap. You be you, Big T.
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No, the 2018 Dawgs have not jelled as a team. Yes, there are major holes on this squad. Yes, Florida can and more than likely will further expose those holes. While I do not put as much blame on the coaches for the lose to LSU as others, I do fully expect the coaches to create a new attitude for the team next week in Jax. That is 100% on the coaches.
Matt Stinchcomb made a statement a few weeks ago that troubled me deeply, and after watching the LSU game further proved his point. Matt said that teams do not improve their pass blocking during the season, you are stuck with what you have. He explained that to improve your pass protection it requires a change in footwork that takes far to long to master and you can not fix that in just one week. Given what we saw in Baton Rogue, I fully expect the Gators to rattle Fromm, for Fromm to have another subpar outing and our offense to remain stagnant.
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Damn Skeptic, that is some gloom and doom right there. I don’t think Florida gets much pressure on Fromm without the patented Grantham blitzes and we all know how that can expose a defense. Swift and Holyfield may have big days catching dump off passes with a lot of green grass in front.
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Not to change the subject of the thread, but what is the projected status of Cleveland for the FL game?
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Probably wait and see where it is next week. I’d guess he won’t play.
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Know what LSU has that Georgia doesn’t have? An ERK-ish figure to inspire them. Coach O is that to them.
As a firm believer that enough emotion and intensity can make up a huge differential in talent, (IF the more talented team isn’t well gelled …as in BR), I’m concerned that this Georgia team may not prevail against UF.
(Elijah Holyfield…I hope that whatever drives you is contagious.)
I honestly don’t know if this is just a wrong perception on my part, but it seems to me that Georgia has held on to a decade (at least) old propensity to too often get overwhelmed by other, lesser team’s intensity in big games. It just seems like other teams “out-desire” the Dawgs.
I felt LSU’s intensity (playing on a high emotionally driven level, driven by desire to win) far outmatched Georgia’s.
This is what I worry about in the WLOCP. Georgia being more focused on nuts and bolts instead of burying their foe on every single play.
Probably just me. I can also think of times when it went the other way (i.e. against OK in Pasadina). But what happened in BR was comparable to a high tech robot getting run over by a D-9 Cat as it was running it’s self-check
Everything the team does or doesn’t do well is on the coaches. Including getting pumped up…Not fake juice pumped up, but ERK type pumped up.
Georgia needs an ERK figure.
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Who’s the ERK-ish figure at Alabama? At Ohio State? At Clemson?
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Exactly … that’s so overrated.
Saban – he doesn’t need a motivator. His teams perform out of pure fear of Little Nicky. If you don’t cut it, you’re gone.
Corch – he has a staff that takes excellent players (with questionable character) and has a built a machine his conference can’t handle.
Dabo – he makes the game fun for his guys and they’ll run through a brick wall for him.
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You contradict yourself, EE.. Your point is that Saban motivates by fear. I agree with that..
Corch’s team isn’t playing any better than UGA. They’ve had to pull a few out of their asses.
Dabo..again, you make my point. “They will run through a brick wall for him’. He’s their ERK..
Seem my post below.
BTW..Do you think the old Junkyard Defense of the 80s would have played on that high level without Erks inspiration? I don’t.
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I would agree with you about Dabo … he is their Erk when you put it that way.
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“Do you think the old Junkyard Defense of the [7]0s would have…”
FIFY.
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Well, I did say that I don’t know if it’s a wrong perception on my part.
And I did say it’s a factor “IF the better talented team isn’t well gelled” Alabama and Clemson I consider well gelled.
But who’s the ERK-ish figure at those schools? I don’t think it has to be someone that butts heads with the players on the sideline. He just has to be a driver..someone who will drive a team to give it all.
“Whose their Erk” crossed my mind and I have given it some thought. I’d say at Alabama it’s Phyllis from Mulga…(not really)…I think Saban has a sinister way of driving everyone..staff and players…to realize they have unequaled standard to live up to and they’d damned well better do it. While he doesn’t bloody his head the way ERK did, he motivates. So no. he isn’t ERK but he’s a hell of a motivator. (And I’ve criticized him for humiliating players on the sideline..which he sometimes does)
As far as Ohio State, they sure as hell have the same problem as UGA..they haven’t looked like world beaters this year. They are over rated and inconsistent in their level of play.
