Gator Misery

This is delicious. There's no bigger Gator sunshine pumper than Pat Dooley which makes this piece so much more tasty.

PWD

Florida Review

So, it has been three days and 300 miles.  I did re-watch it, but didn't get too much more from the experience, except the abject joy of seeing disappointed Gator fans leaving the stadium.

The Good:

• The defense.
• Honk your horn if you sacked Brantley Saturday night.
• Jarvis Jones, honk your horn a bunch.  
• Bullgoat sized balls on three different must have play calls: Two fourth down TD passes and Murray's first completion in 10 attempts for first down to keep a drive alive.
• A manhood robbing 9 play, 58 yard, 5:32 drive to end the game.
• Give Richard Samuel a high four for his best rushing game, not statistically, but actually, of his career.  He ran hard, with purpose and looked to punish the defense.  That is what we've been looking for from you Mr. Samuel.  
• Offensive line's run blocking.  
• Aaron Murray running the football.
• Michael Gilliard quietly leading the team in tackles. Again.
• The defense. 
• Georgia playing like they own the series, probably for the first time since 1989.

The Bad:

• Drew's punting.  Gotta have you back, big guy.
• Allowing a TD on 4th and 19.  Ogletree had a monster game, but no way you can allow a receiver to get that open on that play.
• Falling for the one play you knew they would run to open the game.  Mad props on keeping it from happening again.
• QB and receivers not on the same page.  I get some of that is the clown cop car full of WRs we keep pulling into the stadium (we've had 17 players, approximately 1/5th of the roster, catch a pass this season; we have five guys with double digit receptions), however, when it happens on back to back plays from inside the opponent's 20, that has to be fixed.
• I toyed with putting Walsh's performance further down, but his problems are fixable.  He is getting plenty of leg on the ball, he is just pushing it right.  Consistently.  

The Ugly:

• Scary special teams play.
• Kickoff coverage.  Just have Walsh kick it out of bounds.  I agree with Blutarsky that it was worse on TV.  Guys didn't contain lanes, and even worse, ran to a spot on the field and stopped.  
• I miss Fabris [insert sounds of power puking]. 

I am sure I missed some good and bad stuff.  Overall, I am always happy with a win in Jacksonville.  To me the most impressive thing of this game was coaching.  We outcoached the Gators.  We played like a team that never thought it was going to lose.  We played hard, made defensive and offensive adjustments to win.

When is the last time you could say that at all?

TD

Random Thoughts on the Cocktail Party

Watching our special teams play was like watching a teenage cutter holding a box of Wusthofs. It was sad and gross to watch, yet the plot line would make a pretty decent Lifetime Movie with Meredith Baxter playing the role of Coach Richt. It was enough to make me miss Jon Fabris...a little.

But we won. And that's all that matters. After 17 trips to Jacksonville, I can tell you I've seen us play way smarter and lose.

And why did we win? Because the defense, which was a rolling shipment of fail last year, simply got dramatically better. The result -- If you have a few minutes to enjoy a cold beer and warm schadenfreude, read these Gator recaps from Orson Swindle and Run Home Jack over at EDSBS:

"You could give Charlie Weis a Garmin, fifteen Sherpas, a moving walkway made up of arrows saying "MARZIPAN FACTORY THIS WAY FREE SAMPLES" and the ball on the eight yard line and that piece of shit still couldn't find the end zone." - RHJ

"But don't say this is all necessary. It's not. Meyer's struggles in his first year got him to nine wins. [NAME REDACTED] learned and unlearned basic arithmetic on the job and still won seven games. This team will lose to Vanderbilt. This team will lose to South Carolina. This team will lose to Florida State, and they will miss a bowl game for the first time since the pre-Spurrier era. That is not good coaching. That's failure, and boring, depressing failure at that. At least fight James Franklin at the fifty when you're done losing to Vandy, Will, and thus give us something to cheer about." - OS

Honestly, I don't expect Weis to be back in Gainesville next year. Muschamp really can't fire the guy, but Weis has the career competence to look around and see that his QB situation isn't going to get much better (he's sampled the goods already). This is just a bad fit. The bad news...the Gators will be better off without him.

