Our columnist Jeff Schultz gives his take on the game.
1. Gurley's injury biggest of all. Georgia's injury problems this season have been well-chronicled. But it was reaffirmed against the Gators that the loss of running back Todd Gurley for 3 1/2 games easily was the biggest loss of all. The sophomore finished with a combined 187 yards and two touchdowns, rushing and receiving — and he didn't even play the entire game because of nausea and conditioning reasons. If Gurley is healthy, the Dogs can win out in the regular season and finish 9-3 (pre-bowl game). But his issue for two years has been staying on the field. If he can find a way to stay healthy next season, he will be a potential Heisman Trophy candidate.
2. Muschamp needs to fix offense to save job. Florida coach Will Muschamp is now 0-7 in the Georgia-Florida series (0-4 as a Bulldogs player vs. the Gators; 0-3 as the Gators coach vs. the Bulldogs). Florida also has lost three consecutive and is 4-4 this season. But he won't get fired, nor should he be. Muschamp went 11-2 in his second season. This team has been dented by injuries (losing quarterback Jeff Driskel and running back Matt Jones, among others, for the season.) But if Florida's offense doesn't improve, Muschamp eventually will be out of a job. The Gators had gone nine consecutive quarters without an offensive touchdown against Georgia, going back to the first quarter in 2011, until Mack Brown's 5-yard score in the third. Even that was a 14-yard gimme drive after a Georgia turnover. After the offensive pyrotechnics under Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer, that won't play in Gainesville.
3. Bad call, good call.
Georgia got creative with play-calling in the fourth quarter with a direct snap that went between the legs of quarterback Aaron Murray directly to Gurley. The problem is that the play never should have been run. With the team clinging to a 23-20 lead, coach Mark Richt made the unexpected decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Bulldogs’ 39-yard line. Gurley was stopped short of the first down. The Gators took over, but found a way to screw up the scoring chance. What prompted Richt to make that decision? “I was trying to get some momentum back in our direction,” he said. “If we made it, it would’ve been a big momentum play for us. I didn’t think our guys were giving in or anything, but when the momentum swings, it’s hard to get it back.”
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