And Dabo is a very emotional guy..those kids believe in him.
But do you not agree that this is a thing? Do you think the Dogs are playing at a highly driven level? Do you think the “Junkyard” would have been the same without Erk’s compassion?
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http://www.drelko.com
This is a key Alabama motivational guy. He’s been with Saban since the Dolphins. Kirby brought him as well.
He’s big into mindset. Some of the hokey sayings you hear around the program come from him “keep the main thing, the main thing”, etc.
Hard to get a gist of what he’s about from his website- you’d have to listen to him.
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Sorry, worked with Saban since LSU
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Georgia had three Erk figures last year. They wore #1, #3 and #27.
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I really think our weaknesses and times without focus is due to the lack of that missing leadership. Confidence in knowing what to do and confidence in the players around you are huge. A little hesitation can create big problems. This team WILL find its leaders at some point. I hope it is in time.
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^^This.
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LSU’s “ERK” (this whole hot take is silly, BTW) last week was the fact that their season rested on the game, to ensure that the bama game was relevant. We are in LSU’s shoes going into Cocktail Party, our season rides on the game, so we will come out in a similar fashion. Stop making more of one damn loss than is needed.
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Attitude definitely matters. Since Spurrier, how many times has UGA won with lesser/talent or a lesser team?
1997 is the only time I can recall, but Spurrier had Noah Brindise at QB and UGA was pretty good that year.
The underdog role never seems to help us like it does Florida, at least not since Dooley was HC.
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“over the last decades of the series, it’s Florida that’s won more often with attitude than has Georgia”
Where does that attitude spring from?
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UGA’s attitude personificaiton is Vince Dooley. Florida’s is Steve Spurrier. That’s why Grantham is a fit in Florida but not here.
Florida’s attitude gives them more “juice” when they are the underdog, I think.
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‘Cept Spurrier isn’t at FU anymore and VD isn’t in Athens anymore.
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My concern is over the leadership of our team….I’m afraid that the team is not as unified as we would like to believe due to the two QB’s splitting reps with the 1’s at practice and no consistent connection with the receivers to get that “go to” guy that each team usually has at this point of the season. The media, initially, started this controversy. Now, it has been carried over to the fans. Fromm has more than proved, IMO, that he can lead this team. However, with the two QB thing going on I feel that maybe he has some
self-doubt which brings some questions from within the locker room.
That’s my thoughts, FWIW. I believe if the team is truly unified we will handle Florida handily, however, if we are still divided over the QB “controversy” then we could see a repeat of the LSU defeat.
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Florida is equipped to do a lot of the same things as LSU. They are going to run the ball pretty well, and Georgia’s run defense is what it is at this point – below average. That’s going to limit Chaney’s possessions and put some pressure on Fromm and Company to make the most of their opportunities. Just like LSU.
At a glance, the game looks to be your standard “who converts in the red zone, who gets the turnovers, who gets a couple of explosive plays that lead to easy points” kind of SEC game. All of those check marks ended up in the LSU column last Saturday.
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Don’t forget 3rd down. We got behind the chains on every possession, with only one possession working out.
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I would agree about FU IF they had the OL LSU does, and if Franks was as good at QB. I think our defense will stand taller next week against the Gaytors, but still won’t be convinced until they do and repeat it against Kentucky. Florida can only win if we give it to them, LSU was built to play us close; with the UGA mistakes and home field edge we were going to always lose that game. Play the same way against FU and it is a close game; play better and we should win by double digits.
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Don’t agree that “we always lose that game” Mac. Georgia would have won last week if the coaches hadn’t self-destructed.
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Kirby could coach the Dawgs another 20 years and the fake might still be the dumbest call he’s ever made.
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It’s the dumbest call I have ever seen in over 50 years of watching college football. I got up screaming at the TV before Rod had even been tackled. The timing on the pitch was off and the holder threw the ball too high. Rod had to hesitate to catch the ball. We’re lucky our kicker wasn’t severely injured. Bad call, bad execution (probably hadn’t practiced it enough), all around bad decision.
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I will be absolutely shocked, shocked if we don’t deliver an epic beat down of the turds.