However, without Charlie's offensive reputation, there's the cold reality that the Gators' head coach is just a loudmouth ex-UGA player who is now 0-5 in Jacksonville.

And by the way ... going for it on 4th and 19 is an absolutely, positively stupid call. It doesn't matter that it worked. It's still such a galactically stupid call as to bring your entire thought process into question. Assuming there was a thought process to begin with.

See Also:
-- "If Weis is a Genius, then Addazzio was a Mastermind." - Orlando Sentinel


PWD

3 Questions Answered: Florida

On to the questions.

1. Will decided schematic advantage matter? No.  Hell, no.  I mean Jarvis basically called BS on it.  Grantham's adjustments in the second half were awesome.  For that matter the adjustments after the second drive were dead on (Florida had 152 yards at 7:34 in the 1Q; they had less than 70 the rest of the way).  Bobo's play calling was strong, again.  The two TDs on 4th down were exactly the right calls and to the right spots.  That sound you heard was Richt's cojones clanking together.  We showed up more prepared and with a better game plan.  When it the last time that has happened?
2. Can Aaron live down last year?  He had a serviceable game. There were some throws that were off, either because he or the receiver missed the route.  However, he never had the one WTF throw. I'll take it.
3. Will the defense handle the running game well?  Dude.  Just. Dude.  If you had told me we'd hold them to -19 yards rushing, I'd have bet my house on the game.  Outside of one Rainey run of 17 yards (that ended in a forced fumble), they had nothing.  The one bubble screen was the only time we seriously over pursued on a misdirection.  Very strong performance all around. 

I'll get to the special special team's play, which nearly cost us another game (hello, South Carolina), later.  Beyond that, we did what we needed to do.  It was very 2002, but we were on the other side of the score.

TD

CBZ Round Table on Georgia Florida

Kevin asks, I answer:

In what area do you see Georgia as having a specific advantage over the Gators? Passing offense vs passing defense.  The Gators have really struggled with Brantley out.  They weren't exactly world beaters, passing wise, with him in.  Murray has had his issues, but he is quite good when he is given a few seconds to make his reads.  I expect the Gators to come after him.  I also expect us to be able to exploit that with the TEs, RBs and quick routes like last week against Vandy.  Tyler Bray did a good job until Tennessee's lack of running game allowed the Gators to sit back and dare them to pass without Justin Hunter in the game.  We have more competent receivers than Tennessee and more plays designed to leverage that.

In what area do you see Georgia as being at a specific dis-advantage to the Gators? Individual big play threats on offense.  Hey, we've got very good play makers, especially Mitchell.  He will be individually as good as Rainey or Demps in a year.  At any given time, on any given play, at any given spot on the field, either of those guys can hurt you running or catching the ball.  We don't have that.

Give us one Georgia player that needs to play his best game of the season for Georgia to win this ball game (and why). Murray. The smart money would be on someone on defense, but I feel ok about them.  If Murray gets rolling, completes 60% of his passes and has one int. or less, I feel very good about our chances.  If he tops 325 yards, completes 65% of his passes, has 3+TDs/0ints and throws around 30 times, we win big.

Many thanks to Kevin at College Football Zealots for putting this together.

TD

3 Questions: Florida

This is a bit speculative, since I am writing it nearly a week early (due to being on a cruise during the whole week of Georgia-Florida).

