Hey....it's Florida-Georgia week and while us Gators would love to be drawn into a hate-hate relationship with Alabama...( just kidding Kp )....some good ole fashioned hate does exist between Georgia and Florida although the intensity level is up quite a bit lately on the Red and Black side...and really, who could blame them Dawgs for hatin' Gators. In my travels I go to Atlanta about once a year and when there talking with Dawg fans at a bar etc. all I have to do is mention that I'm a Gator and all civil conversation comes to screeching halt. These guys really and truly hate Florida right now and we Gators had better not lose our edge.
Just spent the weekend with our friends in Athens (for the Clemson homecoming). I love wearing my Gator stuff around, as does my husband, and of course my friend wears her Tennessee stuff, and her husband is likely in Clemson gear. Between the four of us, we're a pretty unwelcome group. I keep thinking we need a another person wearing Georgia Tech to cap it off. That's all in fun for sightseeing and shopping, but if we go to eat, I keep it generic. Lord knows what will end up in the food if I'm in obnoxious Gator colors. Despite it being Georgia and the whole Bulldog thing, Athens is a really nice town. Their stadium is impressive as well - it would be fun to go there for a game. I like Florida's chances with UGa, just as I liked their chances with Auburn . In theory, UF should handle them easily, but if anyone's learned anything this year, you have to come ready to play your best game whether you're the underdog or 30-point favorite. If Tebow is out or significantly limited ... yikes! ... I have no idea what to expect.
Florida's Tebow has bruised non-throwing shoulder Associated Press GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida coach Urban Meyer has talked all season about trying to limit the number of carries for quarterback Tim Tebow. Now, he might really have to do it. Tebow has a bruised right, non-throwing shoulder. He sustained the injury in the second half of Florida's 45-37 win at Kentucky on Saturday. Safety Major Wright (thumb) and offensive tackle Carlton Medder (heel) also were banged up in the game, maybe more serious than Tebow. Tebow played through the pain and sealed the victory with a 2-yard touchdown run that followed a 40-yard pass to Percy Harvin. Meyer said Tebow won't have any contact in practice this week as the 10th-ranked Gators (5-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) prepare for No. 20 Georgia. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3073016
He has sore right shoulder (non-throwing) from a hit, which he gave, late in the Kentucky game. You could see him carry his right arm slightly differently, but it didn't seem to hinder him - he still made his rushing TD afterwards. I hear this week in practice he's had no contact. He's supposed to be fine for UGa, but the Dawgs could make that shoulder their target until it does become an issue.
Up next for UF: No. 20 Georgia By BRANDON ZIMMERMAN 7:36 pm, October 20, 2007 ATHENS, Ga. — Raised in Texas, Matthew Stafford wasn't brought up with Florida-Georgia football history coursing through his blood. Georgia coach Mark Richt changed that recently when he gave Stafford and the Bulldogs a quick history lesson. Continue to 2nd paragraph "Coach Richt was trying to clue us in on the history from way back when," Stafford, Georgia's sophomore quarterback, said. "It seems like the games have gone in spurts. Georgia won for a long time. Then it was Florida. He talked about trying to take (the series) back. It's a cool history." In order for Georgia to take the series back, the Bulldogs must first overcome the mental aspect of losing 15 of the last 17 to Florida. The Bulldogs, however, say they aren't intimidated by the streak. In fact, Georgia's players only seem concerned about games in which they were involved. "Fans and the media might make a big deal of it," said fullback Brannan Southerland, who was part of Georgia's 31-24 win over Florida in 2004. "But as far as players go, we don't." Georgia redshirt freshman running back Knowshon Moreno didn't know anything about the series when he came to Georgia from New Jersey. "I don't even think about it," Moreno said. "We just take it as another game. We're going to play hard." Steve Spurrier routinely hammered lesser Georgia teams in the 1990s. However, since the arrival of Mark Richt in Athens in 2001, the Bulldogs have had teams capable of beating the Gators. But Georgia has been plagued by turnovers, dropped passes and missed field goals against the Gators in recent years. Those have been costly considering the last four losses to Florida have come by a touchdown or less. "I look at the games of the past, Florida has had good teams but we've really hurt ourselves in these games," Southerland said. "We need to cut out the errors and cut out the turnovers. Why that's happened in the past, I don't know." Last year's game was fairly typical of how this series has gone for Georgia this decade. On the first play from scrimmage, Georgia's Charles Johnson forced a Chris Leak fumble, but Leak recovered. On the first play of the second half, however, Georgia's Kregg Lumpkin was stripped of the ball by Florida's Derrick Harvey, and Ray McDonald returned it nine yards for a Florida touchdown. It was the deciding score in the Gators' 21-14 win. "Last year we did have a lot of turnovers," Southerland said. "If we can minimize our turnovers, I think we're going to be in good shape." Stafford has even gotten an ear full about the Florida series from quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. Bobo was the Bulldogs quarterback when Georgia upset Florida, 37-17, in 1997. Georgia has won just once since then. But Stafford says with the youth of the Bulldogs, the experience of losing 15 of the last 17 is not as great on the players as the fans. "You have new guys reloading every year," Stafford said. "Anybody can win anytime." Tight end Tripp Chandler agrees that the Bulldogs are not psyched out by the Gators. "It doesn't matter if we're playing the No. 1 team in the nation," Chandler said. "We think we're going to win." One person who is certainly tired of losing to Florida is Richt. The Georgia coach is 1-5 against the Gators with losses to Spurrier, Ron Zook and Urban Meyer. Richt knows there's only one way for the Bulldogs to cure their Florida misery. "Beat them," Richt said. "You gotta beat them." http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20071023/NEWS/71020015/1092
I too am concerned that Ga may try and target Tebow's shoulder for a few extra hits. I don't think Tebow should be the end all on offense anyway as UF does much better when we have more options involved in the offense. Maybe that will be the case in Jax come Saturday.
It is Kp except that one of the participants has not poked the other in the eye very much since...oh...around 1990...( when Spurrier was hired ) But that's OK.....both of my eyes are bloodied from the Fla-Ga days of yore when that dad gum mutt was a beastly nuisance.
Now I am seeing where Ga defensive players are indeed taunting Tebow about hitting his hurt shoulder a little bit extra. Man...I wouldn't want to be Matt Stafford in this one... :wink:
Please show me that quote. Ga def hasn't hit a QB all year. I don't believe there's a player who would say such a dumb thing. Tebows safe in this game. He will rush for 10 yards a pop.
http://georgia.scout.com/2/693941.html Now, maybe the Georgia internet media guy just made this up? I doubt it, as I've watched opposing players "late hit" Tebow all year ... trying to knock him out of the game. Heck, even Troy players were doing it ...... from their bench!!
As I said.....Matt Stafford is probably taking notice of this as I am sure Jermaine Cunnigham, Derrick Harvey, Dustin Doe and Brandon Spikes have also taken note..... 8) :twisted:
Unfortunately, it's looked upon by some programs as a normal part of the game. Regardless, the GA player IMO was stupid for talking about it publicly. It definitely is locker room bulletin board material. I wonder whose shoulder will be reinjured first, Tebow or the author of the quote?
I agree with you, Sid. Some things are better left unspoken. Still, the manner in which he said it was matter-of-fact, and not a taunt.