Compliments of AJC
The verdict is still out on defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. Until we see at least another season of his work, we won’t be able to gauge whether the lack of progress shown by the Dogs’ defense this season is a result of the level of talent Grantham inherited from Willie Martinez or is an indictment of Grantham’s coaching. But I think it’s safe to say at this point of the season it’s unlikely the light bulb is suddenly going to come on and this defense is going to get markedly better. The problems that have plagued the Dogs all season are still there. Too many times Florida receivers were wide open Saturday, even on plays where the Dogs not only didn’t blitz but didn’t really pressure the QB. How does that happen? And stopping a running quarterback? They don’t appear to have a clue. Still giving up the big play, too. If Cam Newton doesn’t set a bunch of records against Georgia, it’ll be a failing of his own making. …
And was anyone other than Grantham surprised by Urban Meyer going to a hurry-up offense? …
Still, it’s worth noting that the league’s worst defense on third down didn’t play that way Saturday. Florida converted on only four of 14 third-down tries and whiffed on its one attempt to convert on fourth down. …
On the other side of the ball, Mike Bobo didn’t do a bad job with his offensive calls for most of the game, though I still wonder why Georgia didn’t run it more. But Bobo’s decision-making in overtime definitely was questionable. I’ll give him trying the throw to Kris Durham in the corner of the end zone on first down because if the ball had been properly placed, it would have been a touchdown. Still, it was a fairly low-percentage play for Aaron Murray, who hasn’t really looked good throwing into that corner most of the season.
From there, though, Bobo got predictable: a run up the middle that got stuffed and then look for A.J. Green over the middle. And another tipped ball turned into an interception. You don’t have to be a offensive guru to wonder if maybe rolling Murray out on that play might have been a safer choice. And also to wonder whether the best choice of all might have been to just run it three times and kick the field goal. As Florida’s session of OT turned out, the worst that would have resulted in was a 34-34 score and a second period of OT. …
Kids don’t come much tougher than Durham. Not only did he hold on to the ball despite taking a vicious hit that had him coughing up blood on the sideline, he later returned to the game. …
Man, on that one Florida drive even the Gators’ false starts worked in their favor, including one that negated a Bulldogs stop on third down. And another time a sack of the Florida QB was wiped out by another Gator false start. What are the odds? …
As we noted Saturday, turnovers by Georgia — compounded by the Dogs’ failure to take it away when the Gators gave them the chance — really were the difference in this game. First downs, overall offensive yardage and time of possession were basically even between the two teams. …
As my brother Tim noted, thanks to CBS’ claustrophobic camera-work, you couldn’t really tell most of the time whether Florida’s coverage really had A.J. wrapped up or whether Murray was just looking elsewhere for most of the first three quarters after throwing a pick on the first play of the game trying to hit Green. CBS’ Gary Danielson seemed to think Green was open quite a few times when Murray went elsewhere.
But when Murray did go to Green in the fourth quarter, the receiver was amazing as usual. The 3rd-and-10 catch he managed to hold on to despite being hit immediately after he’d laid out for the ball was a thing of beauty (and made ESPN’s Top 10 Plays of the Day Saturday). And the touchdown catch a few plays later in the midst of triple coverage was nearly as impressive. …
Give the devil his due, Meyer knows how to make use of an off week and outcoached Mark Richt. Again. …
I have to agree with Jeff Dantzler of “Bulldog Brunch” that the location of the game in Jacksonville isn’t the reason for Florida’s dominance of the series the past two decades. It’s the same place they played when Georgia dominated the series the two previous decades. But Greg McGarity should make scheduling a bye week before Florida whenever possible a priority. During his years in Gainesville he’s seen firsthand how important that is.
As for the mental challenge facing the Dogs in playing Florida, Richt is probably right in his assessment that the only way to get out of that mind-set is to win a game like this one. Georgia didn’t do it, unfortunately, and that’s going to make Richt’s job even harder next year. …