1. Will decided schematic advantage matter?  Ignoring all evidence to the contrary, I don't believe in the Jacksonville curse.  I do believe Florida has consistently showed up more ready to play for the past 20 years.  Now, we come into a game where we have been doing a good job preparing and look to be a better team than Florida. Will that matter? We have to be able to run the ball, which is the Florida defense's 'weakness.'  Do that and we will be ok.
2. Can Aaron live down last year?  The 2010 Florida game was his worst.  Can he come out and play sound offense, deliver the ball well, and make good decisions?  
3. Will the defense handle the running game well?  Vandy has me nervous. Up until then, I'd have been very content with our game preparation and take our chances with Rainey, Demps, and Burton.  Now, I think it remains to be seen if we can correct the issues we have with misdirection and delay hand offs.  I feel good about slowing down Florida's pass offense, which you have to figure they will still try to establish.  I feel decidedly less so about playing soundly against their potent rushing threats.  Despite what we have seen the past few weeks from Florida, they aren't nearly as bad as they have looked.

A House Divided?

This isn't a house divided. This is a bad life decision.

TD

Jortastic

Warning: The following video isn't safe for those with any sense of decency due to the wide use white rap beats, bad fade haircuts, over-sized muffintops, men in body socks, flip flops with socks and the use of the color orange. Viewer discretion is demanded.

TD

Florida LB Finley Arrested

Dee Finley: "Don't tase me, bro" (Image: Tribune Media)

Finley was arrested at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, reportedly stopped when he dodged a barricade.  He told the officer he was late and tried to leave.  Mathematically speaking:

The Fuzz<Coach Muschamp

However, the officer wasn't done.  Finley 'squared himself' and straddled the scooter, that is until the officer removed his Taser.  Then he complied. Mathematically speaking:

Coach Muschamp<The Fuzz with a Taser Drawn

Resisting arrest with violence?  Jimmy Williams approves.  Meanwhile, Huntley Johnson just lit another veal foreskin wrapped cigar with a $1000 bill.

TD

UGA vs. Florida (The Spurrier Years)

Wait...don't change the channel. I'm not a masochist. This video showcases Spurrier's Florida teams from 1964-1966 including the demolition of Spurrier's SEC title chances in '66.



Good stuff.

Chuck Heater Needs Work

Until Jan. 2nd, Chuck Heater was the co-defensive coordinator for the Florida Gators with specific position coaching responsibilities for safeties. He joined Florida from Utah along with Coach Meyer in 2005 as recruiting coordinator and cornerbacks coach.

At age 57, he's served on coaching staffs that have won two SEC titles and two national titles at UF, a national title at Notre Dame, an undefeated season at Utah, a Rose Bowl and Pac 10 title at Washington, a Big Ten title at Ohio State, and an 11-1 record at Colorado.

He's a winner.

As a recruiting coordinator for the Gators under Meyer, they built a recruiting machine with few peers. Also under Meyer and Heater, the Gators produced defensive back fields with devastating speed and toughness with kids who were coached well enough to begin contributing their freshmen year. He's a tough as nails coach with high expectations for his kids.

Yet, Will Muschamp isn't keeping him. So, he's looking at his options.

Hiring a guy with a resume like Heater's would strengthen our horrific DB production and give us another recruiter strong enough to further diversify our almost unhealthy reliance on Rodney Garner.

So...is UGA talking to him about replacing Scott Lakatos as defensive backs coach? It doesn't appear so. Well...there's something to be said for stability with complete disregard for merit I guess.

Am I suggesting that Richt should immediately fire Lakatos and hire Heater? Actually, no; although, the resumes of the two men aren't from the same planet. I'm suggesting that a move that bold wouldn't even be considered right now. And that's depressing as hell to me.

PWD

My honest take on Urban Meyer's Departure

As I said on Twitter yesterday, I"m having a lot of trouble getting excited about Meyer's departure from Florida. My reasoning is pretty simple. Florida isn't Georgia's biggest obstacle to success right now.

Georgia's biggest obstacle to success at this point is Georgia. We absolutely must get our own house in order, or we won't take advantage of Meyer's departure. I still believe now as I did last off season, that our problems are:

1. Sense of Urgency
2. Lack of a Meritocracy - Which I would extend to the hiring process
3. Personnel Utilization Issues

I'm glad Meyer's gone because he's an excellent coach, but I'm more interested in what Mark Richt and Greg McGarity are doing in Athens than what Jeremy Foley is doing in Gainesville.

