Georgia's football team would have appreciated a Tennessee victory over South Carolina on Saturday night because that would have put the Bulldogs alone atop the SEC East. But South Carolina beat the Vols to remain tied with Georgia in the division, and the Dogs were not in the mood to complain.
"I wasn't complaining about anything that happened [Saturday]," Georgia coach Mark Richt said Sunday. "It was a great day."
Georgia's 24-20 win over Florida -– just its fourth victory in 22 years over the Gators, as you might have heard –- left the Bulldogs basking in the aftermath on Sunday:
- Georgia moved up in the national rankings, climbing to No. 18 in the Associated Press poll and No. 20 in the coaches' poll. Last week, the Bulldogs were No. 22 in the AP poll and No. 21 in the coaches' poll. The No. 18 AP ranking is Georgia's highest since the week of Sept. 27, 2009.
- Linebacker Jarvis Jones was honored as the Walter Camp Football Foundation's national defensive player of the week. He had the finest game of his college career, sacking Florida quarterback John Brantley four times and forcing a fumble.
- Georgia clinched bowl eligibility with the victory, its sixth of the season, matching its win total for all of last season. Coupled with an Oct. 8 win over Tennessee, the victory made this the first UGA season since 1988 to include wins over both the Gators and the Vols.
Saturday's results eliminated Florida (4-4, 2-4 SEC) from the SEC East race, while leaving Georgia (6-2, 5-1) and South Carolina (7-1, 5-1) tied for first place. If they remain deadlocked at the end of the regular season, South Carolina would go to the SEC Championship Game by virtue of its 45-42 win over Georgia on Sept. 10.
However, if Georgia wins its two remaining SEC games and South Carolina loses one of its two, the Bulldogs would win the division.
Georgia's remaining SEC games are against Auburn on Nov. 12 and Kentucky on Nov. 19, both in Athens, while South Carolina's are Saturday at Arkansas and Nov. 12 at home against Florida.
One item of bad news for Georgia from the weekend: Starting offensive lineman Dallas Lee suffered a broken bone (fibula) in his right leg against the Gators.
"I don't know if it's season-ending," Richt said Sunday. "It's regular-season ending. I would think he'd have a very good opportunity to play in the bowl; [that] would be my guess."
Meanwhile, Richt said sophomore Kenarious Gates will take over as the starting left guard, and freshman David Andrews likely will become the sixth man on the offensive line.
Georgia plays a non-conference game against New Mexico State on Saturday in Athens, and it's unclear whether backup tailback Richard Samuel, a key factor in the second half of the Florida game, will be available.
Samuel, who scored the winning touchdown against the Gators, had to be helped off the field after the game because of a sprained ankle. X-rays were negative.
"I'm sure it'll be a day-to-day thing," Richt said.
Starting tailback Isaiah Crowell's status also will bear watching this week. He left the Florida game midway through the third quarter after aggravating a shin contusion suffered earlier in the season, but returned for three late-game carries.
As for Malcolm Mitchell, out the past two games with a pulled hamstring, Richt said he's not sure if the freshman receiver will be back Saturday.
One thing that won't be an issue this week, Richt said, is the status of placekicker Blair Walsh, who was 1-for-3 on field-goal attempts against Florida, missing from 33 and 37 yards. Walsh, who made 40 of 45 attempts the past two seasons, is 13-for-23 this season.
"What do I do?" said Richt, repeating a question. "I encourage him and keep loving him. As far as trying to make some kind of move or change … it hasn't even crossed my mind."
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