Players and coaches learned a valuable lesson in Cajun country. We got too cute with our game plan and paid the price. I expect to see a focused, hungry team that will bring down a furious anger on the turds.
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I honestly just don’t know how to feel. Obviously I want to win. But what I mean is, I don’t buy the FU hype and that Dan Mullen has returned them to Corch level because, you know, Mullen is the most underrated coach in the SEC or whatever. I don’t care about them beating LSU. Honestly I think FU is a mediocre team that has gotten hot and is riding some weird kind of a wave right now that is going to crash. We are plenty good enough to be the ones who put an end to the nonsense. But that brings me to the other variable. I don’t know what kind of team we are. I don’t know if Kirby can pull that UGA out of this gaggle of split personalities this team seems to have. This has been one of the weirdest UGA teams I have ever watched. Everybody else seems absolutely certain that youth is the reason why. I really haven’t bought the youth narrative all season and I even emailed the Senator a few weeks ago about that very subject. The article he linked the other day confirmed what I suspected. But there are two things that I know in addition. A Todd Grantham defense can be had and realatively easily with some game planning. All he knows to do is blitz every play it seems. Drove me nuts when he was in Athens. And Kirby’s defense is rough on Dan “Blind Squirrel” Mullen’s offense. Screw Florida and the mule they rode in on. Beat them and then we can worry about sorting out this head case of a team’s problem.
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Agreed. There is absolutely no reason we should lose to FU. Of course, we shouldn’t have lost to LSU last week. If players aren’t “gelling”. Or “stepping up” or whatever other lame excuse someone uses, it doesn’t matter. Superior coaching remedies that. Which brings us to where we’re at.
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I’m just not sure UF has won “with attitude.” I think they won with better talent and coaching for that 25 year stretch.
Spurrier and Meyer didn’t lose much to anyone no matter what their opponents attitude was. Zoom still had too 5-10 talent and Muschamp’s did too. If we don’t execute and adjust in the cocktail party we’ll lose to this team, but we are more talented at just about every position and they have Granthem as the DC (who is not bad, but I would also argue not elite).
I expect a good game, but I also expect the dawgs to win.
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As one of the more pessimistic posters on here I think people need to chill. Seriously, We lost a game, to a pretty good team, at their house, that as poorly as we played still had a chance in the 4th quarter. It happens.
Also as much as losing to lsu sucks the fact of the matter is that our games against Kentucky and Florida games are going to determine the East champion. This would be the case whether or not we had won or lost at LSU.
If we win those games we’ll be fine. I know Jacksonville has been a house of horrors for Georgia but it’s also a place where bumbling Georgia also suddenly have the light bulb go on and win the game en route to a special season (see 2007 & 12).
I think we have a great chance on Saturday. 1) The loss in baton rouge could be a wake up call for the coaches and players. 2) Kirby typically does well against Dan Mullen. Lastly if things don’t start well against Florida especially on offense, all we have to do is get to third and long which is almost an automatic first down against AND we have 3 timeouts each half plus any gator timeouts which means at least 6 opportunities for the gator defense to send 12 guys onto the field.
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I like your perspective, Charlotte.
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I hope the players are taking all this neighsaying about them and using it for bulletin board material; sad that it comes from our fans. I hope the crowd shows up behind our team providing energy for them. We will be there.
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I see people dismissing Fu’s turnaround. Well, we aren’t looking so hot, either. It’s times like this that I really hate having an off week. Ugh!
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What have they done that’s so impressive? We have the same record as them with better talent and what I still believe is better coaching, last week’s case of coaching brain farts not withstanding. People are freaked out by their victory over LSU. It took us having our absolute worst game playing and coaching combined with playing them there for our loss to them to happen. I still say that FU is a mediocre team that is on a roll. We are a very talented team that has not come close to playing as well as we can yet we still have only one loss. Not impressed by FU and still see no reason to be scared of them.
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Here’s the keys to the game: 1) Fromm complete passes. 2) Don’t give up on run. 3) Throw the kitchen sink at Franks on 3rd down. We know CKS won’t do the latter, but maybe we could leave Holyfield in for longer than three plays and Fromm will find the open receiver when there is one and throw it away when there’s not.
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