PWD

Once Bitten, Twice Shy

I don't think it's a secret that I've been a frank pessimist regarding the Dawgs since about midway through the second quarter of the 2008 Alabama game.  That doesn't mean I don't desperately want to be an unbridled, unabashed optimist about the Dawgs.  My problem is a lack of evidence to make the turn.  In the last two and a half seasons, there's only been one sound defeat of a legitimate team (Tech 2009).  Even inferior teams have given the Dawgs problems (and more than a couple of losses) during that span.  And then, there's been two epic beatings in Jacksonville.

This year's team, left for dead in the Flatirons, has suddenly appeared competent with three straight convincing wins.  While I'm not yet ready to start beating my chest until it's red and black, there seem to be a lot of us who are.  Vegas likes us this weekend.  The experts, if you call Mark Bradley that, are for the most part picking the Dawgs, despite our recent historical difficulties in Jacksonville. I can't remember this much objective enthusiasm about UGA's chances in Jacksonville since Zook was fired or that suicide-inducing 2002 game (I apologize for bringing it up, **PUKING**).

The experts are picking us because we are the "hot" team.  Three straight convincing wins will evidently make you forget two atrocious efforts earlier in the same season.  But, it looks to me that our relative hotness and the Gators' relative coolness is simply a matter of timing.  UF beat UT and UK badly, just like us.  UF lost to Mississippi State in embarrassing fashion, just like we did.  These results, however, have just come at opposing times.  UF got UT and UK early and we played them this month.  So, we're essentially the same team against common opponents.  They've looked like a bunch of turds lately, but we looked turdtastic early.  

Even with the experts on our side, there's something of a lingering dread about this game that keeps me from complete confidence Saturday.  I'm having a problem turning myself into a bubbly fountain of hope because I've been burned so often and so badly in this series, but am I just not getting it this year?  Should I be more confident?

Given the recent history of the series, I feel like the Dawgs have to show me they can beat the Gators without endzone celebrations, lame duck coaches, or goofy alternate unis.  I want a straight up win over the Gators with no frills.  It's something I haven't seen in thirteen years.  I don't want to hear how we're going to do it.  I want to see it. Let us have it, Dawgs.  Please.  My capacity for hope in this series could be at stake.

Quinton

Random UF Humor

Urban Meyer talks to his offensive coordinator Steve Addazio. Ht - lowcountrydawg via the Vent



PWD

About the Bye Week

Image: DawgPost.com '07
Obviously, Florida isn't going to just roll over and play dead for us, but you wouldn't know it from reading some of the message board posts or reviewing the betting line.

Think back to 2007. Georgia was coming off a bad 2006 season, and it entered the 2007 Cocktail Party in a very flaccid fashion. The South Carolina loss was bad followed by the 28-0 halftime Volunteer lead in Neyland. All followed by barely beating Vanderbilt in Nashville. The only legitimately positive sign that season was the big win at Bama.

But Georgia took advantage of the bye week to get its act together and beat the defending national champs senseless.

There's no reason to think that Florida...despite all their problems...can't do something similar. It's not like they are without talent. They just have to pull their heads out of the sand in order to give us a war.

And to clarify...This post isn't some subtle pre-game excuse making way of saying "Florida will win because of the bye week." That's a bullshit excuse on par with bitching about the weather (as Blutarsky mentioned on Monday). The Dawgs had the bye last year before UF and in 2008 before the Tech game, and it did them no good. It's simply to say that the Gators are probably tired of hearing how much they suck, and they will play their best game of the year against UGA. Much like UT did in 2007 after their bye week.

Also the Dawgs should be very thankful we didn't have the bye week this year. Georgia needed the extra week to build more momentum and confidence. Plus, Caleb King would've been suspended for the Gator game if we had the bye on Saturday.

One Prerequisite Is Fulfilled

Have you ever heard that UF has a really good record lately against Georgia?  Usually, it's the ONLY thing the national media discusses in previews of this game in recent years.  As I've said before, we aren't the only team who's struggled against the Gators in the last twenty years.  Despite that, it seems we're the only team that consistently gets the recent series record dangled in our face.

So sure, we've had our issues in Jacksonville.  In every UGA victory in that twenty year span of futility, though, UF came into the game with a loss against LSU (1997, 2004, and 2007).  An LSU victory over the Gators doesn't signify that the Dawgs will win because LSU has beaten UF a few more times in the last twenty years than we have, but we haven't beaten them without LSU doing it first.  At least that one tiny omen favors us.

Quinton

Advice Needed: Georgia vs. Florida Game Water Taxi?

Dawgnoxious and I are thinking of ditching our long standing Adams Street tailgate spot in favor of pre-gaming at a local bar and then going to the game via Water Taxi. We'd rather not drive to or from the stadium.

So my question is...how do we do that? Who do I talk to? What websites can you guys hook me up with?

We're staying in Deerwood Park this year which is east of the River. For those not familiar with the city, we're South of the stadium on I-95 between the interstate and the beach.

We're game for partying anywhere east/south of the stadium near a water taxi location. Ideally, there would be a lot of other Dawg fans tailgating with us. And we don't want to fight traffic to get to the bar...ideally.

Please post your suggestions in the comments.

Thanks!

Paul Westerdawg and Dawgnoxious

Georgia vs. Florida Travel Deal

As a heads up, you can book a flight to Jacksonville from Atlanta round trip departing ATL on Thursday or Friday and returning on Sunday for as little as $128 plus taxes and fees. That's not $128 each way...that's total.

Car Rentals on Hotwire are as little as $28/day. Just something to consider if you hate that drive as much as I do.

PWD

(Not a paid advertisement, but I wish it was)

Dawgs lose to Gators

This wasn't really unexpected. I wasn't able to watch due to logistical issues so I can't comment much on it except to say that playing in Gainesville was one of the toughest 3 games remaining on our schedule.

This wasn't a yardstick game. It was a less talented team that has experienced extremely little success on the road over the past few years taking on a more talented team that's extremely good at home.

The game on Saturday vs. South Carolina is a more realistic opportunity for success. The Gamecocks did topple Kentucky at home earlier in the week, but they are still the Gamecocks which means from week to week you never know what you're going to get.

The SEC schedule makers did UGA no favors in booking our first five conference games against the best five teams in the league...with 3 of those games being on the road. But the schedule does become more manageable after the trip to Columbia. Consider:

Jan. 30 at South Carolina - winnable but tough
Feb. 3 - vs Arkansas (home) - winnable
Feb. 6 - Vandy (home) - winnable mainly because it's a home game
Feb. 10 - at Auburn - worst team in the SEC makes this winnable
Feb. 13 - South Carolina (home) - winnable because it's a home game

It's not out of the question for Georgia to take 4 of 5 from those teams, and that task looks a lot more manageable if we win on Saturday.

Not that you asked, but Georgia has the #8 strength of schedule in the nation according to WarrenNolan.com. Fox is trying to turn this program around the old fashion way...via blunt trauma. (kidding...I like the schedule)

BTW -- I know times are tough at newspapers, but not sending a single writer from the ABH or AJC to cover these road games? Seriously?

See Also:
-- Bulldogs take a beat down - ABH
-- Georgia Remains Winless on the Road - Red and Black
-- What happened? - Daugman

PWD

NYTimes Interview with Meyer

Meyer discusses the time line and what lead to the decision. Amazing read that showcases how relentlessly obsessed Meyer is/was. He went as far as using the term "self-destructive." Interestingly, his family didn't know until Christmas night.

This is the most revealing part of the story:

If there was a hallmark to Meyer’s coaching style, both on and off the field, it was his relentlessness. He said he found himself e-mailing recruits in church. He said that his 16-year-old daughter had told him that she had not felt like she talked to him in the past two years. In a 10-day period around the SEC title game Meyer said that he had lost 20 pounds.

That pretty much sums up the situation.

PWD